X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL Rookie Running Backs Destined for Fantasy Football Committees

Justin Carter evaluates NFL rookie running backs who could be in an RB committee in 2022, limiting their fantasy football value for redraft leagues.

The whole concept of a "running back committee" feels fake at this point. Back in the day when there were a bunch of high-usage RB1s in the league, you never wanted to draft a running back who was in a "committee" because there were just far too many options available who would get more touches per game.

The days of a workhorse RB1 are waning. In 2021, four players saw 250 carries or more. 10 years before that, 12 running backs saw that much usage. Imagine Shonn Greene getting 253 carries on an NFL team in the year 2022. No way it happens.

Anyway, this article is supposed to be about rookie running backs in committees, but that's basically all of them. Even Breece Hall is going to find himself sharing touches this year. So for this piece, we'll only be looking at rookie running backs who feel destined to land in a committee of at least three players. So, Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III, see y'all later. James Cook, you can go too, because I don't trust Zack Moss enough to project he cuts into the snaps for you or Devin Singletary.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Tyrion Davis-Price - San Francisco 49ers

We know that the Niners like to run the ball. That shouldn't change with the move from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance under center, though the shape of those runs could. Garoppolo had 38 carries last year, while Lance also had 38 carries. Jimmy G started 15 games. Lance started two games.

What this suggests to me is that the 49ers will have more designed quarterback runs next year, which lowers how many attempts there will be for the running backs. The team could finish sixth in rushing attempts again, but how many of those carries will go to Lance? And how will the remaining touches be divvied up?

Last season, Elijah Mitchell led the team with 207 rushing attempts, with Jeff Wilson Jr. at 79, Deebo Samuel at 59, and Trey Sermon at 41.

All of those players return this year, plus third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price joins the equation. That's...a lot of mouths to feed, even if we assume Deebo Samuel gets used in that gadget-back role slightly less this year. Mitchell was the clear No. 1 back last year, but Sermon was a third-rounder last year and should see an expanded role in 2022. Wilson will get touches. Davis-Price is an intriguing player, but the math ain't mathing here when it comes to him carving out a fantasy-sized role for the early part of the season.

 

Brian Robinson Jr. - Washington Commanders

Last year, Brian Robinson rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns for Alabama, plus added 35 catches for 296 yards and two scores. After serving as a complementary piece for most of his Tide career, Robinson impressed in his one season as the unquestioned lead back. Now he finds himself in a familiar place with the Commanders: behind incumbents on the depth chart.

Antonio Gibson was fourth among NFL running backs in carries last season. J.D. McKissic was targeted 53 times in 11 games and in 2020 saw over 100 targets. There's a clear lead back for rushing downs and a lead back for passing downs. So, what happens with the 2022 third-round pick?

Because he's a different kind of running back than Gibson and McKissic, there should be snaps for Robinson. He's that bigger, more bruising back who can be especially effective down near the goal line. Even if he's important inside the 20, his lack of usage in the passing game plus the fact that Gibson should see most early down work means that Robinson is going to be lost in a committee for 2022.

 

Dameon Pierce - Houston Texans

Of the four guys in this article, Pierce is the most likely to break through his committee and into meaningful work, mainly because the players ahead of him are aging backs whose best days are behind them. Pierce will likely open the season behind Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead. Outperforming those guys isn't as difficult as outperforming Elijah Mitchell or Antonio Gibson will be, but there's no guarantee that Pierce is going to come into camp and earn a huge role.

Marlon Mack played six games last year for the Colts, finishing with 101 yards. His last two seasons have been a wash because of injury, but if he's healthy — and that's a big if considering he tore his Achilles in 2020 — then he'll get the first shot at leading this backfield. Considering he ran for over 1,000 yards the last time he was healthy, I think the Texans will likely wind up relying on Mack and his experience. Especially with second-year QB Davis Mills under center, having a known entity at running back will be important.

And then there's Burkhead, who just turned 32. That's old for a running back, but Burkhead never had 100 carries in a season before last year, so he's a fairly young 32 in terms of wear. Burkhead should see time spelling Mack and will get some passing down work. Despite the change at head coach, Houston returns essentially the same offensive coaching staff as last year, and that staff liked Burkhead enough to give him a career-high amount of work.

The other issue with Pierce is that I don't trust this offense enough. Bad offenses end up throwing the ball more because the team is behind more often. With a rookie quarterback last season, Houston threw 58% of the time, which ranked essentially right at league average. But they threw the ball 60% of the time in the second half of games per Sharp Football Stats. That ranked 11th in the league.

If we look exclusively at the games where Mills started and not Tyrod Taylor, we see that number rise a lot. In Mills' starts, Houston ranked eighth overall in pass rate at 61%. In the second half of games, they jump to fourth in the league with a pass rate of 65%.

Houston will throw a lot this year. That isn't good for the running back committee that they have and it's a big part of why I'm not high on Pierce.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP