Welcome to Week 6 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:
- Surprising Fantasy WRs
- Malik Nabers' Outlook
- Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade
- Drop-Hold-Start: The RB Edition
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: Imagine these five running backs as your fantasy team's depth chart this year.
If you can start 2-5 RBs and 2-5 WRs in your PPR fantasy lineup and these running backs are on your roster, who would you drop, hold, and start?
Sean Settle: My drop is Dobbins, and I know that puts me in the majority this week. The difference for me is less about his injury history, which everyone has covered, and more about what Denver's offense actually needs.
A backfield that cannot get its top two wide receivers untracked is not going to lean on a committee running back to carry the offense, and Dobbins has never been the Denver back coaches trust in clear passing situations. If the Broncos are going to live and die by Bo Nix's arm, as their receiver usage suggests they are, Dobbins is the piece of that offense I am least interested in owning.
My hold is Croskey-Merritt. Washington's backfield is thin enough that his role should hold up by default, but 5 catches through 5 games in a full points per reception format is a real ceiling problem, not a small one. I want to see him add to that receiving workload before I trust him as a weekly starter rather than a committee piece who scores often enough to matter.
That leaves Monangai, Love, and Hampton as my starts, and I would rank them in that order. Monangai has been the most efficient back of the group when healthy, and Chicago's offense under this coaching staff has shown it is comfortable funneling touches to a back who is producing, turf toe permitting.
Love and Hampton are both still shackled by offenses that have not found their footing, but both have flashed the kind of acceleration and contact balance that wins out once the surrounding pieces catch up. I would rather be early on that bet with two talented rookies and sophomores than chase a safer floor with less upside.
Andy Hicks: All of these running backs are upgrades over my current starters in a few leagues. If anyone drops them, I'm trampling over people to grab them off waivers. That said, four of these guys are averaging a catch a game, and in PPR you would be worried. If I had these and had to drop one, then the answer is J.K. Dobbins. The others are younger and still developing. Dobbins is also close to his annual injury timeline. Without being flippant, Dobbins is not going to blossom in his seventh season.
I would hold onto Jacory Croskey-Merritt. If any player is going to fall off the map on this list, it is him. Luckily, he faces far less competition for playing time with the Commanders than his peers do elsewhere. Croskey-Merritt is their best option, for better or for worse. His chances hinge on the offensive line building cohesion and Washington staying competitive
The other three running backs are immediate starters. While Love and Hampton are underachieving relative to preseason expectations, they both remain solid, starter-tier options in this format.
Ryan Weisse: Let me start by saying I am holding all five. My assumption is that I can start two of them, hold the other three on my bench, and still start five receivers. Maybe that is just wishful thinking, but it's what I am going with.
Sorry Matt. My reasoning is simple: I don't drop starting running backs, ever. The position is far too thin, and they are all one play away from their season ending. You need depth. Most weeks, I can plug-and-play a receiver on Sunday that has been on waivers all week, à la Keenan Allen. The waiver wire is my wide receiver bench. I hold all running backs.
For my starters, if he is healthy, it's Kyle Monangai at RB1. He is averaging over five yards per carry and has a nose for the end zone. Plus, the Bears have the most functional offense of these five teams.
Then it's a coin toss between Love and Hampton based on the matchup. I see them as equal and see Croskey-Merritt and Dobbins as a tier or two down.
Love and Hampton are both hugely talented; their offenses just cannot seem to get it going. That talent brings hope for better days ahead.