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The Reset Continues
As we get closer to the start of training camps, NFL teams will continue their ongoing voluntary OTA sessions, capping their offseason programs with mandatory minicamps. While we watch for developments from the ongoing work, I'll be resetting some important battles heading into the summer. Last week, it was Quarterback Battles, Real and Imagined.
This week, it's everybody's favorite fantasy frienemy: The ambiguous backfield.
We might not like them, but we need them. And understanding where edges might be found in these uncertain situations can lead to league-winning upside.
Who's in Command of Washington's Backfield?
This time last year, a seventh-round rookie in Washington began making waves. The stellar reports about running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt began during OTAs and minicamp.
Heading into training camp, the hype was difficult to ignore.
There's just something about Jacory Croskey-Merritt...
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) July 25, 2025
I have a feeling the Commanders rookie RB is going to be special.
He jumps off the screen.
Explosive
Runs violently
Fast feet
👀👀 pic.twitter.com/NeHxRXniJh
Then in August, the Commanders dealt their presumptive starter, Brian Robinson Jr., to the San Francisco 49ers.
In speaking with long-time local observers, like Ben Standig, who began reporting "Robinson is likely on his way out" a week before it happened, and ESPN.com's John Keim, the Croskey-Merritt drumbeat became a thunderous roar.
While he believed Croskey-Merritt was the most likely candidate to serve as lead back, Standig expected Chris Rodriguez Jr. to have a role -- perhaps at the goal line and in short-yardage situations.
Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols were also in the mix, making it difficult for fantasy investors to sort out their values.
In the end, nobody stood out -- although it's fair to say Croskey-Merritt exceeded expectations, finishing the season with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns (highest among rookies) across 17 games, showcasing elite speed with a 72-yard touchdown run, and delivering an RB31 season.
Fast Forward to This Year
Ekeler, who suffered an Achilles injury in Week 2 last year, is healthy and hopes to play again. But it almost certainly won't be in Washington. Rodriguez, who hit career-high marks in touches (115), yardage (530), and touchdowns (six) in 2025, has moved on to Jacksonville as a free agent.
To help fill the void, the Commanders signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Rachaad White the day after Rodriguez left. Washington also added former Browns running back Jerome Ford and drafted Penn State's Kaytron Allen in the sixth round of April's draft.
With White, Allen, and Ford joining Croskey-Merritt and McNichols, this year's backfield appears to be every bit as -- if not more -- ambiguous than last season's.
But is it?
White operated as a feature back in 2023 and delivered his best season as a pro, rushing for 990 yards on 272 carries and six touchdowns, with 64 catches for 549 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
He finished that season as fantasy's RB4, but White has played a situational role since.
That's likely to be the case again this year.
As ESPN's Mike Clay notes, White is fine as a rusher, but he's a standout as a receiver. He's the only back in the NFL with 40-plus catches in each of the past four seasons, and his 89.1 percent career catch rate is easily best in NFL history among players with 100-plus targets.
Although Washington moved on from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, David Blough likely keeps the status quo atop the depth chart.
Croskey-Merritt and White will split most of the touches.
Their current Average Draft Positions (ADPs) suggest the fantasy hive mind is on board with that. Croskey-Merritt is RB38. White is RB39. Both are going in Round 9 of early drafts.
According to Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, Ford could spell both of them while McNichols remains a valuable pass-blocking asset.
Following back-to-back 1,100-plus-yard rushing seasons at Penn State, Allen could become Croskey-Merritt's primary backup if Ford misses time or is cut before the season.
Could Allen Be More?
During a conversation with Eric Williams of FOX Sports, head coach Dan Quinn highlighted how Allen brings something a little different to what the Commanders already have in their backfield. There is excitement in the building, and the coach is eager to see how things shake out over the summer.
"He has good size and likes to get downhill. Having another back that has size, can put his foot in the ground and be aggressive, those are the styles of running backs that carry. We're excited to put him in the mix and let the whole thing kind of develop."
The early reports around Allen have been glowing.
Those in attendance at Washington's rookie minicamp were impressed by his size, power, and balance during practices. The player's production over his final two years at Penn State offers even more reason for encouragement.
Allen isn't the most dynamic runner. He doesn't have elite breakaway speed, and he wouldn't be classed as a game-changing force by any stretch. However, he looks like a ready-made replacement for Rodriguez Jr.
As Footballguy Sigmund Bloom suggested, "Allen taking over this backfield -- for at least this year -- is not outlandish."
Allen is being drafted as RB62. The 16th-round price tag makes him a viable late-round flier in early best-ball drafts.
Carolina's Run-First Offense Gets a Wild Card
Dave Canales believes in running the football.
"Good things happen when you run the ball; you run the ball when good things happen," the coach often says. "It works both ways, and it's a part of who we are."
And it's why Carolina's backfield is of great interest heading into the summer.
Setting the Table
Chuba Hubbard thrived in his first year under Canales. With rookie Jonathon Brooks recovering from a torn ACL suffered in his final season at Texas, Hubbard set career highs across the board -- 250 carries, 1,195 yards, 10 touchdowns, 43 receptions.
Add 171 receiving yards and another score, and Hubbard was RB13 on a per-game basis at 16.4 fantasy points.
The Panthers reinforced their commitment to the run last offseason by signing Rico Dowdle in free agency. The plan was a job share -- harkening to past Panthers backfield duos like Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, or Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster.
The plan lasted four games.
Then Reality Hit
A Week 4 calf injury knocked Hubbard out for two games and slowed him for a few more. Dowdle was ready.
From Weeks 5-9, Dowdle ran 103 times for 652 yards and three touchdowns. He put up 206 against the Dolphins, 183 the next week against the Cowboys, and 130 in the Week 9 road upset of the Packers when Carolina ran 33 times to play keep-away.
Dowdle cooled after that -- 3.25 yards per carry the rest of the way -- but still finished with his second straight 1,000-yard season at 1,076.
Hubbard came back and posted 734 combined yards from scrimmage as the secondary option.
Then, Dowdle walked, signing with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent.
Reading the 2026 Tea Leaves
Letting Dowdle leave is a vote of confidence in Hubbard. But it also reflects Brooks' progress in his return from a second ACL surgery in 2024.
The Panthers spent a second-round pick on Brooks, knowing he wasn't ready for 2024. He debuted in Week 12 -- and re-injured the knee three games later.
But Canales said at the NFL's Annual Meeting that Brooks has progressed to the point where he can "be put in a football scenario with other people around him."
That matters.
"I know what he looked like prior to the injury," Canales said. "And that's a vision that I hope he has, too, so we can go and attack that."
Brooks is only 22.
FanSided's Dean Jones laid out the case: "Everyone's forgotten that he was projected as the best running back in the 2024 class. Everyone's forgotten that he was a Heisman Trophy candidate before getting hurt. Everyone's forgotten just how phenomenal a dual-threat he could be within Canales's schematic concepts."
Two ACL tears are a real concern. It's also a market discount on a high-end talent with issues. The fears of your opponents create the price.
What the Market Says
Hubbard is being drafted as RB26 in the fifth round. Brooks is RB44, available in Round 11.
Hubbard's strong showing in 2024 made him a popular pick last summer. But that production came on nearly 300 touches -- volume that came because Brooks wasn't available, not because the Panthers planned it.
At RB26, we're paying for that volume to repeat. We're paying for a healthy Brooks to remain a bit player, or never arrive.
That's a lot to ask.
Where I Land
One possible outcome is Hubbard holding the job all year. But if Brooks is right, he could take this job.
And by take it, I mean take the full workload.
Remember, this staff rides the hot hand. Coaches have said as much -- and demonstrated their willingness to do it.
I'm not against Hubbard at cost, but I'm all for Brooks at his current price.
He could be the primary option in this offense.
Status Quo in New England
As Moton recently reminded readers, in 2022, Rhamondre Stevenson appeared to be well on his way to being the New England Patriots' long-term lead running back.
Stevenson, a second-year pro at the time, rushed for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns that year.
Since then, Stevenson's rushing numbers have fluctuated, and he's struggled with ball security. Over the last two years, the 28-year-old has fumbled 10 times.
In 2025, New England selected TreVeyon Henderson in the second round of the draft.
While he never established himself as the lead back, Henderson did cut into Stevenson's workload last season. The veteran went from 207 carries in 2024 to 130 in 2025.
But It Wasn't the Takeover We Expected
Fantasy investors had high hopes for Henderson last summer.
Touted for his electric running style (he averaged 7.1 yards per carry in his final season at Ohio State) and elite pass protection skills, Henderson drew sterling reviews.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz cited an NFL personnel director as saying that Henderson was "one of the most exciting players in the draft and a very clean prospect. Home run threat every touch, who can hurt you lining up out wide. Very dangerous in space. Multiple Pro Bowl-caliber talent."
Fantasy investors bought it.
Henderson was being drafted as RB18 with a fourth-round price heading into the season. Stevenson, meanwhile, was going as RB37 in Round 9.
What We Got
Henderson had what Clay characterized as a "roller-coaster" rookie campaign in which he delivered three huge fantasy performances (28-plus points in all three) but otherwise played second fiddle to Stevenson. Henderson averaged 8.3 points per game in his other 14 contests.
Henderson was effective enough, however, averaging 5.1 yards per carry (eighth best) and catching 83 percent of his targets while scoring 10 touchdowns.
The three big games and solid touchdown production propelled Henderson to an RB25 finish on a points per game basis.
That was three spots behind Stevenson's RB22 performance.
Stevenson, who outproduced Henderson despite playing in three fewer games, finished with 603 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on his 130 carries, with 32 catches for 345 yards and two scores. He ranked fifth among backs in forced missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus, second in yards after contact (2.82), and first in yards per target (9.1).
And Here We Are Again
Fantasy investors have high hopes for Henderson once again this year.
He's RB21 according to current Average Draft Position (ADP) data. That spot carries a fourth-round price tag. Stevenson is RB29 with a late-sixth-round cost.
The Footballguys projections have the two more tightly packed.
Henderson is projected for an RB26 finish, while Stevenson's RB28 projection is closer to his ADP.
While Moton believes Henderson's 5-10, 202-pound frame may prevent him from taking on a true lead role in which he gets 250-plus touches in a season, his explosive playmaking ability will keep him on the field in any down-and-distance situation.
But expecting Stevenson to disappear after a strong 2025 would be unwise.
Their projections reflect this. Henderson is expected to get 190 carries; Stevenson is projected for 165.
That's enough to believe last year's finishes are well within reach for both. If so, I'll likely have more shares of Stevenson than Henderson.
But if you believe in the second-year man's playmaking ability, he's not cost-prohibitive.
Don't Overlook The Best-Case Scenario
If you want to factor in contingent upside, I get it.
Two of Henderson's three breakout games last season -- a 28.2-point outing against the Buccaneers in Week 10 and a 32.3-point Week 11 explosion against the Jets -- came with Stevenson sidelined.
Jacksonville Chooses a Direction
As I've noted in previous Notebooks, when Bhayshul Tuten left the Jaguars facility in mid-January, he didn't know what his job would be in April.
He still doesn't really know.
Neither do we.
ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco laid out Tuten's possibilities: The No. 2 back. The No. 1 back. A 50-50 split with Travis Etienne Jr.
Or someone else entirely.
Free agency took one name off the board and put another on it.
Etienne signed a four-year, $47.4 million deal with the Saints. The Jaguars countered by signing Washington's Rodriguez Jr. to a two-year, $10 million contract.
The questions weren't answered. They changed.
And that's the problem for fantasy investors.
The Room as It Stands
Jacksonville's depth chart now includes Tuten, Rodriguez, second-year man LeQuint Allen Jr., and seven-year vet DeeJay Dallas.
Tuten -- the Jaguars' 2025 fourth-round pick -- ran for 305 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He added 10 catches for 79 yards and two more scores. A broken finger cost him two December games before he returned for the regular-season finale and the wild-card loss to Buffalo.
Allen worked mainly on third downs, where his pass blocking earned him a role. Dallas joined in December as a kickoff returner.
The three returnees combined for 422 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Rodriguez did better than that by himself. He ran for 500 yards and six touchdowns for the Commanders in 2025. Across three seasons there, he piled up 920 yards and 10 scores as a backup.
He's the most experienced back on the roster. But the experience that matters most isn't measured in yards.
The Coen Connection
Rodriguez played for Jaguars head coach Liam Coen at Kentucky in 2021 -- Coen's year as the Wildcats' offensive coordinator.
That kind of familiarity matters.
Beyond that, Coen has worked wonders for running backs -- see Bucky Irving's breakout in Tampa in 2024 and Etienne's productive 2025.
The question this year is which back eats? Or more likely, how the plate gets divided.
General manager James Gladstone toed the company line: "There's a lot of strong matches just generally from how those two in tandem can really work together."
Translation: We'll figure it out in August.
Which brings us to the most important angle for fantasy managers . . .
The Price We're Paying
Tuten was being drafted in the fifth round as RB23 immediately after the NFL Draft. He's RB25 now.
Looking at the consensus ADP from Underdog, Drafters, and DraftKings, Tuten has fallen almost 14 spots over the last month. He's going with the 62nd pick overall.
Rodriguez is RB45, available in Round 11.
That's the entire problem in three sentences.
The fifth-round price assumes Tuten gets the lion's share -- the carries, the goal-line work, the passing-down snaps.
There is reason for optimism. He's a 210-pound athletic freak with 4.32 speed in the 40. Tuten also ranked 13th among backs with at least 70 carries in yards after contact per attempt last year.
The playoff loss to Buffalo offered a preview: Three straight runs of 20, 14, and 13 yards.
The Counter
Footballguy Sigmund Bloom flagged Tuten as a sell candidate in his 7 Players You Should Be Selling In the Wake of Free Agency: "The problem for Tuten here is that he isn't going to be the passing down back, and he's not going to be the goal line back -- Rodriguez is known for his power between the tackles. Tuten also has had fumble issues that could drop him out of favor."
Our colleague Dave Kluge sees the Coen-Rodriguez history as the bigger tell. Familiarity with the offense. Established trust. A clear lane near the goal line.
"Tuten's path," Kluge wrote, "got a bit narrower."
The Call
Tuten's dip has my attention. At RB23, we were paying for a No. 1 job before it existed.
At RB25, we're getting a fantasy RB3 with RB1 upside.
With his 11-round price tag, the range of outcomes for Rodriguez is wider in the right direction. The range for Tuten is narrower in the wrong one, but it's getting better.
And the further Tuten falls, the faster I'll be chasing him.
Same Ol' Same Ol' in Pittsburgh
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Jaylen Warren reached career-high marks in touches (251), yardage (1,291), and touchdowns (eight) last season, his fourth in the league.
The former undrafted free agent put up 13.6 fantasy points per game, which ranked 19th among backs. Pro Football Focus tracked him with 56 forced missed tackles (seventh-best in the league).
But as was the case in Warren's first three seasons as a Steeler, he was in a timeshare.
Some expected more for Warren when the team let Najee Harris move on in free agency last offseason. Instead, Kenneth Gainwell became a limiting factor as a receiving asset working in tandem with Warren.
Gainwell, however, signed with the Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent in March.
So, All is Well?
Not really. Pittsburgh swapped out Gainwell for Rico Dowdle as Warren's running mate. And while the team considers Warren the starter, the two are expected to split work in a Mike McCarthy offense that rarely deploys its backs in the passing game.
Warren is capable and effective as a rusher and receiver, but his ceiling figures to be limited in this committee.
Last year, Warren led Pittsburgh with 211 rush attempts, averaging 13.2 carries per game. He may finish with similar numbers while sharing the backfield with Dowdle. But Dowdle, who has only played a significant role for the previous two seasons in Dallas and Carolina, could easily lead the Steelers' backfield over Warren, who's not a high-volume ball-carrier.
At the very least, Dowdle is a tailback who can handle early-down touches and pace the ground attack with a hot hand.
Which means Warren may assume the enhanced receiving role previously shared with Gainwell in third-down and shotgun situations.
If so, Warren's target share and receiving numbers could look more like Gainwell's last season. Gainwell finished his lone season in Pittsburgh with a team-leading 73 receptions.
The Dowdle-Warren pairing -- anchoring power running and pass-game responsibilities -- leaves third-round pick Kaleb Johnson behind both on the depth chart.
Setting the Price
Despite adding versatile rookie Eli Heidenreich (who looks like a practice squad candidate), the team made no major draft moves at running back, indicating their plan to maintain continuity in the rushing attack. This decision comes as the team focuses its draft capital on bolstering the offensive line, receiver depth, and quarterback room.
The market is priced to reflect that.
Warren is going as RB28 in Round 6, with Dowdle going as RB31 a round later.
Those prices are fair for me since both players could deliver at that level working in tandem, while an injury to either opens the door to tremendous contingent upside for the one remaining.
If that comes to pass, Johnson would immediately become a waiver-wire target . . .
Change Coming in Tennessee?
The Titans have done a lot of work on their offense this offseason.
Cam Ward's late-season improvement (eight touchdowns with one interception over his last four full games), a new play-caller in Brian Daboll, and an improved supporting cast, including first-round pick Carnell Tate and veteran wideout Wan'Dale Robinson, offer reasons for optimism.
They also have a pair of starting-caliber running backs.
However, both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears enter 2026 with yellow flags.
What's the Worry?
Pollard is now 29 years old and approaching the downside of his career. Fantasy investors will remain interested, however, because of his workload over the last two seasons.
As USA Today's BJ Rudell noted, Pollard had 300-plus touches in 2023 and 2024, hitting 275 last year.
While he's capable of handling high volume, he's in the final year of his contract, and it's hard to imagine this franchise re-upping with a 30-year-old free agent who will want starter money.
Spears is also headed toward free agency.
But unlike Pollard, Spears has struggled to stay healthy, missing nine contests these past two seasons. As a near-elite pass-catcher who's still only 24 years old, he should maintain top-50 numbers even if he doesn't get as much work on the ground.
But Rudell went on to explain there's a path where the rebuilding Titans reduce the veteran duo's workload.
The Newcomer
The Titans selected Nicholas Singleton in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
This is a terrific landing spot for a rookie running back with three-down bell cow abilities. Singleton was never a true workhorse at Penn State, but he has four years of solid experience -- and not so much of a workload to worry that he's overextended.
How quickly might a transition be coming?
Pollard is aging out of his career soon enough. Spears probably isn't a full-load running back even if he sticks around.
It's possible Singleton's arrival signals that this team is looking to 2027.
What About the Present?
There's ample evidence suggesting Daboll will deploy a two-man backfield, as he did with the Giants in the two seasons since Saquon Barkley left the team as a free agent in 2024.
Pollard's versatile skill set and recent production almost ensure that he'll lead Daboll's group in Tennessee. The playcaller could also maximize Spears' talent if the fourth-year pro stays healthy.
But one more Spears injury -- even if it's short-term -- would give Singleton an opportunity to push past him (if he looks NFL-ready) on the depth chart.
Likely Outcomes vs. Current Prices
As Clay noted, Pollard has handled 67.2 percent of the Titans' designed rushing attempts since his arrival two seasons ago (15.2 per game) and, even with solid efficiency, he has finished 22nd and 30th in fantasy points per game with the team's overall offensive malaise and Spears' receiving skills being factors.
Barring a major leap from Ward, Clay argues that Pollard, who has just one career top-20 fantasy season, is unlikely to deliver on this year.
Spears will continue as the receiving specialist in 2026 and, even if the Titans' offense makes the hoped-for leap, Spears is unlikely to find his way to consistent fantasy value.
But they're priced right.
Pollard is being drafted as RB30 in Round 6; Spears is RB47, going in the 12th round.
I don't mind Pollard at that price. Spears is more of a dart toss.
But if I like Washington's Kaytron Allen as a free-square play in best ball, I'm even more interested in his former Penn State teammate Singleton.
Singleton is going as RB59 with a 15th-round price.
This and That: Slightly Less But Still Kind of Ambiguous Backfield Edition
Williams and the Corum Conundrum
The backfield split between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum was a classic "1A and 1B" dynamic last season.
Mostly.
While Williams remained the primary starter and a heavy red-zone weapon, Corum maintained a highly active, consistent role that turned this into a true committee by the end of the year.
In a Week 13 loss to the Panthers, the Rams' running backs combined for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
Corum ran for a then-career-high 81 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, averaging a whopping 11.6 yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Williams, who missed some time with an ankle issue, took 13 carries for 72 yards and a score.
A week later, Corum had a massive breakout against Arizona, where he rushed 12 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
While the big weeks caught our attention, the Rams aimed for a 65-35 split between the two last season.
And that's exactly how the season played out, with Williams getting 259 carries to Corum's 145.
But Williams was trusted with 84.8 percent of the running back receptions (39 catches), completely freezing Corum out of the aerial attack for most of the year, as Corum caught just seven passes.
So, while Williams saw a drop-off in carries per game between 2024 and 2025, he's still the featured tailback. Corum remains a limiting factor.
Are we drafting them right?
Williams, whose Footballguys projection calls for an RB16 finish, is being drafted as RB15 in Round 3. Even in an offense that runs through Matthew Stafford and the passing attack, Williams remains a locked-in starter in all formats.
Corum's Average Draft Position (ADP) is further ahead of his projection. He's being drafted as RB35 in Round 8. While that seems optimistic, the players going after him don't inspire greater confidence, and it's well off his RB41 projection.
A Strong Tandem With a Clear Leader
In 2025, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai formed one of the league's best running back duos.
It's not a huge surprise.
As Moton reminded readers, dating back to his time as the Lions' offensive coordinator, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has a track record of fielding highly productive ground attacks.
Swift and Monangai will be a dynamic pair again in 2026.
They rushed for 1,870 yards and 14 touchdowns combined last season. Moton believes the Bears' running back tandem could eclipse 2,000 rushing yards this year.
But will the fantasy values change?
Swift found the end zone 10 times and finished as RB14 overall (and 17th in fantasy points per game). The upside is that Swift can produce even more in Johnson's offense than he showed last season. He caught a career-low 34 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown, and when playing for Johnson in 2021, he put up 452 yards and two touchdowns on 62 catches. The Lions targeted him 78 times that season.
Clay notes that Monangai was limited to 7.7 fantasy points during the 16 weeks Swift also played, but he showed his insurance value with a 29-touch, 198-yard effort in the one game Swift was sidelined (Week 9).
Are we drafting them right?
Swift continues to play at a high level (he averaged 4.87 yards per carry last season), but Clay believes his role figures to limit him to low-ceiling RB2/flex production. His Footballguys projection is RB21. His ADP is RB23. The fourth-round price tag feels right to me.
Monangai could see a slight boost in usage this season, but that usage and production will be limited as long as Swift is also healthy. Still, the second-year man is currently being drafted as RB32, just ahead of Seattle rookie Jadarian Price and Denver's J.K. Dobbins, both presumptive starters for their teams.
That's rich based on the anticipated role, although Monangai's contingent upside is great.
In Bucky We Trust, But Should We?
In Tampa Bay, Bucky Irving missed seven straight games last season with ankle and shoulder injuries -- Weeks 5 through 12.
He came back in Week 13 and finished with six straight games and five straight starts.
But he wasn't right.
The ankle healed before the shoulder did. Per JoeBucsFan.com, Irving had offseason surgery to repair the shoulder, although the recovery isn't expected to meaningfully impact his offseason prep.
After 1,122 rushing yards as a rookie at 5.4 yards a pop, Irving dropped to 588 yards on 3.4 yards per carry in 2025. The injury explains a lot of that.
But there are changes.
Rachaad White is in Washington. Sean Tucker returns on a restricted tender. Free-agent Kenneth Gainwell joins after an impressive season in Pittsburgh.
And there's a new offensive coordinator.
Incoming playcaller Zac Robinson came from Atlanta, where Tyler Allgeier mixed in behind Bijan Robinson -- to the chagrin of fantasy managers everywhere. As Footballguy Jeff Bell recently noted, Robinson also leans heavily on his backs in the passing game. Atlanta's running backs drew a 23 percent target share last year, fourth in the NFL.
Irving and Gainwell are both excellent receivers.
In 2025, Irving averaged 14.0 fantasy points per game (RB18). Gainwell averaged 13.1 (RB21).
Are we drafting them right?
Irving is being drafted as RB18 in early Round 4. Gainwell is RB36 going in Round 8. The market has Irving pegged. His ADP reflects last year's points-per-game finish and his 2026 Footballguys projection.
The outlook for Gainwell seems a bit optimistic (White finished last year as RB41 on a points-per-game basis). That said, the pass-game overlap is real, and Gainwell's 73-catch output as a Steeler last year surprised us all.
The Price is Right in Seattle
The Seahawks lost Ken Walker III to Kansas City in free agency and lost Zach Charbonnet to a January ACL tear.
That's two-thirds of last year's room gone.
Enter Price, the 32nd pick in the draft and the last player off the board on Day 1.
It might also be the best landing spot of any back in the class.
Price ran for 6.0 yards per carry across three years at Notre Dame, mostly as Jeremiyah Love's backup. He never cleared 746 yards in a season because of it.
But he fits the outside-zone scheme new coordinator Brian Fleury will run. ESPN.com's Brady Henderson called Price an explosive element for the offense. The ball security has to improve -- three fumbles in a limited 2025 role -- but the vision and the cuts are real.
Meanwhile, newcomer Emanuel Wilson handled the Packers' No. 2 role behind Josh Jacobs the last two years, averaging 4.5 a carry. He'll lead early. George Holani and Kenny McIntosh will push for the third spot until Charbonnet returns.
Are we drafting them right?
Henderson sees Price as a co-RB1 in a three-back rotation. Seattle isn't asking him to be a workhorse -- and that's exactly what dampens the ceiling. The Footballguys projection calls for a 225-956-8 rushing line with 26 catches for 182 yards and another touchdown en route to an RB29 finish.
All that makes Price's RB33 ADP appealing.
It's worth noting that Charbonnet is the next Seahawks back off the board as RB42 in Round 11. This seems aggressive, but I get it. There's upside if he returns to form before the season is over. But barring further information on Charbonnet's timetable, I'll have more shares of Wilson and Holani as free-square plays in best-ball drafts.
Edges to be Found in Denver
The Broncos had a top-10 rushing attack last season when Dobbins was healthy. Then Dobbins went down in Week 10, RJ Harvey took over as the lead back, and the efficiency cratered.
Harvey's fantasy line looked fine -- 14.2 points per game without Dobbins, up from 10.0 with him.
The rushing line did not. Harvey averaged 3.4 yards per carry as the No. 1.
Per FantasyPros' Kyle Zeigler, Harvey ranked 23rd of 30 backs with 80-plus carries in yards after contact per attempt over that span. That's 1.86 -- well below the line you want from a workhorse.
Denver got creative to cover for it. Bo Nix ran more than anyone intended. It backfired badly when he got hurt in the playoffs.
Then came the draft and Jonah Coleman. The Broncos took the Washington back in the fourth round. Footballguy Sigmund Bloom described Coleman as hard-nosed and decisive -- a back who runs with urgency between the tackles.
Insurance for an oft-injured Dobbins? Or a knock on Harvey's running style?
The ADP has its answer.
Are we drafting them right?
Harvey's RB27 ADP is higher than I'd like. I prefer investing in Dobbins as RB34. Their Footballguys projections -- Dobbins is RB33, and Harvey is RB34 -- are closer to my expectations.
I'll absolutely have more shares of Dobbins in Round 8 than Harvey in Round 5.
And Coleman? Going as RB48 in Round 11, the rookie offers contingent upside at a reasonable price.
Vikings Need a Refresh
As Moton suggested, the Vikings' running back room needs a spark. Aaron Jones Sr. is entering his age-32 season. Jordan Mason hasn’t shown much as a pass-catcher, totaling 28 receptions for 173 yards across four seasons.
Demond Claiborne has 4.37 speed, averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and caught 55 passes for 424 yards and two touchdowns through four seasons at Wake Forest. Despite his sixth-round draft status, he could be a key playmaker in the Vikings' backfield.
Are we drafting them right?
Jones has missed at least five games in two of the previous three seasons. He's being drafted as RB37 in Round 9. Mason is RB40 with a 10th-round price tag. Drafting them as low-ceiling depth, bye-week fill-ins, or emergency options is fine.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Every week, the NFL delivers a remarkable range of stories. I like to use this spot to encapsulate that broad expanse here.
The Good: Skattebo Ready to Raise the Roof
Cam Skattebo insists he will be "ready to go" Week 1 as he continues his rehab from a gruesome leg injury that ended his rookie season in Week 8.
That is good news for the Giants as the running back had 125 carries for 617 yards and seven touchdowns in limited action.
But wait . . . It gets better.
Skattebo has much bigger goals for his second season.
"I do not consider that successful for me," Skattebo said of his rookie season, via Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "I had 400 yards on 100 carries. When I play 17-plus games this year, it's going to be 300 carries for over 2,000 yards."
As Profootballtalk.com points out, nine running backs have had a 2,000-yard season, the most recent coming by Saquon Barkley in 2024.
Eric Dickerson owns the NFL record with his 2,105 rushing yards in 1984. Tiki Barber holds the Giants team record with 1,860 rushing yards in 2005.
Skattebo's lofty goals might be over the top, but even though he only appeared in eight games last season, Skattebo was RB10 when he was hurt, despite not being a starter until Week 4.
His RB20 Average Draft Position (ADP) makes him an appealing play. The lofty goals are icing on the cake.
The Bad: Feeling the Disrespect
Jaxon Smith-Njigba apparently has reason to feel slighted -- and he's speaking out about it.
Smith-Njigba, the NFL's reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year, posted a video to his Instagram account that shows his trophy was mislabeled.
The video, posted late Monday as an Instagram story, shows the Seattle Seahawks star holding the trophy, which says: "2025 Defensive Player Of TheYear."
This is INSANE: #Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba just received his Offensive Player of the Year trophy, but there’s one GIANT problem: the plaque actually says “Defensive Player of the Year.” 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 19, 2026
JSN’s response: “It’s getting disrespectful at this point.”
(🎥 @jaxon_smith1) pic.twitter.com/GNdNGIGLwW
"I really want to expose them," Smith-Njigba says in the video. "It's getting disrespectful, guys."
Although he didn't say it in the video, Smith-Njigba may have been referring to a similar gaffe at the February NFL Honors event, when his name was mispronounced multiple times by comedian Druski, who announced the award.
Smith-Njigba posted a second Instagram story that included a photo of himself with a caption that read: "Just keep the award at this point. Leave it in the history books tho."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Athletic later Monday that the league will send Smith-Njigba a new trophy.
"The league made the mistake," McCarthy told The Athletic. "We sincerely apologize to Jaxon for the error and are in the process of creating and shipping him a new trophy.
"Of course, like the teams he played against this year, we know how great an offensive player he is. We just had a problem spelling it."
Of course, it hasn't been all disrespect.
After helping lead the Seahawks to a victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, Smith-Njigba landed a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. The deal averages $42.15 million per year and includes over $120 million guaranteed, both setting records for a wide receiver.
Smith-Njigba, 24, set career highs in receptions (119), receiving yards (1,793), and touchdown receptions (10) en route to a WR2 overall finish in fantasy and being named a first-team All-Pro in 2025.
With that level of production, putting him on the wrong side of the ball was definitely a bad look.
The Ugly: Brown's Wedding Guest List Includes a Surprise
There was already speculation that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown don't get along.
But now, that speculation has seemingly been confirmed.
According to a report from TMZ, Hurts didn't attend Brown's wedding over the weekend -- and it's possible he may not have even been invited.
"Sources close to the situation tell TMZ that despite knowing each other for years and playing on the same team … we're told Jalen didn't make the lavish beachside ceremony. However, it's unclear if he was invited."
It was also reported that none of Brown's other teammates attended his wedding either.
Brown and Hurts were once considered best friends. They've known each other since high school, and Hurts worked feverishly to get Brown to join him at Alabama, but he ultimately chose Ole Miss.
But veteran defensive end Brandon Graham suggested in the latter stages of the '24 season that the relationship had frayed. Though both Hurts and Brown downplayed it, a team source said word began circulating within the organization around that time that things "weren't good" between the two.
Essentially Sports' Shreyashi Bhattacharjee suggested Hurts' absence could be a coincidence as neither Eagles' star has publicly acknowledged any rift.
But throughout last season, Brown voiced his frustration with the Eagles' offense.
Then, last month, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Tim McManus offered some insight into how Hurts and Brown's relationship fell apart. "Both also tend to internalize issues, which leads to a lack of communication," a source told Fowler and McManus. "'Clearing the air probably doesn't happen as often as it should,' the source said."
It's been widely reported that the Eagles will trade the two-time Pro Bowl receiver to the Patriots after June 1. Brown previously played under Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during their time with the Tennessee Titans.
Let's hope the deal comes to pass. If it isn't already ugly enough in Philadelphia, another season could be off the hook.
The Final Word
That's it for this week's Fantasy Notebook. I'll be back next week to run through this year's wide receiving talent from stem to stern.
Meanwhile, hit the site for all the usual Rankings, Projections, Articles, and other goodness available throughout the offseason.
And keep an eye on your notifications this week, as my YouTube show, On the Hotseat, is back on The Audible channel. Check last week's episode, featuring Sports Illustrated's Michael Fabiano.
Harris was the FSWA's first-ever Football Writer of the Year in 2004; he was inducted into that organization's Hall of Fame in 2013. During the season, catch Harris every weekday morning on the Footballguys Daily Update Podcast, your 10-minute daily dose of NFL news and fantasy analysis. You can also listen to Harris daily on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio's The Football Diehards show and Sundays on the SXM Fantasy Football Pregame show on Sirius channel 87, and Saturday nights on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Sirius channel 88.
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