Fantasy analyst Joel Smyth looks back at the most frustrating Fantasy Football backfields from 2025. What will a season look like from now on for teams like the conference champion Seahawks and Patriots? With the offseason changing, which talented RBs could be better prospects in 2026?
seattle seahawks
Zach Charbonnet went from a top backup RB in the 2025 draft to a thorn in the side of head coach Kenneth Walker III. However, Walker’s talent has been on full display over the past few weeks, which explains why he was a top-20 RB selection last August. In the three games that Zach Charbonnet was out healthy, Walker averaged an astonishing 23.5 points per game. In comparison, RB1 Christian McCaffrey is averaging 21.5 points per game this season.
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The main talking point this offseason won’t be confidence in Walker’s talent, but another round of changes in Seattle.
With Charbonnet sidelined late in the season with a torn ACL, his chances of being ready for Week 1 remain up in the air. However, it also increases the possibility of Walker resigning as a free agent. Another factor to consider is the potential departure of anchor Klint Kubiak. Although he praised Walker’s potential in the offseason, there was only one game in which the Seattle RB had a touch rate above 60%. Walker will either need to take advantage of Charbonnet’s potential early absence and establish himself as a lead or win over Seattle’s new head coach. Should either situation arise, Walker’s added volume or ceiling for red zone work would be top-notch.
The risk is that all offseason changes will ultimately lead to the same on-field situation. I’ll let the facts guide your decision on draft day rather than hurt feelings about the 2025 season.
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new england patriots
Another Super Bowl team has its own shady backfield in 2025. After drafting Tre’Vion Henderson first in the second round, fantasy managers had to wait until Ramond Stevenson left the game with an injury to fully benefit. From Week 9 to Week 12, with Henderson as the main guard, the rookie averaged 19.4 points per game and looked poised to become a league champion.
Then everything fell apart. After a classic rookie farewell game in Week 15 in which he scored 29.1 points, Henderson scored 10 or more points in one of his final seven games, and that happened to come in a largely useless game in Week 18.
The most common complaint is, “Why isn’t Henderson being used more?!” The problem is that he largely fails to provide a consistent rationale. The Patriots coaching staff has more trust in veteran Stevenson, especially in key areas like the red zone and passing game. Henderson needs to take the next step this offseason to be worthy of a potentially high ADP. Stevenson ranked third in yards per attempt against De’Von Archane and Bi’jan Robinson, proving he’s more than just a backup role player who will be overlooked by anyone. For Patriots offense, Henderson won’t need Belko volume, but the need for added receiving work or red zone carries is high.
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kansas city chiefs
Andy Reid has no shortage of elite fantasy running backs, but he hasn’t been a top-20 RB the past two seasons and hasn’t been a RB1 since Kareem Hunt in 2018. The Chiefs offense has been dominant over the years, but the RB production has been average and spotty. Over the past three seasons with Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator, KC running backs ranked 32nd in explosive carries, and frankly, not even close. Only 20 attempts went for 15+ yards (in three years!!), compared to 26 for the 31st ranked team, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Ideally, a new RB comes in, whether through free agency or the draft, with Eric Bieniemy returning to Kansas City as offensive coordinator where he helped lead Kansas City’s explosive offense from 2018 to 2022. If the RB room does remain the same, the odds of Isiah Pacheco or another RB returning to the top 20 still increase significantly.
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tampa bay buccaneers
In Fantasy PPG, exclude touchdownBucky Irving will be ranked as RB9. The obvious problem: He scored one rushing touchdown on zero goal-line rushes. Whenever a play-caller gets a one-year tenure — and it’s not because they were promoted — some big fantasy name is bound to disappear with them.
On a positive note, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers offense will have former Falcons offensive coordinator Zach Robinson on board following the experience of Josh Grizzard. After playing Bejan Robinson as RB21 alongside Arthur Smith, Zach Robinson recast the superstar as RB4 and RB3 over the past two seasons. Irving could be a bounceback candidate in 2026 with improved offense and increased touchdown opportunities.
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carolina panthers
In a short period of time, Rico Dowdle averaged 18.8 points per game from Weeks 5-11. The rest of the season, Dowdle averaged only 8.8 points per game. The bigger problem arises in the NFL playoffs. Dowdell’s 27.3 percent of running back touches were his lowest since his midseason breakout, as his touches were inconsistent with a healthy Chuba Hubbard. I don’t expect much to change if Dowdle yes Back in Carolina, Hubbard signed a pricey contract through 2028. For both running backs, their fantasy prospects might be better if Dowdell pursues a bigger contract elsewhere after one year with the Panthers.
