Running back is generally thought of as a difficult fix in dynasty fantasy football. The position has short longevity and is subject to a lot of injuries. There is risk at the running back position, but there is a lot of upside and payoff as well. Blending the upside and the risk is key.
There are two critical ways to fix the position: First, make sure your roster has a lot of running backs on their roster. Second, buy discount profiles at a discount.
RUNNING BACK VOLUME
Increasing the volume of your running backs on your roster is a key strategy to fixing your running back position. Rostering a lot of running backs, particularly ones that are an injury away from a starting job, is an advantage in your dynasty league. These running backs can be as cheap as a roster spot and only require you to spend waiver wire priority or FAAB and a roster spot on the running back to acquire.
Injury-away running backs you should scour on the waiver wire, depending on your depth, include;
- Antonio Gibson
- Chase Edmonds
- Elijah Mitchell
- Matt Breida
- Jamaal Williams
- Ty Chandler
- Joshua Kelley
- Jerick McKinnon
- D'Ernest Johnson
- Trey Sermon
- Samaje Perine
- Rico Dowdle
- Trayveon Williams
- Latavius Murray
- Tyler Allgeier
Making sure to optimize the back end of your roster is critical. If you are rostering wide receivers that you are not starting, ask yourself two questions. First, are you comfortable playing this person in your lineup? Second, are you a lot more comfortable playing this person in your lineup than someone on your bench? If the answer is no to both questions, it is time to move on from him, cut him, and add a running back in his place.
The running backs you are rostering may not be helpful each week. What you are attempting to do is find spot starts from running backs that are higher upside than any wide receivers you are playing in your flex position. Making a lot of bets on injury-away running backs turns the odds in your favor and enhances your upside.
In deeper formats, there are RB3s on their roster that could tilt leagues in a spot start, including:
Continue reading this content with a ELITE subscription.
An ELITE subscription is required to access content for Dynasty leagues. If this league is not a Dynasty league, you can edit your leagues here.
BUYING Present production
Another good way to address the running back position is buying present production. There are few long-term guarantees at the running back position. Outside of a half dozen running backs, there are few guarantees at the running back position.
Kyren Williams
Kyren Williams returned to an elite role in the Rams' offense after spending time on the injured reserve list. Williams came from deep on the depth chart in the offseason, leaving dynasty GMs with the natural question of how long this will last, and as a result, his value at FantasyCalc.com is only RB13, despite his high-level upside. Acquiring Williams for a stretch run capitalizes on a high-level ceiling with the opportunity for 2024.
To get a sense of the market, here are some recent actual trades from MyFantasyLeague.com leagues. Every league is different of course, but these trades in existing real leagues can give you a pretty good feel for the cost and type of trade packages in the market.
Recent Superflex trades include:
In a Superflex League
- Trade Away: Chase Brown and 2024 2nd-round rookie pick
- Trade For: Kyren Williams
In a Superflex league:
- Trade Away: Aaron Jones and 2024 2nd-round rookie pick
- Trade For: Kyren Williams
In a Superflex league:
- Trade Away: Jahan Dotson and 2024 4th-round rookie pick
- Trade For: Kyren Williams
Raheem Mostert
Raheem Mostert is also a top 6 potential running back in any given week. On the season, Mostert is RB2 in total points, and averages 18.6 points per game. Despite the high end production, Mostert is only RB25 in dynasty valuation at FantasyCalc.com.
In a Superflex league
- Trade Away: 2024 2nd round rookie pick
- Trade For: Raheem Mostert
In a Superflex league:
- Trade Away: Cam Akers and 2024 3rd-round rookie pick
- Trade For: Raheem Mostert
In a Superflex league:
- Trade Away: Darren Waller and 2024 3rd-round pick
- Trade For: Raheem Mostert
TAKEAWAY
Fixing the running back position should be done in a high-upside manner, especially when the costs are suppressed because of long-term concerns. Make sure to grind through your waiver wires, and where the cost is less than a first-round rookie pick, look to acquire high-level players the market has long-term concerns about.