With Josh Jacobs off to Green Bay, Zamir White is currently in the driver’s seat of the Raiders 2024 backfield. In this role last year, White provided steady, consistent RB2 production. Yet, he currently goes after Pick 120 in early Best Ball Drafts.
Is White a screaming bargain, or are there some Red Flags to be wary of? What is Zamir White’s fantasy outlook for the 2024 season with Jacobs now gone?
Who is Zamir White? Freakish Athlete, Tough Runner, Future RB1?
A former five-star recruit, Zamir White has elite speed for his 6’0″, 214 lbs frame. Via PlayerProfiler, White’s 4.40 forty ranked in the 96th percentile, as did his weight-adjusted speed score:
Unsurprisingly, White also performed incredibly high on Kent Lee Platte‘s Relative Athletic Score (RAS). White’s 9.82 RAS ranked 31st of 1624 RBs from 1987 to 2022 at the time of his testing, which remains well within the Top-50 RBs of all-time:
This should all be unsurprising, given White’s nickname of “Zeus” and reputation as a workout warrior. In fact, White takes an unconventional approach to working out. He works his family farm, which has kept him in peak condition since his childhood: “White, 23, grew up on a farm in North Carolina, where he ran hills, threw hay bales, carried feeding bags, and anything else you can think of that people do on a farm.”
On the tape, when finally given a chance, White combined this breakaway speed with a physical, downhill running style. He churned through arm tackles and consistently displayed a “workman-like” penchant for moving forward.
As such, White ripped off some seriously impressive effort as a starter.
How has Zamir White performed as a Starting RB?
Once Jacobs was shut down for the year in Week 14, White got to showcase his true every-down abilities. He ultimately finished as the RB8 in fantasy from Weeks 15-18, ripping off 13+ FPs in every contest.
Over these four weeks, White posted:
- Week 15: 70% snaps, 20 touches (3 rec), 85 YFS, 1 TD (17.5 FPs, RB12)
- Week 16: 81% snaps, 22 touches, 145 YFS (14.5, RB16)
- Week 17: 58% snaps, 25 touches (5 rec), 106 YFS (15.6, RB16)
- Week 18: 73% snaps, 26 touches (1 rec), 121 YFS, (13.1, RB20)
White proved he could shoulder the load with 20+ touches in every week. While he never truly exploded, White also never faltered, displaying a sturdy RB2 floor throughout.
(Via FantasyLife’s Utilization Hub)
White’s no-nonsense, physical style seemed to mesh perfectly with HC Antonio Pierce, who had glowing remarks about White during the back’s late-season surge:
“I think Zamir prepared himself each and every week for this opportunity and he took full advantage of it…What I saw was a physical runner, somebody that was moving to pile, that was straining to get every inch, every foot, every yard he could get. Productive in the passing game, productive in pass pro as well.
“And when you say audition, every day is an audition, that’s football,” continued Pierce. “Everybody’s on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute contract. … Take advantage of your opportunities and he did just that.”
New GM Tom Telesco also praised White at the NFL Combine, stating, “From what I’ve seen he’s a very good player. He has size, he has speed, he has some nice vision, had some production late in the year.”
While this is encouraging, Telsco did suggest they will ultimately embrace a committe: “But the way we’re going to play and the way a lot of teams play, is you need more than one back. I don’t really see a lead-back type thing. You’ve got to have more than one, you need to have two, you need to have three. They all have different roles with the team. The way this game is played it’s hard to put that all on one person.”
Still, this may be easier said than done. The vast majority of Free Agent RBs are signed, and this is regarded as a weak 2024 Rookie RB Class. RBBC or not, White seems likely to get the first-crack at leading the Raiders.
Summary: Zamir White 2024 Fantasy Outlook and Projection
Zamir White has produced quality RB2 numbers whenever called upon. In 2024, “Zeus” should be dialed up more often than ever. Josh Jacobs is off to Green Bay, and White sits atop Las Vegas’ depth chart.
Indeed, I expect the Raiders to add some competition. Yet, with the FA pool drying up and a weak rookie class, White feels likely to open 2024 as the Raiders’ starting RB.
White rises to my RB29 and 89th overall player in my 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings. He is currently 93rd (RB29) in my 2024 Best Ball Rankings, but carries a 117.5 ADP as the RB34 on Underdog. I still want to see who else is added here before going too crazy, but White has everything set-up for RB2+ success.
Zamir White 2024 Projection: 260 touches (30 rec), 1150 YFS, 7 TDs
