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This guy is better in Best Ball.

The phrase gets used so often that it has lost all meaning.

But the most tired cliches are always rooted in truth, and the truth is Better in Best Ball could mean lots of things. It’s why fantasy analysts say it so often, and fantasy footballers rarely know what they’re talking about.

Most times, better in Best Ball describes players whose scoring potential is high but hard to predict from week to week (think any New England running back in the Bill Belichick era after Corey Dillon). These players are more appealing in Best Ball leagues, where the format eliminates tough start-sit decisions from the equation. 

While it’s true that inconsistent scorers with weekly high ceilings can be part of a winning Best Ball plan, the true meaning of Better in Best Ball is more nuanced. Let's focus on the running back position and the players who fit one of several Better in Best Ball archetypes.

Just Plain Better

Surprise! The best running backs in fantasy football are also great picks in Best Ball leagues. While most drafts skew wide receiver-heavy early, especially on Underdog Fantasy, any of these three make fine first-round picks to anchor your running back position.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco

The case for taking McCaffrey with the 1.01 got a tad dicey last week when the 49ers star got ruled out for the preseason with a calf injury. Fortunately, McCaffrey says his absence is “very cautionary” and the injury wouldn’t have kept him out of regular season games. Your team will likely tank if McCaffrey misses significant time, but it seems safe to draft him with confidence. He outscored the RB2 in half-PPR leagues by nearly 104 fantasy points last year.

Bijan Robinson, Atlanta

Don’t get thrown off Robinson’s scent because Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said what most coaches would say about one of their players when asked about Tyler Allgeier. If there is one running back capable of producing on par with McCaffrey, it’s Robinson.

Breece Hall, NY Jets

Of the three fantasy superstars in this cohort, it’s fair to worry the most about Hall. It’s not a knock on Hall’s skills, but the more we hear about and see from Braelon Allen (and even fellow rookie Isaiah Davis) in training camp, it’s fair to wonder if the Jets plan on keeping Hall’s touches in check. It’s worth noting that despite finishing the 2023 season as the overall RB3, Hall eclipsed 20 carries in exactly three games. Still, he’s so dynamic in the passing game that it probably won’t matter much if the rookies spell Hall more often than we’d like. Let’s hope Aaron Rodgers has one more healthy season left in him.

Unsettled Depth Charts

The best value picks at the running back position will probably come from this group. There are plenty of projectable fantasy points to spread around in the backfields of the Cowboys, Broncos, and Chargers. We just don’t know which players, if any, will separate from their competition.

The Best Ball format does not reward approaching these backfields with caution. Season-long strategies like making the safer pick based on median projections, or getting the better perceived value by drafting the player with a lower ADP than his platoon-mate, will result in a middle-of-the-pack finish. Instead, favor the player with the most talent and athleticism in their backfields. These guys could emerge as every-week RB1s if and when they take over the lead role.

Rico Dowdle, Dallas

There is only one running back currently on the Cowboys roster who is below the age-apex for the position and has any chance at producing big plays. It is not Ezekiel Elliott. As I mentioned in our recent Running Back Sleepers article, the effectiveness of these two players in 2023 was a no-contest in Dowdle’s favor.

Javonte Williams, Denver

Williams falling on his face from an efficiency perspective in 2023 should have been obvious. It’s just as clear that 2024 is the year to target Williams at a depressed value. He was never going to be right 10 months after tearing his ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner. But now that he’s two years removed from the devastating injury, it’s no shock Sean Payton says Williams looks like a “completely different player”. Rookie Audric Estime is an early-down bruiser, and Jaleel McLaughlin is a scat-back. McLaughlin should have weeks where he’ll pop into your starting lineup, but Williams is the only one capable of playing on all three downs and emerging as a fantasy RB1.

J.K. Dobbins, LA Chargers

Dobbins has as many catastrophic leg injuries (ACL, ACL again, Achilles) as years in the NFL. Putting him on your do-not-draft list in all formats is defensible, but having any confidence in Gus Edwards as the Chargers lead back is not. Edwards is 29 years old, doesn't catch passes, has his own long history of lower-body injuries, and may or may not have undergone offseason surgery for an undisclosed injury. By contrast, Dobbins is still only 25 years old, feels 100% healthy, and is a former SPARQ-score freak. We know from Jason Wood’s article on play-caller changes that there is a high likelihood the Chargers will field a successful running game under head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. If Dobbins is finally healthy, he’s a potential league-winner at an ADP of about 150 on Underdog.

Upside Committee Backs

The Bengals and Titans also have unsettled depth charts. But unlike the situations in Dallas, Denver, and LA, the running backs vying for playing time in Cincinnati and Tennessee each possess the upside to help separate your Best Ball teams from the pack while splitting carries. You can even draft them both on the same team.