The Super Bowl has come and gone, and we have entered the NFL offseason. Despite there not being another NFL football game for about six months, it isn’t too early to look at best ball fantasy football leagues. Since best ball comes with deeper rosters, there is less concern over players switching teams or picking up off-season injuries as long as they aren’t season-ending. Below, we will go over our best ball running back rankings.
A new season will bring a clean slate for players. Guys like Austin Ekeler and Miles Sanders will look to shake off down years, with the former likely playing for a new team in 2024. You can use a variety of strategies for drafting running backs, and we will get to those more later this offseason. For now, we bring you nearly 100 running backs, and it gives you an idea of how they’re being valued.
2024 best ball rankings: Top 94 running backs
It should be no surprise to see San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey atop the positional ranks. McCaffrey led the league with 1,459 rushing yards and added 14 touchdowns on the ground. He added 564 yards and seven touchdowns on 67 receptions.
When looking ahead, you have to account for possible regressions. Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert led the NFL in 2023 with 18 rushing touchdowns, but if you assume that second-year back De’Von Achane remains relatively healthy, it explains why Mostert sees such a big drop down RB32.
This year’s NFL rookie class is led by a top-heavy quarterback class. Three QBs could be drafted with the first three picks of the draft, and there currently are no running backs being mocked in the first round. Ranking rookie running backs are already tough to figure out where to slot in, and that just gets tougher this season.
Notre Dame’s Audric Estime (RB48) edges out Michigan’s Blake Corum (RB49) as the top rookie running back for our initial best ball rankings. Estime spent three seasons with the Fighting Irish, seeing an increase in playing time once Kyren Williams went to the NFL in 2022. Over the last two years, Estime has picked up 2,261 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns and has added 277 yards and another score on 26 receptions. Corum was the Wolverines’ featured running back from 2021-2023. He had a fantastic career with 3,660 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns over those three seasons. Corum is a decent pass-catcher, adding 338 yards and three touchdowns on 56 receptions.