Fantasy Football: 5 Rookie Running Backs Who Could Be Valuable Handcuffs in 2024

The NFL is a 'next man up' league, and that is especially true when speaking about the running back position. Teams are wary of handing running backs long-term deals due to the lack of longevity at the position, leading to an influx of rookie rushers each year.

During the 2024 NFL Draft, a handful of teams took running backs who aren't expected to be the starter in Week 1. At the same time, there are a few first-year backs who could carve out a role if an injury or demotion occurs throughout the upcoming season.

Taking a backup running back -- usually after you have already selected the starter from the backup's team -- in fantasy football is defined as a handcuff. Let's take a look at which rookie running backs could be valuable handcuffs in fantasy football for the 2024 campaign.

All average draft positions (ADPs) are courtesy of FantasyPros' consensus half-PPR ADP.

Rookie Running Backs With Handcuff Value in Fantasy Football

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals

Current Overall ADP: 111th (RB35)

Since signing with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, James Conner hasn't finished any worse than RB9 in half-PPR formats. Conner has been a workhorse back for the Cardinals in recent years, posting career-best marks in rushing yards (1,040) and rushing yards per attempt (5.0) in 2023.

Despite Conner's consistency, he turned 29 years old in May, and the Cardinals took Trey Benson out of Florida State with the 66th overall pick in the third round. In his final two seasons starting for the Seminoles, Benson accrued 1,896 rushing yards, 23 rushing touchdowns, and 6.6 yards per touch.

Among college backs with 150-plus rushing attempts last year, Benson had the 20th-highest yards per attempt (5.8) and the 2nd-highest breakaway percentage (53.9%), via PFF. Besides Benson being built more like a workhorse back than Michael Carter and Emari Demercado -- the other backups to Conner -- he flashed his receiving ability by catching 20 of his 24 targets for 227 yards and one touchdown in his final season at Florida State.

Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams

Current Overall ADP: 115th (RB36)

Kyren Williams exploded onto the fantasy football scene last season with the Los Angeles Rams, finishing as the overall RB2 by fantasy points per game (19.9) in half-PPR leagues. Despite missing five games -- and sharing touches with Cam Akers in Week 1 -- Williams still finished with 21.7 touches per game in 2023.

With Williams enduring a variety of injuries in his first two seasons in the NFL, the Rams used the 83rd overall pick in this year's draft on Blake Corum out of Michigan. Following the selection, head coach Sean McVay went on to say that Williams and Corum "have a lot of similarities".

While Corum overcame a meniscus tear and knee sprain in 2022, he accumulated a whopping 3,660 rushing yards and 56 rushing touchdowns in his final three seasons for the Wolverines. With Corum's short-yardage skills, pass-protection chops, and ability to handle a massive workload, he could see an immediate role -- one that could expand if Williams misses time at any point.

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers

Current Overall ADP: 145th (RB45)

Upon moving on from Aaron Jones this offseason, the Green Bay Packers replaced him by signing Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million contract. Jacobs is just a year removed from being the overall RB3 in fantasy football, and he's still only 26 years old entering the upcoming season.

While the Packers elected to bring back A.J. Dillon, he is playing on a one-year deal that will only count up to $1.125 million against Green Bay's cap. Given that information, the idea of MarShawn Lloyd -- the 88th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft -- earning the No. 2 role behind Jacobs isn't as far-fetched as some may think.

Of the college running backs who received 100-plus attempts last season, Lloyd was tied for the fourth-most yards per attempt (7.1), and he had the 20th-most yards after contact per carry (3.97). Even though he caught only 13 passes in 2023, Lloyd turned those limited pass-catching opportunities into 232 receiving yards.

Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

Current Overall ADP: 166th (53rd)

Whenever the Buffalo Bills get inside the five-yard line, Josh Allen has been the team's preferred rushing option in recent years. According to Pro Football Reference, Allen led the Bills with 43.8% of the team's carries inside the five-yard line while Latavius Murray was second at 34.4%.

Even though James Cook logged a career-high 281 touches last season, he garnered only 12.5% of the touches inside the five-yard line. With Buffalo not leaning on Cook in short-yardage situations, Ray Davis could earn a role in the backfield sooner than later.

Davis -- the 128th overall pick in this year's draft -- was among nine backs in college football to have 30 or more runs of 10-plus yards on fewer than 200 total attempts. On top of that, Davis produced the 12th-most rushing yards after contact per attempt (3.81) among running backs with 150-plus carries last year while hauling in 33 catches for 323 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants

Current Overall ADP: 181

Current RB ADP Rank: 57

For those in deeper leagues, Tyrone Tracy Jr. out of Purdue is a name to watch for the New York Giants. After watching Saquon Barkley depart for their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants replaced him by signing Devin Singletary and taking Tracy with the 166th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Singletary set career-high marks in rushing attempts (216) and rushing yards (898) in 2023 with the Houston Texans while registering 1,090-plus scrimmage yards for the third straight year. At the same time, Singletary posted 4.2 yards per attempt, -0.10 rushing expected points added per carry, and a 38.9% rushing success rate last season -- via NextGenStats -- in a much better offense than what the Giants will likely be in 2024.

Tracy, a receiver who has transitioned to playing running back, produced the 4th-most yard after contact per attempt (4.44), 17th-best breakaway rate percentage (49.6%), and was tied for the 16th-most yards per attempt (6.3) among backs with 100-plus attempts in 2023. Even though offseason reports can mean zilch come the regular season, Tracy was reportedly working with the first-team offense during mandatory minicamp.

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