There’s nothing better than landing the depth running back that has a breakout season. Welcome to the article where we break down which RB3s have a path to RB1 fantasy football production. For this to happen, some stars have to align. Whether this is a crowded depth chart or an injury, opportunity is everything.
In previous seasons, we have seen the likes of Chase Brown, Chuba Hubbard, Bucky Irving, Kyren Williams and Javonte Williams all make the jump to RB1 production. Let’s figure out which backs will do it this season.
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Fantasy Football RB3s With RB1 Potential
Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)
If there were a singular answer to this question, Bhayshul Tuten would be it. It’s no surprise that in the absence of Travis Etienne Jr., the back who was handpicked by Liam Coen has substantial upside.
After all, Coen was the head coach who turned fifth-round pick Bucky Irving into a rookie sensation. Last year, Eitienne posted 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns as the lead back for this offense. This offseason, all they have done to address the position is add former sixth-round back Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Rodriguez adds an interesting variable to this backfield. When he was in college at Kentucky, Coen was the offensive coordinator. Coen has been very vocal in his support for the veteran back and his hard-nosed running.
However, Rodriguez is currently dealing with a foot injury. This injury was shrugged off by Coen early in organized team activities (OTAs), but has quietly been bubbling in the background. It turns out that Rodriguez is recovering from a procedure performed this offseason on his left foot.
This potentially opens the first door for Tuten: Opportunity. The second hurdle to RB1 production is scoring. Last season, Tuten had four touchdowns inside the 5-yard line compared to Etienne’s two. Tuten did this despite having only six carries to Etienne’s 11.
If Coen continues to trust the athletic back in short-yardage situations, and he is the clear lead back between the 20s, an RB1 finish is definitely a possibility.
Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)
The Carolina backfield is intriguing, to say the least. Rico Dowdle rushed for 519 yards across three games. That’s all you need to know about how valuable this rushing attack can be. With Dowdle now in Pittsburgh, Chuba Hubbard is left alongside 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks.
Unfortunately, Brooks has had to overcome multiple severe knee injuries. The first was a torn ACL during his last season in college. The second was when he re-tore the same ACL during his rookie season.
As a result, Brooks is a true wild card for this season. As a prospect, he was a well-rounded running back who could break through contact. After two major injuries, who knows if he can regain the same juice we saw briefly as a rookie?
On the other hand, Sherwood Park native Hubbard has steadily improved each season. Although his stats may not show it, his vision and running between the tackles have improved each year.
Hubbard also has the explosiveness and speed to create game-breaking plays. I hope this isn’t the case, but if Brooks is a shadow of what he was as a prospect or (heaven forbid) gets injured again, Hubbard has a path to top-end fantasy production.
David Montgomery (RB – HOU)
Of the four backs in this article, David Montgomery may have the clearest path to RB1 production, despite being the least exciting option. Motivated to showcase that he can still be a featured back, Montgomery finds himself as the leader of the Houston Texans’ backfield.
With pass-catching specialist Woody Marks as the secondary option, the majority of the work should immediately be Montgomery’s. Additionally, we observed that Marks struggled to stay on the field under a full workload.
As a result, Montgomery certainly has the opportunity to have a big season. Unfortunately, Montgomery is also coming off the fewest rushing yards of his career. He is also going from the Lions’ elite offensive line to the Texans’ offensive line, which graded as the worst run-blocking unit in 2025.
Thankfully, Houston tried to address this by signing Wyatt Teller, Braden Smith and Evan Brown. They also drafted center Keylan Rutledge in the first round. This may sound like a step in the right direction, but with lines, you need to see it to believe it.
If we predict that this line will be sufficient, the Texans are built for a high-volume run game. Leaning on their elite defense, DeMeco Ryans and company will want to control games and pound the rock.
It was only a couple of years ago that we saw this team sign Joe Mixon, who went on to have an RB13 season. Montgomery will need to turn back the clock, but another veteran will have the opportunity to find success in Houston.
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – TB)
Some may call him a “PPR-scam,” others may call him a “fluke,” but Kenneth Gainwell could back-door-cover his way into RB1 territory.
Ironically, Gainwell may have to channel former Buccaneers backs Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White for this to happen. They found their way into RB7 finishes in 2021 and 2023, respectively, off of high target volume.
In Fournette’s case, he played only 14 games and had only 180 carries, but made up for it with 84 targets and 450 receiving yards. As for White, he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry for a total of 990 rushing yards, but found his way to 64 receptions, 550 yards and three scores in the receiving game.
Outside of the heavy utilization in the receiving game, both backs had one other thing in common: They led the backfield. Currently, Bucky Irving is the main back, despite not participating in practice and recovering from last season’s injury.
I wish Irving the best as a bright, young athletic star, but something isn’t right, and his availability is a real concern. This opens the door for Gainwell to command the backfield alongside Sean Tucker.
Tucker has flashed his aggressive rushing ability when called upon, but was not a priority for the team to re-sign as a free agent this offseason.
Instead, when Tucker saw little interest from outside organizations, the Buccaneers brought him in on a one-year deal. As for Gainwell, the team actively targeted him, signing him to a two-year, $14 million deal, with $10 million guaranteed. That’s more than “pass-catching back” money.
It will likely take Irving missing an extended period of the season, but Baker Mayfield could dink and dunk his way to supporting an RB1 season for the newly acquired Gainwell.