FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast artwork

7 NFL Running Back Battles That Will Shape 2026 Fantasy Football Drafts (Ep. 2100)

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

1 hr 2 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Jul 27, 2026
Published
Mon, July 27, 2026
54
Player insights
20
Players mentioned
Topics
Chris RodriguezRJ HarveyJ.K. DobbinsJaylen WarrenJonah ColemanKenneth GainwellLeQuint AllenBucky IrvingGeorge HolaniJayden DanielsRhamondre StevensonRico DowdleSean TuckerTerry McLaurin
Player analysis

Player insights

54

Bijan Robinson

PositiveRole20:38

The source notes that Bijan Robinson was drafted by Liam Cohen last year and showed extreme trust from the coach despite operating as a backup to Travis Etienne; Robinson had keen situational usage including 23 red zone attempts with 4 touchdowns (all inside the five), 2 red zone receptions converted to touchdowns, and demonstrated goal-line trust. Liam Cohen has recently reinforced this with positive camp speak, saying 'we want you to do the things that you can do, be the best that you are' and 'we definitely expect Tootin to have a big year for us.' The source identifies Robinson as the player in this backfield who could theoretically handle all three downs.

Insight page

Bucky Irving

NegativeRole43:05

The source ranks Bucky Irving as RB 21 in ECR and views this as his backfield to lose, noting Pat Fitzmaurice has talked him up on Dynasty shows and this has seeped into the 2026 ranking. However, the source expresses concern about red zone usage: Irving was a bell cow in terms of touches when healthy, but red zone work was missing, and his usage drops significantly below other bell cow backs once inside the red zone. With Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker chipping away at workload, the source worries Irving could be perpetually in the RB 18-24 range without the upside previously seen.

Insight page
NegativeRole44:00

The source ranks Bucky Irving as RB 21 in ECR and views him as the lead back in Tampa Bay, but expresses concern about his red zone usage. While Irving was a bell cow in terms of touches when healthy last season, his red zone work dropped significantly once inside the 10-yard line compared to other bell cow backs. The source worries that with Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker chipping away at workload, Irving could be perpetually in the RB 18-24 range without the upside previously seen.

Insight page

Chris Rodriguez

NegativeRole17:00

Rodriguez is ranked RB43, a significant gap below Basial Tootin (RB25). He has a college background with Liam Cohen at Kentucky, providing some familiarity in the offense. Rodriguez is characterized as an excellent early-down and goal-line back, but lacks the versatility of Tootin. The source views him as a more steady Eddie option compared to Tootin's upside, but notes there is no sure thing in Jacksonville's backfield.

Insight page
NegativeRole17:00

Rodriguez is positioned as a more steady, defined early-down and goal-line back in Jacksonville's backfield, with a college connection to coach Liam Cohen from their time at Kentucky together. He is ranked RB43 in consensus, significantly behind Basiil Tootin (RB25), reflecting lower upside expectations. The source views him as a reliable but limited option compared to Tootin's three-down versatility.

Insight page
NegativeValue22:26

The source evaluates Chris Rodriguez at his ADP (around round 11) relative to Bijan Robinson (around round 6). While Rodriguez's ADP is not bad, the source notes he will never have receiving work—he didn't catch passes in college either. If Robinson goes down, Rodriguez would likely get early-down and goal-line work, with LaQuint Allen Jr. handling receiving and blocking. The source sees Rodriguez as offering safe upside (8-10 points per week as a flex option in a committee) but lacks the league-winning, three-down upside of other handcuff candidates at his draft position.

Insight page
NegativeValue22:28

Rodriguez is available around round 11 ADP, which the source considers reasonable given his likely role as early-down and goal-line back if Tootin goes down, with LaQuint Allen Jr. handling receiving and blocking; however, the source does not see league-winning upside from Rodriguez, only safe flex-option potential with a baseline of 8-10 points per week; the source prefers investing in Tootin at round 6 ADP or looking at other handcuff candidates with higher three-down upside.

Insight page
NegativeValue23:58

The source distinguishes Rodriguez as offering only safe upside and a potential flex option, lacking the league-winning upside that makes a running back worth targeting in draft strategy; prefers to allocate draft capital to backs with three-down potential and higher weekly fantasy point floors.

Insight page
NegativeValue49:00

The source prefers Chris Rodriguez over Zach Charbonnet, noting Rodriguez offers more stability and can help stay afloat during bi-weeks and other injuries. The source ranks Rodriguez at RB 43 compared to Charbonnet at RB 46, and would rather have the IR spot available than risk Charbonnet's injury timeline.

Insight page
PositiveValue59:00

The source ranks Chris Rodriguez at RB 43 and prefers him over Zach Charbonnet (RB 46) due to Rodriguez's availability and stability. Rodriguez can help teams stay afloat during bye weeks and other injuries, whereas Charbonnet will miss the first month of the season. The source suggests Rodriguez could run hot on touchdowns and provide more reliable early-season value.

Insight page

Chuba Hubbard

NegativeValue56:00

The source mentions Chiba Hubbard as ranked between Jadari Price (RB 26) and Jalen Warren (RB 28), indicating Hubbard is ranked RB 27 in the source's rankings. This places him in the same tier as the other running backs discussed in the RB 25-28 range.

Insight page

George Holani

NegativeRole49:13

The source dismisses George Helani as a threat to Jadari Price in the Seahawks backfield, noting that while people hear positives about Helani, he has not shown significant usage. Even when he had to step in during the playoffs after Charbonnet's injury, he only operated on passing downs with check-down work, not significant ground workload. The source argues this is inconsistent with concerns about Helani threatening Price, unlike how Ramondre Stevenson has factually operated as an RB1 compared to Travion Henderson.

Insight page
NegativeRole53:00

The source dismisses George Helani as a threat to Jadari Price in Seattle's backfield, noting that while the team speaks positively about Helani, he has not shown significant usage. Even when stepping in during playoffs after Charbonnet's injury, Helani only saw passing-down work and check-down opportunities, not significant ground workload. The source argues that Price, as the most talented healthy back, should be the safe early-season pick.

Insight page

J.K. Dobbins

NegativeInjury26:45

The source cites Dobbins' injury history as the primary reason he ranks RB 34 despite being close to Harvey (RB 32) in expert consensus rankings. Dobbins played 15 games in 2020, then 8, 1, 13, and 10 games in subsequent seasons; the 13 and 10-game finishes were not good. The source states 'you just can't assume' a full season from Dobbins due to this pattern, calling it 'a bummer because I really liked the player.'

Insight page
NegativeInjury26:45

Dobbins has demonstrated talent throughout his NFL career but has never been close to healthy, creating durability concerns in the Denver Broncos backfield competition.

Insight page
NegativeInjury26:45

The source emphasizes that J.K. Dobbins has always been talented but has never been close to healthy throughout his NFL career. His injury history is a major factor in expert consensus rankings; he played 15 games in 2020, then 8, 1, 13, and 10 games in subsequent seasons, with the 13 and 10-game finishes not being good. The source states 'the odds of J.K. Dobbins making it through an entire season are slim' and notes you cannot assume a full season from him. Despite being the better runner than R.J. Harvey last year (5.0 YPA vs. 3.7 YPA), his injury history prevents him from ranking higher season-long.

Insight page
NegativeInjury26:51

Dobbins has always been talented but has never been close to healthy throughout his NFL career; the odds of him making it through an entire season are slim, creating uncertainty in the Broncos backfield despite him likely getting the first crack at the lead role.

Insight page

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

PositiveBreakout36:00

The source identifies Ja'Cory Krosky-Merritt as the boom/high-upside pick in the Washington backfield (RB 40). While he lacked blocking and receiving skills last year, he has reportedly been working on these deficiencies in the offseason. The source emphasizes that training camp will be crucial to evaluate whether he has actually improved on third-down work. If he improves sufficiently, he could get early-down and goal-line work without being as good as Rashad White at receiving. The source notes that when Krosky-Merritt got carries last year, he was successful, but Chris Rodriguez got preferred goal-line work, raising questions about whether Krosky-Merritt is the best at the goal line.

Insight page

Jayden Daniels

NegativeMatchup40:13

The source notes that Jaden Daniels had an excellent year one and an injury-riddled year two. The Commanders have a new young offensive coordinator and play caller, creating uncertainty about the offense beyond Daniels and Terry McLaurin. The source asks whether the offense has real upside and scoring opportunities worth taking swings on, or whether it's better to let others navigate the uncertainty. The source notes that Daniels doesn't get any discount in drafts, so investing in him means committing to the offense as-is.

Insight page
NegativeProjection41:02

The source notes that Jaden Daniels' draft cost is known and established, with no discount available. The source is willing to take swings on other Commanders offensive players but acknowledges that investing in Daniels means paying full price.

Insight page

Jaylen Warren

PositiveRole9:01

Warren is ranked RB27 in ADP, just one round ahead of Rico Dowdle (RB31), but the source believes Warren has higher upside due to his superior receiving ability and pass protection skills compared to Dowdle. The source notes that Warren has been repeatedly counted out, yet consistently ends up being the better back in the offense. While a committee is possible under Mike McCarthy, the source can fathom a scenario where Warren becomes the clear three-down back over Dowdle. Warren is preferred over Ramondre Stevenson because at least one Pittsburgh running back will consistently have value, whereas Henderson could completely take over for Stevenson.

Insight page
PositiveRole9:48

Warren is considerably better than Rico Dowdle in pass protection and receiving work, and the source suggests he could be the clear three-down back in all aspects over Dowdle. Despite being counted out repeatedly, Warren has consistently remained relevant. He is ranked RB27 in consensus, just a round ahead of Dowdle (RB31), and has higher ceiling potential through receiving work. The source notes that one could fathom a world where Warren is the clear three-down back over Dowdle, and he can do more with receptions than Dowdle.

Insight page
NegativeValue50:16

The source ranks Jalen Warren at RB 27, noting he is in a tight cluster with Basil Tootin (RB 25) and Jadari Price (RB 26). The source confirms this is the exact order in their rankings.

Insight page
NegativeValue56:00

The source ranks Jalen Warren at RB 27, placing him in the same tier as Basiil Tootin (RB 25) and Jadari Price (RB 26). The source confirms this ranking order and notes there is one-person gap (Chiba Hubbard) between Price and Warren in their rankings.

Insight page

Jeremiyah Love

NegativeProjection55:10

The source notes that Jadari Price was behind Jeremiah Love in college and did not get the opportunity to show what he could do with a bigger workload. This context suggests uncertainty about Price's ceiling as a lead back, though the source remains optimistic about his potential if given the opportunity.

Insight page

Jonah Coleman

NegativeRole26:45

The source identifies Coleman as a potential threat to R.J. Harvey's workload; if Dobbins is injured and Coleman fulfills that role, Harvey's drafted three-down opportunity disappears. Coleman is ranked RB 54 in expert consensus, well below both Harvey (RB 32) and Dobbins (RB 34). The source notes that if camp reports show positives on Coleman, drafters must be aware that the backfield may never become exclusively Harvey's.

Insight page
PositiveBreakout26:45

The source liked Coleman coming into the draft and believes there is a real role for him in the NFL, positioning the rookie as an interesting name in the Denver Broncos backfield competition.

Insight page
PositiveRole27:00

Coleman is a limited running back who can do some things pretty well and was productive at Washington in college; camp rumors suggest he's looking excellent and could factor in earlier than expected, potentially fulfilling the J.K. Dobbins role if Dobbins gets injured, creating a three-headed monster backfield dynamic.

Insight page
NegativeRole30:00

The source describes Jonah Coleman as a limited running back (not flawed, but limited) who can do some things well and was productive at Washington in college. He was drafted by Denver and could factor into the backfield earlier than expected if Dobbins gets injured. Camp rumors suggest Coleman is looking excellent, which could mean he fulfills the Dobbins role if Dobbins goes down, leaving R.J. Harvey without the three-down work he was drafted for. The source warns that if you believe in Coleman's potential, you should be aware that the backfield may never exclusively be Harvey's, creating a permanent committee situation.

Insight page

Kaytron Allen

NegativeRole34:48

The source describes Katron Allen as a pure runner from Penn State with better vision and blocking than Nick Singleton, and one of the most prolific running backs in Penn State history. He is ranked RB 66 in the Commanders backfield. The source suggests that Allen could potentially sneak in and get goal-line work if he is better at the goal line than Ja'Cory Krosky-Merritt, who had issues with goal-line efficiency last year. However, the source notes that Allen is a very late-round pick and recommends taking a stab on him if you believe in him, as he won't hurt your roster.

Insight page

Kenneth Gainwell

NegativeUsage9:01

Gainwell led the Pittsburgh Steelers in receptions last year in an egregious manner, but the source expects his checkdown volume to decline significantly in 2026. The addition of more reliable wide receivers (Michael Pittman, Jeremy Bernard) and Aaron Rodgers' presence means pass volume will shift toward receivers rather than running backs. The source notes that Gainwell's reception total was an outlier driven by lack of receiver trust, not a sustainable role.

Insight page
NegativeUsage12:00

Gainwell led the Pittsburgh Steelers in receptions last year at an egregious level due to the lack of reliable receivers and Aaron Rodgers' checkdown-friendly tendencies. However, with the addition of new receivers (Michael Pittman, Jeremy Bernard) and improved receiving options, the source expects a significant decrease in checkdowns to Gainwell in 2026. This reduction in pass volume to running backs will directly impact his fantasy value.

Insight page
PositiveRole43:10

The source notes Kenneth Gainwell is RB 36 in ECR, one spot ahead of Rashad White whom he replaces. Gainwell has been described by coaching staff as very similar to Bucky Irving and able to mirror each other, with language suggesting he is an upgraded version of Rashad White. The source indicates the money spent on Gainwell suggests the team views him as a 1B back, and he will chip away at receptions from Irving.

Insight page
PositiveRole45:00

The source notes Kenneth Gainwell is ranked RB 36, one spot ahead of Rashad White whom he replaces. Gainwell has been described by Tampa Bay's coaching staff as very similar to Bucky Irving and able to mirror each other. The source views Gainwell as an upgraded version of White and suggests the money spent indicates the team views him as a 1B back who will chip away at receptions and workload.

Insight page

LeQuint Allen

NegativeRole17:00

Allen Jr. was in the Jacksonville system last year and showed very well in pass protection, which is his area of specialty. However, he did not have significant ground work compared to Basial Tootin or Travis Etienne. The source included him as a third name in the backfield to acknowledge the muddled nature of Jacksonville's running back situation, but he is a step behind Tootin and Rodriguez in terms of expectations.

Insight page
NegativeRole17:00

Allen Jr. is a pass-protection specialist in Jacksonville's backfield who showed well in that area last year but did not receive significant ground work compared to Basiil Tootin or Travis Etienne. His specialty is defined and limited, making him a third option behind Tootin and Rodriguez in the backfield hierarchy.

Insight page
NegativeRole23:00

Allen Jr. is positioned as the receiving and blocking option in the Jaguars backfield; if Tootin were to go down, the source expects the workload to split between Rodriguez on early downs and goal line, and Allen Jr. handling pass-catching and blocking responsibilities.

Insight page

Rhamondre Stevenson

NegativeRole0:44

Stevenson is viewed as a reliable, trustworthy back by coach Josh McDaniels despite fumbling issues, and will remain a constant factor in the Patriots backfield. He is ranked RB29 compared to Henderson's RB23, a gap that may need to widen slightly. The source suggests Stevenson might be more appropriately ranked in the Blake Corom/Kyle Manungay area rather than closer to Chuba Hubbard or Pittsburgh running backs. His role as the trusted pass-protection back in critical situations ensures he will limit Henderson's upside.

Insight page
NegativeRole0:44

Stevenson is ranked RB29 compared to Henderson's RB23, a gap that the source suggests might be appropriate but could potentially be wider. McDaniels views Stevenson as a very reliable, trustworthy back in pass protection and critical situations, despite his fumbling issues. The source notes that Stevenson's ranking might need to drop further to be more appropriately positioned near Blake Corum and Kyle Manungay rather than closer to Chuba Hubbard or Pittsburgh running backs.

Insight page

Rico Dowdle

NegativeRole9:01

Dowdle is ranked RB31 in ADP, just four spots behind Jalen Warren (RB27). Mike McCarthy has a previous connection with Dowdle from Dallas and has historically used him in committee situations. Dowdle has operated as a three-down back under McCarthy but is considerably worse at pass protection than Warren. If the backfield operates as a committee, the source expects Dowdle to handle early-down and goal-line work while Warren handles receiving and blocking. Vegas odds project Dowdle to have more rushing yards than Warren, but the source believes neither has a clear breakout opportunity.

Insight page
PositiveRole9:48

Dowdle brings a fresh perspective to Pittsburgh with new coach Mike McCarthy, who has a previous connection with him from Dallas. The source projects Dowdle as a potential three-down back operating early down and goal line work, though he is not the best pass protector. He has operated as a three-down back under McCarthy in the past and can handle checkdowns. Ranked RB31 in consensus rankings, a round behind Jalen Warren (RB27), with Vegas projecting him to have more rushing yards than Warren.

Insight page

RJ Harvey

NegativeProjection26:45

The source identifies multiple factors that could depress Harvey's production: first-half receiving work from 2025 may not translate to touchdowns if Jalen Waddell assumes the red-zone role; Waddell's underneath versatility and physical profile (different from the tall receivers Sutton and Bryant) could shift touchdown opportunities to wide receivers. The source concludes 'there's a lot of factors that go in here in terms of Harvey's floor potentially being a lot lower than people might expect it to be.'

Insight page
NegativeProjection26:45

The source identifies R.J. Harvey as facing multiple headwinds in the Denver backfield. Last year, once Harvey became the lead back, he had efficiency problems on the ground (3.7 YPA vs. Dobbins' 5.0 YPA), which Sean Payton clearly noticed. Harvey will likely not have exclusive three-down work at the start of the season because Dobbins gets the first crack. If Dobbins goes down, Jonah Coleman could step in and fulfill that role, leaving Harvey without the three-down work he was drafted for. Additionally, the addition of Jalen Waddell could reduce Harvey's red zone touchdown opportunities, as Waddell can play an underneath role in the red zone. The source concludes Harvey's floor is 'a lot lower than people might expect it to be' and calls the backfield 'not my favorite pick in the world.'

Insight page
NegativeBust27:03

Harvey scored fantasy points last year once Dobbins went down but didn't look like the best running back doing it; efficiency on the ground was a problem, and Sean Payton has made clear the work on the ground wasn't good enough, creating concerns about his viability as a lead back despite red zone usage and receiving touchdowns.

Insight page
NegativeRole27:03

Harvey scored fantasy points last year once Dobbins went down but did not necessarily look like the best running back in the process, suggesting limited upside despite opportunity.

Insight page
NegativeUsage29:00

Harvey had significant red zone usage and receiving touchdowns despite ground efficiency issues; at the beginning of the season before Dobbins' injury, the vast majority of carries went to Dobbins, meaning Harvey's production came from limited workload but concentrated opportunity in the red zone and passing game.

Insight page
NegativeRole29:45

The source warns that Harvey's role is threatened by a permanent committee approach under Sean Payton; even if J.K. Dobbins is injured, Jonah Coleman could step in and fulfill Dobbins' role, leaving Harvey without the three-down work he was drafted for. Additionally, the addition of Jalen Waddell could shift red-zone touchdowns away from Harvey to the wide receiver group, lowering his floor significantly. The source states this is 'not my favorite pick in the world to invest in anyone in this backfield' due to the most logical outcome being a true permanent committee.

Insight page
NegativeProjection30:00

If Dobbins goes down and Jonah Coleman emerges to fulfill the Dobbins role, Harvey's drafted value as a three-down back would evaporate; the backfield is structured as a three-headed monster with volatile and mediocre production potential for Harvey depending on Dobbins' health and Coleman's emergence.

Insight page

Sean Tucker

NegativeRole43:23

The source ranks Sean Tucker as RB 58 and notes he has had some flashes but is further down in rankings. The source expresses concern that Tucker will chip away at goal-line work from Bucky Irving, contributing to Irving's red zone usage concerns in the Buccaneers backfield.

Insight page
NegativeRole45:00

The source ranks Sean Tucker as RB 58 in the Tampa Bay backfield and notes he has had some flashes but is further down in rankings. The source expresses concern that Tucker will chip away at goal-line work, potentially limiting Bucky Irving's red zone opportunities in an offense where the new coordinator Zach Robinson has a history of giving goal-line touches to other backs.

Insight page

Terry McLaurin

PositiveValue41:02

The source views Terry McLaurin as the primary pass catcher in the Commanders offense and notes he is not going inside the top 20 in ADP, representing a discount. With Jaden Daniels at quarterback, McLaurin brought production that hadn't been seen due to poor quarterback play previously. The source is interested in McLaurin as a low-end wide receiver two at good value.

Insight page
PositiveValue41:02

The source views Terry McLaurin as the primary pass catcher in the new Washington offense and notes he is not going inside the top 20 in ADP, representing a discount. With Jaden Daniels as quarterback, McLaurin brought production that hadn't been seen due to poor quarterback play previously. The source is interested in McLaurin as a low-end wide receiver two of good value.

Insight page

Zach Charbonnet

NegativeInjury48:20

The source ranks Charbonnet at RB 46 and expresses reluctance to draft him due to injury concerns. Surgery was late in the offseason (late February), and the source does not expect him to be ready week one despite team messaging about potential week-one readiness. The source prefers to let someone else draft him and potentially pick him up off waivers in October if the team is looking good, rather than waste a draft pick and IR spot on him for the first two months of the season. The source notes that even if Charbonnet comes back in the fantasy playoffs, the ceiling may be capped with Price operating as the lead back.

Insight page
NegativeInjury57:00

The source ranks Zach Charbonnet at RB 46 and expresses reluctance to draft him due to his injury timeline. With surgery in late February, Charbonnet is unlikely to be ready for week one and will miss the first two months of the season. The source prefers not to waste a draft pick on him when other players will need IR spots, and suggests letting someone else draft him and potentially picking him up off waivers in October if the team is healthy.

Insight page
Full transcript

Episode Transcript

691
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Call 1-800-GRANGER, click Grainger.com, or stop by.
0:04Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Hello everybody, welcome into the FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast.
0:10I'm Ryan Wormeli, joined today by Tara Roberts, who has been on the show many times.
0:15Of course, today we are talking running back position battles to know for fantasy drafts.
0:19Before we get into it, Tara, how are you doing?
0:23I have not really done any off-season shows with you.
0:26I've been doing good, yeah. This is our happy reunion.
0:29So I'm the first of many to come, but yeah, I'm doing good.
0:33How about you? I'm good. I was just telling you a little bit about some of the HVAC stuff that our audience has already heard many times.
0:41I won't bore them with the details, but it is nice to actually be sitting in a cool house now.
0:47I know you can relate to some very hot weather living where you do as well.
0:52So you know what it's like and sometimes you don't really have a choice but to just do whatever it takes to get that cool air.
1:00So thankfully we're doing a little bit better here today.
1:03Yeah, we should be back for our Monday shows this season, I think.
1:07So you'll see more of us together when we get into the regular season.
1:12So hope everybody enjoys the show. Like I said, we're talking running back position battles to know for your fantasy drafts.
1:18Reminder for everybody, all of our 2026 consensus rankings and tiers can be found at fantasypros.com slash rankings.
1:24No real order here, Tara. So we'll just go kind of in the order that I wrote down the names into the show sheet.
1:31We'll start with the New England Patriots kind of a main two, obviously, right?
1:35Some of these backfields you can get three names deep, maybe even four names deep if you really want.
1:41The Patriots, it's just really the big two, right?
1:44Ramondre Stevenson and Travion Henderson. One of the more fascinating situations to watch play out last year, just given that Henderson was
1:51a player a lot of people liked. Henderson was, you know, providing these explosives and Stevenson had that fumbling issue.
1:57And we kept talking about when is Mike Vrabel going to bench this guy and give Travion Henderson an opportunity.
2:03Eventually with an injury, Henderson got an opportunity, looked pretty good, but that didn't end very strong.
2:08It was pretty non-existent in the playoffs. So going into 2026, do you view this as something close to a 50-50 split?
2:15Do you view this as a backfield with one guy ahead of the other?
2:20Do you view this as a passing of the torch where Henderson takes the mantle from Stevenson?
2:25What is your kind of macro level view on the Patriots backfield?
2:28My macro level view on the Patriots backfield is that it, on the surface, feels like it's one of the least dramatic ones.
2:36Because as you mentioned, there's so many others where we've got to factor in three backs and trying to figure out who's good at what.
2:43And we know exactly what this is. It's just extremely scary because at the end of the day, there's a lot of
2:50volatility in not knowing just how low that floor could potentially be for Travion Henderson.
2:55Because on the surface, if you look at the season as a whole, like if this were any other second year running
3:01back and we're looking at them with nearly a thousand yards, you know, 5.1 yards per carry, 10 total touchdowns, the receiving
3:08upside that he has, a solid finish last year as an RB2.
3:12You would be looking at this and saying, OK, we're looking for a breakout season.
3:17We are all in. We'd be moving him massively up the rankings.
3:20And yet we're not doing that because we're kind of petrified of trying to figure out how Travion Henderson fits with Ramondre Stevenson in terms of trust level.
3:29And that's the key here, because this is not a quantifiable like looking and trying to figure out, OK, well, I think
3:36he's going to have this specific role. The problem is, is that as you mentioned, the production was kind of volatile, unfortunately,
3:43throughout the season because they went back and forth a little bit.
3:46And then it settled in and we got a fairly good baseline from Travion Henderson.
3:51But the floor still dipped down a little bit to where you could get single digit fantasy point performances, even though he was getting a fairly decent workload.
4:00And then you get into the playoffs and it was a complete disaster.
4:04So the concern for me here in terms of how I'm looking at this backfield is the fact that we have a
4:10Patriots schedule that is going to be a lot tougher compared to last year.
4:15One that as a whole is going to look, you know, not exactly like the playoff run, but a lot more similar
4:21to it than the regular season did last year.
4:24So if that's the case and we know the trust level that Josh McDaniels has in Ramondre Stevenson, who's to say that
4:31we're not going to get into these more critical situations where the game is closer and they want to lean on Ramondre
4:38Stevenson as the back that they trust in pass protection, the reliable back who apparently fumbles and it's not a big deal.
4:45So it's a confusing situation because we're having to spend that top 24 draft capital on Henderson.
4:50But theoretically, he is kind of in this 50-50 situation where he could potentially be categorized as even a backup running back.
4:57So it's kind of like how much do you want to risk the potential ceiling here?
5:02Because Henderson is going to constantly have Stevenson as a factor.
5:05That's not going to go away. I know everyone wants to say Ramondre Stevenson.
5:09We're not scared of him. He's not a threat.
5:12He's nothing. It doesn't matter what we think as much as what the coach thinks.
5:17And they see him as a very reliable, trustworthy back.
5:20So it's incredibly risky in such a weird situation.
5:23At the end of the day, I think the ADP has dropped far enough back.
5:27If we were having to draft him as a top 20 back, I would have a problem with that taking him next
5:34to guys who I know have solidified three down rolls.
5:37But because it has at least pushed back into the lower end of RB2, I think it's a fine stab.
5:43Just I wouldn't utilize him as somebody that maybe you're waiting and you're investing on with wide receivers early.
5:49And then you turn around thinking that Travion Henderson is going to be your RB1.
5:54I would not go that route. I would trust him as an RB2 and know that you probably need to get a
6:01little safer backup option as well just in case there's volatility.
6:04It is funny to the point you made earlier that like you really don't hear people talk about him as a guy
6:11who's coming off of a rookie season where he, you know, rushing and receiving combined was over 1,100 yards and had 10 total touchdowns as a rookie.
6:19Like that that is not the way the conversation has been shaped, at least that I've heard around Travion Henderson this offseason.
6:26That's a really good rookie season, even with the up and down kind of roller coaster nature of it.
6:32And if you think there's any kind of step forward, then yeah, I get why there's excitement.
6:37But he's, you know, he was RB21 last year.
6:40He's not going as RB21. He's going as RB23.
6:42So he's going a little bit lower than even what that volatile year gave us.
6:47He's RB23 for Ramondre Stevenson, RB29. Does that feel right to you, that gap, RB23 to RB29 between these two?
6:53Do you think it should be closer or wider?
6:56It feels right, but I think you could maybe make the argument that Stevenson might need to go back a little bit
7:03further, maybe just a tiny bit and be more appropriately ranked.
7:06And it's kind of squabbling there, but maybe more appropriately within that kind of Blake Corom, Kyle, Manungay area versus being closer
7:13to a Chuba Hubbard kind of area or the Pittsburgh running backs.
7:17I think maybe you could make that argument, but I feel like the gap is appropriate.
7:22Maybe you could just push it back a tiny bit there.
7:25Is there anything that you think Trayvon Henderson, like you want to see out of him or that you think the coaching
7:32staff wants to see that could get him more of an opportunity, but that doesn't require an injury or anything like that?
7:39Like, you know, he came into the league. I think there was a lot of expectation.
7:44He was going to be a really strong pass blocking, you know, running back on third downs.
7:49It didn't totally pan out that way. You know, do you think he needs to take a step forward there?
7:55Is it just a matter of like knowing the playbook a little bit better in year two?
8:00Like, is there anything like not strictly on the field that you think could make a difference for him just in terms of getting more opportunity?
8:08Yeah, I think it does come down to the pass protection because we know he's an explosive back.
8:14He can break off runs just at any given moment, but you have to have that reliability, especially when, and here comes
8:21the other factor is that the reliability. And again, why it might've turned out this way in the playoffs, the reliability of
8:27that Patriots offensive line kind of falling apart there as we got towards the end of the season into tougher competition.
8:34So if you, if you know that we might need that extra boost, yeah, we need to see that extra boost in pass protection from Travion Henderson.
8:42So he can compete on that same level with Stevenson.
8:45The only weird thing is that, you know, as we go through these running backs, you get little tidbits here and there
8:52from training camp about he's working on this or that.
8:55And I haven't seen a whole bunch of Travion Henderson is working on kind of things that little, that scares me a little bit here.
9:03Just kind of hoping that, Hey, this is something that I'm genuinely hoping you paid attention to and we're working on during the off season.
9:11I don't want to let everybody know. We have two giveaways for you.
9:15If you want the chance to win a $50 fantasy pros shop code or a one year betting pros premium subscription, then this is your shot.
9:23All you have to do is subscribe to the fantasy pros YouTube channel right now.
9:27Drop a comment below on any of our videos.
9:30And that is it. We will be announcing both winners right here on the channel.
9:35So make sure to turn on those notifications so you can know when new videos are up and to claim your prize.
9:41All right, Tara, let's go to the Steelers. You just mentioned there a bunch of different names in this one.
9:48Where do you want to start with Pittsburgh? This is a, this is a fun one.
9:53Let's, let's start off with Caleb Johnson and nick him out, nix him out of the conversation.
9:58Like I think I did, I did write him in the show sheet for everybody to know with a bunch of question marks.
10:05I was like, are we even going to mention this guy?
10:08Yeah, I hate it for him, but I do.
10:11I mean, it's, it's probably, I mean, honestly, if they had brought anyone else in other than Rico Dowdle, maybe.
10:17But the fact that Rico already has that built-in trust with the coach, I mean, it just makes it such an uphill battle for Caleb Johnson.
10:25So, and we already saw last year, now obviously new coaching staff, but we already saw last year that when it came
10:32down to it, even when Jalen Warren went down with that injury, Kenneth Gainwell got the vast murder.
10:38We didn't see that transition of a, let's keep a committee and push Caleb Johnson in there.
10:43Um, so yeah, I just, I feel bad for him, but I do think it boils down to Jalen Warren and Rico Dowdle.
10:50And I feel like this one is a more fun committee because, um, we've got this new coaching staff.
10:56So, uh, fresh perspective here, but the coaching staff does have, in terms of Mike McCarthy, does have that previous connection with Rico Dowdle in Dallas.
11:04And we've got Jalen Warren as the incumbent running back, and this was operating as a committee last year with Kenneth Gainwell,
11:11but it doesn't necessarily have to operate as a committee this year.
11:14Um, but I like to evaluate it from the perspective of if it were to operate as a committee again, because it's
11:21not as if Mike McCarthy has been averse to using that in the past.
11:26We saw Rico Dowdle utilized alongside other running backs, and we saw, um, that previously with Mike McCarthy as well.
11:32So it's possible that this could go as a committee.
11:35So, I mean, let's look at it from a, from a broad perspective in Pittsburgh and kind of look at the changes
11:42that they'll see in their offense as a whole.
11:44With Mike McCarthy in there, the addition of new receivers in there as well is going to make some changes in this offense.
11:51Because the one thing that I do want to lead off with when I talk about the Pittsburgh running backs is that
11:58I would not expect the same level of checkdowns that I saw last year from them.
12:03Because the amount of receptions, I mean, Kenneth Gainwell led the team in receptions.
12:07It was egregious, right? That is going to come down because we've got more reliable wide receivers in there.
12:13Obviously, Aaron Rodgers is very checkdown friendly, but it was amped up to a level, um, that was more of an outlier
12:20just because outside of DK Metcalf, there was really trust in the receivers there.
12:24We know that Michael Pittman is one of the more reliable possession receivers in the league.
12:29We've heard so many positive things about Jeremy Bernard.
12:32So, I would assume that we are going to have an increase in pass volume going to the receivers and a little
12:39decrease in all of those checkdowns that we were getting to Kenneth Gainwell last year.
12:44But looking at Gainwell, or looking at Rico Dowdle versus Jalen Warren, the one thing that I do notice is that we
12:50do have a more clearly defined skill set between those two.
12:54Like with Gainwell and Warren last year, they were good at the same stuff, right?
12:58And Gainwell's a smaller back, so Warren took the lead stuff, right?
13:02But, um, they were both very good in pass protection and receiving.
13:06Rico Dowdle has operated as a three down back under Mike McCarthy.
13:10He can, he's not the best pass protector in the world, but he can do it and he can handle checkdowns.
13:16But Warren is considerably better on that end, like by far over Rico Dowdle.
13:20So, if this were to split to a committee, my assumption would be that it would be Rico Dowdle early down in
13:27goal line with Jalen Warren as receiving work change of pace and blocking, right?
13:31But I was doing a Twitch live yesterday with Scott Bogman, and he made a really good point, right?
13:37Because I was like, well, you know, I think it might end up with Mike McCarthy going back to Rico Dowdle here.
13:44And the amount of times, Scott's point was, is the amount of times that we have counted out Jalen Warren for it
13:51to end up just being Jalen Warren is kind of ridiculous.
13:54At what point do we just accept that Jalen Warren might just straight up be the better back in this offense, period?
14:01I think it's a great point that you bring up there.
14:04I think this one is really tough for me because some of the other position battles that we're looking at, there is
14:11a gap in where these guys are ranked. And with this one, there's really not.
14:16I think they're like a round apart in ADP, and it's Jalen Warren's RB27, Rico Dowdle's RB31.
14:21So, there's not like some huge discount on set.
14:24Like sometimes you get into these uncertain situations at different positions too during fantasy draft season, and I find myself saying, I'll
14:31just take whoever's going latest, and that way I don't have to be the one to make the choice.
14:37I'll just take this one. It's like, okay, you can wait around and take Dowdle instead of Warren, but it's not that much of a difference.
14:45Do you think one of these two – I think they have fairly similar outlooks even though they're different stylistically.
14:51Do you think one of them has a higher ceiling?
14:54Like, hey, barring an injury to the other one obviously in which both cases their ceiling goes up.
14:59But barring something like that, do you think one of them has like – the upside is just different here.
15:06I mean, we saw some of those games, you know, those individual weeks of crazy upside from Rico Dowdle last year.
15:12You know, Jalen Warren, like you said, is maybe just ends up being the better guy.
15:17But is there like an overall season-long upside that you see is higher for one of these guys than the other?
15:23I think if I were to say which one has the higher upside, I think that Jalen Warren can do more with reception.
15:31So, if it would boil down to it, I would say maybe him.
15:35And also just looking at the skill set there, do I believe that Rico Dowdle would be the clear and defined three down back over Jalen Warren?
15:43No, I think it would end up being a split there.
15:46But can I fathom a world where Jalen Warren is the clear and defined three down back in all aspects over Rico Dowdle?
15:53Yeah, I could buy that as a scenario. So, I mean, when you look at the Vegas odds, they're projecting that Rico
16:00Dowdle has the more rushing yards over Jalen Warren.
16:03Neither one is really prolific. It's kind of like everyone is thinking this is just going to end up being a committee.
16:10But if I did have to pin point one that in the context of those two together would have the three down
16:17opportunity, I do think it would be Warren. But again, I'm 100% with you.
16:21It's such a narrow gap. There's no clear defined breakout here for either one of these guys.
16:26So, it's a tough one and a weird one to handle here.
16:30Would you rather draft either of those two or Ramondre Stevenson, who we just talked about, who was ranked right between the two?
16:37I think I would rather draft one of those two.
16:40Just because I can fathom a world where Travion Henderson 100% takes over for Ramondre Stevenson.
16:45So, I can see him disappearing completely in value just into a handcuff.
16:49At least with these two running backs in Pittsburgh, I feel like one will consistently have a value there.
16:55So, neither one is really my favorite. But I would lean towards one of the Pittsburgh running backs.
17:00Let's go to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jaguars. Basial Tootin, obviously sort of the up-and-coming name that people are seeing as an ascendant
17:07running back and who can step into a nice role with Travis Echengon.
17:11Chris Rodriguez Jr., a player who – there are some people who I actually do like at cost quite a bit.
17:18Rodriguez, just kind of like what I was just saying.
17:21There is a gap between these two. So, it's kind of taking the swing on the later guy in case there's more of an opportunity there.
17:29And Rodriguez, sorry if you were going to bring this up too, has a real background with Liam Cohen at Kentucky when they were in college together.
17:37So, there's some familiarity there. And then I wrote LaQuint Allen's name down.
17:41Just a player that I kind of liked last year.
17:44And, you know, it does some things okay. I'm not sure what kind of opportunity he'll get.
17:49But there's no sure thing in this backfield, right, Tara?
17:53Like, Tootin, we can dream on what a great season might look like from him.
17:57We haven't seen it yet, right? We've only seen flashes.
18:00Chris Rodriguez, like, kind of maybe a little more steady Eddie.
18:04Like, you know what he is. So, I threw in the third name here and the show sheet just to say, like,
18:10hey, this is a little bit more of a gray area, muddled sort of backfield, even though he is obviously a step
18:17behind Tootin and Rodriguez in terms of what our expectations would be.
18:21But Tootin, just to let everybody know, RB25 in those half PPR expert consensus rankings.
18:26And then Chris Rodriguez is RB43. So, a larger gap than the first couple of backfields we discussed.
18:31What do you think about the Jaguars? Yeah, I'm a dreamer on this one, Ryan.
18:36I am the dreamer for Basial Tootin on this one.
18:39And it's funny because when we were just talking about, like, the Patriots versus Pittsburgh, and I was saying, you know, Pittsburgh,
18:46it's tough to see which one of them can come out of that one.
18:50And you're looking at the Patriots. You feel, hey, if someone is going to come out with the biggest upside in this one, it's Travion Henderson.
18:58With Jacksonville, I feel more similarly to the Patriots situation, where if one person comes out of this backfield with big three
19:05down back upside, to me, it has to be Basial Tootin.
19:08Because when we're looking at what everybody does, right, we look at Chris Rodriguez, we know that he is an excellent early down back and goal line back.
19:17When we look at LaQuint Allen Jr., he was in that system last year.
19:21He did not have the work on the ground over Basial Tootin or Travis Etienne, but he did show very well in terms of pass protection.
19:29So I know that that is his area of specialty.
19:32So we've got Chris Rodriguez and LaQuint Allen Jr., who both have two different areas of specialties there.
19:38And then you have Basial Tootin, who is the only one between them who could theoretically do it all.
19:44So when I'm looking at him, that's the one that I prefer to take a chance on, right?
19:49Especially because the ADP, if we were pumping this ADP up, right, but you're drafting him as a high-end RB3, the risk isn't inherently that much right now.
19:58And I don't know if we're going to get enough camp hype, especially considering that the Jacksonville isn't exactly the most trustworthy
20:05in terms of camp hype based off of what we saw last year with Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, and Basial Tootin.
20:11The thing that I tell people is, like, one, the camp, like, just knowing what we know from last year, just be
20:18assured that first team reps and whatnot might look a little bit wonky because they're trying to figure out who fits in
20:25where and give everyone the opportunity to shine. So if you see someone getting first team reps, don't overreact and run away
20:32with it because that person, now I don't think anyone's getting shipped out, but as we have seen, you can, in fact,
20:38just get shipped out even though you're sitting there getting first team reps anyway.
20:43But looking at this situation, I feel like the thing that stands out for me with Basial Tootin is that we know
20:49that Chris Rodriguez has the connection in college with Liam Cohen, but Tootin was a guy that Liam Cohen drafted last year.
20:56He was a guy that Liam Cohen showed extreme amount of trust, odd amount of trust for a rookie who was operating
21:03as a backup because Travis Etienne was the clear lead back, but there was very keen situational usage for Basial Tootin.
21:09He had a lot of, considering that he was a certified backup, right?
21:13This was not any kind of committee kind of situation.
21:17He had an odd amount of usage in the red zone there.
21:2023 attempts inside the red zone, converted four of those into touchdowns.
21:24All four of those were inside the five, so he was shown to have trust at the goal line.
21:30He also had two red zone receptions that were converted into touchdowns as well.
21:34So I think there, I think that's kind of like a nice little caveat of something for us to look at and
21:41say, there is inherent trust that Liam Cohen showed last year with Basial Tootin.
21:45And we have gotten some little camp notes and whatnot.
21:48Some coach speak is always fun there. Liam Cohen has been recently speaking on Basial Tootin and just, you know, saying stuff
21:55that, you know, it's funny, people can interpret it any way they want, but saying like, hey, we want you to do
22:02the things that you can do, be the best that you are, and then saying, we definitely expect Tootin to have a big year for us.
22:10Take that as you will, but I'm happy to see positive reinforcement from Liam Cohen regarding Basial Tootin.
22:16And if there is one player in this backfield who could theoretically handle all three downs, obviously with some work in from
22:22the others, this change of pace, it would be Basial Tootin for me.
22:26Are you interested in Chris Rodriguez at his cost, even if you also are like kind of being the dreamer on Tootin
22:33and want to be investing in him? Because, I mean, if Tootin's going in, you know, round six and Rodriguez is going
22:40around 11, you could very easily get both of them on your roster and invest in both.
22:45Does that interest you? Or are you sort of pushing all of your chips in on Tootin only?
22:51It's not the worst thing in the world, but my problem with that is that we know that he will never have that receiving word.
22:58That's just something that he doesn't do. And Liam Cohen knows that about him, right?
23:03He didn't catch passes in college either. So if we know that, let's say, Basial Tootin were to go down or anything
23:10like that, and he's out of the picture, whatever, and we know that more than likely that would come down to early
23:17down in goal line for Chris Rodriguez, and then probably LaQuint Allen Jr.
23:21you're factoring in from the receiving and blocking perspective.
23:23So from that perspective, like the ADP isn't bad.
23:26It's not the worst thing in the world because if it ends up being a committee, maybe you can get a guy
23:33who can give you a solid 10 points maybe a week, that 8 to 10 kind of baseline of a guy getting some yardage and touchdown potential.
23:41But he also goes back in a range where you start to look at potential handcuffs that could have a lot higher
23:48value where they do step into starter roles, right?
23:51Three down, high upside, league winning upside. And that's the difference for me is that I can't say that I would see
23:58league winning upside from Chris Rodriguez, safe upside, like safe, cool.
24:01We could get a nice flex option. But at that point, I see a lot of guys where I'm like, okay, I
24:08could see this as a three down back happening there and giving me an ample amount of fantasy points on a weekly basis.
24:15So I'd rather go that direction. These backfields are exactly the kinds of situations you should test with the draft simulator.
24:21Run realistic mocks, see where each running back is coming off the board, and compare how your roster looks when you chase the upside.
24:29Take the safer role or fade the entire backfield.
24:32Go to fantasypros.com slash mock or download the Fantasy Pros app.
24:35Use the draft simulator and practice these tough calls before draft day.
24:39It's smart to always have a few financial goals.
24:42And a really smart one you can set? Earning cash back on what you buy every day.
24:47And with Discover, you can. Get this. Discover automatically matches all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
24:54Seriously. All of it. And we trust you to make smart decisions.
24:58I mean, after all, you listen to this show.
25:00See terms at discover.com slash credit card. This is Tav Ramos from Inside American Soccer.
25:05And this summer, Topgolf is turning into the ultimate soccer destination.
25:08They're not just throwing games on in the background.
25:11Topgolf is going all in on soccer. They've got a new soccer-themed game you can play with your group, special in-venue activations,
25:18exclusive food and drink items inspired by the global game.
25:21And at more than 60 locations, they've even installed full-size soccer goals.
25:25So you can try to hit golf balls right into the net.
25:28And every match all summer long will be on throughout the venue.
25:32So it's a great place to watch with friends, hang out, compete a little bit, and enjoy the atmosphere.
25:38And if you want to keep the fun going all summer, you can get the Topgolf Summer Fun Pass, which lets you
25:45play every single day and bring up to five guests every visit.
25:48Get yours now at topgolf.com slash fun pass. Summer hits different at Topgolf.
25:53This is Becca and Tanya from Scrubbing In with Becca Tilly and Tanya Rad.
25:57Becca, can I ask you a question? How do I convince myself I need something before I buy it?
26:03Oh, so we're doing that today. Well, I'll be shopping online and suddenly I'm like, well, technically this counts as self-care.
26:09You're definitely not alone there. That's why Klarna stands out.
26:12It's about smarter tools that help you feel more confident with your money.
26:16Klarna brings payments, cashback, and money management together in one place with flexible ways to pay.
26:21It helps you make smarter money moves without the stress.
26:24That's the goal, right? Having tools that make your money work with you.
26:28Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more.
26:32California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license.
26:36NMLS number 1353190. Klarna balance account required to be eligible for cashback points.
26:40Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. All right. One of the toughest backfields, in my opinion, Denver Broncos.
26:45J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, and the rookie who I liked a lot coming into the draft in Jonah Coleman.
26:51I think there's a real role for him in the NFL.
26:54Three really interesting names for kind of different reasons.
26:57You know, Dobbins has always been talented but has never been even close to healthy throughout his NFL career.
27:03You know, R.J. Harvey scored fantasy points last year once Dobbins went down but didn't necessarily look like the best running back doing it.
27:10So I'm not sure how much of a believer you are in Harvey the player.
27:15I know Fitz, when we talk about Harvey on the Dynasty show, is pretty interested in fading R.J.
27:20Harvey. And then Jonah Coleman, a limited, I don't want to say flawed, I'll say limited running back.
27:26But a guy who can do some things pretty well, who's really productive at Washington at times in college, and who was drafted here.
27:33So three names that I could see this backfield going in any direction given various inefficiencies, various injuries.
27:39It feels like maybe Dobbins will certainly get the first crack at it, I would think.
27:44But, you know, if he gets hurt again or if they just want to take it easy on him and make sure
27:51they have him around for the playoffs, which they didn't last year, then I could see this going in a few different directions fantasy-wise.
27:58How are you approaching the Broncos' backfield? It has got to be the weirdest running back group as a whole, because you
28:05nailed the reason that makes it the weirdest running back group.
28:08Last year, once R.J. Harvey became the lead back, the problem was, is like from a fantasy perspective, if you look at
28:15those weeks, you see the points, you're like, okay, good.
28:18No, I was all happy. Yeah. But unfortunately, the efficiency on the ground was a problem, right?
28:23And I think that, you know, Sean Payton knows that.
28:27That's why we had all of the off-season fodder around them potentially dipping into the free agency market for a running back.
28:33Why they drafted Jonah Coleman as well. We've also got R.J.
28:37Harvey saying that he's, you know, been watching tapes of different backs.
28:40Like, I think Kenneth Walker was one that he mentioned.
28:44So I think he is also clearly, and probably Sean Payton, who does not mince words, has made it very clear as
28:50well, that the work on the ground wasn't good enough.
28:53So the fear that you have there is, you know, we know for an unfortunate fact that the odds of J.K.
29:00Dobbins making it through an entire season are slim.
29:03So you're drafting R.J. Harvey with the understanding that the backfield will more than likely look the way that it did, if
29:09we're just not even addressing Jonah Coleman right now, the backfield, if it's just Dobbins and Harvey will look the way it
29:16did in the early half of the season before Dobbins went down, which was the vast majority of the carries going to J.K.
29:23Dobbins. But he was not exactly the most usable back in the world because the red zone usage, oddly enough, for the
29:30efficiency on the ground issues, we had a lot of usage for R.J.
29:34Harvey in the red zone in particular. The receiving touchdowns were there as well.
29:38So it's a weird one where you've got a volatile potential production from Harvey at the beginning of the season because you
29:45know he's not going to have a certain level of workload on the ground and then a mediocre production from J.K.
29:52Dobbins. And then we hear all these camp rumors about Jonah Coleman looking excellent, potentially factoring in earlier than we would see even once a J.K.
30:00Dobbins injury were to happen. So then we've got to address it from a three headed monster approach there.
30:06So what happens if J.K. Dobbins goes down and then Jonah Coleman comes in and just fulfills that J.K.
30:11Dobbins role. And here you have drafted R.J. Harvey for inevitable three down work that never comes because Sean Payton has collected
30:18all of the players that he needs to ensure that this stays into a perma committee through the end of time.
30:25So it just makes it very unappealing. Now, if you as a drafter don't believe in Coleman, then for sure, you know,
30:32invest in Harvey because at some point J.K. Dobbins will go down.
30:35But if we're sitting here in camp and we're getting nothing but positives out of Jonah Coleman, you have to be aware
30:42of the possibility there that this may never exclusively be R.J.
30:45Harvey's backfield. And then there's one more weird caveat that I don't know is being addressed.
30:50The addition of Jalen Waddell could actually affect R.J.
30:53Harvey as well. Because when we're looking at that first half of the season production last year for R.J.
30:59Harvey, that was a lot of receiving work, right?
31:02So what happens if we still get those checkdowns of receiving work, right?
31:06But what if those touchdowns go away? What if we get the addition of Jalen Waddell adds a different dynamic weapon, which
31:13is good because physically he's a lot different than Cortland Sutton and Pat Bryant who are all big towering receivers, right?
31:19We've got Waddell that can play a more underneath role here potentially once they get into the red zone and give them
31:26some versatility in terms of how they're getting these touchdowns.
31:29So it doesn't have to be Harvey. We could see the effect of touchdowns shifting to the wide receivers a little bit more there.
31:36So there's a lot of factors that go in here in terms of Harvey's floor potentially being a lot lower than people might expect it to be.
31:45So it's not my favorite pick in the world to invest in anyone in this backfield because the most logical outcome for
31:51me is a true permanent committee here. Not only, you know, the possibility of Waddell mixing up this offense, but also Sean
31:58Payton, you know, stepping down from play calling duties.
32:01Who knows if that'll last the whole season, right?
32:04I think there's definitely a chance that we get a month and a half in and it's not going well and he
32:11takes play calling duties back over from Davis Webb.
32:13But that was like a big deal, especially for one of these sort of like seminal foundational offensive minds of this century
32:20of NFL football and Sean Payton is now not going to be calling plays and he has a real deserved reputation for not caring about your fantasy team.
32:29So now that it's somebody else, maybe there turns into a little more certainty in this backfield.
32:34I don't know. Very much remains to be seen.
32:37I think you, I think you put it best when you said that this is the weirdest backfield to try to navigate here.
32:44They're, they're very close RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins in the expert consensus rankings.
32:48They are RB 32, RB 34, Jonah Coleman further down at RB 54, obviously.
32:53I, I don't know. I was going to say that I'm surprised that Harvey is ahead of Dobbins.
32:58Excuse me. But at the end of the day, I do think like the injury history just plays such a big role
33:05in that ranking that like you, you cannot really assume anything close to a full season from Dobbins, which, which is a
33:12bummer because I really liked the player, but you just, you just can't assume it.
33:16He's, he played 15 games back in 2020 and then eight, one, 13, 10.
33:21And those 13 and 10, like we're not, you know, good finishes.
33:24It's just, it's just, you have to bake it in.
33:27So I guess that, that probably, I guess for that reason, I'm not as surprised, but I do think when both are
33:34healthy, that like Dobbins is the guy that'll rank higher on a week to week basis.
33:39Yeah. Just not season long. Yeah. You know, it's funny.
33:42I, I, cause I've seen some people saying that, you know, Harvey is the better back and that JK Dobbins is just the plotter.
33:50I don't think the stats show that. But I think that in terms of who was more successful on the ground, JK Dobbins was the one.
33:58So again, I just hesitate for people to think that right off the bat, we are going to see significant uptick in volume on the ground from Harvey.
34:06So just, just be aware that Dobbins is still present and does have that favorite with Sean Payton.
34:12In the same backfield, JK Dobbins just averaged five yards per attempt last season.
34:16RJ Harvey was 3.7 yards per attempt. Harvey gave you more as a pass catcher for sure.
34:21And obviously played the full season, which made many finished a lot higher in the season long rankings.
34:27But Dobbins was the better runner last year. I thought that was like pretty clear in my opinion, at least strictly as a rusher.
34:34Same. Let's go to another backfield with three names.
34:37Maybe not as weird as the Broncos, but probably murkier.
34:40At least maybe you disagree, but the Washington commanders, Rashad White, Ja'Cory Krosky, Merritt, and Katron Allen are the three names that I put down.
34:48Obviously White coming from Tampa. Bill Krosky, Merritt, just everybody's favorite sleeper in August to the point where he really wasn't a
34:55sleeper anymore and then doesn't have that great of a year.
34:58And then Katron Allen, who maybe not the athlete that Nick Singleton was in the same backfield at Penn State, but sort of the better, just pure runner.
35:07It felt like to a lot of people who would watch the games and, you know, better, better use of his blocking
35:14and better vision and that sort of thing. So an interesting player coming out of Penn State, one of the most prolific running backs Penn State's ever had.
35:22Interestingly enough, just given that he played a full four years there.
35:26But between these three, do you have a favorite?
35:29I mean, this is the one of all the backfields we're talking about today.
35:33This is the one where there is no one guy who is going all that high in drafts.
35:39Rashad White is RB 37. Ja'Cory Krosky, Merritt is RB 40.
35:42And Katron Allen is RB 66. So one guy inside the top 40 and he's not even inside the top 36.
35:49So feels more wide open or at least as wide open as any of those other position battles we're talking about today.
35:55Maybe with less upside, at least if you go based on the rankings.
35:59Yeah, this is this is one that you know what everyone theoretically does.
36:03So it's not super murky in terms of skill sets, but it is super murky in terms of what Washington actually wants to do.
36:11We've got to change an offensive coordinator. So again, in this where we're not privy to any kind of preferences here in
36:18terms of who would have the more upside between these backs with the offensive coordinator.
36:22So when you're looking at this one, though, I will say, as you mentioned, the rankings are, you know, so much further back for these guys.
36:30So I don't actually think that any one of them is a negative to invest in because none of them are going to break the bank for you.
36:39You know, I've gotten comments of people saying, no, it's Katron Allen that you want.
36:43I'm like, hey, if you feel that that is a very last round pick, absolutely take that stab.
36:49It is not going to hurt you in any way, shape or form.
36:53So get your guy on this one. If you really, truly do have a belief that one is going to come out.
37:00There's a lot of JCM truth. There's a lot of oddly enough, a lot of Rashad White truth.
37:05There's as well. But it's funny because when you break down the skill sets, I think we know who's good at what, right?
37:12We know that Rashad White is very good when it comes to blocking and receiving.
37:17We know that JCM does not have that skill set and did not have that skill set last year.
37:23And that was something that held him back. But on a positive note, compared to some of the other previous guys we've
37:30talked about, it seems very clear that he understands this and has reportedly definitely been working on it in the offseason.
37:36So this is one of those ones where a training camp is actually going to be very beneficial for us because we
37:43can actually look at the footage and say, I want to see Ja'Kory Krosky merit in action.
37:48Like put up, put up or see, you know, is this something that you actually improved on?
37:54Is it possible for you to be a contributor when it comes to third down work here?
37:59Because while I don't think you're, you would over the course of a year improve to the level where you're going to
38:06get as good as Rashad White, can you be good enough to where Washington doesn't have to have a setback here and
38:12they can kind of mix and match and make the offense a little less predictable on that level.
38:18So that one's the key there for me. And then trying to figure out if Katron Allen could in any way, shape
38:25or form be better at the goal line than Ja'Kory Krosky merit, because that was a secondary issue that came in with him last year.
38:32Whenever JCM got carries, he was successful with them for the most part.
38:36But the problem was, is we got into this weird back half of the season situation where Chris Rodriguez was getting the
38:43preferred goal line work and he was good at it and successful at it.
38:48And I get it, but it gives you pause and sitting there and saying, is it possible that JCM is just not the best in that aspect?
38:56And maybe Katron Allen, who you mentioned was very reliable in college.
39:00Could he sneak in there and get that goal line work and make this a weird, nasty three-headed committee where nothing is effective?
39:07So it's, it's, it's, this one is peculiar, right?
39:09And I did go back and look, um, because that probably leads you to saying, okay, since Rashad White would have the
39:16receiving upside, is he the most reliable option in this backfield?
39:20Well, let's go back and look at Jaden Daniels and his rookie season, because last year we can't really use that as
39:26a comp and try to figure out what this would look like in terms of checkdowns for him because, uh, Washington has
39:33utilized the committee through multiple regimes here. And back in 2024, during the, during the rookie season there for Jaden Daniels, it was Brian Robinson and Austin Eckler.
39:42Um, Eckler missed some time, but his 17 game pace in terms of receptions was about three per game.
39:48So, uh, 17 game pace would be about 50 total there.
39:51So there is some potential there for Rashad White to have the most reliable floor in this backfield, just based off the receiving work.
39:59If we were to take it back and see what the check down rate was for Jaden Daniels in his rookie season.
40:05So if I were going to look at this backfield and parse everyone out there, Rashad White is the safer pick because of that receiving upside.
40:13Ja'Kory Krosky-Merritt would be your boom high upside pick because he would potentially have the ability to have the early down work and the goal line work.
40:22And maybe he creeps in there and gets a little bit of that receiving work if he's really improved on that end.
40:28So I would approach it from that end, as long as we get the confirmation that we're not going to have Katron Allen sniping at the goal line.
40:37Is there like, is this an offense that you want to be investing in, especially when you can do it for cheap like this?
40:45Like what, what are your expectations for year three of Jaden Daniels?
40:48Obviously an excellent year one, injury riddled year two.
40:51You know, we do have the, the new young hotshot coordinator play caller.
40:55You mentioned getting the new offense in there. Um, in general, because we know roughly what Jaden Daniels is going to cost in drafts.
41:02We know roughly what Terry McLaurin is going to cost in drafts.
41:06There's a lot of uncertainty beyond that. Is this just an offensive general that you think, Hey, there's some real upside here.
41:13I think there's gonna be a lot of scoring opportunities.
41:16I want to take some swings or is it generally speaking in offense that you're more like, I'll let somebody else try
41:23to play these mind games and figure it out.
41:26I'm willing to take swings on it. I mean, we don't get any discount on Jaden Daniels.
41:31So if you're investing in that, you know, you're investing in it, right?
41:35But everybody else, I mean, we're even getting a discount on Terry McLaurin, who we mentioned is really the only primary pass catcher in this offense.
41:43Now there are still other guys out there in free agency.
41:46Whether or not any of those pan out, my thought process is maybe you eventually see a Stefan Diggs wind up there.
41:53But for right now, we've got Terry McLaurin as the primary pass catcher that is not going inside the top 20 there.
42:00So we're getting a little bit of a decent discount on that.
42:04And we know that all things equal in a full healthy season.
42:07Jaden Daniels brought Terry McLaurin to life in terms of production that we just hadn't seen because of the poor quarterback situation previously.
42:14So I'm interested in Terry McLaurin as a low end wide receiver too.
42:18That's of good value. And then outside of that, Chico Conquo, I think is the little sleepy or sneaky sleeper pick there for us as well.
42:26Sliding in as a starting receiver. Again, you know, go back to we know that Zach Ertz was actually, you know, a
42:33fairly solid streaming option for what it was worth in terms of garnering a decent amount of receptions.
42:39He was second in receptions previously. So with no clear and discernible wide receiver to step up here, we could see Chig
42:45step up, take advantage of that opportunity and really make something of the volume.
42:50So people looking to do any kind of late round streaming options or maybe some little sneaky options and tie it in premium.
42:57That's one that's very interesting. Listeners of the show have heard me talk about Chico Conquo enough.
43:02Otherwise, I would start talking about him even more again.
43:05Let's go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield. Bucky Irving, RB 21 in ECR.
43:10Kenny Gainwell is down at RB 36. So a bit of a gap there.
43:14Ironically, Gainwell is one spot ahead of Rashad White, who he replaces in this backfield.
43:19And I threw out Sean Tucker as well. He's had some flashes before for sure, but he is a bit further down in the rankings.
43:26I'm not even sure. Yeah, he's RB 58. So a little bit further down as well.
43:31I kind of view this as Bucky Irving's backfield, but with interest in Gainwell, given some of the injury stuff last year
43:38for Bucky and just the fact that Gainwell is a good player.
43:42But I do think the rankings kind of reflect my thought on the backfield, which is there is definitely a lean towards Bucky right now.
43:49I know, again, I mentioned him already, but Pat Fitzmaurice on some of the Dynasty shows has really been talking up Bucky.
43:56And that's definitely seeped into my 2026 ranking of him.
43:59But what do you make of this backfield? Is this Bucky's backfield to lose?
44:04Do you see it as more of a split than the rankings would suggest?
44:08Let me try and negatively influence you there, Ryan.
44:11I'm Bucky. No, it won't be that bad. It won't be that bad.
44:15I agree. He is the lead back. I'm not disputing that.
44:18I agree with that. My problem here is that he is the lead back in an offense where when we saw last
44:25season, the one thing that if you kind of look at the stats and point out his usage in the red zone,
44:32and he was a bell cow running back, right?
44:34With when in games that he played, you know, sans the injury.
44:38Once he came back, volume was there in terms of touches.
44:42But what was missing was the red zone work there.
44:45And once you get inside the tin, his usage drops so far below everyone else in terms of the guys that had
44:51those true bell cow level of touches there. That's the concern for me.
44:55So we're talking about a situation where we trust in theory.
44:59If you, you know, injury issue was definitely traumatizing on that one.
45:03But we trust that he is the lead back.
45:05But if we've got two guys in Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker that are chipping away at the workload, Kenneth Gainwell, who
45:12has been described, let's talk Camp Hype, has been described by his coaching staff as, you know, very positively talking about he and Bucky Irving are very similar.
45:21They can mirror each other. These are very interesting language that they are using in reference to Kenneth Gainwell and Bucky Irving.
45:28And we know that he is an upgraded version of Rashad White.
45:31For every positive thing that I said about Rashad White, it's, you know, a little bit up further for Kenneth Gainwell.
45:38And I think the money kind of does. It's not massive money, but the money does kind of indicate that they view
45:45that as well, that he is worth really being that 1B.
45:48So if we've got Gainwell chipping away at the receptions, right?
45:51And then we've got Sean Tucker chipping away at the goal line.
45:55And I'm worried that with Bucky Irving, we get into a situation where he is perpetually in that RB, maybe 18 to
46:0224 range, where there's a certain level to where you're not busting and it's a complete like, oh no, he got me two fantasy points this week.
46:10But you're never getting that level of upside that you were hoping that you could see that we've seen from him previously though.
46:17And then we've got the change in offensive coordinator here.
46:20So the one thing I do, I like the Tampa Bay Bucs offense as a whole for a bounce back here because
46:27we had poor offensive coordinator work last season. Baker Mayfield was injured, right?
46:31And playing through it throughout a lot of the season, receiving core was dealing with injuries as well.
46:37So I like Tampa Bay for a bounce back here, especially under new coordinator Zach Robinson, who by the way, was the
46:43guy in Atlanta that was giving goal line touches to Tyler Algier at an egregious clip over Bajon Robinson.
46:49So if we've got an offense that was already doing this, and then we got Zach Robinson who had this tendency in
46:56Atlanta, I'm very concerned that there's just a certain ceiling that Bucky Irving unfortunately can't have in this offense.
47:02Where, sorry, did you say, where is he ranked for you?
47:05Because he's, like I said, RB 21 in consensus.
47:08Where do you have him? He is my RB 21.
47:11Yeah. Okay, so right there. He's two spots ahead of Henderson.
47:15Based on the way you've talked about it, would you rather have Henderson or do you see a gap there?
47:21I've got a two gap between those two. I mean, I would rather have Bucky just for the fact that I think there's a more stable floor there.
47:29Again, I would expect him to have the most touches between him and the other backs there and the most stable touches between him and Travion Henderson.
47:38So if you're looking for the ceiling play, Travion Henderson.
47:41I don't know that in the context of the Bucky Irving offense that we see with Tampa Bay that we're going to
47:48get those massive 30-point games that we got out of Travion Henderson last year.
47:52But the floor is a lot safer with Bucky Irving for sure.
47:56We've got one more backfield. But first, today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.
48:02Some sports fans call this the slow period until football season.
48:06But on Hard Rock Bet, we call it baseball season.
48:09There's a full slate almost every day for you to bet on your favorite teams and players, build epic same-game parlays, and
48:15even live bet every inning from first pitch to the final out.
48:19However you like to play ball, Hard Rock Bet has you covered.
48:23And if you think baseball is too slow, think again.
48:26The average first inning lasts just 17 minutes, making first inning bets one of the fastest and most exciting ways to get in on the action.
48:34Will there be a run or will it be a no-run first inning?
48:38You can even parlay first inning bets for an even bigger potential payday.
48:42So if you're ready to step into the batter's box, sign up with Hard Rock Bet today and place a $5 bet.
48:49If it wins, you get $150 in bonus bets on top of your winnings.
48:53That's right, an extra $150 into your account. Plus, Hard Rock Bet gives you new promos every single day.
48:59We're talking no-swept bets, profit boosts, bonus bets, and more.
49:02Open Hard Rock Bet now and see what you've got today.
49:05And sure, Hard Rock Bet is Florida's only legal sportsbook, but you don't have to be in Florida to join the party.
49:12Hard Rock Bet is also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan with more states on the way.
49:20So download Hard Rock Bet and swing for the fences today.
49:23Payable in bonus bets, not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida.
49:28Offered by Seminole, Hard Rock Digital, LLC, and all other states.
49:32Must be 21 and over and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Virginia to play.
49:39Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida?
49:42Call 1-833-PLAY-WISE. In Indiana, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants to help, call 1-800-9-WITH-IT.
49:48In Arizona, Ohio, and Virginia, call 1-800-MY-RESET. Gambling problem?
49:51Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
49:54All right, last backfield here, Tara. Seattle Seahawks. This one, I'm kind of curious what you have to say on it.
50:00I am something of a vegetarian price truther. I'm not saying that he's the best running back to enter the NFL in
50:07quite some time or anything like that. I'm not crazy, but I do think the runway here is just so clear with Charbonnet's injury and the timeline there.
50:16I'm very convinced that Seattle will, even when Charbonnet is ready to play again, which will be several weeks into the season
50:22at best, that they will want to kind of slow play him and make sure he's ready and fully kind of geared up for the playoffs.
50:30This is a team with obviously Super Bowl aspirations trying to repeat as opposed to caring about what Charbonnet does in November or anything like that.
50:38So just given how late the surgery was in late February, general timeline for how serious an injury this was, and the
50:45fact that they just spent a first round pick on Price, like I'm very bought into Price in 2026 drafts.
50:51How do you see this backfield? Why did it make the list for you?
50:56I have come around to the idea of Jadari and Price because I too, on the majority of the offseason was very
51:02much so looking at this timeline for Charbonnet like there is no way.
51:06It doesn't make logical sense for him to be ready week one.
51:10You would think exactly like you're saying that we'd be looking at them not taking too aggressive of an approach.
51:16We know they're a Super Bowl team. They want to make that push.
51:20You have the pieces in place to be able to just wait, not rush him along and then hold him for your playoff push towards the Super Bowl.
51:29And then they started using all of the could be ready for week one.
51:33And it did kind of spook me a little bit, but it does seem at least now.
51:39Now I will say this going on the pup and training camp doesn't necessarily guarantee that you will be on the pup in regular season.
51:46We've seen multiple players do that, come off and be ready week one, but it does seem more inclined that they were
51:53just kind of hyping him up and that we should be on a more relaxed timeline in terms of him not being
52:00ready at the beginning of the season. And with that said, as long as we don't have an aggressive shift in ADP,
52:07I'm good with Jadari and Price because my fear was is that we would have the rookie hype around him, right?
52:13The first round pick, you're getting very excited and you push him up into the rankings to where you're taking an extreme
52:20amount of risk because at the end of the day, we do know that this is a very high volume run offense
52:27where theoretically you have to have multiple backs involved.
52:29The amount of touches in general that Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker had last season is physically not possible for one back to handle.
52:37So operating with the assumption that we would always have an additional back involved.
52:41But if Jadari and Price's ADP stays in that high end RB3 range, I think we're getting a very nice discount on
52:48somebody who could be operating as a lead back for the majority of the season.
52:53The only issue we might run into is what if Zach Charbonnet comes back into the fantasy playoffs and then you have
52:59this situation of the ceiling is capped and cut down, right?
53:03But that's a risk that you have to take care.
53:06As long as we don't shoot up in the ADP, it's perfectly fine.
53:10I find it funny that when we talk about Travion Henderson, people will tell you, you don't need to be scared of Ramondre Stevenson.
53:17You don't need to be scared. But when it comes to Jadari and Price, somehow we're supposed to see George Helani as a threat.
53:25That one doesn't congruently make sense to me because we have factually seen Stevenson operate as an RB1.
53:30We have not seen any kind of significant usage out of George Helani.
53:34So we can hear all the positives of they love him.
53:38They believe in him. But at the end of the day, we've not seen that man operate as anything.
53:44And even when he had to step in the playoffs after the injury to Zach Charbonnet, it was not in any kind
53:50of role other than coming in on passing downs and having some kind of check down work, right?
53:56Not significant workload on the ground. So while, again, Price is a rookie and they've tried to be, you know, very cautious in their wording.
54:04We're not going to overload him. You know, we'll have him on some special teams and this, this and that.
54:10At the end of the day, the most talented back on that roster that is going to be healthy in week one is Jadari and Price.
54:18So I would expect it to be a fairly safe pick in terms of the early season usage.
54:23So as long as we don't get Camp Hype pushing it up, I'm okay with investing in him.
54:29You beat me to what I was going to ask about George Helani here.
54:33So you already got that one covered. Yeah, I'm kind of operating as far as the whole notion of Charbonnet coming in
54:40during the fantasy playoffs and being a problem. I'm kind of viewing it as like, I'll worry about that when we get to December.
54:47Like for now, if I think Price has this great runway and I know Charbonnet is not going to be there for
54:54a handful of weeks, maybe even longer than I'm like, I'm very willing to say like, we'll worry about that when the time gets here.
55:02Let's let Price get me to the playoffs and get me to that time when I can start worrying about it, which I think is really possible.
55:10And I also think we don't know how good of a player he is.
55:15I mean, he was behind this awesome player in Jeremiah Love in college.
55:19And so he didn't get the opportunity to show what he can do with the bigger workload.
55:24Um, I tend to think he'll be more on the scale of, um, you know, not as good as Jameer Gibbs, but
55:31like an early career Jameer Gibbs, where it's more, we're hoping for efficiency in a smaller workload as opposed to, um, you
55:37know, a guy who's a true bell cow. But I mean, if let's say Charbonnet is out for two months to start
55:44the year and Helani's not that good, like they're going to have to give the ball to Price a lot.
55:50I think I just don't see any way around it.
55:53So, um, that really excites me and what, what that possibility could be.
55:57If he was going like RB 17, I'd feel a lot different.
56:01RB 26. I love it. I'm very in on that.
56:04Um, at that price. I do think it's interesting that three of the names we've talked about today, a lot of these
56:11guys are in similar range, but three of them are back to back to back.
56:16That's Basial Tootin is RB 25. Jadarian Price, RB 26.
56:19Jalen Warren, RB 27. Does that feel like the right order to you or would you shake that up at all?
56:25Nope. That's the exact order I have. I've got Basial Tootin 25, Price 26, and then one person gap of Chiba Hubbard and then Warren at 28.
56:34Warren at 28. Yeah. So right. All in the same range for them, for you.
56:38Um, yeah, I, I like price. I think price is fascinating in dynasty.
56:42Honestly, that's the one where I'm like, I don't really know what to do.
56:47Cause I don't know. Like is Charbonnet there longterm or is he leave?
56:51And then they, they love spending day two picks on these guys.
56:54Maybe they draft somebody else next year. Like what does price look like here?
56:59Even if he has a great year with this, you know, opportunity, do you sell high?
57:04Like to me, dynasty is really interesting, but redraft I at current cost could change, but at current cost, I definitely like price.
57:11Um, Charbonnet is RB 46, by the way, just for what it's worth.
57:15Like to me, I just like injuries are going to find your team anyway.
57:19It's obviously not that it's that expensive. I'm just not that interested in wasting a pick on him and then just having
57:26them take up an IR spot for the first two months of the season, knowing that other guys are going to need to take those spots eventually.
57:34And how much are they going to use when he comes back?
57:38Just in the hope that you have a guy for the fantasy playoffs.
57:42I would let somebody else draft him. And then maybe if you get to October and he's been dropped, then maybe you
57:49pick them up off waivers or something like that later in the year.
57:53If your team's looking good, I don't really want to start the year with Charbonnet on my team.
57:58He'd have to be like, like I even, even if he was like the last pick of the draft, I still feel
58:05like I'm going to value that IR slot unless you're in a league with a ton of them, just a little bit
58:12more than the potential upside for a guy who might not even be better than price.
58:17I mean, there's a world where he is, but like, there's also a world where price comes in and it's, Oh wow.
58:23Now that we see him with a full opportunity to lead the backfield, this guy's actually awesome.
58:29That could happen. It just feels too risky for me to, to use a draft spot on, on Charbonnet.
58:35I'd much rather leave the IR spot open for somebody else who gets hurt on my team.
58:40Yeah. It's funny. You mentioned that I was sitting here looking at my rankings and thinking about, um, we talked about Chris Rodriguez earlier.
58:47Would you prefer Chris Rodriguez or Zach Charbonnet? Cause Rodriguez, you have a little bit more stability, but Charbonnet, you see the
58:54upside that could like, especially when you get to December be good in the playoffs.
58:59I think for me, I'd honestly probably just take Rodriguez knowing that, Hey, maybe he can help me kind of stay afloat
59:05during some bi-weeks in the middle of the year, you know, survive other injuries.
59:10It's just, if I felt like Charbonnet was going to miss a month, then yeah, I, I, I could definitely make a strong case for him.
59:18Just how late in the off season, his surgery was and, and the timeline and the fact that there's no rush for Seattle to get him back.
59:26Like they're going to win a lot of games with this defense, regardless of whether or not Charbonnet Charbonnet is on the field.
59:33Like I, for all of those reasons, I think I would go with Rodriguez and say, maybe he runs hot on touchdowns
59:40this year and it ends up working out well.
59:43But like, they are very close in the rankings.
59:46To your point, Rodriguez is RB 43 Charbonnet RB 46.
59:49I just think like knowing me, I'd rather have the IR spot available.
59:53Yeah. I think that makes sense. Cause I said earlier with Rodriguez, you know, capped upside because of the lack of receiving,
59:59but honestly you get that same kind of, you know, Charbonnet can catch, but we don't have prolific pass catching going on
60:06there in terms of check downs for him. So yeah, I think kind of, yeah, when you get into that range and
60:13you start looking at those guys, I think a Charbonnet getting pushed back makes a lot of sense in what you're saying.
60:20So I agree with that. I like that take.
60:23Let's end on some agreement. We'll go ahead and wrap things up there.
60:27Thanks everybody for checking out our running back position battles to know for your fantasy drafts for Tara.
60:32I'm Ryan warmly. Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you again next time.
60:36Thanks for listening to the fantasy pros fantasy football podcast.
60:39If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple podcasts at
60:46fantasy pros.com slash review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Instagram and tick tock at fantasy pros and subscribe to our
60:53YouTube channel at youtube.com slash fantasy pros. We learned how to love dogs from the dogs that loved us and waited for us to get home from school.
61:02They were the dogs that raised us. We returned the love with pedigree dog food.
61:06It was good then and it's better now. Every bowl has 100% complete nutrition supporting six health essentials.
61:12And now it includes vitamin good bites, a nutrient boost your dog will love.
61:16Pedigree. Good then. Better now. I'm U S transportation secretary, Sean Duffy.
61:20We all get distracted when we drive, whether it's from our phones or kids in the backseat bickering, but how we handle
61:27these distractions can be a matter of life or death before you get on the road for your next road trip.
61:33Please put your phones on silent and take a mental note to focus on driving.
61:38Paid for by NHTSA. When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on
61:44track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts, and hard to find
61:51parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place.
61:55So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done.
61:59Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.
62:04250 years ago, America made a promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
62:08Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has been living it out on the open road at the next exit ramp with old friends, new ones, and the next generation of riders.
62:17Because the best part of any promise is keeping it.
62:20Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Ride. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.

More episodes from FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

6