David Johnson Bucked a Powerful Trend to Become a PPR Monster, and These 2 Rookie Running Backs Are Now Trying to Follow His Lead

Kevin Szafraniec
August 18, 2024

Safe. Consistent. Dependable. These are adjectives that are often linked to some of the best-case scenarios for aging running backs.

Inefficient. Declining. Boring. A few adjectives that may be used more frequently than we would like describing elite athletes in their mid-20s, but it does not make them any less true.

As many NFL running backs enter their age-24 season, they are nearing the end of their rookie contract and are often already falling out of favor with ageist fantasy managers and NFL general managers alike. With the current perception in the NFL pertaining to RBs resembling Leo DiCaprio’s stance on his supermodel girlfriends, drafting a RB over the age of 24 seems almost taboo in today’s NFL.

Yet here we are in 2024, and we find ourselves debating the upside of two rookie RBs who will turn 25 years old before the end of the NFL season. While there are surely enough players at similar ages who are fringe practice squad players, both of these RBs have already found themselves one injury away from potentially being the lead back for their teams. With two very different — but equally exciting — statistical and athletic profiles, should drafters be buying these two players as exceptions to the rule, or falling back on the historical data which paints them as obvious players to avoid?

For more intriguing rookie profiles and content, check out these other recent pieces from the RotoViz staff:

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Please subscribe For Full Access to all RotoViz content and tools!

What’s included in your subscription??

Exclusive Access to RotoViz Study Hall
- A treasure trove of our most insightful articles that will teach you the metrics that matter, time-tested winning strategies, the approaches that will give you an edge, and teach you how to be an effective fantasy manager.
Revolutionary Tools
- Including the NFL Stat Explorer, Weekly GLSP Projections, NCAA Prospect Box Score Scout, Combine Explorer, Range of Outcomes App, DFS Lineup Optimizer, Best Ball Suite,and many, many, more.
Groundbreaking Articles
- RotoViz is home of the original Zero-RB article and continues to push fantasy gamers forward as the go-to destination for evidence-based analysis and strategic advantages.
Weekly Projections
- Built using RotoViz’s unique GLSP approach.
Expert Rankings
And a whole lot more…

Kevin Szafraniec

Full-time Cat Dad, Sneakerhead, Record Collector, LOTR Fanboy, and Jeopardy Enthusiast. Fantasy football writer and beatmaker in my free time. Follow me on X and Bluesky @thecatdadff

2025 WR Advanced Stats Wrap-Up, Part 4: Zay Flowers’ Evasion Rate Headlines an Extremely Impressive (and Undervalued) Analytical Profile

Kevin Szafraniec February 11, 2026

Kevin Szafraniec breaks down the NFL’s best wide receiver performances of 2025 and compares them to the top seasons of the past seven years using the RotoViz Advanced Stats Explorer. Prior to the start of the 2024 NFL season, I did a deep dive into the WR data from the Advanced Stat Explorer to get a better feel for exactly what levels of production should…...