Fantasy Football: Unresolved backfields lead the toughest situations of 2026

5 days ago 2

Being right about a situation can pay huge dividends in fantasy football. Did you draft the correct receiver in a crowded room? Did you pick up a talented backup RB on the waiver wire, suspecting he’d supplant the incumbent starter? Those kinds of moves can separate you from the pack — but they’re tough to sift through. Here, Scott Pianowski, Matt Harmon, Joel Smyth and Justin Boone highlight the toughest situations we’ll have to navigate this season.

We want a piece of Denver’s backfield — but which piece is the right one?

Sean Payton isn’t happy unless he has a complicated backfield, and the 2026 Broncos fit that profile. J.K. Dobbins is the oft-injured veteran who’s respected and at the front of the line, RJ Harvey is the exciting sophomore who ran hot with touchdowns last season and Jonah Coleman is the intriguing rookie who was drafted in the fourth round. Dobbins was a more efficient runner than Harvey last year, while Harvey was the busier and more exciting receiver. And we have to take note that Coleman checks in at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, closer to the physical profile of a full-time back (Dobbins is 212 pounds, while Harvey weighs 205 pounds). Coleman also showed three-down potential in college, working well as a receiver.

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You won’t have to draft any of these backs inside the top 30 at the position, but I’ll be interested to see if the backfield whittles down to two primary candidates come late summer, be it through performance or injury. We know a Payton offense will be productive; it’s just a matter of how that production is distributed. — Pianowski

Is there hope for a formerly productive, exciting running back?

We know that the Bucs backfield was thrown for a loop last season when Bucky Irving suffered an injury early. What we don’t accept nearly enough is that Irving wasn’t as effective both prior to his absence or when he returned. Out of 55 running backs who had 100-plus opportunities last season, Irving ranked 52nd in rushing success rate and 55th in EPA per rush. When he returned from injury, he saw his passing-down work cut for Rachaad White and goal-line work cut for Sean Tucker. Given that Kenneth Gainwell joined the team in free agency and Tucker was brought back, Irving could be facing the same fate in 2026.

Yet, you can argue that Gainwell’s passing game impact was overinflated by a checkdown-happy Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh last season and the Bucs briefly flirted with not tendering Tucker. There’s a lane for Irving to rebound and push aside at least one, if not both, of those guys. We should also acknowledge the offensive line didn’t play at its best last season either, and their health in 2026 could be a positive variable for the Bucs top rusher.

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I’ve used a lot of “if” and conditional statements here and it doesn’t give you much confidence that Irving is still rehabbing his shoulder injury. I can’t get a good read on Tampa Bay as a team right now and that certainly bleeds into how I feel about their mercurial starting running back’s outlook. — Harmon

How will Arizona’s target hierarchy shake out?

Once Jacoby Brissett took over in Arizona, the Cardinals offense became a fantasy machine, capitalizing on their league-high passing volume and bottom-five defense. An excess in talent comes with competition, as Jeremiyah Love joins a passing attack with Trey McBride, and two wideouts with extreme potential in Marvin Harrison Jr and Michael Wilson. The question becomes, with everyone back healthy, a new coaching staff and potential quarterback changes, will the Cardinals have enough to sustain the production we saw at the end of last season?

My original thought was no.

McBride led the NFL by a mile in routes, which is unheard of as a tight end, and only one of Wilson or Harrison produced at a time. The hope, which also makes it a tough fantasy situation to read, is how badly the Cardinals were burned by the strength of schedule. After being one of the worst teams in the NFL, they were rewarded with the NFL’s hardest strength of schedule, resulting in them being favored in 0 games. So much can change, but could all stay the same. It may look different than 2025, but the regression could be severely less damaging if Arizona leads the league in passing volume for the second straight season, as they find themselves constantly playing from behind. — Smyth

Upside is the key when trying to break down Washington’s backfield

Washington has a wide-open backfield depth chart for the second straight season with three players vying for touches in Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White and Kaytron Allen. However, this time, the competition is even more intense with White being a massive pass-catching upgrade on Jeremy McNichols and the rookie Allen replacing the power-back role previously held by Chris Rodriguez Jr. All three backs have ADPs outside the top 100 picks and if you aren’t taking chances on them, you’re making a mistake.

From my perspective, Croskey-Merritt is the most exciting option with the highest ceiling after flashing last year as the RB10 in fppg during the fantasy playoffs, topping 95 yards on two occasions and scoring four touchdowns over that stretch. 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 fails to step up.

Regardless, it’s a situation to monitor all summer, given the potential upside if someone pulls away from the pack. — Boone

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