Picking a safe, dependable player with a high floor on whom you can count as a weekly contributor to your fantasy team is certainly one way you can go in your fantasy drafts.
But sometimes you want to swing for the fences and go for those league winners who are more volatile but who have high ceilings and who might put up huge numbers any given week.
Here are 3 running backs with high ceilings for the 2024 fantasy football season.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB/Detroit Lions
If the Lions would just unleash Gibbs and let him reach his full potential, the dude’s got a scary-high ceiling. This, of course, is why Gibbs is often being overdrafted, sometimes as high as Round 1. But even if Gibbs takes the 1A role this year in Detroit, there’s still the lingering problem of David Montgomery. He will not just fade away into oblivion. He will certainly play an important role in the offense, maybe most inconveniently in the red zone. So anything short of a sustained Montgomery injury will leave Gibbs owners yearning for more. He will remain a high-ceiling but sometimes erratic RB1 option.
De’Von Achane, RB/Miami Dolphins
Count me out at Achane’s ADP. The guy was incredible last year in limited duty but I have serious doubts about his long-term durability. Not to mention, Raheem Mostert was a thorn in his side and the team drafted Jaylen Wright as well. Nevertheless, health will be the determining factor. If Achane stays healthy and the other two do not, Achane has the high upside to finish in RB1 territory. So his ceiling is high but that floor looks a little unsturdy.
James Cook, RB/Buffalo Bills
I’m not a big Cook fan, I’ll be honest. I don’t think he’s a workhorse. The only reason he’s on here is because the Bills got so depleted this offseason (thank you, Josh Allen, for your huge bump in salary this year) that there aren’t a whole lot of dynamic options on offense. The team may be forced to rely on Cook more than any team might otherwise want to. He’ll be a reliable weapon in the passing game and a run option between the 20s. When he hits and has a good week, it could be a big week. When he does not, you could be pulling your hair out with such low output.
