Roundtable: Running Back Rank'em

Welcome to Week 5 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

• Running Back Rank'em (see below)
• Dynasty Values of Great But Aging Players
• What to Do with the Dolphins WRs?
• Waiver-Wire Strategy

Let's roll.

Running Back Rank'Em

Matt Waldman: Rank the following RBs on this list against each other for their rest-of-season value.  

• Josh Jacobs
• Chase Brown
• Bucky Irving
• Ken Walker III

Joseph Haggan: I'm ranking them this way: Ken Walker III, Josh Jacobs, Chase Brown, and Bucky Irving. I would say that Bucky Irving is a big sell-high candidate. He is averaging almost double the number of yards per carry as his running mate, Rachaad White.

Also, White just had his most efficient game of the season in Week 4. I do not think that either of those players will take a dominant role. It will be a 1A/1B situation, with White getting the majority of passing down work. There is plenty of discourse over White's inefficiency. Take advantage of that with how well Irving is playing and sell Irving.

I'm buying low on Josh Jacobs. He has been quite efficient with his touches this season and has seen plenty of volume. Jacobs is averaging 17.75 carries per game at 4.6 yards per carry. That includes a nine-carry Week 4 contest where they played behind all day.

Though his carries were down, he did receive six targets. Jacobs is a true three-down running back, no matter the game script. Due to his potential volume alone, I am buying him. 

Corey Spala: My order is Ken Walker III, Josh Jacobs, Bucky Irving, and Chase Brown. I would sell high on Chase Brown coming off his Week 4 performance. The game script was positive (and on a short week) for Brown as Cincinnati controlled the second half of the game. They had the lead for the entire fourth quarter. Zack Moss is the running back playing on pass downs and is trusted in pass protection over Brown.  

The running back to buy low on will be Josh Jacobs. Ken Walker III returned from his injury and had three touchdowns and Bucky Irving is highly considered to take over Rachaad White’s RB1 role.

Jacobs is accumulating the opportunities to succeed (20.25 per game); he just has yet to score a touchdown. Emmanuel Wilson has recently come into consideration for a waiver wire pickup. In other words, there may be a league mate who is contemplating selling Jacobs because of Wilson’s perceived emergence. Jacobs is receiving the opportunities to succeed and acquire low before his fantasy performances boost due to touchdown production. 

Justin Howe: For me, it's Walker, Jacobs, Irving, and Brown in this order. 

I would buy in on Walker if possible. I’m generally not interested in penalizing RBs who get injured a lot. Why? Because most RBs get injured a lot. 

And, no, he doesn’t catch that many passes, but he also doesn’t crush you in that department. After all, he caught four balls Monday night, thanks to negative game flow. And when the Seahawks’ game flow is positive and Walker is healthy, you want him in your lineup. Since the start of 2023, when given 10+ touches, he’s averaged 95 scrimmage yards and a full touchdown per game.