Five NFL Backfields To Watch In The Offseason

Fantasy managers will be studying each position this offseason to gain the advantage over their league mates. With all the movement from free agency and the new additions from the draft, the running back position can be a bit difficult to navigate after the big-name running backs are off the board. As teams go through OTAs and mandatory mini-camps, we can begin to see which players are starting to move up the pecking order. Until we get more information for fantasy purposes, here are five NFL backfields that fantasy managers will want to watch this offseason.

Offseason Backfield Watchlist

Pittsburgh Steelers – Rico Dowdle/Jaylen Warren

The Steelers added former Panthers running back Rico Dowdle during free agency. The Steelers also have Jaylen Warren on the roster, as well as former 2025 rookie back Kaleb Johnson. Warren was solid for fantasy last season as he averaged 13.6 fantasy points per game. Warren also finished with over a thousand yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns. Warren shared the backfield with now Bucs running back Kenneth Gainwell, and the combination seemed to work well. The question is, can something like that happen again now that Dowdle is on the roster?

Dowdle was also in a shared backfield with the Panthers last season. Once starter Chuba Hubbard went down for a spell, Dowdle put together back-to-back monster weeks against the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, scoring over 30 fantasy points in each game. Dowdle finished the 2025 season with a 12.7 fantasy point average. Now he reunites with former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh. McCarthy could opt to go with a bell-cow back or run a two-man system, as he did with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Should either back be named the starter, their fantasy value as later-round targets could be just what fantasy managers are looking for.

Carolina Panthers – Chuba Hubbard/Jonathon Brooks

There has been some hype building beneath the surface with the return of Jonathon Brooks. Brooks missed the last two seasons as he dealt with multiple torn ACLs. Now fully healthy and showing what he can do during OTAs, Brooks has been getting a lot of attention. To the point that some believe he can even be the lead back for the Panthers this season over Chuba Hubbard. Meanwhile, Hubbard has been holding down the lead back position for the Panthers. Before last season, Hubbard was the RB14 at the end of the 2024 season, averaging just over 16 fantasy points per game. The 2025 season wasn’t as kind to Hubbard as he missed a few games, and his performance dropped off considerably. Hubbard averaged just 3.8 yards per attempt and finished with four total touchdowns on the season.

Brooks will need to stay healthy if he wants a shot at the top spot. As it stands, Hubbard still has a lock on the lead back role for the Panthers heading into mandatory mini-camp. But it doesn’t sound like everything is settled just yet. There could be a shift in “who does what” in the Panthers backfield, and as it stands, Brooks much cheaper draft price could allow fantasy managers to target him later in fantasy drafts. And that’s even if he is named the starter.

Tennessee Titans – Tony Pollard/Nicholas Singleton

The Tennessee Titans are undergoing a new shift. On the surface, it looks like there’s a serious “youth movement” going on. Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll come in as the new head coach/offensive coordinator tandem and could look to install “their guys” on the starting roster. That is, if they earn the opportunity. The Titans drafted former Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton in the fifth round, but don’t let that fool you when it comes to fantasy draft season. Singleton was considered one of the better all-around running backs in the 2026 draft class. Singleton can do almost everything Tony Pollard can do, albeit at a smaller size. Singleton averaged 5.6 yards per attempt and had two thousand-yard seasons with Penn State before dealing with injuries in his final season.

Meanwhile, Pollard is coming off a bit of a down season fantasy-wise. Pollard finished as the RB23 but averaged just 10.9 fantasy points per game in a middling offense that was introducing a rookie quarterback in Cam Ward. Pollard still averaged 4.5 y/a and managed to finish with 1,083 rushing yards. Pollard isn’t getting younger as he heads into the 2026 season at the age of 29. Pollard still has the potential to bounce back in Daboll’s offense and return to fantasy glory. Or he could be replaced by the younger, and potentially better version of himself in Singleton.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Bucky Irving/Kenneth Gainwell

Bucky Irving isn’t off to a great start this offseason. Irving had offseason shoulder surgery and was initially believed to be ready for the start of camp. Now, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the most recent reports stating that he might not be ready until much later. Irving also dealt with injuries last season that derailed his fantasy season. Irving was the RB9 over the first four weeks. He averaged 18 fantasy points per game and was in complete control of the backfield. But then the injuries struck. Irving did return in Week 13 and posted back-to-back 13-point fantasy games. But after that, it was downhill. Irving wouldn’t see another double-digit fantasy game until Week 18 against the Panthers, where he scored 10.8 fantasy points.

The Bucs still have Sean Tucker on the roster, and they picked up Kenny Gainwell during free agency. The situation here is that the Bucs have openly stated that they feel comfortable with Gainwell’s skill set, as it shares similarities to Bucky Irving. If they truly believe that, Gainwell could be more than just a “break in case of emergency” player should Irving get injured again. Gainwell could even command enough work to force a split between him and Irving. Especially if the Bucs want to keep Irving fresh. That kind of scenario would be the worst case for Irving’s fantasy value. Irving just recently returned to action during OTAs, so it’s important to see which direction the Bucs plan to go into the season with Irving and the rest of the backfield.

Washington Commanders – Jacory Croskey-Merritt/Rachaad White

The Commanders made sure to pick up every running back they could this offseason. They brought in Rachaad White, Jerome Ford, and Jeremy McNichols during the free agency period. They also have second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the roster. As it stands, the top two running backs right now are JCM and Rachaad White. But there’s always a chance one of the other backs emerges as a challenger for snaps.

One thing to note is that White has “feature back” ability, as he’s had to step into that role before. He’s also a much better pass catcher than JCM. Croskey-Merritt saw just 18 targets last season during his rookie campaign, giving up pass-catching and third-down duties to Austin Ekeler. JCM was solid for a few weeks in fantasy last season, but ultimately ended the season with just 8.3 fantasy points per game. JCM was a solid runner, averaging 4.5 yards per attempt last season. JCM is currently dealing with a soft-tissue injury that kept him out of OTAs. Now the Commanders are waiting to see if he can be active for the mandatory mini-camp. The Commanders’ coaching staff knows that JCM needs to be more involved in the passing game this season. But White may not go quietly into the night.