Running the ball was cool in 2023 as five running backs recorded 1,000-yard performances with 11 players (including pivots Dustin Crum and Tre Ford) rushing for at least 600 yards. Throwing the ball is going to be exciting but the next generation of ground pounders assures that fantasy users can count on the position to be a primary source of a winning team.
Will 2024 see a new 1,000-yard runner or will we see familiar faces — some in new places — continue to reside atop the fantasy rankings each week? Our list of the top backs in CFL Fantasy play will answer those questions. Our list also projects a comeback or two as well.
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STEADY AS HE GOES
Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg
Oliveira needed time to convince fantasy users of his consistency. Once they bought in, Oliveira was on his way to becoming the first running back to see the mountain of 1,500 yards since Hall of Famer Jon Cornish in 2013. No one since Cornish (2012-13) has pulled off consecutive 1,500-yard rushing campaigns, and while Oliveira shares touches with receivers Nic Demski, Kenny Lawler, Dalton Schoen, and Drew Wolitarsky, running behind arguably the league’s best offensive line enhances his chances to reach the heights of the former Calgary bulldozer. He’s also a solid receiver who averaged 12.7 yards per catch, and there’s reason to buy Oliveira topping the 13 total majors (nine rushing, four receiving) he tallied in 2023. Oliveira comes into the season as the best option at the position and will likely end the season as such.
AJ Ouellette, Saskatchewan
The Roughriders decided the best way to the Grey Cup is by land, hence the signing of Ouellette, who rushed for 1,009 yards on the way to helping Toronto finish with a 16-2 regular-season record. Ouellette’s style isn’t fancy, yet he scored eight touchdowns last season and added a pair of majors as a receiver while tying the league lead with 10 rushes of better than 20 yards. With the focus on him reviving the Saskatchewan ground game, Ouellette will be in line for a second straight 1,000-yard season; he should also see more than the 21 targets he had in Toronto in 2023 as a healthy Trevor Harris will utilize his sure hands in the Riders passing game.
Kevin Brown, Edmonton
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Defenders learned if they blinked, Brown would be on the next level. The second-year pro averaged 6.1 yards per carry on the way to finishing with 1,141 rushing yards. Brown also tied Ouellette with 10 rushes of at least 20 yards and added 35 carries of at least 10 yards. A bigger season is in the offing for Brown now that the addition of pivot McLeod Bethel-Thompson markedly improves an Elks passing game that struggled most of 2023. Like Oliveira and Ouellette, Brown is a productive receiver who will see his numbers helped further once defences can no longer stack the box in anticipation of him.
James Butler, Hamilton
An impressive 2022 in BC was followed up by a 2023 with the Ticats that saw Butler dash for a career-best 1,116 rushing yards and seven majors while also reeling in 61 receptions on a career-high 78 targets. At times, Butler was the Ticats offence when injuries curtailed the passing game. A healthy supporting cast around Butler makes the chances of him putting together a third consecutive 1,000-yard season a likely proposition. In a league filled with versatile runners, Butler will continue standing near the top of that category.
GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE
William Stanback, BC
RB William Stanback joined the Lions in the off-season to complement an explosive aerial offence (Steven Chang/BCLions.com)
Injuries have limited Stanback to 19 games with the Alouettes the past two seasons, but the two-time 1,000-yard rusher and former All-Star can still be one of the league’s best all-around backs as he sports a career 5.9 yards per carry and 9.9 yards per reception. A healthy Stanback should sit atop the depth chart in Week 1 (especially after the Leos released 2023 starter Taquan Mizzell) and could be the missing piece to an explosive Lions offence in need of a game-altering presence in the backfield.
THEIR TIME IS NOW
Daniel Adeboboye, Toronto
The Argos signed veteran Ka’Deem Carey to help replace Ouellette and the retired Andrew Harris, but the 2022 second-round pick is ready to become more than just a special teams ace. Adeboboye rushed for 287 yards and a touchdown last season, and the five-foot-11, 215-pounder is capable of much more. He’s a strong sleeper who will come into the season undervalued when it comes to his fantasy salary, a salary that will not be a bargain for long if the Boatmen are committed to giving Adeboboye a bigger piece of the pie.
Kylin Hill, Ottawa
The REDBLACKS were set at the position before 1,000-yard rusher Devonte Williams suffered a potentially season-ending Achilles injury during an off-season workout. There’s not much separation between Hill and fellow starting candidates Ryquell Armstead yet if someone can claim the job outright, they would benefit from a revamped Ottawa offence that should thrive with new pivot Dru Brown at the helm. There’s also the chance the REDBLACKS could dip into the free agent pool and ink a veteran before Week 1.