Five Dynasty Buy-Low RBs

The running back position is the most volatile in all of dynasty fantasy football. Intelligently targeting potential breakout players can create a huge advantage. Here are five running backs who are being undervalued by the dynasty community I’m actively targeting in trades.

James Cook (Buf)

KTC: RB13 Fantasy Calc: RB14

Cook averaged just 11.7 FPG over the first 10 weeks of the 2023 season. Then, after Joe Brady took over the offense and moved the Bills to a far more run-heavy approach, Cook averaged 16.6 FPG (8th-best among RBs), 72.4 rushing YPG (3rd-best), and 31.9 receiving YPG (4th-best).

Cook scored just one rushing TD after Brady took over play-calling and still ranked top-10 among RBs in FPG.

Cook had the 3rd most YFS last year (18 yards behind Breece Hall) and had only 2 rushing TDs. Since 2000, there have been 18 RBs to top 1,500 scrimmage yards and score fewer than 7 touchdowns; only Ladell Betts and Ryan Mathews failed to see an increase in TDs the following season (min. 14 games).

Cook should also continue to shine as a pass catcher; among RBs to have at least 20 receptions, he ranked sixth in YPRR and jumped up to third once Brady took over. His underrated success in this new-look offense makes him a prime candidate to trade down to in dynasty, allowing you to collect a plus alongside Cook in exchange for a higher-ranked RB.

Players/Picks to trade for Cook: Isiah Pacheco (Cook and a Round 2 rookie pick), Kyren Williams (Cook and a Round 2 rookie pick), Jonathon Brooks (Cook and a Round 2 rookie pick)

Rachaad White (TB)

KTC: RB14 Fantasy Calc: RB11

Despite coming off a season in which he finished 8th among RBs in weighted opportunities per game, White is currently valued as just the RB14 in dynasty. Managers are also ignoring how big of a fantasy cheat code White’s receiving production has been: among RBs, White ranked fourth in receiving YPG, fourth in receptions, fourth in XFP, and seventh in targets.

White also commanded excellent volume on the ground last year, ranking third in rushing attempts and 14th in rushing yards (990). White has faced a lot of criticism for his poor efficiency on the ground, but it’s worth considering that the Buccaneers were the only team to have an ESPN run block win rate below 70%. The team drafted a tackle in Round 1 and made multiple other additions to the unit via free agency; the offensive line literally can’t be worse than last year.

Although the Buccaneers drafted RB Bucky Irving at the end of the fourth round, as a smaller back (11th percentile BMI), Irving's most likely role at the NFL level is as a change of pace/pass-catching specialist. However, White's skills in the receiving game are his best, most distinct trait, making it unlikely Irving pushes him there. White ranked in the top 12 in target share and YPRR among RBs, with at least 30 receptions last year, while Irving ranked at the bottom of this year’s RB class in PFF pass-blocking grade.

As a final point of emphasis, only six running backs had a higher share of their team’s carries inside the 5-yard line than White. A 25-year-old great pass-catching RB with goal-line duties is a bet I’m making in dynasty every time.

Players/Picks to trade for White: Late 2025 1st, Jordan Addison, Ladd McConkey

Derrick Henry (Bal)

KTC: RB17 Fantasy Calc: RB16

Due to the Titans' offensive struggles and poor run blocking, Henry ranked 9th-worst by yards before contact per attempt while facing the second-most stacked boxes of any RB last year. Despite all that, Henry ranked 16th among RBs in missed tackles forced per attempt. This shows that Henry is still a good player and made the most of his difficult situation.

Obviously, Henry is an older RB who has already passed the age cliff. But he has yet to slow down — last year, Henry recorded the 8th-fastest ball carrier speed in the entire NFL, suggesting he still has the juice to produce at a very high level. He now joins a team on which Gus Edwards scored 13 rushing TDs (5th in the league) while handling 65% of carries inside the 5-yard line. Henry has no competition for Edwards' old role and should see even more work considering his talent and the unproven nature of the rest of this running back room. Dynasty managers seeking cheap short-term production should be more excited.

Players/Picks to trade for Henry: 2025 early second, Ricky Pearsall, D’Andre Swift, Terry McLaurin

James Conner (Ari)

KTC: RB31 Fantasy Calc: RB28

Conner is a screaming buy in all dynasty formats coming off a year where he finished as the RB13 in fantasy points per game. In the 10 games Conner played at least 50% of the snaps, he averaged 17.2 PPR points per game. From Week 13 on, Conner averaged 23.9 points per game, leading all RBs. It wasn’t just sheer volume either; Conner was an efficient and elusive player ranking 1st in yards after contact per attempt (3.39) and 3rd in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.27) among all RBs with at least 150 carries.

So why is Conner being valued so low in dynasty? He recently turned 29, and the Cardinals drafted running back Trey Benson in the third round. Dynasty players continuously put too much stock into the age of players, which can result in great discounts. Although Conner is older, his numbers show he’s still playing at a high level.

The Cardinals did nothing but improve the offense, which should lead to more goal-line opportunities for Conner. Even though he’s an older running back, he’s unlikely to just disappear after a season like that. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll be the clear RB1 in Arizona.

Players/Picks to trade for Conner: Jameson Williams, Nick Chubb, 2024 Mid/Late second

Zack Moss (Cin)

KTC: RB38 Fantasy Calc: RB36

In the eight games Moss played as the lead back for the Colts last year, he ranked 5th among RBs in missed tackles forced per attempt, 5th in fantasy points per game, and 6th in rushing yards per game, showcasing his bell-cow capabilities.

Within that same sample, Moss handled 83.3% of the Colts’ carries inside the 5-yard line, which was tied for 5th-highest in the league — tied with none other than Joe Mixon, whom Moss finds himself replacing in Cincinnati. With the Bengals’ projected win total sitting at 10.5 (trailing only the 49ers and Chiefs), Moss should see ample scoring opportunities.

In this new and improved situation, Moss has the chance to take complete control of the backfield. Though Chase Brown is a young RB who has been getting all sorts of hype this offseason, he tallied only 44 carries for 179 yards and 14 receptions for 156 yards last year. Of those 156 receiving yards, 54 came on a single screen pass on which Brown ran for 50 yards before encountering a defender.

Additionally, the Bengals told the media last year that Brown wasn’t being utilized as much due to his poor pass protection. This is likely to lead to Moss seeing more passing down work than most would expect.

Players/Picks to trade for Moss: MarShawn Lloyd, Nick Chubb, Xavier Legette, Mid/Late 2025 second