Running backs ready to make the leap

We asked nine analysts to reveal a breakout running back candidate to help you have an idea of players ready to exceed expectations this fantasy football season.

If you’ve somehow missed this summer’s Cook hype, just please know it’s been breathless and relentless. He ran exclusively with the Bills starters in the team’s preseason opener, with impressive results, and worked only with the first-team offense again in limited action on Saturday against the Steelers.

He isn’t going to be an every-snap RB in all likelihood, because such creatures have nearly vanished from the Earth — only four players in the league carried more than 275 times last season. But it seems abundantly clear at this point that Cook is the head of a backfield committee for Buffalo, with Damien Harris (currently dinged) and Latavius Murray well behind him.

As a rookie, Cook played his best football in the season’s second half, averaging over 6.0 YPC in Weeks 11-18. If the Bills are actually serious about dialing down their quarterback’s rush attempts, Cook should thrive as both a receiving threat and perhaps as a goal-to-go ball carrier. His current Yahoo ADP is in the early 80s. — Andy Behrens

Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

If you love football, you have to be a huge fan of how Dameon Pierce plays. He’s a violent runner who takes no prisoners. Pierce averaged 3.21 yards after contact per attempt as a rookie, putting him in the same territory as fantasy heroes like Josh Jacobs (3.23) and Derrick Henry (3.24), per Fantasy Points Data. His 0.22 missed tackles forced per carry ranked eighth among backs with 200-plus rushes.

So we know Pierce is a good runner but there’s more to it than that. We got answers to one variable in the preseason. It’s clear Pierce is going to be a near-every down back for the Texans and Devin Singletary is a change-of-pace option. The second variable is the overall ecosystem. It’ll be tough for the Texans to be as bad as they’ve been the last two years. I like C.J. Stroud as a pro-ready passer and find the idea of Bobby Slowik installing an offense similar to what we saw in the early Shanahan 49ers days interesting. Everything is coming up roses for Pierce. He’s simply going too late in drafts with a Yahoo ADP of 48.3. — Matt Harmon

[2023 Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs]

Gibbs has major draft capital after being selected 12th overall. He’ll get to play for a surging Lions offense that helped D’Andre Swift be a top-20 fantasy back last season despite playing just 41% of the snaps. Gibbs is a legit prospect who commanded targets as an 18-year-old and now gets to play indoors on an offense that averaged an NFL-high 33+ points per game at home last season.

Yet, it’s an offense missing alternative weapons outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown.

While Gibbs may lose some goal-line touchdowns, Jamaal Williams is gone, and David Montgomery has been the least efficient back in the league over the last four years and may