Insurance RB rankings: Charbonnet, Guerendo lead the way

After moving much than 10 years successful the fiscal services industry, here's my instrumentality connected insurance: Having security is similar carrying an umbrella -- it mightiness not rainfall each day, but erstwhile it does, you'll beryllium grateful you're prepared. This conception besides applies to fantasy football, a crippled that's strategical and unpredictable.

Collecting talented backups who are 1 measurement distant from a starter's workload is simply a bully mode to capable astatine slightest a mates of your seat spots. Last season, Bucky Irving was a premier example. He was rostered successful conscionable 22% of ESPN leagues entering Week 1 but emerged arsenic a league victor aft the Buccaneers' Week 11 bye, averaging 18.9 touches and 18.3 phantasy points implicit the last 7 weeks.

Not each No. 2 backs successful the NFL are created equal, of course. Take David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions for instance. He has a important capable relation successful the Lions' discourtesy to beryllium flex-worthy successful immoderate fixed week (depending connected league size, of course).

The players beneath are not starting considerations successful Week 1 but could look arsenic difference-makers astatine immoderate constituent during the season. Whether you're backing up your starter oregon simply stockpiling talent, present are the apical 10 moving backmost security options to see connected draught day, arsenic good arsenic immoderate thoughts connected however the backfield mightiness look if the starter goes down.

Keep an oculus connected our fantasy extent charts for updated security accusation passim the season.

1. Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

In six games without Kenneth Walker III past season, Charbonnet averaged 18.3 touches and 19.2 phantasy points, which would person ranked 5th among RBs for the afloat season. Charbonnet is simply a erstwhile second-round prime with lone rookie seventh-rounder Damien Martinez down him connected the extent chart. He has a wide way to measurement if Walker goes down again, and Walker has missed 10 games successful his archetypal 3 seasons. New violative coordinator Klint Kubiak brings a much run-focused scheme, portion rookie defender Grey Zabel strengthens an violative enactment that was overmatched successful 2024, finishing 28th successful tally artifact triumph rate. With the Seahawks recommitting to the moving game, Charbonnet profiles arsenic 1 of the highest-upside backups successful fantasy.

2. Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers

With Christian McCaffrey returning aft an injury-riddled 2024, Guerendo is well-positioned down a prima moving backmost who comes with durability concerns. McCaffrey, 29, has missed important clip successful 3 of the past 5 seasons. In 4 games wherever Guerendo played much than 50% of snaps, helium averaged 17.9 phantasy points. While his 5.0 yards per transportation was boosted by a 76-yard run, helium inactive produced a 94% drawback complaint and 9.5 yards per people connected constricted receiving work. Now the wide backup with Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason gone, Guerendo projects for short-yardage and goal-line duties and benefits from an above-average violative line. He doesn't clasp standalone worth but volition play a precocious percent of the snaps and apt get 15-plus touches per crippled if McCaffrey misses time. For phantasy managers looking to support an early-round prime successful CMC oregon stash upside late, Guerendo is simply a seat subordinate you shouldn't place successful the aboriginal rounds.

3. Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings' starter is 30-year-old Aaron Jones Sr., who has dealt with aggregate injuries (hamstring, MCL, quad) implicit the past 2 seasons. Mason, who was acquired from the 49ers successful the offseason, brings elite efficiency. In 2024, helium averaged 90.7 rushing yards per start, which ranked 4th down Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor. While Mason offers astir nary receiving upside (just 14 vocation receptions), helium is simply a physical, downhill runner poised for a sizable workload if Jones were sidelined. He'll payment from an improved violative line, arsenic the Vikings revamped their interior by adding Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and rookie Donovan Jackson. Mason besides fits into a much balanced discourtesy that's breaking successful QB J.J. McCarthy. He's not standalone playable, but Mason is 1 of the amended backups successful phantasy this season.

4. Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

The Bills finished ninth successful rushing yards per crippled (131.2) past play down a balanced, potent attack. James Cook was awesome and finished arsenic RB8 successful ESPN phantasy leagues, but his 18 touchdowns doubled his full from his archetypal 2 seasons combined. Some regression is apt successful 2025. Davis showed committedness arsenic a runner and receiver erstwhile Cook missed time, finishing with 23 touches and 18.2 phantasy points successful Week 6 and 17 touches and 14.5 phantasy points successful Week 18. Buffalo returns each 5 starters from an violative enactment that allowed conscionable 14 sacks and ranked 4th successful walk artifact triumph rate. Davis is poised for a bigger relation successful Year 2, with violative coordinator Joe Brady emphasizing his increasing comfortableness and knowing of the scheme. This becomes adjacent much important with uncertainty surrounding Cook's contract. If Cook were to miss time, Davis would beryllium firmly connected the RB2 radar.

5. Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons

Allgeier has nary standalone phantasy worth heading into 2025, but he's 1 of the champion late-round security runners you tin make. Bijan Robinson is the wide pb backmost aft averaging 23.3 touches and 22.8 phantasy points from Week 6 connected past season, and helium enters this play arsenic the Falcons' violative focal constituent aft grooming with Christian McCaffrey this offseason to adhd nuance to his game. But Allgeier softly rushed for 644 yards connected conscionable 137 attempts (4.7 YPC), and caput manager Raheem Morris has expressed a tendency to get him much involved, perchance successful 2 moving backmost sets with Robinson flexed retired wide. He's constricted arsenic a walk catcher, but if Robinson were to miss time, Allgeier would beryllium successful enactment for a important stock of the backfield enactment and beryllium successful the RB2 premix successful what we task to beryllium a balanced discourtesy with backmost Michael Penix Jr.

6. Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

In 2024, Spears was a wide backup, averaging conscionable 7.6 touches and 5.7 phantasy points portion Tony Pollard remained healthy. However, Spears flourished erstwhile fixed a greater accidental successful Weeks 15 to 17 with 20.7 phantasy points per game, ranking 5th among each RBs successful phantasy points implicit that three-week stretch. He excels arsenic a receiving threat, starring each moving backs with 1.5 avoided tackles per crippled connected receptions successful 2024, showcasing his elusiveness. The Titans' violative line, which ranked 21st successful tally artifact triumph complaint past season, saw cardinal upgrades this offseason with seasoned defender Kevin Zeitler and near tackle Dan Moore Jr., offering a amended foundation. Spears' late-season surge and an improved Titans discourtesy with rookie Cameron Ward nether halfway is crushed capable to see him successful the aboriginal rounds.

7. Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears

The Bears are present led by caput manager Ben Johnson, whose Lions offenses utilized a two-player backfield that ranked sixth oregon amended successful rushing yards and apical 10 successful moving backmost targets successful 2 of the past 3 seasons. While D'Andre Swift is the pb backmost and a bully worth astatine RB22 successful ESPN leagues, Johnson brings short-yardage and pass-game value. Johnson matched Swift with six rushing touchdowns past play contempt having 198 less carries. With a revamped violative enactment featuring Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson, this portion could softly make into 1 of the league's best. Johnson is built similar a much carnal David Montgomery and plays successful a strategy that could reward his style.

8. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While Bucky Irving has taken implicit arsenic Buccaneers' starter, White remains a proven pass-catching menace and reddish portion contributor. White is 1 of lone 2 RBs (along with Alvin Kamara) to station astatine slightest 50 receptions successful each of the past 3 seasons and inactive finished apical 10 among RBs successful targets, catches and receiving yards past play contempt a diminished drawback count. White besides scored 9 full touchdowns and averaged much phantasy points (14.2) than Irving (13.3) implicit the archetypal 15 weeks of 2024. White has already shown helium tin negociate a afloat workload (he had 1,539 yards from scrimmage connected 336 touches successful 2023). If Irving misses time, White volition measurement backmost into a high-volume relation with goal-line and passing-game usage successful an above-average offense.

9. Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams

Corum is the adjacent antheral up down Kyren Williams, who has averaged astir 22 touches per crippled the past 2 seasons. Under Sean McVay, the Rams person consistently leaned connected a superior runner, truthful it was nary astonishment that Corum was constricted to 65 touches arsenic Williams' understudy past season. While rookie Jarquez Hunter volition vie for snaps, Corum's acquisition gives him the wrong way connected the backup gig this season. With the Rams returning each 5 starters connected a vastly improved violative line, Corum volition beryllium acceptable up to nutrient high-end RB2 numbers successful 1 of the league's astir favorable lead-back roles if Williams is sidelined.

10. J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos

Now successful Denver nether caput manager Sean Payton, Dobbins enters a strategy that could connection aboriginal opportunity. Payton's past and astir projections suggest a committee approach, and Dobbins has the burst to marque the astir of his touches. He averaged 69.6 rushing yards (10th among RBs) and ranked 4th successful runs of 30-plus yards past play with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Broncos instrumentality each 5 starting violative linemen from 2024 aft finishing archetypal successful tally artifact triumph rate, offering uncommon continuity. While rookie RJ Harvey is projected to pb the backfield, Dobbins is successful premier presumption to measurement up if Harvey falters oregon is injured. Though he's yet to play a afloat season, Dobbins has recovered from past injuries and shown elite upside erstwhile healthy.

Other notables:

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
Tank Bigsby/Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Nick Chubb, Houston Texans