Just as the NFL continues to evolve, so does its impact on fantasy football. In a similar way to how having a rushing quarterback is beneficial, a running back that also serves as a pass-catcher has become increasingly important both on the field and in fantasy football.
The more ways a player is capable of putting points on the board the more valuable they are to fantasy owners. This is especially the case for PPR leagues, but true in all situations.
Last Year’s Top Receiving Backs
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior so it is important to note the trends from last year.
Breece Hall led all running backs in targets last year 95. Behind him, Bijan Robinson and Alvin Kamara each tallied 86. Christian McCaffrey ranked behind them with 83 and then Austin Ekeler and Jaylen Warren each had 74 to round out the top six.
In terms of actual receptions, Breece Hall also led the way with 86, Alvin Kamara was second with 75, and Christian McCaffrey ranked third with 67. Beyond this, Rachaad White had 64, Jaylen Warren had 61, while Bijan Robinson and Travis Etienne Jr each tallied 58 receptions.
Hall, McCaffrey, and White each eclipsed over 500 receiving yards last season. Robinson, Etienne Jr, Kamara, Ekeler, Samaji Perine, and James Cook were the only other players to tally 400 receiving yards.
2024 Top Receiving Running Backs
1. Christian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey is expected to be the top pick in most fantasy football drafts and for good reason. The 28-year-old led the NFL in touches, yards from scrimmage, and combined rushing and receiving touchdowns last year. McCaffrey finished the season as the third overall fantasy scorer behind Josh Allen and CeeDee Lamb.
Even still, there is still room for him to take a step forward this year. While he logged 67 receptions last season, McCaffrey tallied 85 the season before. He also tallied 116 receptions in 2019 and 107 in 2018 when he was with the Carolina Panthers.
The Brandon Aiyuk situation still looms over the 49ers as an organization. While there will be some sort of resolution to this before the season kicks off, it could present the need for McCaffrey to be more involved as a pass-catcher.
Even if Aiyuk is back and fully involved in the offense, expect McCaffrey to take another step forward. Last year marked his first full season with the 49ers after the midseason trade the season prior. Look for him to continue to get comfortable and to be even more involved in the passing game this season.
2. Bijan Robinson
After being selected with the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Bijan Robinson became the highest-selected running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018. The Texas product had an impressive rookie season which included ranking 5th in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and tallying the 9th most fantasy points of all running backs.
Overall, he produced 1463 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns. This all occurred while fans were screaming for him to receive more touches as Tyler Allgeier split touches in the backfield nearly 50/50.
While Allgeier will continue to be in the mix, Atlanta fired head coach Arthur Smith and hired Raheem Morris ahead of this season. In addition, they traded for Kirk Cousins and will be looking to take as large of a leap as any other NFL team this season.
Expect this to bring increased opportunities for Bijan Robinson. He remains their most dynamic offensive player and will be a key part of the team moving forward. Look for his pass-catching production to take a leap this year and Robinson to be among the most dynamic backs in the league.
3. Breece Hall
Following the injury to Aaron Rodgers, the Jets offense was a complete mess last year. Breece Hall was one of the lone bright spots and was responsible for producing 50% of the team’s touchdowns.
While he still should be expected to be active in the Jets offense as a pass-catcher, Hall’s league-leading targets and receptions may have been more by necessity than design. With Rodgers returning to the field, expect the ball to be spread around to the receivers more and for Hall to be passed in opportunity by the two running backs above.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a great thing for the Jets as a team. It also may positively impact Hall’s overall fantasy ceiling as there should be more running room and still an opportunity for multiple catches per game. But expect similar receiving production from Hall whereas McCaffrey and Robinson have a great chance to take a stride forward.
4. Jahmyr Gibbs
Similar to Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs is a highly drafted running back entering his second year. In his first year with the Lions, Gibbs tallied 1261 yards from scrimmage and 11 combined touchdowns. The Alabama product received Pro Bowl honors and finished the season 4th in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
The Lions took a significant step forward as a team last year going 12-5 and losing in the Conference Championship. Look for them to build off this as a team and for Gibbs to be a significant part of this. Gibbs is currently being drafted as the 6th running back off the board in fantasy football drafts and has a chance to outperform this.
While David Montgomery will still be competing with Gibbs for carries, the Lions proved last season that the first-round back is the better suitor in the passing game. Gibbs had 52 receptions compared to the 16 that Montgomery logged and will look to improve on that number this season. Expect an across-the-board leap from Gibbs and for his involvement in the passing game to be a key part of it.
5. Austin Ekeler
A bit of a surprise name here, but Austin Ekeler has flown under the radar far too much in fantasy football conversations. After spending seven seasons with the Chargers, Ekeler took his talents to the East Coast to join the Washington Commanders on a two-year deal worth just over $11 million.
Once a surefire first-round fantasy football selection, Ekeler is coming off a bit of a down year. He tallied just 1064 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns last year which mark his lowest totals since 2020. From a receiving perspective, Ekeler tallied just 51 receptions for 436 yards. In contrast, the year prior he had 107 receptions for 722 yards which each ranked in the top two in the NFL.
With Jayden Daniels set to take the reigns as the starting quarterback, look for the Commanders to utilize the screen game quite heavily to make him comfortable. While Brian Robinson Jr. will be competing for carries, Ekeler is a much better pass-catcher. Look for a bounce-back season from the former Charges standout and for Ekeler to rapidly grow into a key part of this Commanders team.
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