close
close

Fantasy Court: The Case for Rachaad White in 2024 (Fantasy Football)

This article is part of the annual Fantasy Court Series. Don't forget to check out The Case AGAINST Rachaad White by Aaron Larson to hear his counter opinion.

Opening speech

Your Honor, esteemed members of the court, it is my great pleasure to stand before you today to defend a 25-year-old running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who wants nothing more than to help you win a fantasy football championship this season just like he did last year.

But don’t take my word for it, hear what Rachaad White herself says:

Opportunity > Efficiency

Not knowing my colleague Aaron Larson's arguments against Mr. White, I'm assuming his reasoning includes the paltry 3.6 yards per rushing attempt that White averaged last year. And while I agree we'd like to see that number higher, it doesn't matter much when you have over 300 opportunities to do so. White touched the ball a whopping 336 times last year – 272 rushing attempts (second most) and 64 pass catches (fourth most). We're talking numbers on par with Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall. White had 959 total snaps, only McCaffrey was better.

Other players who averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry last year include Travis Etienne, Saquon Barkley and Alvin Kamara, who finished the season as RB3, RB12 and RB14 in half-PPR formats.

Sure, being more productive on the ground would be a welcome sight. But the fact that White was able to finish in the top 10 at the position last season despite his inefficiency only further solidifies my view that he will once again be one of the best fantasy running backs in the league, because as you will see, the backfield is once again his.

Lack of depth

Tampa Bay's backfield will remain relatively unchanged with the return of Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker. Edmonds played in 13 games last year and saw 49 attempts out of the backfield. Tucker had just 15 running attempts.

There will be a new addition to the running back room, fourth-round rookie Bucky Irving, who will undoubtedly demand a lot from White. Irving was a standout running back at Oregon, excelling in both the running and passing game. But there are two areas he needs to improve in that I believe will limit the opportunities he takes away from White: pass protection and his north-south running style.

White is three inches taller and weighs 30 pounds more than Irving, making him a more natural pass blocker. According to PFF, White has been used as a pass blocker on 88 snaps, sixth-most in the league for a running back.

As for his running style, Irving received a C- in college for zone schemes, which doesn't seem to fit well with a new offensive coordinator implementing a zone running system. White received a 10 in college for zone schemes and should benefit more from the new offensive playbook, which focuses more on finding the edge rather than a start-from-the-front style of attack.

Speaking of the new offensive coordinator…

OC change

Liam Coen was brought in to replace Dave Canales, who took over as head coach in Carolina. Although Canales is highly regarded and White has amassed a ton of stats in his system, it's too early to call Coen a downgrade at the OC position.

Coen is a student of Sean McVay and has served twice with the Rams as assistant wide receivers coach in 2018 and offensive coordinator in 2022. McVay's assistants typically do well when they move to new teams and new roles.

He was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky in 2021, the Wildcats had their best season in nearly a decade, finishing with a 10-3 record. That team included current Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who totaled 1,379 rushing yards (12th in the country) and 12 touchdowns that season. He returned to Kentucky in 2023 to lead an offense that featured current Buffalo Bills rookie Ray Davis, who totaled 1,129 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns (third in the country).

Most importantly, Coen's new offense will be geared toward zone-run schemes, which should increase White's efficiency. The new offense will include more pre-snap movement and more looks in the wide and mid-zone. This is great news for White and the O-line as a whole.

Closing argument

Is it true that White's running performance leaves something to be desired? Yes. But what is also true and more important in fantasy football? The volume.

White will continue to do the bulk of the work in Tampa Bay, and with Coen's newly implemented zone-running scheme, his efficiency should increase again. Remember, White had an A rushing grade at Arizona State. The Buccaneers also invested in their offensive line with first-round rookie center Graham Barton and signed Ben Bredeson, who can play multiple positions on the line.

He will also continue to have opportunities in the red zone. Last year he had the eighth most RB runs in the five-zone and converted eight attempts into six touchdowns.

And that brings me to my final point: All of White's rushing touchdowns have come from inside the five-yard line. Positive touchdown regression is within the realm of possibility, as he gets the chance to score on longer plays in both the rushing and receiving games.

White is currently drafted as RB13, which is quite a drop for a player who finished as RB7 last year and has the prospect of an even better season in sight.

You may also like...