If you’re still mad about how down our FREE Best Ball Rankings are on overvalued running backs like Jahmyr Gibbs, fear not: We can also be positive on players you don’t like as much! There are a few running backs on whom we strongly disagree with ADP, and here we will cover those players. These are the four most undervalued Best Ball running backs for the 2024 season.
Ready to enhance your Best Ball game? Matt Gajewski’s Best Ball guide has all the tips, tricks and strategy points on drafting the perfect team in 2024!
Join Underdog Fantasy Best Ball and get your first deposit matched up to as much as $250 in bonus cash when you enter promo code STOKASTIC6!
Undervalued Best Ball Running Backs for 2024
ADP comes from Underdog Fantasy, but we also have ADP for Drafters and DraftKings in our FREE Best Ball RB rankings. The level of under and overvaluing at running back will change based on the platform on which you are playing.
Jonathan Taylor: RB4, ADP 16.2
There isn’t a lot of space for Taylor to climb, but 12th overall versus his 16.2 ADP is a major difference compared to later in drafts. Taylor may be RB4 in our rankings, but there is room for him to climb as high as RB2 this year, assuming every stays healthy.
Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall are ranking ahead of Taylor, which makes sense, but it should be closer. Taylor battled injury last year and still averaged 19 touches per game. The Colts have one of the worst backfields in the league behind him: Trey Sermon (who has bounced around teams) and Evan Hull (who missed his entire rookie season last year).
The biggest concern is Anthony Richardson stealing rushing production — Richardson is a very good running quarterback, after all — but Taylor is guaranteed to have a three-down role. He caught 40 passes in his last full season and is going to be part of a pretty good offense: 8.5 win total and the third-best offensive line according to Pro Football Focus.
As long as Richardson doesn’t steal a ton of goal line work, Taylor is set up for a monster season.
Isiah Pacheco: RB7, ADP 44.9
Similar to Taylor, Pacheco has no competition behind him. The Chiefs let Jerick McKinnon walk, leaving only Clyde Edwards-Helaire and not much else.
When McKinnon last year, Pacheco’s touches jumped to 23.3 per game from 17.8. There is a chance the Chiefs will sign someone — or maybe McKinnon returns — but they seem pretty set on riding with Pacheco in a top-3 offense led by Patrick Mahomes and the No. 7 offensive line per Pro Football Focus.
Pacheco was also efficient last year and squashed pass-catching concerns, with 44 receptions on 49 targets. He is set up to outperform ADP this season.
Rachaad White: RB13, ADP 63.6
White absolutely has a full workload and then some. Last year he averaged 19.8 touches per game, and there is not much indicating that is going to chance in 2024. He has a solid feature back frame, and though he had some issues with rushing efficiency last year, White was extremely efficient as a receiver, catching 64 of 70 targets for 549 yards.
White stood up to that strong workload, and the Buccaneers did not add anyone of consequence behind him. They really only have a couple scat backs who have already failed to carve anything out of the White workload. Tampa did add Bucky Irving in the fourth round, but Irving does not look ready to take on much action given his small stature and mediocre combine numbers for someone his size.
The offensive line has a chance to be better, with two stud tackles and a first-round pick at center. But more than anything, White is a proven producer and is alone in a backfield as part of what looks to be an adequate offense.
Austin Ekeler: RB32, ADP 129.7
The first thing to note with Ekeler as a new member of the Commanders is that he was handpicked by the new coaching regime under Dan Quinn. People are projecting Brian Robinson for a significant role, but the old regime drafted him. Ekeler is also only one year removed from being a consensus first-round fantasy back.
An ankle sprain in Week 2 last year limited his production and efficiency, but it is very hard to separate that issue from a general decline in play running backs see in their late 20s, early 30s. Ekeler is going to decline to some degree, but his dropping from one of the top backs in the league to 40th from an efficiency perspective seems more injury related than a rapid decline.
There are other concerns with the Commanders, mostly a bad offensive line that Pro Football Focus ranked 27th. However, this team is likely to throw a lot to running backs with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and Robinson has not been all that efficient himself. It seems unlikely the Commanders will turn fully to Robinson over Ekeler.
Right now you can get Ekeler around Pick 130 on Underdog, which is a massive steal as per our Best Ball rankings.
