We all knew we were headed for a frenzied league-wide game of musical chairs in free agency, given the fact that so many top players were available at the same time, and…well, wow. is.
Once again, the NFL did not disappoint. Very rarely. Monday's frenzy was especially wild, and the aftershocks were pretty fun too.
*Fan himself*
Now that most (if not all) of the luxury RBs have landed in new spots (other than Dallas), we can start considering where exactly these players will fit in the 2024 fantasy hierarchy. Our mission today is to do a little behind-the-scenes ranking of recently relocated veteran backs.
Note: Fantasy ranks for March are below. do not have Represents a binding promise. I reserve the right to reject any or all of these rankings at any time for any reason. We still have various other contracts and the full NFL Draft coming up. This exercise is done purely for entertainment purposes. No draft will be held in any home league for the foreseeable future.
Let's start with the rank that many people really hate…
For those who don't rate Jacobs as one of the most dynamic and productive runners in the NFL, know that he finished in the top five in missed tackles forced on rushing attempts in each of his first four seasons. I want you to remember. And he led the league twice (in 2019 and 2022). Not to disrespect Aaron Jones (more on him later), who is a great player, but Jacobs is young and elusive.He may be the most chronically underrated wonderful Despite having a rush job title on his resume, he returned to the game. Jacobs is a person capable of receiving threats It was also his accomplishment to record 50 catches in two seasons.
If you were worried about last season's drop in performance (and rightly so), take comfort in the fact that Jacobs returned to excellence as soon as Josh McDaniels was no longer the team's head coach. . Jacobs played the full game in the final four games before injuring his quadriceps muscle against Minnesota, averaging 100.3 scrimmage yards, 4.2 YPC, and three touchdowns per week. He's simply a great player and now finds himself back as an unstoppable star in an explosive offense that's on the rise.
By the time draft season officially begins, I may be even bolder and more bullish in my ranks.
Nearly every fantasy league includes at least one die-hard Eagles fan or NFC East fetishist, so there's no way Barkley will fall outside of the top 10 overall picks. Like Jacobs, he is coming off an inefficient season in a terrible environment and does not reflect his true talent level. Like Jacobs, Barkley has found his way to an offense that is an order of magnitude better than his old one. There's no question he's one of the clear winners in free agency.
Don't ignore the fact that Jalen Hurts dominated in goal-to-go carries for Philadelphia last season, racking up 15 rushing scores, 11 of which were 1-yard TDs. It's also important to note that Hurts isn't the kind of guy who tries to throw checkdown passes to his back, which is typical of QBs who are also talented runners. D'Andre Swift caught just 39 passes last year, the lowest of his career. Of course, the touch distribution could certainly change once Jason Kelce retires and Kellen Moore becomes the team's new OC, but let's not pretend there aren't unanswered questions. .
It's kind of crazy that Henry didn't arrive in Baltimore before the trade deadline last season, but at least it finally happened. An elite running back joining an elite rushing offense is not a situation to overthink. Five different Ravens backs totaled 18 points last season, and Gus Edwards crossed the goal line 13 times.Even if Henry wasn't like that 30 years ago. very Although the best version of him, it's clear he still has the ability to lead the NFL in touchdowns in a healthy season. Baltimore rarely targets running backs in the passing game, but I never expected or saw significant receiving usage from Henry. He deserves to be drafted several spots earlier than last year's mid-to-late second round ADP.
Of all the teams that were clearly looking to add a running back in free agency, Houston probably had the longest line of eager applicants for the gig. This is the spot. The Texans have a Rocket offense with a talented young quarterback, big-play receivers, and talent on the offensive line. If Mixon had to leave Cincinnati, Houston was his best landing spot. He is a unique lead back on a team with huge potential. Last season, Mixon didn't miss a single game, gained 1,410 scrimmage yards, and scored 12 touchdowns, so there's no “he's trash” argument here. This is a good player in a great situation.
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings: RB18, 4th overall finish or 5th overall pick
As if we needed further proof that pro football can be a cruel, ruthless business, consider Jones' offseason. After accepting a significant pay cut to remain with the Packers in 2023, he I was asked to take the test one more time in 2024.. It was a tough moment for a guy who was absolutely devastating in Green Bay's most important weeks, posting five straight 100-yard performances late in the season, including playoff blowouts at Dallas and San Francisco. Ta.
It goes without saying that Jones can still play at a very high level. That's because he had a great performance just two months ago when he faced an elite defense. There are obvious concerns about his health and availability given his age (29) and mileage, but he is still a dynamic, versatile back. For Minnesota, Jones will be the head of the two-back committee, with Ty Chandler expected to continue in a rotational role.
Ideally, this team would start a quarterback other than Sam Darnold in opening week.
D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears: RB22, returns to RB dead zone
The yards-before-contact king is an exciting addition for OC Shane Waldron, and he is clearly the most versatile back on the team's roster.
However, Swift do not have It's the only back in Chicago worth touching. Khalil Herbert and Roshon Johnson are still in the team photo. It's really just a wish to take on the role of Swift's workhorse. We should expect to see a committee in place with Swift as its most valuable member.
Sure, you could argue that my initial rankings are too pessimistic in each of these situations, but all three players transferred to teams that already had quality backs on the roster. . Also, Tennessee's offense is in a transition period with all rookies, and Washington's quarterback situation is currently unstable, which is no small thing. Moss is probably a good enough player to be part of a great offense, but here's a reminder: Chase Brown is kind of a bad guy..
Perhaps someone in this group of three will make a windfall on ADP, one will land squarely at RB27, and the other will be in a universal decline by November. So also with this scary range back.
Devin Singletary (RB32) and Gus Edwards (RB39): Priority targets for ZeroRBists
Coming off an impressive season, Singletary is now leading the way in an offensive wasteland. New York clearly intends to add players to the backfield, so they have no chance of maintaining this position.
Edwards would be a great backup and likely mentor to soon-to-be Charger Blake Collum, but don't expect him to become a serious fantasy attraction before the end of the summer.
