Fantasy Football: 4 frustrating RB depth charts and how Justin Boone is approaching them for 2026

Every time I sit down to work on my fantasy football rankings and projections, there are always a handful of players and depth charts which demand more time than others.

Normally, it’s fun to dig deeper into players’ profiles and come away with a better understanding of their outlooks moving forward. However, there are plenty of occasions when it ends up being a frustrating process that leads you further down the rabbit hole in search of answers.

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Here are four backfields that forced me to stare into the abyss longer than expected, as I contemplated their fantasy values for this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Depth Chart

1. Bhayshul Tuten
2. Chris Rodriguez Jr.
3. LeQuint Allen Jr.
4. DeeJay Dallas
5. Ja’Quinden Jackson
6. J’Mari Taylor

This has been and will continue to be the most talked about position battle for fantasy with the end result likely being some form of a three-man committee between Tuten, Rodriguez and Allen.

However, Allen’s role will be mostly limited to some passing-down work, which puts the bulk of the touches in the hands of 23-year-old sophomore Tuten and the veteran grinder Rodriguez, who will turn 27 during the season.

Which back ultimately earns the “starter” label here might not tell the entire story.

Rodriguez has a history with head coach Liam Coen, dating back to their time together at Kentucky in 2023. With Coen as his offensive coordinator, Rodriguez had his best college campaign, racking up 1,440 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.

As we saw last year with the Commanders, Rodriguez is capable of contributing in a meaningful way as an early-down option. The result was a career-high 500 rushing yards and six TDs on 112 carries.

Unfortunately, even if Rodriguez is named the Week 1 starter, his lack of pass-catching involvement often prevents him from making a dent for fantasy. He only finished as a top-24 back three times all season. So, even in a lead-back role it’s hard to envision him being more than a TD-or-bust RB3.

On the other hand, Tuten accomplished the same feat by posting three top-24 finishes as a rookie despite getting 22 fewer touches and being the clear No. 2 back in Jacksonville behind Travis Etienne Jr.

Tuten flashed explosiveness and a nose for the end zone in his debut campaign, while scoring seven touchdowns. He’s a far more dynamic weapon at 5-foot-9, 206 pounds with elite speed and burst, but he can’t do it alone. Rodriguez’s bigger 6-foot, 217-pound frame and more powerful running style makes him a nice complement to Tuten’s gamebreaking abilities.

That’s why Tuten is the Jaguars’ back to target for fantasy. Even though a committee is likely, if Tuten carves out at least 50% of the backfield work, he has the more complete profile to break out. Rodriguez would need a massive touchdown total to push for fantasy RB2 stats.

Fantasy outlook: I’m drafting Tuten as a fringe low-end RB2/high-end RB3 with upside and Rodriguez as a low-ceiling RB3/flex.

New England Patriots

Depth Chart

1. TreVeyon Henderson
2. Rhamondre Stevenson
3. Jam Miller
4. Lan Larison
5. Terrell Jennings
6. Myles Montgomery

The Patriots backfield is a two-man race between last year’s starter Stevenson and the promising sophomore Henderson.

However, we’ve seen this type of scenario play out before and it rarely ends well for a mid-tier veteran like Stevenson. While the 28-year-old has been a competent back in his career, he’s far from a difference-maker in the pros. Even last season, he was outproduced by his rookie teammate.

Stevenson finished with 945 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns, but Henderson came away with 1,132 yards and 10 TDs. On a per game basis, Henderson also had the edge with 53.6 rushing yards per outing to Stevenson’s 52.4, while averaging nearly a full yard more per attempt.

Henderson was the RB25 in fppg on the season with Stevenson coming in as the RB30. But from Week 8 on with Stevenson missing three contests, Henderson showcased high-end fantasy potential as the RB12 during that stretch, including two games where he put up stat lines of at least 150 yards and two scores.

During their playoff run, neither back was particularly efficient while going up against some of the best defenses the NFL had to offer in the Chargers, Texans, Broncos and Seahawks. As such, the Pats coaching staff decided to play it safe and lean on their veteran back, which might be the only thing holding Henderson’s fantasy ADP in check.

Though Henderson isn't a superstar back like Jahmyr Gibbs, the situation is reminiscent of how the Lions backfield evolved in recent years with Gibbs slowly taking more and more touches away from David Montgomery.

Remember, in Gibbs’ rookie season his final stat line consisted of 945 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns — not far off what we saw from Henderson.

This is a “skate to where the puck is going to be” situation. Stevenson had a good year in 2025, but Henderson is the future in the Patriots’ backfield. With Drake Maye appearing to be the next great NFL quarterback, fantasy managers should be trying to find ways to invest in this offense.

Fantasy outlook: Henderson remains one of the most obvious 2026 breakout targets with a true high-end RB1 ceiling if/when he takes over. Stevenson will still have value as an RB3/flex option, but the clock is ticking for how long he can hold off his talented young teammate.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Depth Chart

1. Jaylen Warren
2. Rico Dowdle
3. Kaleb Johnson
4. Eli Heidenreich
5. Travis Homer
6. Lew Nichols

The Steelers need to figure out their quarterback situation before we can fully commit to their backfield for fantasy, but this continues to be a committee situation with Warren still handling half of the duties.

Even though he’s outlasted his past running mates like Najee Harris and Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh’s front office keeps bringing in competition — this time in the form of Dowdle.

Not only has Dowdle topped 1,300 scrimmage yards in each of the past two seasons, he also has a history with new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy dating back to their time together with the Cowboys.

We’ve seen Dowdle rise the depth charts in Dallas and Carolina in recent years, so would it surprise anyone if McCarthy gives him the bigger share of the pie in Pittsburgh?

The team also has the former third-round pick Johnson, who has been pushed down the depth chart and doesn’t appear to be in the mix for a role, and this year’s seventh-rounder Heindenreich, who might factor in as a versatile weapon handling a few touches each week.

For the time being, I’m approaching this backfield with a lot of uncertainty, but that ambiguity can create value. What looks like a frustrating platoon, could quickly shift in either direction, so having shares of both players is a smart plan.

We’ve already seen Dowdle rise to the top of his depth charts in back-to-back campaigns, so if I were forced to pick between them he would be my choice at a slightly lower ADP.

Fantasy outlook: Both Warren and Dowdle are being drafted in the RB3 range and going off the board with an ADP in the seventh to eighth round. That’s exactly where they belong at the moment. Barring an injury, we probably won’t see a league-winner emerge from this backfield, but if that were to happen my chips would be on the newcomer Dowdle. Warren has had multiple chances to be the Steelers’ unquestioned lead back and has failed to secure the job every time.

Washington Commanders

Depth Chart

1. Rachaad White
2. Jacory Croskey-Merritt
3. Kaytron Allen
4. Jerome Ford
5. Jeremy McNichols
6. Robert Henry Jr.

This will be a new-look Commanders backfield in 2026 with White and Allen arriving on the scene to help elevate the depth chart alongside Croskey-Merritt.

Even though Croskey-Merritt was a seventh-round pick, his rookie season ultimately feels like a disappointment after he failed to breakout despite Brian Robinson Jr. being traded before Week 1 and Austin Ekeler suffering a season-ending injury.

What developed was a three-way committee with Rodriguez and McNichols that limited the fantasy ceiling of each back.

JCM did move the needle with his opportunities though, eclipsing 70 scrimmage yards four times, including twice during the final month. Fantasy managers will remember his contributions well, since he was the RB10 in fppg during the fantasy playoffs, topping 95 yards on two occasions and scoring four touchdowns over that stretch.

Signing White, who is a friend of Jayden Daniels, seems like a major upgrade on what McNichols offered in the past. Meanwhile, Allen is the kind of early-down power back who could step into Rodriguez’s role. So, we could be headed for another committee outcome, which isn’t what fantasy managers want to hear.

Unlike the other backfields outlined above, Washington’s RB deployment is a work-in-progress with few clues pointing to who might eventually stand out from the group.

Croskey-Merritt’s year with the team doesn’t even give him that much of a leg up on the competition, since there’s a new offensive coordinator in town, David Blough.

We’ll be monitoring this one all summer long given the potential for any of JCM, White or Allen to emerge as fantasy options.

Fantasy outlook: All three backs have ADPs outside the top-100 picks and if you aren’t taking chances on them, you’re making a mistake. Croskey-Merritt is the most exciting option with the highest ceiling after flashing last year. He’s the player I’ll have the most shares of from this backfield. White has the safest role as a proven pass-catcher and short-term replacement starter, but he’s struggled to produce as a lead back for long stretches. At worst, he should offer RB3/flex value given his receiving skills. Allen is the long-shot dart throw in the late-rounds, who could turn into a TD-or-bust RB3 if JCM falters.