May 17, 2026, 11:04 AM ET

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has finished as the RB4 and RB2 over the past two seasons, and with David Montgomery being traded to the Texans at the beginning of the 2026 offseason, RotoBaller is expecting enough of a workload increase to make Gibbs the number one overall player in non-superflex redraft leagues. In their three seasons together, Montgomery saw over 14 opportunities per game and a total of 48 carries from within the five-yard line. By contrast, free-agent acquisition Isiah Pacheco frequently took a back seat to a past-his-prime Kareem Hunt in their 18 games together, and he did not earn a single goal-line carry in his final season with the Chiefs. 2026 marks year six of the Dan Campbell regime, with the team turning in a top-five offensive finish in each of the past four seasons. Even in what was considered a down year for the unit as it adjusted to life without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in 2025, the Lions averaged more than 370 yards per game while scoring 56 touchdowns, with Gibbs alone responsible for almost 30% of that yardage total and 18 touchdowns. Detroit's schedule sees the team lined up against some of the worst run defenses in the league by 2025 EPA metrics, and with Gibbs expected to see the heaviest volume of his young career, he could become only the third player in the last decade to top 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns.--Patrick McGrath