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Given the rate at which injuries strike the running back position, knowing who's next in line for carries is critical for fantasy owners.
Not all backup rushers are created equal. And though the league-winning potential of players like AJ Dillon and Samaje Perine appears obvious, many second-string ball carriers don't get the respect they deserve in fantasy drafts.
Here's how we rank the top reserve tailbacks, broken down into tiers and based on their fantasy value:
Co-starter/Overqualified backup
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Montgomery | DET |
| 2 | Dalvin Cook | NYJ |
- Top-10 fantasy upside if the starter is sidelined
- Shares backfield with a more talented back
- Will offer RB2 value/flex value while splitting touches
Elite backup options
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Antonio Gibson | WAS |
| 4 | AJ Dillon | GB |
| 5 | Samaje Perine | DEN |
| 6 | Jaylen Warren | PIT |
- Top-15 fantasy upside if the starter is sidelined
- Stuck behind a more talented back
- Will offer RB2/flex value some weeks, even as a backup
Chance to carve out significant role
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Charbonnet | SEA |
- Top-20 fantasy upside if the starter is sidelined
- Should offer flex value in complementary role
- Outside chance they could emerge as starter in 2023
Proven short-term starters when needed
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Kenneth Gainwell | PHI |
| 10 | Jerick McKinnon | KC |
| 11 | Jamaal Williams | NO |
| 12 | Elijah Mitchell | SF |
| 13 | Ezekiel Elliott | NE |
- Top-25 fantasy upside if the starter is sidelined
- Stuck behind a more talented back
- Unlikely to offer enough production unless lead back gets injured
Unproven but enticing
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Tyjae Spears | TEN |
| 15 | Roschon Johnson | CHI |
| 16 | De'Von Achane | MIA |
| 17 | Tank Bigsby | JAX |
| 18 | Kendre Miller | NO |
- 2023 role yet to be determined
- Top-25 fantasy upside if the path to volume clears
- Workload questions due to crowded backfields
Volume-dependent veterans
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Damien Harris | BUF |
| 20 | Tyler Allgeier | ATL |
| 21 | Devin Singletary | HOU |
| 22 | Rashaad Penny | PHI |
- Veteran backup
- Value limited by the possibility of a committee replacement scenario
- Would need the majority of touches to be a fantasy starter
Underrated second options
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Chuba Hubbard | CAR |
| 24 | Ty Chandler | MIN |
| 25 | Joshua Kelley | LAC |
| 26 | Jerome Ford | CLE |
| 27 | Keaontay Ingram | ARI |
| 28 | Gus Edwards | BAL |
| 29 | Zamir White | LV |
| 30 | Rico Dowdle | DAL |
| 31 | Kyren Williams | LAR |
- Top-30 fantasy upside if the starter is sidelined
- Behind a RB who the team is more invested in
- Can provide flex value some weeks, even as a backup
Unclear situations
| Rk | Backup | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Evan Hull/Zack Moss/Deon Jackson | IND |
| 33 | Sean Tucker/Chase Edmonds/Ke'Shawn Vaughn | TB |
| 34 | Chris Evans/Trayveon Williams/Chase Brown | CIN |
| 35 | Matt Breida/Eric Gray/Gary Brightwell | NYG |
- Upside if a clear backup emerges and the starter is injured
- Value limited by the possibility of a committee replacement scenario
- Players to draft as bench stashes in final rounds
Deep-league stashes
| Backup | Team |
|---|---|
| Jeff Wilson Jr. | MIA |
| D'Onta Foreman | CHI |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | KC |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL |
| Jordan Mason | SF |
| Justice Hill | BAL |
| Isaiah Spiller | LAC |
| Latavius Murray | BUF |
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS |
| Pierre Strong Jr. | CLE |
| Israel Abanikanda | NYJ |
| Julius Chestnut | TEN |
| Emanuel Wilson | GB |
| Emari Demercado | ARI |
- Long shots with intriguing upside if injuries hit their backfield
- Have the skills to produce over short stretches
- Watchlist candidates who could turn into key waiver-wire pickups
Free agents who could still be a factor
| Backup |
|---|
| Leonard Fournette |
| Kareem Hunt |
| Kenyan Drake |
| Darrell Henderson |