Three Underrated Second-Year RBs to Trade For

Did your 2023 fantasy season go differently than planned? Is your dynasty roster in need of a little shakeup? You may need a young running back with a bright future. It will take a lot to trade for players like Breece Hall, Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker, James Cook, Rachaad White, or Isiah Pacheco. But several second-year running backs still have very bright futures in this league. Below are three you should target in trades this offseason. 

Zamir White – Las Vegas Raiders

After two seasons backing up Josh Jacobs, Zamir White may now carve out a prominent role for dynasty managers in 2024. Jacobs is set to hit free agency after a disappointing 2023 season. Expect Las Vegas to address the position in either the draft or free agency, but for now, White is the presumed RB1 for this squad. The only other running backs under contract for 2024 and beyond include Brittain Brown, Sincere McCormick, and Tyreik McAllister. You may be thinking, “Who the heck are those guys?” That is exactly the reason why you should trade for White right now. 

In 31 career games in two seasons, White has only received 121 career carries. He’s turned those into 511 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He’s shown a lot of flashes in preseason, and he comes off an impressive collegiate career where he turned 382 carries into 2,043 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and 25 touchdowns at Georgia. Not only has he shown flashes of promise as a runner at the pro level, but he carved out a decent role as a receiver out of the backfield last season. He hauled in 15 of his 19 targets for 98 yards last season in limited action. When Jacobs was unable to play during Weeks 15-18 last season, White turned 84 carries into 397 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also hauled in nine receptions for 60 yards in that same stretch while serving as the RB9 at the same time. He’s shown he can be a viable starting running back option for your dynasty squads if given the work. 

Jaylen Warren – Pittsburgh Steelers

Here’s a guy that has shown lots of flashes during his young two-year career. Jaylen Warren may be the RB2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers behind Najee Harris, but there were many weeks where he was easily the team’s top running back. Warren has shown that even though he may never turn into a bell-cow back at the pro level, he’s still a great dynasty running back because of his skillset as a receiver out of the backfield. In 33 career games, he has hauled in 89 receptions for 584 yards. Warren has also finished as the RB24 or better 10 different times in two seasons, and he did so six times in 2023. Warren also finished as the Rb36 or better 11 times. He’s a fringe RB2 option every week for your dynasty rosters, and he possesses a ton of upside for your squads. The 2023 season showcased that, as he turned 210 touches into 1,154 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. 

Harris has been a bit inconsistent during his three-year pro career, and at times, that has created more opportunities for Warren. The talented two-year pro more than doubled his carries this past season from his rookie year. And he finished fourth amongst all running backs in total receptions (61) during the 2023 season behind only Breece Hall, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, and Rachaad White. Expect about the same in 2024. If you could go out and trade for the RB22 from 2023 at a cheap price, it’s a no-brainer. Especially if you play in a PPR league. Warren has shown that he can serve as a prominent RB2/3 in dynasty leagues, and he is being viewed as a cheap trade candidate right now. The time to trade for him is now. Don’t miss out on a back that has the capability of leading all receivers in receptions next season.

Brian Robinson – Washington Commanders

The last running back for today may be the best one to go out and trade for. Brian Robinson has been consistent during his two-year career thus far, and he’s set up to be the RB1 for Washington heading into the 2024 season. Antonio Gibson is set to hit free agency, and only Chris Rodriguez Jr. is under contract for Washington heading into 2024 as of right now. After an impressive rookie season coming off a gunshot-wound limited year, Robinson finished as the RB43 overall in PPR leagues. At the same time, he only played in Weeks 5-17. During that same span, he served as the RB33 while seeing very minimal work as a receiver out of the backfield. This past season, he played in 15 games but carved out a prominent role as a receiver, hauling in 36 receptions for 368 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the season as the RB21, but now that Gibson is set to hit free agency, he may see even more production as a receiver. 

Expect the Commanders to address the running back position this offseason either in the draft or in free agency, but it would come as a surprise if Robinson saw less work in 2024 than he did in previous years. He’s coming off a season where he turned 214 touches into 1,101 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns. He can be a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield, a three-down back, and a dangerous red zone threat. He’s still a cheap trade candidate, and he has shown that he can be a consistent RB2 for your dynasty rosters. Yes, the Washington offense will look different with a new quarterback, head coach, and offensive coordinator. But Robinson is still expected to lead the Commanders’ running back room in 2024 and beyond.  

Honorable Mentions:

Jerome Ford (CLE), Ty Chandler (MIN), Dameon Pierce (HOU)

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