Fantasy football rankings: Achane, Cook among top RB sleepers in 2024

The 2024 fantasy football season is here, with players all over readying their draft-day cheat sheets and their best smack talk as they assemble their rosters.

The fantasy football world used to lean heavily on running back-centric draft strategies, but those days are long gone. As the position has become less predictable, what used to be one of the easier positions to sort through has become a serious way to separate fantasy champions from the also-rans.

Especially in an era where the "every-down" running back is becoming more and more rare, running back has become a truly volatile position for fantasy players. Everyone knows how valuable big stars like Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor can be, and you're not going to get 2023 breakout players like Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson in the middle rounds of your draft.

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However, that means that the successful fantasy teams are going to have some less-heralded running backs putting up numbers week-in and week-out. Past standouts might be in more of a timeshare than in years past, while some uber-efficient running backs may fly under the radar due to injuries in 2023, play-calling changes, or trades elsewhere on the roster. Being able to go a few running backs deep before hitting the free agent wire is crucial.

Here are five running backs who could end up being sleeper picks in 2024.

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Fantasy football 2024: Running back sleepers

Average draft position (ADP) and position ranking sourced from FantasyPros data.

De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins (ADP20, RB10)

• 2023 stats (11 games): 800 rushing yards, 197 receiving yards, 27 receptions, 11 touchdowns (eight rushing/three receiving) | 163.7 fantasy points

Achane is going late in the second round or even early in the third in 10-team leagues, which boosts his appeal for anyone focusing on wide receivers or rolling the dice on a quarterback early in drafts. The lightning-quick Dolphins running back's stats from 2023 are deceptive (he missed six games as a rookie), but he still scored 11 touchdowns and barely missed topping the 1,000-total-yard threshold.

With Raheem Mostert still atop the depth chart and a lack of clarity over who will get Miami's goal-line carries, there's an element of risk in taking Achane. However, Achane posted 7.77 yards-per-carry last year, and Miami's team YPC in 2023 (5.1) was the best in the NFL. Head coach Mike McDaniel's offense isn't going to lean on Achane for 20-plus carries per game, but it's about the quality of that play-calling creating big openings for the second-year back over the quantity of carries.

James Cook, Buffalo Bills (ADP33, RB14)

• 2023 stats (17 games): 1,122 rushing yards, 445 receiving yards, 44 receptions, six touchdowns (two rushing/four receiving) | 188.7 fantasy points

Cook is going in the third or fourth round depending on league size, and that's an opportunity for savvy fantasy players. The third-year running back saw his usage tick up noticeably once the Bills installed Joe Brady as offensive coordinator, getting nearly as many touches and targets in the team's final seven games of the regular season as he did in its first 10 games under Ken Dorsey.

The other players in your league might not know about that positive late-season trend, and they might not take note that Stefon Diggs' departure means that Buffalo has more targets to shift to Cook. With the Bills featuring one of the better offensive lines in the NFL and a widely-feared quarterback, Cook will have room to operate, and he's always made efficient use of his touches.

Keep Cook on your radar, and let your opponents reach for Isiah Pacheco or Rachaad White instead.

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Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns (ADP108, RB38)

• 2023 stats (17 games): 813 rushing yards, 319 receiving yards, 44 receptions, nine touchdowns (four rushing/five receiving) | 167.2 fantasy points

Nick Chubb was placed on the PUP list on Monday, ruling him out for at least the first four games of Cleveland's season. While Chubb is currently expected to return at some point in 2024, it's not clear when that will be. After having two different surgeries to address a severe knee injury suffered in Week 2 last year, there's a real chance that he might be phased in over time.

That's why you should keep Ford in mind. The clear no. 2 back for the Browns was solid if unspectacular stepping in for Chubb last season, and Cleveland finished fourth in the NFL with 518 rushing attempts on the season. That signals that head coach Kevin Stefanski isn't going to shy away from running the ball in Chubb's absence. Ford's ADP means he's going after the 10th round in 10-team leagues, meaning you might well be able to nab someone putting up solid RB2 numbers as your third or fourth option at the position.

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP171, RB56)

• Rookie (Fourth-round pick in 2023 draft)

Irving, a fourth-round pick out of Oregon, is listed second on Tampa's depth chart, and put together 80 yards on 18 preseason carries (scoring one touchdown). Given that starter Rachaad White could only convert 272 carries (tied for second-most in the NFL last year) into 990 yards amid ball-security issues, Irving may have found himself in a great position to make an impact right away. If White continues to struggle to make more of an impact, it'll be all the more reason to shift more of the touch share to Irving. Tampa's schedule is considered very favorable for running backs, and the environment seems promising for his skillset.

Should the Bucs shift to more of a two-back model, Irving is a prototypical passing-down option. He led all running backs in Power 5 conferences with 413 receiving yards in 2023 and posted 6.0 yards per carry during his NCAA career. Irving may not possess elite speed, but his elusiveness and reliable hands will have some serious appeal on a team where the offensive line has struggled to give Baker Mayfield time to look further downfield.

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Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (ADP215, RB65)

• 2023 stats (17 games): 206 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards, three receptions, three touchdowns (all rushing) | 41.7 fantasy points

Mason is a smart pick if you're looking for a running back to stash. Elijah Mitchell was placed on the season-ending IR on Tuesday, meaning Mason is now the primary backup to superstar Christian McCaffrey. His ADP is probably going to drop quickly in the coming days as a result.

One factor here is McCaffrey's durability. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the year missed major time in 2020 and 2021, and enters the 2024 season working through a calf strain. The 49ers had no compunction about giving McCaffrey an old-school bell cow role last season, with the 28-year-old finishing second in the NFL with 272 carries (or 54.5% of San Francisco's rushing attempts as a team). That means few opportunities for other running backs, but it also means a higher risk of injury for McCaffrey.

Mason drew praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan in the preseason, and could be in line for a larger share of the carries than Mitchell was in 2023. Should McCaffrey miss time, Mason — who has put up 5.6 yards per carry in his first two seasons — figures to pay big dividends.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football sleepers: Ranking 5 best RB options for 2024