Though the size of the contracts they saw seemed to have shrunk even more this offseason, 2023 was still a busy offseason for for NFL running backs. Some of the moves were more notable than others in the never-ending quest to find a viable fantasy backfield,
Below is a look at the biggest running back moves of the offseason so far and looking ahead to how they will affect your fantasy rosters.
D’Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
Previous team: Detroit Lions (acquired via trade)
After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Detroit Lions, Swift landed with the Philadelphia Eagles, a bona fide Super Bowl contender. But just how he fits into the Eagles offense is still to be determined. So far, he’s been working mostly as a pass catcher, ceding the starting running back role, or as close to what passes for it in Philadelphia’s offense, to Rashaad Penny.
Swift’s fantasy numbers are probably going to take a hit this year with the Eagles, but if he finds some success in the passing game, he could have some value as a flex option.
Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Previous team: Philadelphia Eagles (acquired via free agency)
After four seasons working in a committee role with the Eagles, Sanders finds himself with the Carolina Panthers this year where he should see a heavier workload. He’s carrying the ball and catching it regularly in the early part of training camp so far. Targeted 26 times last season, that number should increase this year as a safety valve for rookie quarterback Bryce Young. He caught 50 passes in his rookie year, so he can handle it.
Sanders finished last season with 259 rushing attempts for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. He should see a similar number of carries with the Panthers, but since their offense isn’t going to be as good as the Eagles, it will likely be harder for him to find running room, not to mention the Panthers having to play catchup later in games against better opponents.
He looks like a solid RB2 this year thanks to his workload, but Sanders’ ceiling isn’t especially high.
Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
Previous team: Detroit Lions (acquired via free agency)
After a league-leading 17 rushing touchdowns with the Lions last season, Williams got a $12 million, three-year deal to help the Saints reprise the old 1-2 punch backfield with Alvin Kamara. That means Williams handling the bulk of the work on the ground, preserving Kamara’s shelf life. In the hey day of the Kamara/Mark Ingram split, the later was seeing north of 200 carries. It makes Williams a high end RB2 with RB1 potential.
And with Kamara suspended for the first three weeks of the season, Williams’ should play a featured role in the Saints offense, firmly in RB1 territory for that trio of contests.
Latavius Murray, Buffalo Bills
Previous team: Denver Broncos (acquired via free agency)
Murray had a decent season helping to steady Denver’s beat up backfield last season, but the 33-year old’s best days are long behind him. It looks like he’ll be the third man behind Damien Harris and James Cook for a Buffalo Bills team that doesn’t really give its running backs all that much to do.
D’Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears
Previous team: Carolina Panthers (acquired via free agency)
With the Bears, Foreman instantly slides into a committee role with Khalil Herbert. There’s also a third player in the mix, rookie Roschon Johnson, who could push for playing time too. We’ll get a better sense of how duties will be split throughout camp and the preseason, but Foreman looks like a decent option on fantasy rosters as fringe RB2/flex player and a handcuff for Herbert.
Chase Edmonds, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Previous team: Denver Broncos (acquired via free agency)
Edmonds signed a one-year, $1 million deal to be Rachaad White’s backup with the Bucs. Given how much the Bucs are expected to struggle this season, their running game might not have a big role to play in the second half of games either. Edmonds’ fantasy value is mostly as a handcuff to White.
Damien Harris, Buffalo Bills
Previous team: New England Patriots (acquired via free agency)
Harris is expected to slide into the role formerly occupied by Devin Singletary as the Bills big, between-the-tackles back paired with James Cook. Last year in that role, Singletary lead the team in rushing with 177 carries and 819 yards, adding five scores on the ground. However, there’s been talk early in camp that Cook is in line for a more prominent role which could make him the clear favorite in the committee. Harris has fantasy value, but it’s hard to get a handle on it until we know more about how the Bills backfield duties will shake out. For now, he looks like a mid tier RB2.
Rashaad Penny, Philadelphia Eagles
Previous team: Seattle Seahawks (acquired via free agency)
Through spring practices and the earliest part of training camp, Penny has slid into the starting role for the Eagles. That’s not to say he’ll be the team’s bell cow, since the Eagles prefer a committee and they brought in D’Andre Swift to be their 1b in that department. Still, Penny should see early down work in an offense that forces defenses to spread themselves thin.
Penny’s got real upside this season, and his career average of 5.7 yards per carry could inch upwards in this offense. He’s looking like a solid RB1 with a decently high ceiling.
Dalvin Cook, New York Jets
Previous team: Minnesota Vikings
Cook signed a one-year, incentive-laden $8,6 million deal with the Jets in free agency. This came an hour or so after Elliott signed with the New England Patriots. Cook has rushed for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons and was a Pro Bowler in each. The Jets could be concerned about the status of Breece Hall for the beginning of the season. He tore his ACL last season as a rookie. Cook is more than capable of being an RB1, especially on an incentivized deal.
Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots
Previous team: Dallas Cowboys
The Patriots are bringing in Elliott on a one-year deal, which seemed to spark the signing of Cook with the Jets. Zeke is coming off 12 TDs last season with 968 total yards. Rhamondre Stevenson should still lead the backfield but could lose red-zone carries and have TDs vultured. Elliott was one of the more effective backs in the red zone. Stevenson should remain the passing-down back; Elliott had 17 catches last season, a career low.