The NFL is awake from its offseason slumber with training camp and the first week of the preseason complete. The running back rotations are critical to identifying early-season roles and valuable RB2 clarity (and confusion) for fantasy upside.
This initial running back update will have an overarching preview of the position with future (leading up to Week 1) installments highlighting notable changes or adjustments.
Starter Injuries to Monitor
Nick Chubb is the biggest injury question mark regarding his Week 1 status. Cleveland notably added D'Onta Foreman as a potential aid to the depth chart if Chubb misses the start of the season. Jerome Ford played from the outset of the first preseason game, with Pierre Strong Jr following. Foreman did not participate. Strong is the sneaky stash should Chubb miss Week 1 for deeper injury-away status.
Christian McCaffrey is on the lowest level of monitoring for Week 1. His calf injury is not considered a serious threat to his regular season availability (yet), and McCaffrey has said if it were a regular game week, he would be playing.
Jonathon Brooks is a projected starter as the season develops but will have a ramp-up period (which may include being inactive to begin the season) for Carolina. Chuba Hubbard is the locked-in replacement as needed, with Miles Sanders the de facto RB2 until Brooks' role grows.
Back-Up Injuries to Monitor
Elijah Mitchell and Isaac Guerrendo add to the 49ers' depth chart injuries this month. Jordan Mason has significant buzz and is one of the lone practicing (and playing) running backs on the roster. Mitchell could be a player on the move if Mason and Guerrendo are healthy and trustworthy by the coaching staff in the coming weeks.
Kendre Miller is having another injury-filled season at the outset. The talented Round 3 pick from 2023 has yet another lower-body injury, which bolsters the clarity for Jamaal Williams as the Saints' RB2. Miller may be dropped in some shallower to medium-depth dynasty leagues by September. The talent is there, but lingering injuries for over 12 months have marred Miller's career start and chances to project as Alvin Kamara's potential heir thus far.
MarShawn Lloyd has picked up a hamstring injury, stabilizing AJ Dillon as the RB2 in Green Bay. Reports were already leaning toward Dillon as the RB2 to open the season, and this injury only extends Lloyd's timetable for challenging Dillon this season.
Keaton Mitchell will likely begin the season on the injured list, aiding Justice Hill's status as the RB2 in Baltimore behind Derrick Henry. Rookie Rasheen Ali also gets an early-season boost for the RB3 job and a preemptive pickup if Henry or Hill miss time.
Notable Rookies for Lineups
- None
A draft class where no running backs enter August with a primary role. Jonathon Brooks is projected to rise quickly once healthy. Trey Benson saw an encouraging early-down role in the first week of the preseason to be viewed as the primary rusher if James Conner were to miss time.
Rookies Likely to Win RB2 Roles
- Braelon Allen
- Trey Benson
- Blake Corum
- Tyrone Tracy Jr.
- Bucky Irving
Braelon Allen and Tyrone Tracy Jr. project as clear RB2 types with their first preseason game rotations.
Editor's Note: Tracy suffered a non-contact injury in practice on 8/13. His status is unknown.
Trey Benson may split with a receiving-centric option if James Conner is out, but Benson is trending upward. Blake Corum should win the RB2 job over Ronnie Rivers. Chase Edmonds did not play in the opening preseason game to provide at least some ambiguity for now with Bucky Irving.
Braelon Allen was Footballguys Dan Hindery's No.1 Rebuilding Running Back Target.
Rookies With RB2 Role Promise
Ray Davis is competing with Ty Johnson, who did not play in the opening preseason game. There is a lack of confirmation on the RB2/3 rotation. Will Shipley and Kenneth Gainwell will compete for the RB2 spot over the coming weeks.
Rookies Who Need Help
Jaylen Wright starts from a buried spot in Miami but flashed his overt athleticism in the first preseason game. The perfect storm outcome for Wright is there, and the hurdles are an older Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, who did not stay healthy as a rookie. Jeff Wilson staying ahead of Wright by September would be concerning as Wright would have yet another functional back to leap-frog to get to a meaningful role. MarShawn Lloyd's hamstring injury halts any progress toward the RB2 role in Green Bay for now. Kimani Vidal needs help but has a simple path to the Chargers' starting role, as Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are far from trustworthy profiles.
Higher-Cost Veterans in Prime Positions
- Antonio Gibson
- Ty Chandler
- Zach Charbonnet
- Tyler Allgeier
- Tyjae Spears
- J.K. Dobbins
The depth charts are largely unchallenged for these veterans. Tyjae Spears could even be excluded from the list as Tennessee projects to be a committee with Tony Pollard, much like the expected two-back system for the Steelers (Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren). J.K. Dobbins is the biggest wildcard. He could win the starting job by showing even 80% of his pre-injuries upside and maintaining health over the next 4-6 weeks or languish and ultimately be passed by Kimani Vidal for the RB2 role.
Low-Cost Veterans in Prime Positions
- Trey Sermon
- Rico Dowdle
- Dameon Pierce
- Tank Bigsby
- Jamaal Williams
- Alexander Mattison
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Jerome Ford
- Justice Hill
- AJ Dillon
- Samaje Perine
This is the low-cost bucket to live in for dynasty teams and some deeper redraft formats. All of them project as Week 1 injury-away options where benefiting from the starter missing time is paramount to this journey, independent of the talent level in the RB2 role. AJ Dillon and Alexander Mattison are two glaring examples who are uninspiring with their recent clarified starts but still project as Week 1 injury-away options. Tank Bigsby's impressive training camp reports and opening game of the preseason is one of the notable shifts, considering D'Ernest Johnson was the clarified RB2 last season with the same Jacksonville depth chart. Monitor Trey Sermon's hamstring injury (picked up in the first preseason game) for his Week 1 availability.
Speculation Plays
Emari Demercado did not play in the first preseason game, but there were reports from training camp of Demercado seeing first-team reps and possibly being the RB2 over Trey Benson. Until we see the rotation head-to-head in a preseason game, there is speculation value in rostering Demercado. With Elijah Mitchell and Isaac Guerrendo working back from injuries, Jordan Mason has RB2 possibilities in a perfect storm over the coming weeks behind Christian McCaffrey. Ty Johnson did not play this week but was the projected RB2 in Buffalo during camp. Like Demercado in Arizona, refrain from dropping Ty Johnson until we see the rotation in an upcoming preseason game, which affirms that Ray Davis is clearly ahead of Johnson.
