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 for his opposing view.
Opening Statement
Your Honor, esteemed members of the court, it is with great enthusiasm that I 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 from Rachaad White himself:
“Draft me again next year, trust me.”
Rachaad White (@Chaad_1) wants you to draft him in fantasy 🤝 pic.twitter.com/sulXcZap2e
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 14, 2024
Opportunity > Efficiency
Having no prior knowledge of my colleague Aaron Larson’s arguments against Mr. White, I imagine his line of reasoning would include the dismal 3.6 yards per rushing attempt White averaged last year. And while I agree we’d like to see that number go up, it doesn’t matter much when you get over 300 opportunities. White touched the ball a whopping 336 times last year – 272 rushing attempts (tied for second most) and 64 receptions (fourth most). We’re talking Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall type numbers. White saw a total of 959 snaps, second only to McCaffrey.
Some other players who averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry last year include Travis Etienne, Saquon Barkley, and Alvin Kamara. They finished as the RB3, RB12, and RB14 in half-PPR formats, respectively.
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 point that he’ll be among the league’s best fantasy running backs once more because as you will see, the backfield belongs to him yet again.
Lack of Depth
Tampa Bay’s backfield will remain relatively the same as it did last year with Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker returning. Edmonds played in 13 games last year and saw 49 attempts out of the backfield. Tucker had just 15 rushing attempts.
There will be one new addition to the running back room, fourth-round rookie Bucky Irving, who will undoubtedly take some work from White. Irving was a standout RB at Oregon who excelled in both the running and passing games. But there are two areas he needs to improve in that I believe will limit how many opportunities he takes from White: pass protection and his north-to-south running style.
White has three inches and 30 pounds on Irving, making him a more natural fit as a pass-blocker. According to PFF, White was featured as a pass-blocker on 88 snaps, sixth-most in the league for running backs.
In terms of his running style, Irving had a C- grade in college in zone schemes, which doesn’t feel like a great fit with a new offensive coordinator who is installing a zone-run system. White graded 10 points higher in college in zone schemes and should benefit more from the new offensive playbook that will focus more on finding the edge instead of an up-the-gut style of rushing attack.
Speaking of the new offensive coordinator…
OC Change
Liam Coen was brought in to replace Dave Canales, who took the head coaching job in Carolina. While Canales is highly regarded and White accumulated a ton of stats in his system, it’s too early to label Coen as a downgrade at OC.
Coen is a disciple of Sean McVay, having had two stints with the Rams as the team’s assistant wide receivers coach in 2018 and the offensive coordinator in 2022. McVay’s assistants usually fare well when they move on to new teams and new roles.
He was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky in 2021, the Wildcats’ best season in nearly a decade that finished with a 10-3 record. That team featured current Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who accumulated 1,379 rushing yards (12th in the country) and 12 total touchdowns that season. He returned to Kentucky in 2023 to lead an offense that saw Ray Davis, current Buffalo Bills rookie, total 1,129 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns (third in the nation).
Most importantly, Coen’s new offense will be focused on zone-run scheme, which should elevate White’s efficiency. The new-look offense will feature more pre-snap motions and more wide-zone and mid-zone looks. This is great news for White and the O-line as a whole.
Closing Argument
Is it true that White’s rushing grade leaves much to be desired? Yes. But what is also true and more important in fantasy football? Volume.
White will continue to get the bulk of the work in Tampa Bay, and with Coen’s newly implemented zone-running scheme, he should see his efficiency go back up. Remember, at Arizona State, White had an A rushing grade. The Buccaneers also invested in their offensive line with first-round rookie center Graham Barton and signed Ben Bredeson, who can play several positions on the line.
Red zone opportunities will also continue going his way. He saw the eighth most RB carries within the five-zone last year, converting eight attempts into six touchdowns.
And that leads me to my final point, all of White’s rushing touchdowns came within the five-yard line. Positive touchdown regression is in the realm of possibilities, with him getting a chance to score on longer plays both through the rushing and receiving game.
White is currently being drafted as the RB13, quite the discount for a player who finished as the RB7 last year and has a path in sight to an even better season ahead.