Biggest Jumps in Fantasy Football Ranking for RBs in 2024

While NFL GMs continue to do their darnedest to devalue the running back position off the field, it’s hard to argue that the backfield position is less meaningful on it these days than it has been in years past, especially given the increasing need for pass catching and blocking by halfbacks each year.

According to the folks at AZCentral.com, the running back position group is the most underpaid in the league, with five players making at least $10 million annually and 15 in total that earn at least $5 million annually.

In a recent survey by Spotrac.com, running backs in 2023 earned the least amount of money of any skill position, at $1,789,687 — ranking ahead of long snappers ($1,069,016), fullbacks ($1,724,440) and punters ($1,520,940).

Despite that undervalued status, there are a handful of halfbacks in the league that stand tall overall, with veterans like J.K. Dobbins of the Los Angeles Chargers and Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns (despite his injury) being among the biggest movers when it comes to fantasy football rankings this year versus where they stood at season’s end in 2023.

BetKentucky.com, home to all news around Kentucky sports betting, wanted to see what running backs had the greatest jumps in rankings between the end of the 2023-24 season and the 2024 preseason. We found the 2024 preseason ranking on FantasyPros.com, and then compared that ranking to the 2023 season fantasy rankings listed on FFToday.com.

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Biggest RB Jumps In Fantasy Football

Rank, Player (Team)	2023 Final Ranking	2024 Preseason Ranking	YoY Difference
1 .J.K. Dobbins (LAC)	104	47	+57
2. Nick Chubb (CLE)	87	36	+51
3. Zamir White (LV)	56	24	+32
4. Chase Brown (CIN)	66	35	+31
5. Jonathan Taylor (IND)	30	4	+26
T6. Aaron Jones (MIN)	37	23	+14
T6. Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)	35	21	+14
8. Josh Jacobs (GB)	25	13	+12
9. De’Von Achane (MIA)	21	11	+10
10. Isiah Pacheco (KC)	16	9	+7

Who Are The NFL’s Biggest Fantasy Movers At RB?

The running backs in the NFL that gained the most ground year-over-year when it comes to fantasy points were players like Dobbins (+57 spots), Chubb (+51), Zamir White of the Las Vegas Raiders (+32), Chase Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals (+32 spots) and Indianapolis Colts veteran Jonathan Taylor (+26 spots).

When broken down by the highest spot overall in 2024, Taylor (No. 4 overall) ranks ahead of Kansas City Chiefs back Isiah Pacheco (No. 9 overall), while De’Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins (No. 11), Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers (No. 13), Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots (No. 21) and Aaron Jones of the Minnesota Vikings (No. 23) and White (No. 24) are also ranked inside the NFL’s top 25 spots at the position.

Conversely, the lowest ranked backs among the top 10 fantasy movers were Dobbins at 47 and Chubb at 36, while Brown clocks in at 35 to round out the list of the biggest movers year-over-year when it comes to fantasy points at the running back position.

USA Today photo by Jenna Watson.

Author

Christopher Boan

@cgboan

Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetKentucky.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.