5 RBs to Buy In Dynasty Before NFL Free Agency

Photo: USA Today Sports

2023 NFL Free Agency is right around the corner, which means that plenty of players are going to see their fantasy football situations drastically change - for better or for worse.

Each stage of the NFL offseason presents Dynasty managers with an opportunity to make shrewd roster moves to better their team. A player's Dynasty stock may skyrocket because of the upcoming movement, but not every manager in your league is anticipating that event. This creates a window where smart managers can swoop in and acquire a player for a lot less than what their value will be in just a few weeks time.

With that in mind, let's look at five RBs that could be wise choices to go and acquire for cheap right now before NFL Free Agency.

Running backs to buy now in dynasty leagues

5. Zamir White (RB - Las Vegas Raiders)

One of the biggest surprises from 2022 was Josh Jacobs' dominance from a fantasy standpoint. Going into last season, we didn't even know if White would completely take over this backfield with the way the coaching staff seemed to be souring on Jacobs. However, we now know that Jacobs was a top-five fantasy football running back, and White totaled just a handful of carries all season long.

We can't forget the talent level of White, though, and what made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of Georgia last year. The Raiders drafted him early enough to signal that they had a plan for him and he could easily be the starting running back for Las Vegas in 2023 if they don't want to hand out major money to Jacobs on a new contract. It's a risk, but absolutely no one is thinking about White right now.

Ideal Acquisition Cost: Late-3rd-Round Rookie Pick

4. Antonio Gibson (RB - Washington Commanders)

The Dynasty value for Gibson has been absolutely all over the place in his first few years in the NFL. There have been points where he's seemed like he's on his way to being a top-five Dynasty asset, and then other moments where people were practically begging you to take him off of their roster. However, the talent level is still there. We see that week in and week out - it just comes down to volume and opportunity.

In Washington, Gibson is unlikely to ever be a top-24 fantasy football running back. As long as he's sharing the backfield with Brian Robinson - and potentially J.D. McKissic, too, if he works his way back from another season-ending neck injury - he's not going to be someone that you can trust in your starting lineup. He's included here, though, as a buy-low option because of the chance that he lands somewhere else.

Gibson has just the 2023 season left on his rookie contract with Washington, and he'll then be slated to hit free agency. If you do acquire him this offseason, he's going to be someone that possibly sits on your bench for a year. Right now, though, you can acquire him for next to nothing, and it's better to think proactively as a Dynasty manager. It's obviously a big risk, but an NFL team could easily view him as their starter in free agency in 2024 that will still have a ton of tread on his tires because of his limited workload. At just 24, he has a long NFL career ahead of him.

Ideal Acquisition Cost: Early-3rd-Round Rookie Pick

What would you rather have in Dynasty right now?

— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) March 1, 2023

3. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB - Kansas City Chiefs)

I'm not sure if there's been a more disappointing pick in rookie drafts over the past few years than Edwards-Helaire. After being drafted in the 1st round by the Kansas City Chiefs, Edwards-Helaire has failed to live up to expectations and has seemingly lost his hold on the starting job in this dynamic offense to a seventh-round rookie. While Edwards-Helaire was sidelined with an injury, Isiah Pacheco provided a spark for this offense and it's difficult to see a path where Edwards-Helaire slides back in as the starter when he's healthy.

It's actually potentially more probable that the Chiefs decide to move on from their 1st round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft and outright release him. Cutting Edwards-Helaire would be a minimal cap hit for the Chiefs this offseason, and he's slated to hit free agency in 2024, regardless. A new destination could be the best thing for Edwards-Helaire personally and from a fantasy football standpoint.

My notes on Edwards-Helaire coming into the NFL were that he profiled as a fantastic receiving back. He was good in pass protection and an elite receiver out of the backfield. At the time, I believed that his best fit for an NFL offense would be in a supercharged James White role. I still believe that.

If he can land in an offense willing to feature him as a big part of the passing game, Edwards-Helaire could immediately jump back up the Dynasty rankings. Right now, Dynasty managers simply want him off of their roster if they've still got him.

It's a risk. There's also the potential that Edwards-Helaire is never given that role for an NFL team, and he just bounces around the league for the next several seasons. However, at his current price tag, it's worth at least scooping him up to see how things play out.

Ideal Acquisition Cost: Late-3rd-Round Rookie Pick