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Zach analyzes the top fantasy football RB committees, looking for fantasy football RB breakouts heading into Week 6 (2025). Read his key takeaways about seven RB committees.
Love them or hate them, running back committees are a way of life in the modern NFL. While there are still a few every-down backs, more and more teams are working with multiple options as part of their solution in the backfield. With bye weeks stretching rosters thin, the good news of the running back committee reality is that there are more options to go around, since more than one back per team can be viable options for fantasy leagues.
Injuries also play a huge role in the landscape of the position, and more running back injuries occur each week. It can be a lot to keep track of! Don't worry, though, we've got you covered with the latest on seven running back situations heading into Week 6 of the NFL. If running back is a place you need help, committees can be a huge part of your solution, even though they can be hard to navigate for fantasy football. Let's look at these seven situations and see how the workload was split up in Week 5 and what that means for the position moving forward into Week 6.
Obviously, each week the matchup and game script are a little different, but with over a month of data, we are starting to get a clearer idea of how teams want to handle their backfields. What did we learn from Week 5, and how does it change our projections going forward? What follows are my breakdowns of the backfields in San Diego, Arizona, Houston, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Tampa, and New Orleans.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Chargers Committee: Oh No, Omarion!
The Chargers having a running back committee is not a surprise, but coming into the year, it looked like a timeshare between Najee Harris and rookie Omarion Hampton. For the next few weeks, though, it shapes up to be a timeshare between Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal after Hampton (ankle) joined Harris (Achilles) on IR.
Chargers to place RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) on IR. He will miss at least the next four games. pic.twitter.com/BAv157cZFY
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2025
After a mysterious eye injury in the offseason, Harris was lost for the season in Week 3. Hampton proved up to the test with 128 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in Week 4, while adding 37 more yards on five catches. He looked like the clear every-down back, and was off to a strong start on Sunday as well, before getting tripped up in the backfield while running a route and injuring his ankle.
While the injury isn't expected to be season-ending, Hampton will miss the next four games, when the Chargers play the Dolphins, Colts, Vikings, and Titans. In that span, Haskins and Vidal will need to step up.
Haskins is the only available RB on the active roster, so expect another practice-squad promotion for Vidal this week. Haskins played at Michigan with coach Jim Harbaugh before being a fourth-round pick of the Titans. He rejoined Harbaugh in San Diego before last season. He played in all 17 games but only had 34 carries for 89 yards and three catches for 49 yards. He didn't have a catch or carry this season until last week against the Commanders.
After Hampton's injury, Haskins had five carries for 13 yards, while Vidal had four carries for 18 yards. Each running back caught their only target, with Haskins finishing with two receiving yards and Vidal just one receiving yard. They each played exactly 14 snaps.
Haskins seems the favorite for early down work with Vidal working in on third down, but the two backs could also rotate each series in a true timeshare.
Haskins did find the end zone three times last season, and he could be the preferred goal-line option, since he’s a much bigger back than Vidal, who scored a receiving touchdown last year as a rookie.
Of the two options, Haskins would be my slight favorite. He gets a great matchup this week against the Dolphins, who just gave up 200+ yards to Rico Dowdle last week. He'll probably be in too much of a timeshare to be an RB1, but he has RB2 upside and makes a strong flex play. Vidal has some upside as well, but he's not built like an early-down back. I have him as more of a "wait and see" than a must-add like Haskins.
Another interesting name to watch will be Amar Johnson, who is also on the team's practice squad. Johnson was an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State and signed with the Packers before training camp. With Green Bay this preseason, he led the team with 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries over three games. However, he was waived and signed with the Chargers’ practice squad before the season started.
One more recent addition to the Bolts' practice squad is Nyheim Hines, who signed earlier this week and has a chance to play this week, according to beat reporters. It’ll definitely be worth watching if Johnson, Vidal, Hines, or some combination of the three are promoted for game day this week. Any of the three could also sign a full contract on the active roster before Week 6.
However, until we see how the playing time shakes out, all four of these running backs are high-risk plays, although the potential is there for them to emerge over the next four weeks in Harbaugh's run-heavy system.
Cardinals RB Committee: From Practice Squad to RB1?
The Cardinals lost James Conner (foot) for the season in Week 3, and they lost Trey Benson (knee) in Week 4. Benson is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Coming into the season, Conner and Benson were the timeshare, but without both of them, Emari Demercado, Michael Carter, and Bam Knight split up the work in Week 5.
Carter, who was signed from the practice squad less than a week ago, said he would be the starting option and did carry most of the workload. He rushed 18 times for 51 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches on five targets for 22 more yards. He was listed as the RB1 on the Arizona Cardinals' latest unofficial depth chart that came out after his Week 5 performance as well.
While he got most of the work, the biggest play of the day (in more ways than one) came from Demercado. After breaking free for what would have been a huge, game-sealing, 72-yard touchdown, Demercado did this:
IT HAPPENED AGAIN 😱
Cardinals have a 72-yd TD taken off the board pic.twitter.com/BMDvEYklhC
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 5, 2025
While he did keep his role as the primary third-down back and played 28% of snaps, he only had three carries on his way to 81 yards. Almost all of those came on the play that ended in disaster. He wasn't targeted in the passing game.
Knight also mixed in for 11 snaps (16%) and rushed four times for 11 yards and a touchdown. He also added a 13-yard catch in the Cardinals’ Week 5 loss to the Titans.
Demercado's fumble didn't earn him any favor from the coaching staff, but he will likely still be involved on third down for his blocking and route-running. In Week 6, he'll be seeking redemption as he and the Cardinals visit the Colts.
Coming into the game in Indy, Carter is clearly the lead back and can be an RB3 with RB2 upside, even though Demercado brings a little more big-play ability. He's a flex play flier if you're desperate. Knight is a deep-league option if you need depth, but he will likely need another injury or more fumbling before he becomes a viable fantasy play.
Texans Committee: Chubb up, Marks down?
The Texans are on a bye this week, so neither member of this committee can help you this week. The Texans looked like they might not be much fantasy help even when they do have a game in their first three games of the season, stumbling to an 0-3 start with three one-score losses.
In the first three games of the season, Nick Chubb played half the snaps in the Houston backfield, while rookie Woody Marks and veteran Dare Ogunbowale split the other half of the workload. Marks seized the part of the timeshare that was Ogunbowale's in Week 3, playing 48% of snaps against the Jaguars. In Week 4, Marks was even better, dominating production and playing time. He went off for 17 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown while adding a second touchdown with four catches for 50 more yards.
It looked like the timeshare could be his to seize control of, but that isn't quite how things happened in Week 5. Marks did lead the team in snaps, but Chubb took 11 carries for 61 yards and this touchdown to be the top option of the day.
THE ART OF THE TUDDDYYYY
📺 : @nfloncbs / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/ArVacwrmEt
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 5, 2025
Marks had a quiet seven carries for 24 yards and failed to catch his only target. To further confuse matters, Dameon Pierce got seven carries as well after being a healthy scratch in Week 2 and Week 3.
Pierce's carries were in garbage time in the Texans' rout, and Marks still led the team in snaps. Long-term, Marks still has the highest ceiling and is the best hold going forward, while Chubb also has touchdown-dependent value in standard leagues. The blowout nature of this game kept Marks more in check, and I even like him as a buy-low candidate if someone is ready to bail on him after a low week.
Chiefs Committee: Kareem Hunt - Touchdown Machine
The Chiefs' top rusher in their Monday Night Football loss to the Jaguars was Patrick Mahomes with 60 yards and a touchdown. He also had six carries, which was just one behind the top two running backs in the rotation.
Hunt was the fantasy option to play this week from the Chiefs' backfield since he maintained his goal-line role and finished with seven carries for 49 yards and two touchdowns. His second score, with under two minutes remaining and gave the Chiefs a four-point lead.
CLUTCH KAREEM. pic.twitter.com/FG8BlTpMxe
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 7, 2025
While Hunt got the touchdowns, his teammate Isiah Pacheco played more snaps, logging a season-high 63% of snaps for the Chiefs. He still only got seven carries, though, and took them for just 36 scoreless yards, while adding 20 receiving yards on three more catches.
Hunt's role as a short-yardage back makes him a touchdown-dependent FLEX play as the Chiefs come home to host the Lions. Pacheco is a higher-risk play, but he can be a flex flier in a pinch. He's hard to trust with 10 or fewer touches in three of his five games so far this year.
The Chiefs still found a few snaps for converted receiver Brashard Smith as well. He only played six snaps but had one carry for four yards to go with 32 yards on three receptions. In pass-heavy scripts, he could be a sneaky sleeper to watch, but he's extremely high-risk in such a limited role.
Hunt is my favorite play of the three since he's the top goal-line option, but Pacheco does bring more big-play ability and a high ceiling. Neither are awesome plays against the Lions, but both do have upside if they get into the end zone. Even Smith can be a depth piece or desperation flier as well in PPR formats.
Jaguars Committee: Trio of Trouble
On the other side of the Monday Night Football contest, the Jaguars used a three-man rotation of Travis Etienne Jr., Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr. to help the team rally back to win over the Chiefs at home.
Etienne got the vast majority of carries against the Chiefs, with 12 carries for 49 yards. Etienne didn't get into the end zone, but Laurence ran for a pair of scores, taking his 10 carries for 52 yards and two scores. He also hauled in three of his four targets for nine more yards.
He still played 59% of snaps, while Allen and Tuten split the remaining work, with 21% and 22% of snaps, respectively. Tuten had four carries for six yards, and Allen didn't touch the ball except on kick returns or draw any targets.s
While Monday night's win belonged to the passing game, the defense, and specifically Trevor Lawrence, Etienne continued to dominate the three-headed Jaguar rotation. This week, they host the Seahawks before heading to London for Week 7. Etienne will remain a solid RB2 or flex play, while Tuten is just a depth piece at this point.
Buccaneers Committee: Buc up, Rachaad White Managers
The Bucs lost Bucky Irving (shoulder/foot) for what was expected to be an absence of at least two weeks after the former Oregon star got off to a hot start to his second NFL season with 237 rushing yards and 193 receiving yards in his first four games, along with two touchdowns.
Irving sprained his foot, which kept him out of last week's game against the Seahawks, but it's actually a shoulder subluxation that is expected to be more of the issue with him returning, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
In Irving's absence in Week 5, Rachaad White stepped in with 14 carries for 41 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while also snagging all four of his targets for 30 receiving yards.
1️⃣ for 6️⃣
📺: #TBvsSEA on CBS pic.twitter.com/7qkhcMf52y
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 5, 2025
White also had four catches in Week 4 against the Eagles, showing he can contribute in multiple facets of the offense. His playing time ballooned to 80% of snaps with Irving out, and Sean Tucker played the other 21% of snaps, managing just three rushing yards and three receiving yards on three catches and three carries.
If Irving it out against the 49ers, as expected, it will likely be White who again carries the load with a little Tucker mixed in for a change-of-pace look. White will be a strong RB2 with RB1 upside, and Tucker could get enough touches to deserve attention as a DFS or flier play in deep leagues.
When Irving returns, it will be fascinating to see how the Bucs rotate the two effective producers, since White and Irving shared time earlier this season, but Irving had about a 75% to 25% split advantage before his injury. White could still feature as the goal-line option, which would keep him fantasy relevant even after Irving is back.
Saints Committee: Winless No More
The Saints got their first win of the season in Week 5 by beating the Giants and rookie Jaxson Dart. They trailed 14-3 early in the second quarter, but rallied to win, 26-14. Veteran Alvin Kamara still got the majority of snaps, but third-year back Kendre Miller continues to play a growing percentage of snaps each week. He also had more carries than Kamara in Week 5.
Kamara played a season-low 56% of snaps in the Saints' Week 5 win, and Miller played a season-high 39% of snaps. Miller totaled 41 yards on his 10 carries, while Kamara racked up just 27 rushing yards on his eight carries. The veteran did stay involved in the passing game, though, hauling in four of his six targets for 28 yards and moving into fifth place all-time in receptions as a running back.
Alvin.
Kamara. pic.twitter.com/XDM9VhkvbG
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 5, 2025
Even though he's still getting most of the work, Kamara hasn't found the end zone since Week 1, while Miller had a rushing score in Week 4. Kamara could be an interesting piece on the trade market as we approach the deadline, and he could even land on another squad on this list, like the Chargers or the Chiefs
If Kamara is traded, it would open up the starting job for Miller, who has flashed the potential to be the successor as the lead back in New Orleans. It's hard to trust him quite yet for fantasy purposes until a Kamara trade, but Miller is a great stash if he's still on waiver wires in your league. He would be a very solid starter if Kamara gets dealt, and he does have emergency flex potential in his current, growing role.
The Saints play the Patriots, Bears, and Bucs in the next three weeks, and this will continue to be a timeshare to monitor to evaluate if Miller can be the heir apparent to Kamara's crown in the Big Easy.
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