OWS Fam,

The first ever OWS Daily Dose Draft Guide is now available!

In today’s e-mail, we give you a look at our Draft Guide’s fantasy breakdowns for the running back position. Read on to find out our expert’s tiers and evaluations for multiple levels of fantasy-relevant running backs ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

Over the next seven days, we will also be delivering the following critical draft-season content directly to your inbox:

8/28 - WR Tiers

8/29 - TE Tiers

8/30 - Mike's Guys

8/31 - Seven Sleepers

9/1 - Five Fade Series

9/2 - Five Fade Series

9/3 - Five Fade Series

To consume the Draft Guide in its entirety, follow this link to One Week Season:
https://oneweekseason.com/the-scroll/drafting-season/

It’s time to lock in Fam!

2024 Draft Guide: RB Tier

By Mike Johnson

Tier 1 RBs – “The Studs”

These running backs have elite, three-down skill sets and offenses that should be built around them. They are essentially “game-script- proof”.

• Christian McCaffrey, SF

  • Not a lot needs to be said, over his last five seasons only injury has kept him from finishing as a top-2 player at the position.

• Bijan Robinson, ATL

  • My personal pick to finish as the top RB this season. Bijan is an elite talent with an improved offense around him.

• Breece Hall, NYJ

  • Last season, Hall was returning from an ACL injury, and he began the year as RB32 through four weeks. He was the RB2 from Week 5 to the end of the season.

Tier 2 RBs – “Knocking At The Door”

This group features star RBs with elite volume OR efficiency. These guys don’t quite have the same package as the top-3 RBs, but they are close.

• Saquon Barkley, PHI

  • He has done it before and is playing on the best offense of his career. If anyone outside the top 3 can finish as RB1, it is Saquon. The biggest question will be how many TDs he can score playing next to Jalen Hurts.

• Jahmyr Gibbs, DET

  • Gibbs is a game breaking talent whose role with the Lions grew as the season went along. David Montgomery isn’t going anywhere, but this backfield has been among the top producing in the league the last two years and should be the same this year. As long as both RBs are healthy, Gibbs usage will be somewhat limited. If Montgomery ever misses time and Gibbs can stay on the field, he has “CMC-level” ceiling — which makes him the type of player who can win you your league in round 2 or 3.

• Jonathan Taylor, IND

  • Elite talent and has no contract or injury issues entering this season. Should have a huge workload. Similar to Barkley, there are questions about losing rushing TDs to Anthony Richardson.

• Isiah Pacheco, KC

  • The bell cow RB for a Patrick Mahomes offense is not a player you want to overlook.

• Travis Etienne, JAX

  • RB2 season in 2023. No new backfield competition was added, and the offense should be better. 

• De’Von Achane, MIA

  • Set efficiency records as a rookie and plays in one of the best offenses/rushing schemes in the league. Questions about his durability and offensive line.

• Kyren Williams, LAR

  • The RB2 in points per game in 2023, the outlook for Williams is clouded a bit by the presence of rookie Blake Corum. 

Tier 3 RBs – “Last of the Feature Backs”

These are the feature backs for their teams but have some combination of competition lurking, efficiency concerns, and/or potentially hitting the “age cliff”.

• Derrick Henry, BAL

  • Henry will turn 31 this season, but he has been a TD machine throughout his career. He now joins a Ravens team that is usually near the top of the league in rushing TDs. 

• Josh Jacobs, GB

  • Jacobs signed a large contract with the Packers and is in line for feature-back usage on an ascending offense. 

• Joe Mixon, HOU

  • Similar to Jacobs, Mixon is a capable and talented veteran who could dominate the backfield for a high-caliber offense. 

• James Cook, BUF

  • Fresh off having compiled nearly 1,600 total scrimmage yards last season, Cook will look to continue his growth in Year 3. Some are worried about rookie Ray Davis cutting into Cook’s role, but the veteran should be the lead dog while healthy. 

• Kenneth Walker, SEA

  • Reports are that Walker is a perfect fit in the Seahawks’ new offense and has distanced himself from Zach Charbonnet, potentially putting him in line for a bell-cow workload. 

• James Conner, ARI

  • Clearly the top RB in Arizona, where we are expecting a huge jump in offensive scoring this year.

• Alvin Kamara, NO

  • Jamaal Williams is “just a guy,” and Kendre Miller has played himself out of favor. Kamara should once again be a PPR specialist and operate as an integral part of the Saints’ offense. 

• Rachaad White, TB

  • Had an elite workload last year but struggled with efficiency. If he keeps the same role, he is a great weekly option.

Tier 4 RBs – “Premium Timeshares”

These backs will be sharing the workload with others but are likely to still get a high volume of touches or be heavily involved in the passing game and/or near the goal line.

• David Montgomery, DET 

  • The Lions’ backfield continues to be a source of massive RB scoring. If Gibbs ever misses time, Montgomery would be a weekly top-10 option at the position. 

• D’Andre Swift, CHI

  • The Bears’ offense this season may fit Swift’s skill set better than any that he has played on so far in his career. If he stays healthy and maintains his lead-back status, he could finally make good on all the potential we’ve seen him flash. He is likely to cede some of the work to a backup but is also expected to get the lion’s share of the high-value touches. 

• Aaron Jones, MIN

  • The Vikings’ offense will need playmaking and should involve Jones in the highest-value touches for fantasy football (targets and goal-line work). He is approaching 30 years old and has struggled to stay healthy, but he should have several big weeks in store.

• Zamir White, LVR

  • Carried a massive workload to end last season, and the coaching staff wants to build around the running game. His biggest obstacle appears to be how many points the Raiders will be able to score and the fact that he may lose passing-down work this season.

• Raheem Mostert, MIA

  • Mostert will be splitting the workload with Achane and faces competition from rookie Jaylen Wright, which, at 32 years old, makes him feel like a risky pick. However, he scored 21 touchdowns last season and only missed one game, so there is still value to be had here if you are willing to take on the risk.

Tier 5 RBs – “Split Backfields on Good (or Run-Oriented) Offenses”

• Jaylen Warren // Najee Harris, PIT

  • Pittsburgh should be near the top of the league in rushing attempts, and both of these guys should touch the ball 15+ times per game. Warren is talented and explosive, while Harris has an RB3 season in his past and is only 26 years old.

• Zack Moss // Chase Brown, CIN

  • The coaching staff insists that both RBs will be involved in this high-octane offense. Moss profiles as a player who may get more touches, while Brown is more explosive.

• Brian Robinson // Austin Ekeler, WAS

  • The Commanders will likely lean heavily on their backfield as they try to protect their rookie quarterback and deal with their lack of playmakers in their receiving corps. Robinson has expanded his skill set and had multiple huge games in 2023, while Ekeler is finally healthy after a rocky season.

• Tony Pollard // Tyjae Spears, TEN

  • Two very similar backs in an offense that is a dark horse to make a big jump this season. Both of these guys are explosive and capable in the passing game.

• Jerome Ford // Nick Chubb, CLE

  • Chubb will likely miss at least the first few weeks of the season, making Ford a value for teams that miss at the position early in their drafts. Cleveland has a RB-friendly scheme and a very good offensive line.

• Rico Dowdle // Ezekiel Elliott, DAL

  • The Cowboys’ offense should be centered around their passing game, but there are a lot of yards and points to be had on this team. That makes this a valuable spot for whichever back emerges (my money is on Dowdle).

• Rhamondre Stevenson // Antonio Gibson, NE

  • The Patriots are projected to be one of the bottom offenses in the league, meaning their duo of RBs is likely to have limited scoring opportunities but a plethora of targets.

• J.K. Dobbins // Gus Edwards, LAC

  • Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman have made it clear they want to run the ball – a lot. Dobbins is the leader for the top job at the moment if he can get past his history of injuries.

• Jonathon Brooks // Chuba Hubbard, CAR

  • The Panthers’ offense will look to bounce back from a rough 2023 and new coach Dave Canales says they intend to lean heavily on their running game. Brooks is likely out for the first three or four games. 

Tier 6 RBs – “Feature Backs on Questionable Offenses”

• Devin Singletary, NYG

• Javonte Williams, DEN

Tier 7 RBs – “Young with Huge Contingent Upside”

This is a group of young running backs who may start the season with limited roles but are positioned to be game-changers if anything happens to the player ahead of them on the depth chart. 

• Blake Corum, LAR

• Ty Chandler, MIN

• Jaylen Wright, MIA

• Ray Davis, BUF

• Trey Benson, ARI

• Zach Charbonnet, SEA

• Tyler Allgeier, ATL

• Braelon Allen, NYJ 

• Jordan Mason, SF

Tier 8 RBs – “Overlooked Veteran Handcuffs”

• Dameon Pierce, HOU

• Justice Hill, BAL

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC

• Tank Bigsby, JAX

Tier 9 RBs – “The Other Guys”

• Jaleel McLaughlin // Aldrich Estime, DEN

• Roschon Johnson // Khalil Herbert, CHI 

• Marshall Lloyd // AJ Dillon, GB

• Bucky Irving, TB

• Kenneth Gainwell // Will Shipley, PHI

• Tyrone Tracy // Eric Gray, NYG

• Elijah Mitchell, SF

• Miles Sanders, CAR

• Dylan Laube // Alexander Mattison, LVR

• Trey Sermon // Evan Hull, IND 

• Jamaal Williams // Kendre Miller, NO