Welcome to Week 4 of the 2026 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Large League Super Subs
- For Real, Fool's Gold -- Rookie Edition
- Reserve RBs Worth Adding
- Backfields in Flux
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: Which backfield would you avoid if you had to choose a running back for your team? Then pick the two backs from these teams you want most if you had to choose.
- Miami Dolphins
- New Orleans Saints
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Jets
Andy Hicks: There is a strong, though not unanimous, consensus to avoid the Packers' backfield. However, the Dolphins are an even easier target for criticism, making them the choice here.
Green Bay offers some hope, especially if Josh Jacobs returns to breathe life into the offense and protect leads with a sustained run game. Miami is in worse shape. The Dolphins have lost De'Von Achane, leaving behind a committee that will likely rely on volume rather than raw talent to produce.
While Ollie Gordon II is more likely to start given his role as the primary backup, his career average of just 2.7 yards per carry is unsustainable in the NFL. Jaylen Wright has exceeded 10 rushing attempts only 3 times in his career so far, resulting in two strong performances and one poor one. It seems logical that Wright will eventually earn a longer-term opportunity, provided the Dolphins can actually run the ball effectively.
When it comes to a preference, Breece Hall and Travis Etienne Jr. are your best options. While both could miss the next one to three weeks, they are locked in as starters once healthy. Neither has played up to their full potential yet this year, but early-season struggles are common for running backs as offensive lines take time to gel.
Hall already has a 100-yard rushing game and is heavily used as a receiver. His class has been clear since he entered the NFL and should be in the prime of his career. Etienne, on the other hand, has had an up-and-down career and is still trying to prove himself on a new team. The Saints have used him often, but below his capabilities. Although he likely faces a longer spell on the sideline, when he returns, he should be behind only Hall in fantasy value.
Jason Wood: How can the answer not be Green Bay? Through three games, the Packers are averaging 3.0 yards per carry (32nd), have eight fumbles (32nd), and are one of only three teams without a rushing touchdown, joining Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
The ineptitude is well-earned, as Green Bay's offensive line is in shambles with no viable solutions in sight. On top of that, the coaching staff is deploying a three-back committee, and none of them have played well enough to warrant an expanded role. Finally, Josh Jacobs looms if and when he returns to the active roster once the league office resolves his legal and disciplinary situation.
As for the two running backs from this cohort, is this a trick question? How can the answer not be Breece Hall and Travis Etienne Jr.? Yes, both sustained injuries in Week 3, but even if each misses three or four games, they remain the premier fantasy assets of the group. Twelve games of Hall and Etienne easily outweigh 16-plus games from any other tailback on these rosters.
De'Von Achane tore his ACL but was building little momentum before the injury, leaving Miami to lean on a committee of Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II. The Saints must turn to an aging Alvin Kamara, who should pose no genuine threat to a healthy Etienne once he returns.
The Packers are stuck in a three-man rotation behind arguably the worst offensive line in football. While Braelon Allen is a capable fill-in for Hall, past usage leaves zero doubt that Hall reclaims feature-back duties once his thigh injury heals.
Phil Alexander: I'm avoiding Miami's backfield. If De'Von Achane couldn't salvage useful fantasy stats from that wreckage while handling 85 percent of the backfield touches, we have little reason to believe Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II can do it in a timeshare.
I'm picking Breece Hall from the Jets and Josh Jacobs from the Packers.
Before getting hurt, Hall was the RB11 in half-PPR scoring, which was more or less what we thought we were getting when we drafted him in the late second or early third round a month ago. Braelon Allen would have to be spectacular in his cameo as the Jets' starter to move off Hall after guaranteeing him $29 million this offseason.
When Jacobs returns, he'll have his work cut out for him given the current state of Green Bay's run blocking, but compared to the committee backs in Miami and New Orleans, I'll take my chances with the guy who finished as a top-eight running back in each of his first two seasons with the Packers.