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VideoFrom Fantasy Football with Ian Hartitz

2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Tiers: Saquon Barkley comeback szn?

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.

1 hr 7 min

Duration

Estimated from transcript

Jul 14, 2026

Published

Tue, July 14, 2026

62

Player insights

27

Players mentioned

Topics

Trayvon HendersonD'Andre SwiftKenneth Walker IIIDe'Von AchaneJames CookSaquon BarkleyBlake CorumChase BrownChristian McCaffreyJeremiyah LoveKyren WilliamsBreece HallDavid MontgomeryAlvin Kamara

Player analysis

Player insights

62

Alvin Kamara

PositiveProjection33:51

Alvin Kamara was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments in 2024.

Blake Corum

PositiveUsage0:26

Blake Corum has had issues in Sean McVay's doghouse and may not maintain his current 60-40 to 55-45 split with Kyren Williams if the Rams trust Williams more.

PositiveValue0:26

Blake Corum is priced as RB16, but if the Rams increase his workload and trust him more, this price tag will look very affordable.

PositiveBreakout0:34

Blake Corum would also rank highly among RB2s in terms of upside potential if you removed every RB1 from consideration.

Breece Hall

PositiveProjection0:23

Ranked as RB14 with an RB6 finish in 2023, but the analyst struggles with the ranking due to concerns about the Jets' 31st-ranked scoring offense.

NegativeMatchup0:23

The analyst worries about the Jets' overall offensive environment and the team's potential to be rebuilding throughout the year, which could limit Breece Hall's upside.

Carlos Hyde

PositiveProjection33:38

Carlos Hyde was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments.

Chase Brown

PositiveProjection0:13

Chase Brown is ranked RB10 and the analyst believes he should be in the top 12 running backs. He has averaged RB11 in PPR points per game over the past two seasons and should clear 300 touches with good health in an offense that could rank number one in scoring.

PositiveRole0:14

Chase Brown's fantasy production is dependent on the offensive environment and backfield competition. He benefited from Zach Moss's injury in 2024 and showed splits variations with Sam Perine, though the analyst doesn't view Perine as a major threat going forward.

PositiveProjection33:22

Chase Brown is favorably compared to Devon Achan, with the analyst noting they love both his talent and his offense more than Achan's situation.

Chris Rodriguez

NegativeInjury0:31

Chris Rodriguez is currently still recovering from an offseason foot injury, which is a concern for his 2025 availability.

Christian McCaffrey

PositiveProjection0:01

Ranked as a one-man tier two and projected as the fifth overall player for 2026; his receiving upside is historically unmatched, with last season's receiving alone scoring more PPR points than Saquon Barkley's entire season total.

PositiveProjection0:02

Coming off a 450-touch season, historical analysis of 30 instances of 350+ touch seasons from 2015-2024 shows average PPR points per game dropped from prior season but still averaged 16.6 (top-seven mark), suggesting relative decline doesn't necessarily mean a bad season.

PositiveProjection0:04

Author ranks CMC as the #5 overall player ahead of 2026, citing his receiving upside as 'unlike anything we've ever seen' and stating 'you do not need more than one hand to count the number of players you should be drafting ahead of CMC in fantasy draft.'

D'Andre Swift

PositiveValue0:30

DeAndre Swift is ranked RB19 and has never finished worse than RB24 since entering the NFL; he's an explosive pass-catching back in an ascending Bears offense with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams that is being disrespected in fantasy.

PositiveProjection0:30

RB19 projection for 2026. Swift is an explosive pass-catching running back in an ascending Bears offense with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams that the analyst loves.

PositiveValue0:31

Swift is perennially disrespected in fantasy and represents good value as a very good option if you load up on wide receivers early in the draft without falling too far behind at running back.

PositiveUsage0:31

Swift posted top-five success rate numbers at the position in 2024, showing major improvement from 2023 thanks to offensive line improvements, Ben Johnson, and Swift's own development.

PositiveProjection34:03

DeAndre Swift was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments in 2021.

David Johnson

PositiveProjection33:47

David Johnson was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments.

David Montgomery

NegativeBust0:37

Analyst has reversed earlier bullish stance; now views him as a 'dead zone' running back ranked high purely on volume without belief in offensive upside or special talent caliber.

PositiveMatchup0:38

Texans have favorable early-season schedule with four matchups in first seven weeks against worst run defenses from last season (Bills, Bengals, Colts, Cowboys, Titans, Jaguars, Giants through week 7); nobody has better early schedule.

De'Von Achane

PositiveProjection0:17

Fresh off a top-five season, all-time leader in yards per carry in the Super Bowl era, and second in PPR points per game from receiving since 2024.

NegativeRole0:17

The Dolphins offense was not good last year and is not expected to be good this year, which is the primary concern for his fantasy outlook despite his elite receiving skills.

NegativeRole0:18

Quarterback change from Tua (ranked 56th in scrambling out of 61 QBs) to Malik Willis (highest scrambler) could reduce Achane's receiving volume, as Willis may take off running instead of checking down.

PositiveValue32:24

As ADP continues to drop, Achan represents good value as a mid to late second round pick, particularly appealing for his receiving upside with 50-60+ pass-catching opportunities in a bad offensive environment.

Derrick Henry

PositiveProjection34:11

Derrick Henry was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments in 2022, and is the only qualifier to catch under 40 passes among this group since 2018.

James Cook

PositiveProjection0:07

Author ranks James Cook as RB6 for 2026, noting similarities to 2025 Saquon Barkley with big long touchdown runs but uncertainty around receiving upside due to Josh Allen at the goal line. However, author sees potential upside with Pete Carmichael now helping the Bills offense.

PositiveProjection0:07

Ranked as RB6 for 2026, with analyst noting similarities to Saquon's profile and highlighting potential receiving upside with Pete Carmichael's arrival to help the Bills offense.

PositiveBreakout0:08

Analyst believes if James Cook gets 50-60 receiving passes per season, he could crack into the position's top three running backs.

PositiveProjection33:22

James Cook is grouped with elite talent where the analyst loves both his talent and his offensive environment.

James Robinson

PositiveProjection33:55

James Robinson was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments in 2020.

Javonte Williams

PositiveValue36:49

Javante Williams is the lead back of a high-scoring Cowboys offense after they extended him, finished as RB12 in PPR points per game, and represents good value going in mid-to-late round three or even round four in some leagues.

Jeremiyah Love

PositiveProjection0:24

Ranked as RB15 with good running back talent, but concerns about the Cardinals' potential to be a bottom-five offense and the risk of garbage-time scoring if the team falls behind.

PositiveRole0:24

Jeremiah Love is a super gifted receiving running back who could surprise in the passing game, with evidence of explosive slot work and receiving ability at Notre Dame.

NegativeUsage0:25

Jeremiah Love may not receive the Christian McCaffrey-level 90%+ snap share needed to maximize his potential in the Cardinals' crowded backfield with Tyler Aier, James Connor, and Trey Benson.

Jonathan Taylor

PositiveProjection0:04

Author ranks Jonathan Taylor as RB4 overall for 2026, highlighting his elite production in the first 10 weeks of last season (27 PPR points per game with healthy Daniel Jones) and noting his newfound career-high in receiving points per game, which gives him a better floor.

Jordan Howard

PositiveProjection33:38

Jordan Howard was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments.

Josh Jacobs

PositiveProjection0:28

Josh Jacobs is ranked RB17 and is an incredibly talented rusher with 30 touchdowns in 32 regular season games with the Packers, likely to see 300+ touches if healthy.

Kenneth Walker III

PositiveProjection0:10

Ranked as RB8 for 2026, with analyst highlighting his Super Bowl MVP status and fit in Chiefs offense that needs a strong run game.

PositiveRole0:11

Analyst notes Kenneth Walker provides exactly what Chiefs need: second in tackles avoided per carry and addresses their dead-last explosive rush rate ranking since 2022.

PositiveUsage0:11

Analyst expects Chiefs may lean on Kenneth Walker's run game more early in season with Patrick Mahomes returning from ACL injury, and highlights his receiving ability when asked to catch passes.

PositiveUsage0:11

Kenneth Walker could see increased volume in the Chiefs run game, particularly early in the season with Patrick Mahomes returning from ACL injury. The analyst projects he could handle 8-10 carries per game and has shown capability as a receiver with 50+ pass-catching ability.

PositiveProjection0:11

Kenneth Walker is ranked RB8, positioned in the middle of the tier, with the analyst cautioning that his efficiency could decline if given a full workload of 8-10 carries per game versus his current 4 attempts per game.

Kyle Williams

PositiveValue0:27

Kylem Williams is going RB16 and represents a pocket of running backs with decent touch ceilings in good offenses that could help in zero-RB strategies.

Kyren Williams

PositiveUsage0:26

Kyren Williams saw his touches decline from 21.7-21.9 per game in 2023-2024 to 17.4 per game in 2025 due to Blake Corum eating into the workload, but his efficiency improved to year-two levels.

PositiveProjection0:26

Ranked as RB16 after an RB11 PPR finish in 2025 despite reduced touches, and is a very safe, solid pick due to the Rams' high-flying scoring offense and goal-line opportunities.

PositiveValue0:26

If the Rams increase Kyren Williams' workload over Blake Corum, his RB16 price tag could look very affordable given his efficiency and the Rams' scoring offense.

Leonard Fournette

PositiveProjection33:47

Leonard Fournette was one of 14 running backs since 2016 who managed to put up big-time fantasy numbers in bad offensive environments, doing so in both 2018 and 2019.

Saquon Barkley

PositiveProjection0:01

Used as a comparison point; Christian McCaffrey's receiving production alone last season exceeded Saquon Barkley's entire PPR point total for the season.

PositiveBreakout0:06

Author ranks Saquon Barkley as RB5 for 2026 and is 'buying redemption' on him, believing the Eagles offense will take a step forward under new play-caller Kevin Patullo and that Barkley can return to his elite 2024 form when he had 'one of the greatest running back seasons that we have ever seen.'

PositiveProjection0:07

Ranked as RB5 for 2026, with analyst excited about buying back in on Barkley due to improved Eagles offensive environment following Kevin Shurmur's departure.

PositiveProjection33:22

Saquon Barkley is grouped with elite talent where the analyst loves both his talent and his offensive environment.

Travis Etienne

NegativeProjection0:29

Travis Etienne is ranked RB18 but the analyst has concerns about dead zone vibes due to Alvin Kamara's presence, a weak Saints offense (23rd in implied scoring), and questions about his talent relative to the scheme.

Trayvon Henderson

PositiveProjection0:33

RB21 projection for 2026. Henderson has sky-high upside as a backup to Rondre Stevenson in an offense the analyst loves, with explosive pass-catching skills.

PositiveUsage0:33

In 14 healthy games together with Rondre Stevenson in 2024, Henderson had 158 touches compared to Stevenson's 162, showing a much closer workload split than remembered.

PositiveProjection0:33

Henderson posted RB7 numbers (17.6 PPR points per game) from weeks 10-18 in 2024, showing his ceiling in the Patriots offense.

PositiveBreakout0:33

The analyst wonders if the market was a year too early on Henderson; with an improved Patriots offense featuring AJ Brown and Romeo Dobbs, an 80% Jalen Gibbs-like role could produce significant fantasy points.

PositiveValue0:34

Henderson represents significant upside if you went heavy on wide receivers early and don't have two running backs yet, though the analyst acknowledges it's early to buy an injury-contingent back.

PositiveBreakout0:34

If you remove every RB1 in the league and rank RB2s, Henderson might be RB1 in terms of upside, showing sky-high ceiling potential.

PositiveProjection0:34

RB21's high ranking; analyst notes you could move him down a few spots without being unreasonable.

Woody Marks

PositiveRole0:38

Not viewed as huge threat in Texans backfield; could see increased receiver usage if team taps into him more as a pass-catcher.

Full transcript

Episode Transcript

656

0:00Today I'm breaking down my preseason 2026 running back tiers RB1 to RB61 going through nine separate tiers and talking about all the values sleepers

0:09and everything else to get you a scholar ready for your fantasy football draft.

0:13So going to kick things off obviously at the top tier one guys the first two picks in all likelihood of your fantasy

0:19football draft. So we got Jir Gibbs as my RB1, Bjun Robinson as my RB2. So I'm not going to pretend like Gibbs needs to

0:27be your 101. I'm not going to call you crazy if you want to take Bejon. As we saw last year down the stretch in the

0:32fantasy playoffs, Bejon was able to outperform Jir Gibbs. Even though even at that point in the season, we certainly would have higher expectations

0:39for the Lions scoring offense. But it is that latter tiebreaker that has me going Gibbs over Bejon this year because look,

0:45two incredible running backs. They're both in the middle of their prime. And without David Montgomery in Detroit anymore, we no longer have to even worry

0:52about Bejon having, you know, a different stratosphere of potential volume than Gibbs as the running back y'all in Detroit now. So, it really

0:59again is just that scoring upside for me. We can actually look at what Vegas thinks about every single offense in the

1:04NFL by taking their game byame game totals from all the overunders and basically adding those up throughout the season. And as it stands right now, the

1:13Detroit Lions, Vegas's number one preseason implied scoring offense.

1:17Meanwhile, the Falcons tied for 24th with the Steelers. So again, it's not you, Bejon. It's just your two Tigle Vlogs led offense. Give me Gibbs over

1:25Bjon. But again, Bejian still my RB2.

1:28Can't go too wrong there. Tier two, everyone, the NFL's best fantasy football running back of all time. One man tier and it really is just Christian

1:37McAffrey who last season guys helped I don't want to say break fantasy football. There are a lot of really good players, but hey, CMC number one in

1:43career PPR points game at the position and fresh off another awesome year where the receiving was really just got him over that finish line. Consider this,

1:51okay, last year pure just receiving. If Christian McCaffrey did not have a single rush attempt, he still would have scored more PPR points than Saquon

1:59Barkley had as a whole on the season.

2:01So, that really is the cheat code when we are trying to go through full PPR ranks and scoring. Guys like CMC just

2:07have such a problem with any coming anywhere close to being a bust in fantasy land because again getting a full freaking point per reception. I

2:15don't even think it backs up kind of what we're going for in fantasy football which is replicating real life success in the scoring. But you know what? It's

2:21a game we play. So we got to embrace it.

2:24I love CMC. You love CMC. The question is should we still love CMC coming off a season where he had I believe 450

2:30freaking touches out there. I ran some numbers guys. I looked at actually about 30 instances from 2015 to 24 of a

2:37running back having at least 350 plus touches in the regular season and postseason. So, we're always going to be throwing around a relatively arbitrary

2:44number here. I use 350 because again, that gave me 30 instances over the course of the last 10 years. I feel like

2:50that's kind of what we're looking for, right? Outlier sort of seasons, top three, three running backs per year, highest touches, and going from there.

2:56So the results from this average games played the following season after one of these big workloads 13.3 medium was 16.

3:03So we didn't actually see a ton of running backs just instantly get super injured. Yes, you got the 2016 David Johnson breaking his wrist unfortunately

3:11in week one and everything. But generally guys, 12 of the last 13 qualifiers played at least 13 games in the next season. The really big drop off

3:19I saw was actually more so in the yards per carry department, which again because of CMC's receiving upside arguably is kind of the less

3:26consequential, least consequential factor I should say. So average yards per carry went from 4.7 to 4.1 overall.

3:33The PPR points per game went down in general. And that's one of these things I always see people shout out. It's

3:37like, well, all these running backs coming off the big season, almost all of them average fewer PPR points, which it's true, but the overall average was

3:45still 16.6, which would be like a top seven mark. Okay. So, when you're getting this many touches, you're usually having a semihistorical season

3:52in the first place. It's not all that surprising that we're seeing a relative drop off in fantasy points. Just realize that that the relative drop off doesn't

3:59necessarily mean that we're looking at a bad season or anything. So, all that to say, guys, I do believe these large

4:04touch, large workload seasons, more of a case by case basis. I've seen some of the studies, you know, actually use Zeke

4:09as a suspension using Levian Bell's holdout year. Like, you can kind of make the numbers uh tell whatever story your bias agenda is trying to do. And hey,

4:17maybe that's what I'm doing right now by saying that I'm not afraid of CMC in the year 2026. But again, more than anything

4:22for me comes down to that receiving upside. It's just unlike anything we've ever seen. You do not need more than one

4:28hand to count the number of players you should be drafting ahead of CMC in fantasy draft. So I will go Gibbs and

4:33Bejon in running back land. Probably taking Jamar Chase and Puka Nakua as well. But for me, CMC number five overall player ahead of 2026.

4:42Let's get into tier three. A little bit of a longer one, but I call this tier.

4:46Choose your baller RB1 fighter because these guys are all awesome, but also as we're seeing in early drafts, they really are going one after another. So,

4:52it's important that we try to figure out who are the halves and who could be the have nots in this again loaded tier. So,

4:58our four overall in the top of the tier is going to be Jonathan Taylor for me.

5:01Look, first freaking 10 weeks of last season, healthy Daniel Jones. This dude was looking like an absolute world beater. 27 PPR points per game. However,

5:10Daniel Jones got hurt. We had a literal grandpa come under center. Just 12.6 6 PPR points per game. That's RB23 status

5:17in weeks 12 through 18 for Jonathan Taylor. So again, kind of saw the two faces of the Jonathan Taylor experience.

5:23There's been some other good stats out there about how much less effective he is when his team is not able to play

5:27with the leading game script. But at the same time, guys, JT isn't all that dissimilar from Christian McCaffrey when it comes to just like if they're

5:34healthy, they're going to ball out and put up league breaking numbers. And we basically only saw that from JT last year, which again, incredible season

5:41overall, even with the second half drop off. And then back in 2021 when he led the league in rushing, 20 freaking

5:47touchdowns, the only two full seasons this dude's been able to stay healthy.

5:50My RB4, especially because guys, we did see him actually average a newfound careerhigh in receiving points per game.

5:57The Colts have been willing, more so been more so willing in recent years, I should say, to actually leave JT out

6:01there on the field for nearly every single snap. To me, that again, receiving presence gives them a little bit of a better floor than maybe we saw

6:08in some of these past years. RB5 for me, Mr. Saquon Barkley, guys. Because here's the thing, all right, 2024, a lot of

6:16fantasy nerds and idiot losers like myself were crying. Oh my gosh, Jaylen Herz at the goal line and oh, they're not going to be throwing the ball to

6:23Saquon Barkley. Why would we be taking this guy so high? And he proceeds to have one of the greatest running back

6:29seasons that we have ever seen. Mr. 2K, everything great he did on the way the Eagles win that Super Bowl. And then

6:352025, all those kind of concerns that we were crying about in 2024 sort of came to fruition. Okay, Saquon was so reliant

6:41on a long touchdown runs in 2024. We didn't get as many last year. Saquin a little bit banged up and as was the

6:47offensive line. So, I'm not saying he magically became more of an average running back, but hey, didn't get a ton of work at the goal line as we expected

6:53with Jayon Herz and just with the offense not exactly humming the same way. It wasn't a great year to be in the

6:58Saquon Barkley business. But you know what? I'm buying redemption being spelled Squan here in 2026, guys. I do think again maybe we're just looking a

7:07little bit too closely at factors that yes matter, but at the end of the day, this time last year, I think Saquon was

7:12most people's pick for the best freaking running back on the planet, and now we can get him in the early parts of round

7:17two. Something my uh annoying dachshunds are very, very excited about in the background. So again, Saquon Barkley guys, for me, it's not just an

7:25investment in him. It's an investment in an Eagles scheme and an overall offense, just taking a step forward, okay? And I

7:32know whenever we have any of these, you know, new play callers who haven't actually called plays in July, we're always speaking glowingly about them.

7:38But again, the Kevin Patulo experience last year, Birds fans know, really, really nowhere to go but up for this Eagles offense. So, I'm excited about

7:45buying back in on Saquon Barkley. He is my RB5 ahead of 2026. One spot ahead of Bill's RB, James Cook, where honestly I

7:53see some similarities from 2024 or 2025 Saquon to maybe 2025, 2026 James Cook. A lot of big long touchdown runs. We do

8:02still have Josh Allen at the goal line and we just don't know about that receiving upside in this offense. That said, Pete Carmichael now in town

8:09helping out Joe Brady and this Bills offense. Obviously, Carmichael did so many great things with the Shawn Payeyton Saints offenses over the years.

8:15So, maybe, just maybe, we actually see James Cook get back into more of that 2023 receiving workload with all the goodness he's been supplying on the

8:22ground as well over the course of these past two sort of breakout seasons for James Cook. So, for me, tough to lower

8:28him too much in the ranks. this Bill's offense also just over the course of the past, you know, six years, ever since

8:34Josh Allen became Josh Allen really in 2020, they've been the league's just again masterclass in terms of consistently being this top five scoring

8:41offense. So very, very tough to poke too many big holes in James Cook profile.

8:45And again, god forbid he starts getting the opportunity to catch 50, 60 passes in the season, I would not be surprised

8:51if he actually cracks his way into the position's top three. RB7 on this list is going to be Mr. Ashen Genty. So, it

8:59wasn't the best rookie season. I know some people are going to throw out the overall total numbers because Genty didn't miss any time last year. I think

9:05he ended up finishing as like the RB1 in total points per game, but anyone that was actually playing this dude knows

9:10just how rough it was. We got the Bears explosion early on this season. And then it was like two straight months of

9:16pretty much dirt average performance to the point that we were ranking this dude as an RB3 before he predictably uh goes

9:22for like over 200 yards, has two long touchdowns against one of the best defenses in the league and the Houston Texans right when we were actually able

9:28to uh you know feel decent about benching this guy. So pretty much how fantasy football works in a nutshell right there. But again, amidst all that

9:36horrific offensive environment, offensive line coached by Pete Curles kid that was not going well. We all know that didn't go well. also had Chip Kelly

9:43get fired before the end of November, Gino Smith leading the league in interceptions and sacks. Like this was rather easily the worst offensive

9:50environment in the league last year. But if we just sort of look at the plays where Genty got a little bit of help,

9:56which you would like to think could be on the table a little bit more, Clint Kubak, Tyler Lindbomb helping out with

10:01some of those things. When Ashen Genty got one yard before contact last season, he was the RB one in tackles avoided per

10:10touch and he was the RB3 in yards after contact per carry. Like he looked the part of the freak that he was coming out

10:17of Boise State, the alleged generational prospect. He did look like that when we just give him the benefit of the doubt

10:23of having a little bit of rushing room.

10:25Now, not expecting the 2026 Raiders to be lighting up scoreboards every week.

10:29It's likely we get Kurt Cousins earlier in the season. Who knows if Fernando Mendoza is going to be ready to be, you

10:33know, a big-time baller like he was drafted to be in the year 2026, but Genty big- time receiving upside. This dude catch 50 60 passes. We're not

10:42expecting him to leave the field and he's got the big play ability. I cannot go any lower than RB7. I do have some

10:47notes about how running backs perform on really bad scoring offenses here shortly when we get to Devon AM, but he will not

10:53be my RB7 in this list. More on that shortly. So, RBA for me, Kenneth Walker, reigning Super Bowl MVP. shout out the

11:00K9 for having one hell of a playoff stretch and now he's in a Chiefs offense that needs him to be that dude. All

11:06right, looking at the course of these past, you know, four seasons, 2022, 2025, the Chiefs have been trying to get a run game going, but really ever since

11:14they had prime young Kareem Hunt, they just haven't been able to do so. Shout out to Damen Williams and some of the

11:19other dudes who briefly did some good things. But since 2022, guys, Chiefs running backs as a whole dead last in terms of explosive rush rate and also

11:27tackles avoided per carry during the same time span. Cass Walker second in tack was avoided per carry 11th in explosive rush rates. So really does

11:34give this offense everything they've been wanting for in the position.

11:37Patrick Mahomes coming back from the ACL. I think it would make sense if they want to lean on that run game a little

11:42bit more particularly in the early portions of the season. Now the argument against would be Kenneth Walker has had some injuries and maybe just maybe when

11:48you try to give him that full role he's not going to be as effective which you know it could be a 50% three-point

11:54shooter on four attempts per game. Maybe not the same guy with eight or 10 attempts per game, but man, even if this recent addition of the

12:02Chiefs offense has been more above average as opposed to the World Beaters that we saw recently, I just think the volume, the overall talent, and

12:09honestly, the ability to catch 50 plus passes for Kenneth Walker, something that I know hasn't been regularly thrown at him, but when he's been asked to be a

12:16receiver, he's been pretty good at it.

12:18I'm trying not to overthink this one too much. RB8 for me, right smack dab in the middle of this tier. RB9 American

12:24Hampton. Someone who's been a little bit controversial. Everyone loves in July to be like, "Oh, the worst pick in every round. Like, we have such a great track

12:31record of trying to predict this crazy sport, you know, months and months in advance, but it's our job. We're trying.

12:36I get it." Anyway, I've just seen a lot of kind of hate, I guess, for Hampton because of the idea where it's like,

12:41yeah, maybe Katon Mitchell, who Mike McDaniel put wanted posters up in their GM's office for, and maybe Kamani Vidali actually turns into more of a

12:48three-headed thing. But, I don't know, guys. He just they used the first round pick on hand and he was clearly the lead

12:54running back before he had the unfortunate fractured ankle and he looked really freaking good before that injury as well. 4.8 yards per carry

13:01before that fractured ankle just four after his yards after contact and tackles avoided numbers were absolutely elite before the injury again fell off

13:09down the stretch. Also in part because of Joe Alton the offensive line getting injured. I just feel like all the excuses, the warranted excuses that we

13:17have for Justin Herbert and Lab Makoni, we kind of only use them for those guys and then Quinton Johnson or Marin

13:22Hampton get left out to dry a little bit in these online debates that maybe I'm paying too close of attention to. But

13:28regardless, Amaran Hampton for me is someone that I don't want to be underweight on throughout this year. In fact, I would like to probably start

13:34drafting him more because again, if you guys have been listening to me at all this offseason, thank you first of all.

13:38But my biggest just overall bet I'm making is this Chargers offense being awesome. I believe in Mike McDaniel, Justin Herbert, a healthy group of on

13:46this offensive line. And hey, some of the issues people have with the passing game is the thought process that Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh might want to

13:52run the ball more. If you're in that pool, he should definitely be drafting a lot of Omar and Hampton. RB10 for me,

13:58Chase Brown. Earlier in the season, I had him ranked as overall RB4. I've lowered him because I'm soft, but man, maybe I should get him back up there

14:07again. Either way, top 12 running back for me. He's been the RB 11 in PPR points per game during the course of

14:12these past two seasons. Should clear 300 touches with good health inside an offense that I wouldn't surprise any of us if it ranks number one in scoring by

14:19the end of the year. The only real problem with Chase Brown is like every running back we talked about so far, I

14:24think we would all agree is better at real life football. And accordingly, we have seen some cracks in the profile with rather mediocre veterans over these

14:33past two seasons. Obviously, in 2024, it took the Zach Moss injury for Chase Brown to kind of boom in the first

14:38place. And last year, there were some not so great splits with and without Sam Perine as well. So, I don't actually

14:43think 31-year-old Sam is going to be this big threat to Chase Brown this next season. And I do think those splits were

14:49also probably more so impacted by the Jake Browning disaster class we had early on last season before Joe Flacco and then Burrow kind of got the offense

14:57grooving again. But really is one of those things where we all kind of agree running back is the most dependent position on the rest of the offensive

15:04environment and pieces around there. So if we love all that and we're okay with the volume, why shouldn't we be in on

15:09Chase Brown? My RB10. I do get a little scared drafting him literally at the round one two turn over, you know, the

15:15Nico Collins and the Drake Londons and the Brock Bowers of the world. But in terms of running back standing, really tough to again get him down too much

15:22lower than RB10 to RB12 range. RB11 for me though, Mr. Derek Henry, the great one. Four touchdown master class in week

15:3017. Probably helped a lot of you guys win those fantasy championships last year. And it was just another great season in what's honestly been a career

15:36full of them. If King Henry can somehow guys piece together, it's asking a lot for a dude that's, you know, well north

15:42of 30 at this point. Oh yeah, just keep doing this for another four or five years. But if he does, that Emma Smith

15:47alltime rushing record really does become clear and actually possible.

15:51something that again after Adrien Peterson retired, I just didn't even know if we were going to be ever uh having that be a possibility here. But

15:57anyway, Dererick Henry, I was watching him throughout last year and one of the first things I wanted to check in this

16:02off seasonason was like, well, his numbers dropped off a decent bit from 2024, right? And the answer is yes, they did. And he was still like top 10 and

16:10everything. So like 5.9 yards per carry to 5.2. Some of the other stuff again, just tackles avoided, explosive run rate, all that. They dropped off

16:18relatively to him, but they were also still relative the rest of the league really, really freaking good. So, the issue is again the age because over the

16:25course of the past decade, we've only seen four seasons of a running back at the age of 30 score even 15 PPR points

16:32per game. Derrick Henry's responsible for two of them. 2019, Mark Ingram got another. And then that 2023 Raheem Moser fever dream was the fourth one there.

16:40So, Kyle Lamar Jackson stat there with the gravity he brings in the Reed option game. King Henry again, someone where, no, I'm probably not trying to leave

16:48every single draft because I am trying to give the, you know, agecliffe gods at least some benefit of the doubt here

16:54with all the history we have. But there's some survivorship bias in that as well, guys. Like I think when I looked earlier this offseason, there

17:00were only four running backs across the entire league. Like, not even starters, just across the entire league that were going to be 29 years old this year. So

17:08when we do see some of these numbers like ah only so many running backs age 30 manage to do this. Not many running

17:13backs are able to still be in the league at age 30 anyway. So there's a decent chance the ones that are able to buck

17:18that trend in the first place probably pretty good at ball in their own right.

17:21So Dererick Henry for me my RB1 head 2026.

17:25Last running back in this tier. I told you guys it's a long one. All right.

17:28This is basically you know the longest tier I have until we get into some of the RB4 handcuffs. But it is going to be

17:33Miami Dolphins RB Devon Ain. Fresh off a top five season. the all-time leader in yards per carry in the Super Bowl era if

17:40you can finangle with that threshold enough. But look, second in PPR points per game from receiving out the position since 2024. You love Achan, I love

17:48Achan. We hate the freaking offense, guys. And that really is all this bet is on. Explosive passcatching skill set.

17:55Hey, maybe he just keeps on keeping on.

17:56And the big kind of I guess pro argument is, hey, this Dolphins offense wasn't any good last year. We don't expect him

18:03to be good this year. like why the difference of opinion with Ham. It just comes down to the receiving upside.

18:09Okay, Malik Willis over the course of these past two seasons has been the highest scrambler in terms of just how many times he's taken off per drop back.

18:16Tua, I think in a sample of 61 quarterbacks, ranked 56. So, that's more so the issue. Being bad with Tua still

18:22means, you know, he's checking the ball down the Achan all the time. Also had a bunch of design looks from Mike

18:27McDaniel. Not exactly a guarantee we're going to get the same thing from Bobby Sloick this year. A bad offense in Malik

18:32Willis could mean him again just taking off and running and not throwing the ball to a chance enough and then we're

18:37not getting as many scoring opportunities as well. Again, it's just not quite as simple as saying they were bad last year, they're bad this year.

18:43What's the difference? So anyway though, I promised you before I did do a study on actually looking at running backs and

18:48bad scoring offenses specifically last 10 years. All right, there's only been 14 total running backs post top 12 fantasy numbers on a per game basis

18:58while operating in a bottom 10 scoring offense. So basically 11.7% of the top scoring RB1s over the course of the past decade came from really bad

19:08offensive environments. And overall looking at the different positions only quarterback was actually kind of more correlated or I should say less

19:15correlated kind of with this uh you know factor going on. So in general quarterbacks and running backs far more dependent to have high-end fantasy

19:22success on being in really good real life offenses as well which I do think makes sense. All right. you know, when

19:27you're getting down in the game and stuff, you're obviously throwing the ball. Wide receivers and tight ends still have possibilities of, you know,

19:33making up for lack of touchdowns with just that sweet sweet volume. Many of it in the, you know, comeback mode s sort

19:39of manner. Shout out Michael Wilson, 2024, Brian Thomas, guys of that nature.

19:44That said, and this is why I'm not completely out on a honestly guys, as the ADP continues to go down. Love

19:49saying it. Don't hate the player, hate the ADP. Devon Achan as a later mid mid to late second round pick. I can get

19:57behind that. It's just more so when we're kind of talking about him next to guys like a Chase Brown, like a James

20:02Cook, like a Saquon Barkley, where we love the talent, too, but we also like their offenses a lot more. So anyway,

20:08guys, looking at the 14 running backs who did actually manage to put up big-time numbers in bad offenses, here's the list. All right, 2016, Jordan Howard

20:18and Carlos Hyde. 2018, David Johnson and Leonard Fornette. Lenny did it again in 2019. 2020, James Robinson. What a time to be alive. 2021, DeAndre Swift. 2022,

20:27Dererick Henry, Leonard Fornette again.

20:292023, Saquon Barkley and Bree Hall.

20:312024, Alvin Chimera. And then 2025, Devon Achan. There he is in and Bejian Robinson. I don't know about you, but when I first kind of put this list

20:39together, my first instinct was like, "Oh, that's a lot of guys that seem to be catching passes, at least in recent

20:44history." And sure enough, guys, like other than Derrick Henry on that 2022 Titan squad, we have seen a ton of these

20:51dudes catch a lot of passes and that's been the way for them to kind of break out of these bad offensive situations.

20:56So again, group of backs as a whole, 50 to reception average, median 50 during these productive seasons since 2018.

21:04Derrick Henry is the only qualifier to catch under 40 passes here. So I honestly after I did the study warmed up

21:10a little bit to Devon Achan and Ashen Genty because that's the allure for them. It's not their scoring upside necessarily. We know they can break the

21:16big runs though, which is nice. It is the opportunity for them to catch 50, 60, 70 passes. And in Gent's case, man,

21:22catching balls from, you know, 38-y old Kirk Cousins and then even Fernando Mendoza with a wide receiver room that nobody cares about. Really high upside

21:29for Genty and Achan too, someone I don't want to completely write off. So, it's just again if we weren't if he wasn't

21:35next to Henry on the Ravens, Brown on the Bengals, Hampton on the Chargers, just offenses that I could see all being

21:40ranked in the top five at the end of the year, maybe I could warm up even more in Hin. For right now, for me, RB12 back

21:47half the second round pick. Great value at that point.

21:51Let's move on now to tier four. These are sometimes boring veterans, but you know, kind of pay the bills in fantasy

21:56land. And then also Jeremiah Love. So, always fun when we can get again a full clean uh tier here of just completely

22:02like-minded guys, but a little bit tough to do that on occasion. So, RB13 for me, Javvante Williams, he's the lead back of

22:09an offense that we freaking love. He's going to be featured almost every single down after the Cowboys doubled down and extended him. And he just finished as

22:17the RB12 and PPR points per game. So, real nice value with him going a lot of times more so mid later parts of round

22:23three. I could see even more of a round four ADP in certain home leagues. So Javvante Williams just feels like, you

22:29know, someone that we kind of wrote off as a fantasy community after he couldn't get things going in Denver. But new

22:34year, new Javvante still the same. Just again lackluster death chart, really isn't too much of a difference for me between Chase Brown and Javvante

22:42Williams. Yeah, Chase Brown a little bit more receiving upside. But Cowboys when you do look at what they have in terms

22:49of the high scoring potential and being a little bit more willing to run the ball than I think Cincy again nice

22:54discount on Devonte Williams I've been happy to buy really throughout this off seasonason. RB14 Bree Hall for me has an RB6 finished to his name back in 2023.

23:03You know my guy Theo over at Rotoire is a big uh big uh Bree Hall fan in round three. I just struggle a little bit

23:10again. Leagu's reigning 31st ranked scoring offense. just went through the study, talked about how Genty and HN should be able to overcome this if they

23:17have the receiving workload, and that is something we like with Bree Hall. So, again, he's my RB 14. I'm not completely

23:22down on the guy. It's just it's just been a tough click for me admittedly.

23:25But, you know what, guys? I don't make the right click every single round every single year. Maybe this is the year I

23:30get it all figured out and win every single league, but just for me, haven't been going out of my way for Bree Hall.

23:35Could certainly be wrong on it. Just a little worried about again this overall offensive environment. So, I will say with Achan and Willis, like this seems

23:42like a team they're going to try to be figure it out throughout the year. And then with Genty, you'd like to think

23:47they could have a kind of Saintsesque season where like, you know, Tyler Shuck in this case, Fernando Mendoza, they come in for the second half, you start

23:54building some momentum for next year.

23:56Like, you're still trying to do good things at the end of the year. I just worry with the Jets and then our next

24:00running back, the Cardinals, RB15, Jeremiah Love. I like the running back talents. I really do. With Gino and Jacobe, you can talk yourself into them

24:08being more of an average below average offense as opposed to just complete bottom five dog water. I just worry when it's week 12, these teams are two and 10

24:17and then all of a sudden we have Carson Beck and Cade Clubnik under center and then what are we going to do? It's going

24:22to be a freaking 13 and a half team total going into the weekend. Just expecting praying I should say uh for

24:29some garbage time points here. So that's been my concerns with Bree Hallm and Jeremiah Love. two very good running backs, especially love guys. I think

24:36this dude receiving wise could really surprise. I mean, I know at Notre Dame he didn't get 50 60 catches out there,

24:43but Raleigh Leonard, CJ Carr, two guys that move around a lot, especially Leonard running the football, but Carr has kind of got that impro

24:48improvisational tool in his skill set as well. And just they didn't need to throw these guys a lot, but when they did,

24:53particularly Jeremiah Love again, Texas&M game, Miami game earlier in the year, like they actually lined him up in the slot. He was looking explosive in

25:00and out of some of those cuts. had the one-handed snag against the Aggies as well. Like super super gifted receiving running back, but man,

25:08the way Bree Hall and Jeremiah Love just crush it and they make me look stupid for ranking them RB 14 and 15. I think

25:15they just need to be out there in a Christian McCaffrey legit 90% plus snap roll and then they just go ahead and

25:19make it happen. Is that going to be the case? I don't really think so. I'm not going to freak out because Brilon Allen

25:26weighs 250 lbs. Maybe we'll get another.

25:28You guys remember the swing pass? just practice and like it drove his ADP up because no one covered Brilen Allen and

25:34we watched him run 40 yards in practice.

25:36That was the thing that happened last year. I do think though it could be 70 20110 in favor of Bree. Maybe not enough

25:44in that offense. And then Jeremiah Love man with Tyler Aier, James Connor, Trey Benson. I wouldn't be surprised if Connor is playing football somewhere

25:51else by week one. But again, there's enough potential problems there on a team that could also want to not exactly hand their rookie running back 400

25:58touches from day one. enough concerns for me to not be going too overboard with these guys. RB16, Kron Williams fresh off an RB11 season in PPR points

26:07per game. And that was despite Blake Cororm really starting to eat into this workload, guys. So, in 2025, just 17.4 touches per game for Kairen. He had 21.7

26:16in 2023 and 21.9 in 2024. So, he was previously just getting a massive workhorse role that was really on par with guys like Christian McCaffrey at

26:25the top of the league. didn't get it last year, but accordingly we saw his efficiency improve really to kind of like year two levels back when it was

26:32really good. And also, you know, you don't need 25 touches per game when you're in the Rams high-flying scoring offense that's going to give you all

26:38sorts of goal line opportunities uh no matter how many times you keep fumbling the ball. So, Kairen Williams very very safe, solid pick at the RB16 mark. And

26:47hey, Blake Cororm, someone who's also had a few problems here in and out of Shawn McVey uh you know, doghouse. Who's

26:53to say this 6040 554 455 split persists.

26:56If we do see the Rams go ahead and just put more back on the plate of Kirron because they trust him more than anyone.

27:01All of a sudden this RB16 price tag will look very very affordable. So big thing for me here though and this is the

27:08reason why I push back a little bit with the kind of idea this summer of like oh everyone needs to be drafting RBs early.

27:13Make sure you leave your first you know two rounds both with RBs. If you can find a way to get these wide receiver

27:18ones who the other argument for that would be the wide receiver ones are more valuable than ever because of kind of

27:23the darth or the death I think it's dur of the wide receiver twos and wide receiver threes and fantasy. So if I'm

27:30able to you know be picking let's say I'm blessed and I get the 101 or 102 I get a Gibbs or a Bejon rounds two and

27:39three come around maybe Brock Bowers falls to me. Probably not. You can imagine maybe I get like Nico Collins and Drake London or something. Round

27:46four, round five. If we do in home leagues get a chance to get your Kyum Williams, your Josh Jacobs going that

27:52late, like there is a pocket of dudes in that kind of hero zero RB subset that I do think really could help you out. So

27:59more applicable example would probably be actually if we're picking more so around 1112. That's when we actually wind up getting, you know, two wide

28:05receivers in our first two picks and then Kairen becomes our hero RB in round three. A little bit more likely scenario

28:10there. But either way, again, the fact that Kylum Williams is going RB16, I don't feel like it's super controversial. I do think there's just

28:18again a kind of bigger bigger pot of these running backs where we actually have decent touch ceilings and good offenses. So, also applies to Josh

28:25Jacobs, my RB 17. If we had zero issues with the off the- field stuff, I would move Josh Jacobs to the front of this

28:32tier as an ode to this Packers offense.

28:34Josh Jacobs talent himself. I know some people boked at that a little bit. Said he looked washed last year at the very

28:40very end of the season when his injury, you know, breakdown was looking like a laundry list at that point. Okay, fine.

28:45But man, you look watch him in that Broncos game and just even beforehand, incredibly talented rusher of the football behind an offensive line that

28:52no one's exactly, you know, writing songs about in the first place as well.

28:55So, I trust Josh Jacobs. 30 touchdowns in 32 regular season games since taking his talents to Lambo in the first place.

29:02I trust the Matt Laflur and Jordan Love partnership. really really tough to be too concerned about a guy. Again, easily looking at 300 plus touches with the

29:10benefit of help from the injury gods and also his legal issues. So, that was my tier four. Tier five guys, there's

29:17upside. I get it. We're still talking about, you know, top 24 running backs here, but I do have some questions.

29:22Okay, so RB18 is going to be Travis ETN.

29:2548 million reasons to get fed the football down there by the Bayou. Travis Aan, one of you guys told me you

29:31wouldn't watch my videos if I don't say Achan. So hopefully hopefully he didn't leave. Travis Aan, ETN, whatever you want to call the guy. I just get some

29:38dead zone vibes here. And this is why ETN I have him ranked a little bit lower than what we're seeing, you know, in the

29:42ADP streets because Alvin Chimera, he's not leaving. He wants to play football.

29:46If Alvin Chimera is completely out of the picture, I would move ETN up. I put him right there next to kind of Bree

29:52Hall and Jeremiah Love. I think with the whole offense to himself, that's the same sort of profile. All right. And maybe the Saints do take a step forward.

29:59Again though, we have the optimism, the rosecolored glasses for everyone in July. Everyone's had a great draft. They made awesome offseason improvements. The

30:06play caller is going to be great. That's just life. And I get it. Be optimistic about your favorite team. It's all good.

30:11Vegas says the Saints, I believe, 23rd in terms of their implied scoring rank ahead of next year. It's not great. You

30:17know what I'm saying? So ETN, if we have Chimera taking some of the pass down work, which already Kellmore hasn't made

30:22a huge habit of doing with his RBs over the years, we have someone who I don't exactly consider a special talent by any

30:28stretch the imagination. Good season last year. I just give a little bit more credit to I think Liam Cohen and that

30:32scheme that was going on. And then yeah, just an offense that we're not overly thrilled about. Travis ETN, RB18 for me.

30:39RB19, DeAndre Swift has never finished worse than RB 24 since entering the NFL.

30:45and yeah, you know, hasn't exactly posted the top five numbers either, but the end of the day, guys, like I think

30:50we're probably overthinking this for again the fifth or sixth straight year.

30:54Explosive passcatching friendly running back now in an ascending Bears, Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams offense that we love. So, I know the way Caleb just runs

31:02around back there, he's not checking the ball now as much as some other quarterbacks. But DeAndre Swift, man, someone who again perennially is a bit

31:09too disrespected in the fantasy streets.

31:11Even the one thing that I think was a reasonable critique of his game over the years and that's success rate. You know,

31:16one of these running backs where he has six straight carries that get one or two yards. Seventh one, he pops off for 25.

31:21And that matters and he wasn't very good at it in 2024. Last year though, what do you want to credit the offensive line

31:27improvements? Ben Johnson and DeAndre Swift himself, guys, really did step things up in a major way there and posted, I believe it was like top five

31:34numbers and success rate at the position. So good stuff from Swifty and again someone where if you did find yourself early on in the draft loading

31:41up on wide receivers very very good option not far fall too far behind in the running back streets RB20 for me Bay

31:50Shaw Tutin I'm buying it guys I was not a Tutin believer in 2024 new year or 2025 excuse me new year new me and I

31:59just think that when we look at Chris Rodriguez who by the way currently still recovering from that offseason foot injury don't Love that going on. Could

32:07even be a Liz Frank. I don't know. Just saying. Give me all the BAL Tootenon guys. We love the offense with Liam

32:13Cohen. I thought Tootton last year, you look at the tackles avoided, yards after contact, and being put in situations, too, that were constantly short yardage.

32:20I really like what I saw. We didn't get massive big plays, but again, short yardage context, and just it was a small

32:27sample size. Watch this dude put on some film, grab a glass of wine, and just enjoy the reality that when Bashalt

32:34Tutin gets that football, man, he really does look like he's shot out of a cannon each and every time. So, I see a lot of

32:39similarities between Bashalt Tutin and kind of the ascension of one Chase Brown as well. We were worried about Zach Moss. We were worried about Sam Perine.

32:47Meanwhile, the day three explosive pass catching friendly talent managed to rise up in an offense we like. Something I do see also for Bashaw Tudin. So RB20 for

32:55me, priority pick when we can get him at the end of round five or even into round six. Like I think we might be able to in

33:01some of these home leagues. RB21, Trayvon Henderson. I know, I know it feels way too freaking high because Arandre Stevenson's probably still going

33:11to be starting out here. Not probably, he will be starting out here. We saw what happened in the playoffs. Aroundre snatched Trayvon's chain, but it wasn't

33:19as big of a disconnect before then as I remembered. All right, 14 healthy games together. Arandre had 162 touches.

33:26Trayvon 158. So it was close. Entire second half of the season, we saw the ceiling for Trayvon. 17.6 PPR points per

33:33game. RB7 from weeks 10 through 18. I know. I know. Raandre missed a stretch of those games and that's why those

33:39numbers are up there. But I just wonder if we were all a year two early. This is an offense we love. It's a guy who we

33:46know has that explosive pass catching skill set. I'm not saying he's Jirro Gibbs. I don't think he is Jir Gibbs.

33:53Not every fast running back can catch passes Jir Gibbs. But if the Patriots offense as good as they were last year,

33:59maybe even better with AJ Brown, Romeo Dobs, and everything, 80% Jir Gibbs could score a lot of fantasy points, guys. And remember, Gibbs was doing this

34:07too without even getting that full-time workload until the end of last year and until Dave Montgomery got injured down the stretch of 2024 as well. So, this is

34:15not an every lineup sort of player. All right. if you did go heavy heavy heavy wide receivers. I don't want Trayvon

34:22Henderson to be my first RB, but if you are in a situation where you don't love the receivers, you already got two

34:26running backs, there is so much upside for Trayvon Henderson, anyone that we have where I know it's early to buy an injury

34:35contingent running back. And that's that's the thing. I get it, but remove every RB1 in the league, then let's rank the RB2s in terms of where we would kind

34:44of be putting them in the ranks for like week six or something.

34:48Trayvon might be RB1.

34:50Blake Cororum would be up there as well.

34:53Probably those two guys. So again, that's the sort of sky-high upside.

34:57RB21's high. If you want to move him down a few spots, wouldn't call you insane. RB21, Trayvon Henderson.

35:04RB22, Jaren Price. I don't want to overthink this one. He's a round one running back. All right. End of round one. I get it. Not a top five pick, but

35:13still Seahawks thought enough of him to use that 32 overall pick on it.

35:18No, didn't get a chance to be a full-time feature back in Notre Dame because Jeremiah freaking love was there. But oh my god, did he do a lot of

35:24cool guys. I actually made a metric called cool All right, it's the amount of just explosive plays, tackles avoided, and then also

35:32touchdowns divided by running backs touches. No draft eligible running back was even closer. Jaren Price last year.

35:38This dude is explosive. He's a menace in kick returns as well. I believe in the talent with this dude. And we're going

35:44to fade it for George Hani.

35:47for Emanuel Wilson because beat reporters in July said they're probably going to keep all the running backs involved. They say this every single

35:53year with every single team. What else are the coaches going to say as well in addition to be reporters? Of course,

35:58they're going to keep everyone involved.

36:00But come on, read between the lines.

36:02First round pick, Zack Charban is sideline potential until late November if some of these Dodgers are believed.

36:09I don't want to overthink an explosive round one running back for the reigning Super Bowl champions. All right, guys.

36:16When he's going as a borderline RB2, Jarian Price, the more and more people start overthinking this, the more and more I just want to draft this dude each

36:24and every time out. RB23 though for me, Cam Scataboo, I'm just worried because this dude's leg has not been in one

36:32piece over the course of the past 12 months. I understand he should be out there in week one. I understand he

36:36posted top 10 numbers last year despite not even starting until week four. Okay, he's a lot of fun to watch. That Eagles

36:42Thursday night game, what a time to be alive. Okay, he's great out of the back field and everything. They didn't make

36:47any meaningful additions to the offense under the Harbaugh Greg Roman Matt Naggie partnership. Still can't believe they landed on landed on Matt Naggie,

36:55but you would like to think they're going to be running the ball a lot and Cam Scout should be the focal point of

36:59that.

37:01I just get worried of guys coming back from this injury. There's going to be no one to blame but you and me and the man

37:07in the mirror, woman in the mirror, whatever. Appreciate all of you. If we're watching Scataboo in week six going, "God, he still just doesn't look

37:15the same." From Tony Pard to Chris Goblin to Dak Prescott to Isaiah Pacheco, like these fractured fibula plus injuries. I know when we don't have

37:25the CLS and the big knee issues, we assume everything's going to be fine.

37:28But it means something to me, guys, that Tony Pard had a brutal injury and he comes back the following season and he

37:34admits afterwards, he's like, "I didn't feel like myself until week 12 out here." I think Scotty will play in week one. I think he's going to be painfully

37:40inefficient. Maybe he makes it up anyway on the pass down stuff, but man, it's not like we love this Giants offense

37:46either and expecting them to be lighting up the scoreboard. So, Cam Scot is someone I'm generally okay letting someone else draft, especially with

37:52where he's going, guys, at the end of round four right now. RB 24, David Montgomery. And I've gone back and forth

37:59on this dude throughout the offseason.

38:00In like March, I did a way too early bull calls article. It's like Montgomery lowend RB1 finish, double digit touchdowns, take it to the bank. But the

38:08more I look at this dude, I just get the dead zone vibes, guys.

38:12And a dead zone running back is someone where we're just ranking as high as we are based on volume. We don't believe in

38:18the offense. We don't know if there's going to be like big playability, like from a special caliber running back talent. We don't know if he's get passed

38:25down work, but look at that volume.

38:27I just don't know if we can really be expecting that more from Montgomery. All right, the Chiefs, um, not the Chiefs,

38:33the Texans have reshuffled their offensive line for the 20th straight year in a row. And we're hopeful for big things again. Vegas hasn't wrecked 19th

38:40in prescoring preseason scoring ranks.

38:42Woody Marks isn't a huge threat, I don't think. But could it be 6040 instead of 8020? I think it's possible. And

38:49especially if we do see them tap more into Marks as a receiver. So I've eased off of Monty a little bit. That said,

38:57the schedule is borderline erotic, guys.

39:00Now, I don't want to get too into schedules right now because we are using last season numbers and we're trying to

39:04look in 2026. There's been a lot of turnover. Defense is going to get better and worse and everything, but just looking at this early, man, they get

39:11like four matchups in their first seven weeks against just some of the worst run defenses from last season. So, they start off the year with the Bills,

39:18Bengals Colts Cowboys Titans Jaguars, and Giants through week seven.

39:24So, Bengals got Dexter Lawrence. Now, Cowboys have made a lot of additions to their front seven. I don't think they're going to be quite as bad as they were in

39:30past years. Maybe the Bills now have a greater emphasis on stopping the run as well. But again, if you do believe in

39:36just looking at some early season schedule stuff, nobody has it better than David Montgomery. So maybe something to uh you know, drafting

39:43Montgomery riding out the first seven weeks and then uh you know, when you're idiot friend Billy decides he's done with Malik Neighbors, we make that

39:49switch and try to sell high before his buy. But something to keep in mind, David Montgomery, if you need just a

39:55good decent enough floor, you've already got Josh Allen, you got three sweet wide receivers, and you're like, I just I need a running back here that maybe has

40:04a chance to be a low-end RB1. Dave Montgomery is your guy. Just not someone I'm expect I'm not expecting to be

40:09sitting here in week 17 going, oh man, if only I drafted Dave Montgomery, I would have won all my leagues. Probably

40:15famous last words. And maybe that'll be the case now that I went ahead and said it. But again, enough issues beyond just

40:21the pure volume argument for me not to be in love with Monty at this price.

40:25RB25 for me, Quinnon Judkins. Similar thing for Scataboo except we don't have the pass down upside. And again, like also the Giants, we have even honestly

40:34less reason to believe in the offensive environment as a whole. So Judkins, man, if you wanted to say he was the best

40:39pure runner that we saw on professional football fields last year as a rookie, I think you would have that case. All

40:45right. So yeah, I'll take Genty overall moving forward fine. But Judkins looked really freaking good. I think it was him and only Kenneth Walker too had over a

40:52hundred yards that were called back on penalties. So had a long house call against the Vikings, another big one against the Titans later in the year.

40:59Like Jugkins again really, really, really freaking good with the football in his hands. And all those same excuses we make for Genty with the bad offensive

41:06line, the scheme and all that. I also think more than apply to Quinn Judkins as well. Again, I'm just not willing to

41:11make a big bet on a guy whose leg has not been in one piece over the course of the past 12 months and also when we do

41:17have more pass down and offensive environment concerns for Judkins RB26, Bucky Irving electric as a rookie. But now guys, even if you want to just write

41:27off 2025 and say he was injured and worse was injured and Baker was injured and everyone was injured in Tampa Bay

41:33last year, I shouldn't be laughing. It's just unfortunate how literally everyone was freaking injured out there. Even if you want to write that off, I just think

41:39we look now at the 2026 def chart, and it sure seems to me like it's going to be a dreaded between the 20s role for

41:45this dude. All right, we have Kenneth Gainwell, reigning Steelers team MVP.

41:49Kenneth Gainwell to all you people. Uh just caught 70 passes. And then Shawn Tucker on the goal line. Last season, Shawn Tucker had nine carries inside the

41:56five yard line. Bucky Irving had zero.

41:59So again, it's pretty freaking tough to put up big-time fantasy numbers if you're not getting goal line touches and if you're not getting the targets. That

42:05does seem like it's potentially on the plate for Bucky Irving. So maybe I'm just a hater. I will say that sort of

42:11between the 20s potential issue. You can also make that case for Baltin. You could also make that case for Jarian Price and some of the other guys there.

42:18It's just just been weird with Bucky Irving guys. Even last year like just some of the reports about, you know, some of the mental health stuff going

42:25on. Just when was he going to return?

42:27The Todd Bulls comments about yeah hopefully in the later in the summer or the fall. I think Buckyy's going to be

42:32out there in week one. I'm not too concerned about the shoulder injury, but just bad vibes, right? I go on the Pat

42:37Mayo show, talk to him and Jake Cely, you know, once or twice a week. Make sure you guys check that out. But we

42:41just started calling him Bad Vibes Bucky. I don't know what it is. I hope we're calling him Good Vibes Bucky by

42:47halfway through the season. Not a bet I'm in the habit of making though this year. That said, guys, couple bets I

42:52have been making in our next tier. All right, tier six running back, zero RB heroes who are cheap for a good reason.

42:58So, probably going to go through these ones a little bit more quickly and talk about them more in groups because that's

43:02kind of the point we're at now. Okay, guys. If your name has already been called, that's because you are a clear

43:07number one running back on your team for the most part. I know we talked about Trayvon Henderson, so now we're kind of

43:12talking about situations, but that's important because these guys are as cheap as they are because it's a relatively muddled situation. And no, we

43:18shouldn't run away from that in fantasy land. We should try to figure it out, try to find this year's Javvante Williams and guys of that nature. So,

43:26starting things off, RB27 Jaylen Warren and RB28 Rico Dael. Rico Data is one of my most drafted running backs for this

43:32year because I just think it's going to be close to 5050. I love Jaylen Warren.

43:37All right, pull up any advanced metric you want. He's Gen Z, Austin Eckler, awesome as a receiver, great as a rusher. I don't know if Mike McCarthy

43:46realizes or cares about that. I think Mike McCarthy says, "There's my guy Rico D." Their running back coach says, "There's my guy Rico D." Oh, hey Jaylen.

43:53Good to meet you, man. We got our guy though. We got Rico D. Maybe I'm wrong and it's 7030 Jaylen Warren. and he gets

44:00all the pass down work from 42-year-old Aaron Rogers. Steelers running backs had the second most targets in the league last year. There's a scenario versus the

44:07Jaylen Warren show and Rico is the clear RB2.

44:10Even if that happens, and Rico I got him ranked RB 28. He's usually going much later in draft. So you could you don't

44:15even have to draft him this high. Rico is still one of the best handcuffs I think in fantasy football. Unless Caleb

44:21Johnson does an undertaker meme and just really becomes a factor in this. I think Warren and Dowel both have top 24 upside

44:28without an injury. We saw Warren and Gamewell do this last year. On average, we usually get about two back fields per

44:34year that simultaneously produce top 24 running backs. A lot of them are in situations with an old quarterback, Aaron Rogers. We had the Drew Brees

44:41years as well where it's just, you know, they're old. Look at them. They're old.

44:44They won't get the ball out of their hands fast. Can't blame them. Both these guys, I think in the best case scenario,

44:51are we weekly low-end RB2s and god forbid either gets injured, that other guy has skyhigh RB1 upside. So kind of like a like a middle class man's version

45:01of the Jir Gibbs, Dave Montgomery backfields from the last few years. So Rico Dattle, I don't blame you guys for thinking Jaylen Warren's better at

45:09football. I think Jaylen Warren's better at football. I don't know if Mike McCarthy agrees. And some of the receiving stuff I think has been

45:14overstated as well, guys. Both these dudes have played 33 games over the past two seasons and Jaylen Warren only has five total PPR points more from

45:22receiving than Rico Dattle. So Warren Dow trying to come away with one Steelers running back in your fantasy draft. Either way, I do think makes a

45:29lot of sense. RB29 Raandre Stevenson already talked about him a lot with Trayvon Henderson, but yeah, 71% snap rate in the playoffs. That said, the

45:37regular season split was a bit closer than I remembered. I just struggle other than with a Trayvon injury, which to be

45:44fair I brought up for Trayvon with Raandre. I struggle to see the oh my god Raandre just running away with this job.

45:50I do think they want to keep it split and I do think they would like to see Trayvon being more of a factor in the

45:55passdowns. We'll continue to hear about Trayvon hitting all these wheels in practice. You know, as a Patri Speed reporter telling us about this and we

46:02had the actual wheel that Arandre caught in the game that they told us afterwards was supposed to be for Trayvon, but he

46:07had already gotten pulled for pass. It was such a strength that Trayvon's coming out of Ohio State. I know it didn't work last year. I just really

46:14have reservations about betting too heavily on Arandre. But again, zero RB heroes, guys. I do think Raandre is going to stay involved enough to be

46:21getting that 10 to 15 touches per game even if Trayvon starts doing good things. Tough to overly bicker about that when we're getting this point in

46:27the draft. RB30 for me. Chuba Hubard just one year removed from an RB13 finish. He's going to be splitting with Jonathan Brooks. But you get into these

46:36drafts and it's just like everyone is playing chicken seeing who's going to draft Chuba Hubard. And I never want to.

46:43Chuba Hubber is like the Courtland Sutton of running backs where every time I look at my ranks and he's on the board

46:48and it says I should draft Chuba, I go to my ranks and I lower Chuba so I don't have to freaking do this. So he is the

46:54epitome of an eat your vegetables pick.

46:55And guess what? I freaking hate eating vegetables. All right. Will that get me in trouble chasing dessert? Will I regret that in three months? Decent

47:03chance. All right. I think the hate for Chuba has gone too much. He's an RB 13 20 24 last year had the early season

47:09calf injury. Wasn't great to see Rico D snatch his chain, but they even things out down the stretch. Many, many millions of reasons for the Panthers

47:16continue to entrust Chuba, one of their team leaders as the RB1. But Jonathan Brooks is coming and it's just one of

47:23these things where not only is Brooks a threat to split, but similar to, you know, Jaylen Warren, Rico,

47:32Chuba, and Brooks, a takeover could happen. We saw what happened last year, Chuba's not getting any younger.

47:39I just really struggle to see, similar to some of these other guys we talked about, oh man, I didn't draft Chuba

47:45Hubard. Now I'm in the losers bracket.

47:48Could be wrong.

47:50If you're going pure zero RB and you just need running backs to put in there, I get it. I was also in an FFPC draft

47:56last week guys where straight up Jonathan Brooks went ahead Chuba Hover.

47:59So again, don't let the player hit the ADP. If we are getting to a point where top 50 wide receivers are off the board,

48:06top 15 quarterbacks, top eight tight ends. Okay, yeah, give me Chuba Hubard.

48:10But again, personally just haven't been going out of my way for him to this point. RB31 Tony Pard joins Derrick Henry as the only two running backs in

48:18the NFL with at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons and the last two only still produce RB22

48:25and RB30 finishes. So, he got going a little bit down the stretch of last season, but we had that weird Titans

48:29Browns blowout. They got to play a Chiefs team without Patrick Mahomes. I'm not really buying it, guys. Pard's 29.

48:35We got Taj Spears who was banged up last year. Like we had Pard with an 80 90% snap rate for large portions of early

48:42last season and we still couldn't get anything going from the dudes. So is Brian Dable going to come in and save

48:47things? I don't really think so. His only calling cards like been having his quarterbacks run a ton which is cool in

48:52fantasy but in real life they usually get injured which kind of isn't all that great. So I just if this team sucks like we all

49:00kind of think they will, why not put Nicholas Singleton out there last month in the season and see what you got? I

49:05know a lot of people like Tony Pard for the volume. I'm just We've had the volume and it still hasn't been much

49:11upside. I really struggle, which is crazy because Pard used to be the epitome of someone who could make more with less. But we all get older with

49:19Spears taking the past on work. I'm just not in on Tony Pard this year. RB32, last one in this tier is going to be JK

49:26Dobbins, who clearly, guys, was the RB1 last season before he got injured.

49:3164 touches compared to 75 for RJ Harvey during the first 10 weeks of the season.

49:36That's what I thought the split was going to look like for Trayvon Randre when I actually went back and ran the

49:40numbers. Hey, and credit to Dobbins guys. Five yards per carry, just 3.7 for RJ Harvey. They resigned him. Not to Saquon money or anything like that, but

49:49what was it? Two years, 20 million, maybe 16, one year's guaranteed more or less. It's the way running back contracts usually work. But I will say

49:57all that dominance in the touch department still just the RB27 first 10 weeks of last year last three years man we keep chasing those Alvin Chimera

50:05Darren Spoles kind of Shawn Payeyton New Orleans running back ghost but we haven't seen someone rank higher than 24th since he has been there in Denver

50:12Jonah Coleman someone who could factor in goal line situations also pass down situations I struggle to see the sky-high ceiling for JK Dobbins but you

50:20know what I'm in these 14 team leagues with three flexes I'm in a 32 team fantasy football league go. Right. So,

50:25as much as I feel like I'm criticizing a lot of these running backs now where it's like, oh well, what is the

50:29possibility for them to be this top 10 player, we're only getting 10 top 10 running backs this year, guys. How's that for some analytics? So, I don't

50:36want to completely, you know, be crapping on Pard and Dobbins and Chuba Hubard and these guys, but they're boring volume based running backs and

50:43offenses that we don't really love. For the right build, maybe that's your cup of tea. Tier seven, ladies and mostly gentlemen. We are now looking at allstar

50:54handcuffs in the position's cheapest starters. So RB33 Blake Cororm maybe get more of a 50-50 split, but again going back at the handcuff idea really just

51:02does have a great case as fantasy's most valuable handcuff. Someone who's close though RB34 Kyle Manungai had that massive game against the Bengals. I kind

51:11of get that uh I I didn't watch Dexter, but you guys have probably seen the meme of that uh black dude in the car who's

51:16just like looking super skeptical. I forget his name. I think he was aware of what Dexter was doing though. Whenever I'm watching a player and all their top

51:23highlights came against the Bengals and the Cowboys last year, I kind of get that skeptical look at it. But my non

51:28guy did some good things against the Eagles and stuff later in the year as well. Either way, 13.7 opportunities per game across the final 10 contests. Like

51:35Blake Cororm, he's a solid flex with benefits player, even if I'm not exactly expecting a takeover from either party.

51:41Not so the case with Jonathan Brooks, who again comes in as RB35. I will say, shout out Dr. Jeff Mueller at JM Thrive

51:48PT. I memorize his handle because I so constantly cite all of his work in podcast and also articles. So, make sure

51:55you give him a follow. But he had a really good note about Brooks saying that in his opinion, his medical doctor

52:01opinion, Brooks didn't suffer two completely separate devastating ACL tears. The first one wasn't fixed as well as it should have been, and the

52:09second one again was more so of a setback as opposed to a second complete tear. So plenty of time based on the

52:16timetables they have to believe he's going to be about close to 100%. He's still somehow only just 22 years old.

52:22Brooks is the rare handcuff running back you could actually take over. Okay, him and Rico Dow are two of the only guys I

52:28think we can kind of realistically say that about. Not that it can or won't happen elsewhere, but just as things stand right here as I record this on

52:35July 13th, I think there's a better chance that Brooks overtakes Chuba than Monai over Swift or Cororum over Kiran.

52:42Now on the other side of things, I'm more confident in the weekly role for Manungai and Cororum. That's why I have

52:46them a spot ahead. But definitely some high upside for Brooks. I just hope he doesn't keep flying up the ranks, guys.

52:52Like a month ago, I could sit here and sell you as Brooks as my favorite running back sleeper of the year. But

52:57we're getting to the point where he's going to be freaking going ahead of Chuba Hubard in home leagues potentially. So keep an eye on that

53:02price. But again, really like Brooks.

53:04Just please, please, let's maybe keep this one between us and keep it quiet so that ADP doesn't keep on climbing. RB36,

53:11Rashad White, your favorite fantasy nerd's favorite late round running back this year, just because he's kind of got some 2025 De Javvante Williams vibes,

53:18guys. He is one of only three running backs since he entered the league with over 200 catches. The only other guy is

53:23Alvin Chimera and Christian McCaffrey.

53:25So, I don't think he's been amazing, but he wasn't amazing in 2023. Still worked as the RB10 in PPR points per game, RB23

53:33in 2024, even with Bucky Irving ascending and eventually taking that job. So again, wide open Washington backfield. Maybe it is just a mess. But

53:42they're all this cheap because it's a mess right now. If we get word that Rashad White is going to be the clear

53:47leader, we get the preseason games and he's playing, you know, 10 of 11 snaps with the first team starters. Like this

53:52is a dude who's going to be going really freaking high, man. I don't think he's going to get like top 16 or anything

53:57like that, but like if we're looking at the tier list, what would really be the difference between like Cam Scataboo and Rashad

54:06White? Their offenses that we're not overly enthralled with probably have more reason for optimism with the commanders based on what Daniels did in

54:132024. Daniels and Dart are running around a lot like we're not expecting oodles of targets. Is a weird word. Work on that one Ian. I just think Rashad

54:23White like when we're especially if you're drafting right now guys of all these running backs that just based on a little bit of news, a little bit of

54:29clarity who could go flying up the ranks like Rashad White definitely stands out as one of them. So on the other side of

54:35things, if we hear Bill Crosby Merritt or Jerome Ford or Jerry McNichols or, you know, Kron Allen, shout out Fat Man.

54:40If any of these other guys, they get the good words, then okay, or Shaw White's going to drop as well. But we're already

54:44on RB36. Like these are now in the later rounds. These are the sort of running backs I want to be trying to take bets

54:50on. And that brings me to the next running back I want to be taking late round bets on. RB37, Jordan Mason. Shout

54:56out to Vikings insider Matthew Coller.

54:57He actually believes Mason, not Jones, will be leading the way this season. So, I know last year wasn't all that pretty,

55:02but the Vikings low-key guys tied for the fifth fewest rush attempts inside the five yard line. So, they were right there with the Jets. Jordan Mason on a

55:10hopefully improved Vikings offense.

55:12We'll get get back to getting that goal line rushing work. Kyler Murray should be helping the rushing lanes overall.

55:17We've seen that in history with dual threat quarterbacks and he's not like the Josh Allen or Jaylen Herz who's a threat at the one yard line. So, no,

55:24we're not going to get the pass catching stuff. I don't think that Jordan Mason's going to turn in, you know, a top 12

55:28season, but you know, Jordan Mason, David Montgomery, but like 30 40 picks cheaper. Something to think about. RB38, Kenneth Gamewell again, reigning

55:38Steelers team MVP, Kenneth Gwell. Going to keep bringing that up every day for the rest of my life.

55:43Maybe he does close things up with Bucky Irving. I'm just worried about Shawn Tucker being annoyingly involved. Either way, I could see it being almost like a

55:52like a lesser Buffalo Bills situation.

55:54All right, James Cook is Bucky Irving in this scenario. Kenneth Gainwell is Ty Johnson. They're the number two running back, but if the starter gets hurt, Ray

56:02Davis in Buffalo, and then Shawn Tucker in Tampa, they actually come up and they get more early down work in the Kenneth

56:08game. Ty Johnson role really wouldn't change all that much. So, threw a lot of names around there. Sorry if I confused

56:12you. I like Gamewell. He's someone where I think flexwise is better than some of these other running backs we're talking about. I just question the best case

56:20ceiling. RB 40 to Cororey Crosky Merritt aka Bill 12th most rushing yards over expected per carry last year. Shout out NextGen stats had some good moments man.

56:30Chargers game earlier in the year Cowboys game when Crock got sick at the end. Ball security yesterday seemed like maybe lost his confidence during the

56:37middle part of the year but just the the hype was so crazy in August for this dude because we're all weird in fantasy

56:42football land and we love finding these late round rookies. He had a really really freaking good year guys for a day

56:48three rookie. All right. So, maybe it didn't meet our ridiculous sky-high expectations in fantasy land, but wouldn't completely rule out Bill doing,

56:55you know, his thing. He is the most explosive running back in Washington.

56:58Even if Rashad White is a starter and the guy I want to put my chip on, mostly because of the pass down work, I do

57:03think Bill, if we do see that gap continuing to grow, at a minimum, it's going to be a nice guy to keep on that

57:07bench in his own right. RB41, Aaron Jones, last guy in his tier. Kind of already talked about him with Jordan Mason. Could be a trap though. I was

57:15drafting Aaron Jones a little more earlier and you know we're past 40 running backs at this point. I don't want to crap too hard on any of these

57:21dudes because they are Chief for a reason. But Deon Claybourne coming in could potentially be more of an explosive pass catcher. Matthew Coller

57:27also know they didn't love Aaron Jones working pass protection. So could be an issue with him even being the clear pass

57:33down back. Aaron Jones someone that generally I just think happy to let someone else draft him. Tier eight at this point looking at some dogs. Not

57:42really at this point it's tier eight.

57:44RB41, R.J. Harvey, RB42, Katon Mitchell, RB43, Woody Marks, Tyrone Tracy, Alvin Chimera, Taj Spears, Chris Rodriguez, Isaiah Pacheco, Tyler Alier, Tank Bsby,

57:55and Brian Robinson. It is clear number two RBs, but we're saying there's a chance. Now, I imagine we have some nice

58:01handcuff upside. So, RJ Harvey is the guy who I have again very low in this in this ranks relative to a lot of other

58:07people cuz I just don't really see it, guys. He was good as a receiver. Okay, most of the real goodness though that we

58:13look back on came against the Bengals and Cowboys. Most of the rushing efficiency stats paint him as a very bad player, which isn't the beall endall.

58:21Okay, when when Quinn Sean Judkins efficiency is really bad last year, and so is everyone else on the Browns because it was the freaking Browns. I

58:27don't hold that against him. When JK Dobbins, who everyone hates, injured, he's old, he's slow, whatever.

58:34If he's so bad, how come RJ Harvey was averaging 1.3 fewer yards per carry in the same offense in a situation where

58:40like Harvey should be the guy where defenses are expecting pass when he's in there in the first place? So look, RB8

58:46after the team's week 12 buy when he was the running back left. Dobins was out of the picture, there is some handcuff

58:51upside, but now with Jonah Coleman, man, 220 pounds, he did so many little things, right? I made this stat for the

58:56draft eligible running backs called the little things pass pro, ball security, just, you know, drop rate, fumble rate, things like that. number one running

59:04back in this class. I'm concerned about Harvey because I think Dobbins is a clear-cut starter here. We're not gonna be able to trust Harvey on a week- toeek

59:10basis. And now, even if Dobbins does get injured, I'm not convinced we have the same sky-high passing upside. And again, I just feel like more and more we're

59:17chasing those Shawn Payeyton New Orleans ghosts at RB. Haven't quite seen that return in fantasy land in recent years.

59:23Katon Mitchell, Mike McDaniel, the wanted posters in this GM's office. More of a baseball pick for me. I just think we're going to really struggle to ever

59:31be too excited about starting Mitchell.

59:33even if Amaran Hammond gets hurt too.

59:35Not going to go through that whole Bills example again, but I do think Kamodi Vidal could be the Ray Davis to Keenan

59:40Mitchell's Tai Johnson. RB43, Woody Marks, RB44, Tyron Tracy, very similar guys where we're more so drafting them as handcuffs, but hey, maybe the split

59:49with the running backs, new situation, new running back, new coaches, at least in the Giants case. Maybe it is more 6040 as opposed to 7030. Definitely guys

59:56you want on the end of your bench. Alvin Chimera, my most drafted running back in baseball land this offseason. that RB45.

60:04I just think where he's going, which is like virtually free pick 180, way too low. A lot of people didn't think he was

60:09going to play football this year or the Saints were going to get rid of him. If they do trade him, guys, he's going to

60:13be flying up these ranks in a hurry. So, I will say Saints offense didn't exactly yield all these, you know, fantasy

60:19friendly opportunities last year in their own right. And just the same reason I'm drafting a lot of Jerry Judy, which Chimera and Judy 2026, I admit

60:28doesn't sound great to say out loud. You look at running backs over these last two seasons, guys.

60:34There's been eight running backs have a season with 18 plus PPR points per game over these past two years. Seven of

60:41those running backs are going among the top 12 running backs. Alvin Chimera goes RB55.

60:48RB55 for someone one year removed from a top five finish of their position. I know Travis Aan is there now. I'm not

60:55saying Chamra is overtaking this backfield. I do think he's a sky-high handcuff because he would take over. I think he could catch 40 or 50 passes if

61:03this thing is anywhere close to 50/50 as I do think he has a chance to be. Taj Spears, similar concerns as like Harvey

61:11where I just don't ever think they're going to turn the backfield over to him, but he can catch passes. Nobody has

61:16avoided more tackles per touch than Taj Spears has come into the league. Very, very entertaining player. Just hasn't had the best will from the injury gods.

61:24RB47, Chris Rodriguez, Liam Cohen's boy from Kentucky. Maybe he does fall into the end zone 10 times. Maybe some of the

61:30arguments I made about Jordan Mason actually could also apply to Chris Rodriguez. I'm fading this offseason foot injury though. I think he's an

61:36overall relatively mid talent. RB48, Isaiah Pacheco, the handcuff for Jir Gibbs. There you go. RB49, Tyler Alier.

61:45I don't see the huge upside here, guys.

61:46I see him regularly listed in the top handcuffs video and top handcuff ranks.

61:50I'm going to have a separate video on that later in the week. Make sure you check that out if you want. It's a free

61:54country. Even if Jeremiah Love gets injured and he's out of the picture, which is a big if, where are we ranking

62:00Tyler Alier? Like RB 26 or something like that. Like he's just going to be there. I think with Judkins and some of

62:05these other dead zone running backs. We hate the Cardinals. James Conn or Trey Benson is still factor in. Like Tyler Alier for me is someone I have not been

62:12clicking. Really, really struggle to see that upside scenario. Good player. NFL's all-time leader for most career touches without a fumble. PF's second highest

62:20pass blocking grade among running backs last season. I hate the offense though.

62:24You know who I do like as a handcuff running back. Tank Bsby baby, my RB50.

62:29Dude's good. All these stats that we pretend to care about. Yards after contact, tackles avoided, explosive run rate. They all say Biggs has been a top

62:36five running back over these past two years. The man was fun in Jacksonville in 2024. I kind of wish they would have

62:41kept him there and given this dude a better chance to do his thing. Of course, no standalone upside here. It needs it's going to be Saquon Barkley's

62:49show. If it's not though, Tanks be on the cover of every single Waverwire article in the industry. Similar sentiment for RB51. Brian Robinson. Fun

62:57stat guys. Yards after contact for carry. I appreciate it. All right, we're trying to quantify what we're seeing with these running backs, but like Devon

63:03Aan, Trayvon Henderson, these are some of the guys in the top 10 because they break an arm tackle at the line of

63:08scrimmage and yeah, they technically rack up 60 yards after contact, but just personally when I think of the stat, I try to think of like who's pushing piles

63:14and stuff. So what I did with it was look at the percentage of carries that each running back had at least three

63:21yards after contact. The number one running back in that last year, Brian Robinson. So again, only a best case handcuff. We don't love the Falcons

63:28offense as much as the Eagles. That's why I do have one spot below Tank Bsby.

63:32But Brian Robinson, good solid football player. Last one guys, tier nine late round darts. I got RB52, Zack Sharbonate. Not sure when he's going to

63:40be back. Probably November. RB 53, Dylan Samson. I don't know if he's a cheaper Taj Spirits or just a more expensive

63:46Justice Hill. RB54 Jonah Coleman. RB55 Kron Allen. Someone's got to technically lead the Washington Commanders backfield. I think RB56 Marshon Lloyd. I

63:56cannot quit this dude. Injury history sucks, guys. I get it. But if you do go through them, it's not like we're

64:01dealing with, you know, five ACL tears in the last three years. He hasn't really had a major long-term setback.

64:07It's just been one nagging injury after another. But she's healthy right now.

64:11the floor in the Packers. They continue to believe in him enough to not add like other serious competition. I know Chris

64:16Brooks is there as well. It's just crazy to me like Josh Jacobs has been falling down the ranks while Lloyd and Brooks

64:21stay cheap as ever at the bottom. So, I'm throwing late round darts on Marshon Lloyd. I've done it the last two years.

64:28They did not work out then, but you know what? America loves a comeback, people.

64:33RB57 Mike Washington. This dude is going to be a great handcuff stash and reddraft league, guys. If Ash Genty stays healthy for 17 games and we're

64:41never going to talk about Mike Washington probably once all year. Again though, the next man up Dylan Lobby like is the only other running back right now

64:48that we need to really care about in Las Vegas. More of a special teams pure pass pro guy. Anyway, absolute freak athlete.

64:54Mike Washington. Very, very good, incredibly late round handcuff. RB58 Ray Davis talked about him a little bit. He did command because we have one game

65:02without James Cook over the past two seasons. in that game against the Jets Monday night game. I remember it because I'm freaking pissed because of some of

65:09the reporting that went on, but I won't, you know, won't reopen those scabs.

65:12Anyway, Ray Davis in that game, 23 of 27 of the backfield carries and targets. Ty Johnson really did not see his role

65:19change. That wasn't 2024, though. This is the only reason why I don't have Ray Davis ranked much much higher in kind of

65:24like that top handcuff tier. We saw a little bit of a difference in 2024 and 2025. There's a lot more Tai Johnson in

65:302025. The Bills weren't even afraid to use him on short yardage situations. So, who do I think is the primary handcuff

65:37to James Cook? I think it's Ray Davis.

65:39But I really do think it could be a lot closer to a 6040 situation than what we saw. And again, that one single sample

65:45size. RB59, Brilan Allen, RB60 Shawn Tucker, and RB61.

65:51Jaden Blue. Very important situation in Dallas to try to figure out who this handcuff is going to be. I guess I'll

65:57give Blue the benefit of the doubt right now. I don't know why I am. Malik Davis was actually number two down the stretch

66:02of last year and we also had Phil Mafa be banged up come back late but I do think just if you had to look at these

66:08other running backs and say like who has the most differing perhaps complimentary skill set to Javvante Williams I do think it's Jaden Blue from that

66:15standpoint so he does again have that speed have that pass catching ability that we saw at Texas two touchdowns against my Ohio State Buckeyes in that

66:22awesome college football semi-final game but it's just a very very important situation to be monitored Indianapolis Colts as well there are a few of these

66:29top ranked running backs with very unclear depth charts. Cowboys want to really keep an eye on. But guys, big one there. Hope you guys keep an eye

66:37on these 61 running backs and more videos from the channel as we get into the offseason. Again, kind of got a

66:42running back week going on here. Touched on quarterbacks last week, wide receivers, tight ends, and then we'll really, really, really turn up the pure

66:49draft content here as we get into August and beyond. So, appreciate you guys hanging out as always. If you like the

66:53video, then please like the video.

66:54Hitting that subscribe button always helps as well. So, again, fun time breaking down the RB tiers. Plenty more goodness on the way.

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