The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new era in terms of their running back room in 2024.
Former NFL rushing champion Josh Jacobs is gone, leaving Zamir White as the starter. White leads a backfield consisting of Alexander Mattison, Dylan Laube, and Ameer Abdullah.
What should fantasy football managers make of this group? Let’s take a look at the fantasy outlook for White, Mattison, Laube, and Abdullah in 2024.
Zamir White’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 199.5 (171.4 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 1051.9
- Rushing Touchdowns: 5.8
- Receptions: 28.1
- Receiving Yards: 264.8
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.8
Coming into the NFL, White was labeled as a two-down back. And while we saw some growth in that department during the final month of last season, multiple catches per game is still an optimistic projection for 2024.
With the Raiders expected to play from behind consistently (6.5 win total projection) and the addition of Brock Bowers — a great prospect who will subtract from White’s potential in the passing game while carrying below-average run-blocking metrics — the path for White’s success at a high level is a tough sell.
That said, the asking price of a seventh-round pick isn’t prohibitive. I prefer running backs like D’Andre Swift, David Montgomery, and even James Conner in this range, since they all play in offenses I consider to have much more upside than White’s.
If you find yourself in a receiver-heavy build where maybe you invested one of your first six picks at a onesie position, White makes more sense. I have my concerns about his true ceiling in this offense, but the floor is solid, and a narrow range of outcomes is exactly what you’re looking for in a roster that takes this shape.
If you’re looking to play chess while your opponents play checkers, footing shouldn’t be an issue for White down the stretch. Vegas plays at home three times and travels to Tampa Bay and New Orleans to round out its 2024 regular season, making weather a non-factor with your fantasy championship on the line.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Alexander Mattison’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 111.9 (87.4 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 468.2
- Rushing Touchdowns: 2.5
- Receptions: 34.8
- Receiving Yards: 162.5
- Receiving Touchdowns: 1.6
Mattison’s ADP at No. 253 overall as the RB66 off the board tells us he is not currently being selected in the overwhelming number of fantasy football drafts. He is currently lumped in with players like D’Onta Foreman, Dameon Pierce, and Kenneth Gainwell as backs buried on the depth chart who aren’t expected to have significant roles in their respective offenses in 2024.
It’s really unfortunate that a player coming off of a career year in rushing yards and receptions is virtually nothing more than a fantasy afterthought in the minds of managers. Yet, Mattison’s disappointing 2023 campaign leaves us with very little hope that he would be an impact player even if White were to go down with an injury.
Mattison simply wasn’t productive enough in a leading role in a competent offense to suggest he has any standalone value in subpar offense while working in a complementary role.
Mattison has the build of a potential short-yardage back, but he was terrible in short-yardage situations last year. I don’t see him getting White off the field on this part of the field.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Dylan Laube’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 88.3 (74.9 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 443.7
- Rushing Touchdowns: 2.5
- Receptions: 13.5
- Receiving Yards: 134.6
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.4
The Raiders grabbed Laube in the sixth round in April, rewarding him for the impressive versatile skill set he showed at New Hampshire last season (158 carries, 68 catches, and 16 total touchdowns).
Right now, Laube is buried on this depth chart, though it’s behind a lot of average options. We all think that White will be a true bellcow, but we only have four games to make that claim based on, and the Vikings couldn’t get rid of Mattison quickly enough.
Laube doesn’t need to be drafted, but keeping an eye on him is wise – there’s a path to him being a midseason add.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Ameer Abdullah’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 68.3 (38.0 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 101.7
- Rushing Touchdowns: 0.1
- Receptions: 30.3
- Receiving Yards: 233.4
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.7
Abdullah turned 31 this summer and hasn’t had 55 carries in a season since 2017. On his 591 NFL touches, he is still without a 40-yard gain. The Raiders have had Abdullah on their roster for each of the past two seasons and elected to funnel just 63 touches his way.
If this team were sold on him as a viable insurance option, they wouldn’t have made the moves they did this offseason – feel free to look elsewhere when filling out your roster.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
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