The RB-by-committee approach has become a staple in today’s NFL. From a coaching perspective, this strategy offers clear benefits. For one, it keeps all members of the backfield fresh and lowers their likelihood of suffering a serious injury. It also allows offenses to maximize the unique skillsets of their RBs and keep opposing defenses off balance.
That being said, backfield committees are a nightmare for fantasy football managers. Unpredictable touch distributions have made weekly start-sit decisions increasingly challenging, as managers attempt to project which players will earn the requisite volume in any given contest. This dynamic has elevated the few remaining workhorse backs – including the likes of Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Bijan Robinson – to the very top of draft boards.
The current RB landscape makes it impossible for managers to avoid ambiguous situations entirely. With this in mind, projecting how these committee-based backfields will take shape remains a keep component of offseason preparation. In what follows, I’ll pinpoint some of these depth charts and outline how managers can extract fantasy football value from these scenarios.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Evaluating Expected Fantasy Football RBBCs
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WAS), Chris Rodriguez Jr. (WR – WAS), and Austin Ekeler (RB – WAS)
Brian Robinson Jr.‘s trade to the 49ers vacates 187 carries in Washington’s backfield. The Commanders offense, led by reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, figures to be one of the most exciting units in the NFL. While Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are likely to earn much of the passing game volume, plenty of questions remain about the running game. How will the backfield touches be distributed between Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr, and Austin Ekeler?
Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been the subject of plenty of positive speculation this offseason. A consistent drumbeat regarding the rookie’s impressive performances in camp were followed by the sudden departure of the team’s RB1, Brian Robinson Jr. This has led many to believe that Croskey-Merritt will inherit a significant role in Kliff Kingsbury’s system in 2025.
While eligibility issues held Croskey-Merritt sidelined for the majority of the 2024 season, the rookie’s collegiate statistical profile is quite impressive. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), he averaged an outstanding 3.98 yards after contact per attempt and earned an elusive rating of 130.8 in 2023. This dynamism and explosiveness has translated to the NFL field thus far.
Austin Ekeler proved to be a reliable contributor for the Commanders last season, operating in a change-of-pace pass-catching role. According to PFF, he averaged 12.2 yards after catch per reception and 1.69 yards per route run. Given the veteran’s reliability and sure-handedness, he’s likely to maintain a similar role in 2025.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. hasn’t been afforded the opportunity to make a significant impact up until this point. Since being selected in the 6th round of the 2023 NFL draft, he’s failed to earn an excess of 51 carries in consecutive seasons. However, PFF’s underlying metrics suggest that he’s been quite effective with his limited touches. In 2024, the former Kentucky Wildcat averaged 3.91 yards after contact per attempt an earned a 90.1 rushing grade for his efforts.
All told, the Commanders’ RB room contains an intriguing array of skillsets. Croskey-Merritt and Rodriguez Jr. are currently primed to handle much of the early down work. Offseason speculation and preseason momentum point towards Croskey-Merritt being the more valuable option of the two. On the other hand, Austin Ekeler will remain Jayden Daniels’ favorite target in check-down scenarios. Assuming a slight boost in rushing usage as well, Ekeler’s current average draft position as the half-PPR RB43 is well worth the investment.
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN), J.K. Dobbins (RB – DEN), and Audric Estime (RB – DEN)
Editor’s Note: The Broncos have parted ways with Audric Estime.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is notorious for orchestrating offensive schemes that are very conducive to RB productivity. The likes of Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram and Reggie Bush have all been valuable fantasy football assets under Payton’s stewardship. That being said, the ingenious play-caller has struggled to establish an effective running game in Denver thus far. To this end, the team invested second round draft capital in RJ Harvey and signed J.K. Dobbins in free agency.
R.J Harvey enjoyed a remarkably decorated college career. In his final season as a UCF Knight, he averaged a stellar 3.88 yards after contact per attempt and earned an elusive rating of 122.2. He also excelled as a pass catcher, averaging 9.9 yards after catch per reception and 13.4 yards per reception according to PFF. He possesses a true three-down skillset that has drawn comparisons to the aforementioned Alvin Kamara.
Injuries have unfortunately limited J.K Dobbins’ output throughout his volatile career. Nevertheless, the veteran has proven to be a reliable contributor when healthy. As the Chargers’ lead back in 2024, Dobbins set career highs in rushing yards, missed tackles forced, and explosive runs (PFF). He’ll add some much-needed dynamism and expertise to this largely inexperienced RB corps.
Audric Estime, who was selected in the 5th round of the NFL draft a mere year ago, struggled to make an impact as a rookie. Per PFF, he earned a rushing grade of 61.1 and an elusive rating of 49.4. In light of the offseason additions to this backfield, he’ll need to make stark improvements in order to maintain a role in this system.
RB receiving volume has historically been a hallmark of Sean-Payton led offenses. Given RJ Harvey’s explosiveness and receiving acumen, the rookie figures to monopolize a great deal of these targets. This passing game usage, along with a considerable portion of this backfield’s rush attempts, will make Harvey a very valuable fantasy football asset. He has a great opportunity to out-produce his current cost as the RB22 in half-PPR formats. While Estime and Dobbins both figure to play a weekly role in this offense, neither are likely to provide reliable fantasy football production.
Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC), Kareem Hunt (RB – KC), and Brashard Smith (RB – KC)
Despite having earned a spot in three consecutive Super Bowls, the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled to provide fantasy football production as of late. What was once a high-flying offensive scheme has become a slow-paced system predicated on short-area passing and clock management. Following a disastrous 40-22 loss in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs offense appears to have a chip on its shoulder. Managers should expect Patrick Mahomes to return to MVP-level form and for the Chiefs to re-emerge as one of the league’s most potent offenses. Yet, there is plenty of ambiguity surrounding the RB depth chart.
Isiah Pacheco was expected to operate as the Chiefs’ workhorse RB at the start of the last season. However, a Week 2 fibula injury derailed the former Rutger Scarlet Knight’s season. Pacheco struggled to replicate his previous levels of efficiency upon his return in Week 13. Per PFF, he earned a disappointing elusive rating of 22.6 and only managed four forced missed tackles across the entirety of the 2024 campaign.
Kareem Hunt, who was signed to replace the injured Pacheco, performed admirably as the Chiefs’ pseudo-RB1. He produced a respectable 728 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns in this expanded role. Even so, the underlying metrics suggest that Hunt’s contributions were far from spectacular. He averaged a pedestrian 2.50 yards after contact per attempt and earned an elusive rating of 33.6, per PFF.
Rookie Brashard Smith was presumably brought in to fulfill a pass-catching role. He excelled in his final collegiate season, earning a PFF receiving grade of 91.9 and averaging 1.85 yards per route run. Many expect Smith to occupy a role similar to that of Jerick McKinnon in years past. McKinnon emerged as an integral fantasy football asset as the primary pass-catching RB in Andy Reid’s system in 2022.
Seeing as neither Kareem Hunt nor Isiah Pacheco have been effective on a per-touch basis, I’d expect the Chiefs to employ a relatively even split of early-down touches. With this in mind, both backs are risky propositions at current cost. Bharshard Smith’s athleticism and receiving output make him an intriguing late round flier, however.
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