San Francisco 49ers do-it-all superstar, Christian McCaffrey, is once again the consensus No. 1 pick for 2024 fantasy football drafts among our analysts. A pair of young, electric running backs are being drafted after CMC — but in what order should they go? Dalton Del Don and Andy Behrens debate below.
Team Breece
Breece Hall averaged the third-most 0.5 PPR fantasy points (17.3) from Week 5 on last season once he started seeing full snaps while returning from ACL surgery. Only Christian McCaffrey totaled more fantasy points over that span despite Hall playing for a New York offense that managed the second-fewest yards per play (4.3). Jets quarterbacks were truly disastrous without Aaron Rodgers, as New York averaged just 15.8 points per game (fourth-fewest) while providing Hall with the 43rd-most red-zone rushes; The Jets somehow had just one carry inside the five-yard line and none at the goal line last season, yet Hall remained a fantasy star.
He's a special back who somehow leads all RBs in YPC after contact and yards per route run since entering the league. Hall has a better YPRR rate than CMC despite playing in a bottom-three situation and recovering from major knee surgery.
Running backs historically show real improvement in Year 2 post-ACL surgery, and Hall already led all RBs in receptions last season. Hall feels back to his old self, and a returning Rodgers will be a major upgrade at quarterback. The Jets have a dominant defense and overhauled their poor offensive line early in the draft and through free agency. Hall averaged the most fantasy points when his team was leading and the second-most weighted opportunities as a favorite last season, and the Jets are favored in 14 of 17 games entering 2024.
I’m also incredibly high on Robinson and have him back-to-back with Hall in my overall ranks, so I’m not here to criticize Andy’s side of the debate (there’s plenty of room for that with his Malik Nabers ranking 👀).
But I'm closer to moving Hall to RB1 than RB3. — Del Don
Team Bijan
Let's give the first word on Bijan Robinson to his new head coach, Raheem Morris:
And then let's give the second word to Bijan's new offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson:
Basically, we have a situation on our hands in which an outrageously talented all-purpose running back is about to function as the absolute centerpiece of a much-improved offense. The Falcons have been screaming at us throughout the offseason about the elite usage Robinson is about to see. For me, he's the clear RB2 in fantasy — and he's probably a bit closer to McCaffrey than he is to Hall.
Last year, in a season in which no one was happy with Robinson's backfield role, he still managed to deliver 1,463 scrimmage yards, eight touchdowns and 58 receptions while averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 5.4 per touch. He's a near-perfect back for the modern NFL, with no obvious weaknesses and several glaring strengths.
Here's every trait you could possibly want in a running back, showcased within a single play:
Just a ridiculous player. We should expect more of pretty much everything from Robinson now that Arthur Smith has relocated. Last season's goal-line weirdness is behind us, as is one of 2023's most disastrous quarterback situations. There's simply no question that Robinson has the potential to lead the NFL in scrimmage yards and touches in his second year while finishing as the top-scoring back in fantasy.
If you're feeling spicy on draft day and want to take him first overall, I get it. At some point in the next 2-3 seasons, he's going to be the consensus top pick in our game.
As for Hall ... well, I don't have anything terribly negative to say. Great back. Like Robinson, he's an ascending player tied to an offense that should be massively improved. I don't think we're gonna see last year's receiving usage hold up for Hall, as it was highly concentrated in the Tim Boyle-Trevor Siemian games. But he's definitely in the RB3 conversation — behind CMC and Bijan. — Behrens
Most Popular
Comments / 0