RBs to Avoid
Five running backs with real name value and real red flags. If you're taking any of these ahead of the alternatives, you might want to rethink your board.
#5: TreVeyon Henderson (NE)
Henderson flashed as a rookie, but a huge chunk of that production came from two games he shouldn't count on repeating.
29.2% of his 2025 production came in just two games: the ones where Rhamondre Stevenson was inactive
His pass protection lagged badly behind Stevenson's: he ranked 66th in PFF pass-block grade, while Stevenson ranked 12th, and that gap showed up in the playoffs, where Stevenson out-touched him 68-35 and Henderson's postseason average dropped to just 2.4 YPC
He's being drafted as a high-end handcuff at a RB2 price tag, despite Stevenson beating him in every efficiency metric last season
Stevenson is still the 1A in every high-leverage spot that matters, and there's no reason Henderson should be going off the board ahead of him.
#4: Jeremiyah Love (ARI)
The draft capital and speed are legit, but the situation he's walking into works against him in almost every way.
He's running behind an offensive line ranked near the bottom of the league, even after Arizona added guard Isaac Seumalo and a Round 2 interior lineman
He's stepping into a "messy" backfield where Tyler Allgeier ($12M signing) and James Conner remain, and Allgeier was reportedly expected to be the lead back before Love was even drafted
Arizona's strength of schedule for run offenses drops from 19th-easiest in 2025 to 25th-easiest in 2026, a meaningfully tougher slate
Talent evaluators already expect him to fail to return on his draft capital because of the offensive line and schedule. A high ankle sprain suffered in the latest preseason game is an ominous sign as well…
#3: Bucky Irving (TB)
He's the RB1 on paper behind a legitimately good offensive line, but the touches that actually score points may not be his.
Irving had zero carries inside the 5-yard line in 2025… that job belonged to Sean Tucker, who led the team with 9 carries inside the 5
Tampa Bay signed Kenneth Gainwell to a two-year, $14M deal (far bigger than what Rachaad White got in Washington) and HC Todd Bowles has already confirmed a 1A/1B split with Gainwell as the 1B, reportedly excelling as a receiver in the new scheme
He finished 2025 as just the overall RB34 (13.9 PPG) across only 10 active games while dealing with foot and shoulder injuries
Elite tackle-breaking doesn't matter much if the goal-line work and third-down passing role both belong to someone else in the same backfield.
#2: Breece Hall (NYJ)
The talent is always obvious with Hall, but the fantasy production tells a different story three years running.
His PPR points per game have declined three straight seasons, dropping from 17.1 down into the 13-point range, with his target share falling to a career-low 10.9%
He ranked just 55th among running backs in fantasy points per opportunity (0.71), a sign of just how much a dysfunctional offense capped his ceiling
Head coach Aaron Glenn has already signaled intent to run a "three-headed monster" committee with Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, which drags down Hall's weekly floor even further
On an offense that's still searching for an identity, the draft cost being asked for Hall is way too steep for a back trending in the wrong direction.
#1: De'Von Achane (MIA)
My number one bust is De'Von Achane, and it’s not even his fault.
The ecosystem that made him a cheat code is gone: HC Mike McDaniel was fired, Tua Tagovailoa was released, Tyreek Hill was released, and Jaylen Waddle was traded… no more explosive weapons drawing defenses away from the box
New starting QB Malik Willis has a historically low checkdown rate (1.9% in some career starts), a direct threat to the receiving role that fueled Achane's fantasy ceiling
He's now running behind an offensive line ETR ranks 28th in the league, no longer masked by elite play-calling or a quick-release passing attack, on a team projected for roughly 4.5 wins and an NFL-record $182M in dead cap
The talent hasn't gone anywhere, but the machine that made Achane a top-5 fantasy back last year has been completely dismantled. Paying a top-10 price for him this summer is the single biggest risk at the position.
So that’s the list. Look for alternatives to these guys when you sit down to draft this season.
-Joe