Issue #266: Hello Friends
By Derrick Ernst
April 09, 2026
A Tradition Unlike Any Other
Don’t mind me as I sit idle on my couch watching The Masters for the next 96 hours. If there’s a weekend that rivals having football on in the fall, it’s this weekend. Plus, there’s something about Jim Nantz’s voice and golf that are like PB&J, it just works. Give me a good battle between a group of golfers by Sunday afternoon and I’ll be a happy camper. Here’s something that isn’t traditional, RB tandems in the NFL.
This notification popped up the other day and it was one I didn’t disregard right away. In fact, it made me think about what this means and has meant for fantasy. It has been over the past five-ish years where I’ve really felt the impacts of a the backup RB. And for a few of them, they’re not so much a backup, rather a compliment. Their presence has fantasy implications. There are few duos I’d want to roster and even choosing to do so limits your diversification. Starting two RB’s from the same team can turn your weekend sour really quickly if the flow of the game isn’t in your favor.
Side note, some of you have been wondering when we’re going to get into the depths of fantasy discussions for this next season. Last year I felt like I started those too early (March) and the NFL Draft made some of those thoughts null. I’ve decided this year to wait until after the draft as to be as efficient as possible. Stay tuned for what’s to come in a few weeks.
I understand what we’re about to look at may not serve a great deal of purpose for the upcoming season, but I promise it’s foundational in showing what the NFL has slowly become with teams featuring more than one RB.
I define a “bell cow” RB to be one who sees 60%+ of a team’s rushing attempts (this includes attempts from a QB too). In ’25 there were seven RB’s to meet the threshold:
J. Taylor, IND (73%)
A. Jeanty, LV (72%)
C. McCaffrey, SF (65%)
T. Pollard, TEN (64%)
C. Brown, CIN (61%)
D. Henry, BAL (61%)
B. Robinson, ATL (60%)
This leaves a lot of RB’s without said status because of one or more of their teammates. It’s this that I wanted to hone in on today — what teams leveraged a committee approach the most last season and why that’s a frustrating circumstance to be associated with as a fantasy manager. What’s to follow are the top-ten teams who had two rushers closest in share in ’25.
1) Denver Broncos (2% gap)
JK Dobbins, 34% share (31st in league)
RJ Harvey, 32% share (35th in league)
2) Arizona Cardinals (3% gap)
M. Carter, 25% share (47th in league)
B. Knight, 22% share (50th in league)
3) Los Angeles Chargers (6% gap)
K. Vidal, 33% share (33rd in league)
O. Hampton, 27% share (43rd in league)
4) Minnesota Vikings (7% gap)
J. Mason, 39% share (23rd in league)
A. Jones, 32% share (34th in league)
5) Seattle Seahawks (9% gap)
K. Walker, 44% share (21st in league)
Z. Charbonnet, 36% share (27th in league)
6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9% gap)
B. Irving, 37% share (25th in league)
R. White, 28% share (41st in league)
7) New England Patriots (10% gap)
T. Henderson, 36% share (26th in league)
R. Stevenson, 26% share (44th in league)
8) New York Giants (11% gap)
T. Tracy, 34% share (30th in league)
D. Singletary, 23% share (48th in league)
9) Chicago Bears (11% gap)
D. Swift, 44% share (20th in league)
K. Monangai, 33% share (32nd in league)
10) Kansas City Chiefs (11% gap)
K. Hunt, 38% share (24th in league)
I. Pacheco, 27% share (42nd in league)
A somewhat related fun fact. Take a guess as to who the second highest share rusher for DAL and LV was last season?
Dak and Geno.
Even though J. Williams didn’t crack a 60% share, he wasn’t far off. At 54% he ranked 14th in the league. Assuming DAL’s RB room doesn’t noticeably change, Williams may very well be one of the most underrated fantasy options again in ’26.
So what does this all mean? We don’t need to get technical. It means upside it capped. Those with larger shares simply have more opportunity for outsized performances than those who share touches closely with others on their team. This exercise fails to look at one’s prowess as a pass-catcher which does play a significant role in determining fantasy value. Despite how much a dual-threat RB is a valuable asset to have in the modern-age NFL, rushes by RB’s are still king to their receptions. Of the seven RB’s to have a 60% share last season, six finished ranked in the top-12 at the position in fantasy. The top ranked RB of the ten teams with the closest share gap was D. Swift who finished as RB14.
For the nth time, the clearest path to fantasy success for a RB is devouring rushing attempts, the only path to having the largest share.
300
We’ve discussed psychological stat thresholds in the past and for the vast majority, rushing attempts aren’t a flashy one to consider. When you think about it, the one’s that receive all the lime light for RB’s are a direct result of rushing attempts. Not like we needed another argument to support my bolded claim above, but this is one. Stat thresholds should be achievable, but stretched. You don’t want everyone making weight! When it comes to rushing attempts, 300 is the threshold I hold in high regard. Only a few reach the mark annually and for those that do, it means fantasy stardom.
2025
J. Taylor, 323 attempts (RB2)
C. McCaffrey, 311 attempts (RB1)
J. Cook, 309 attempts (RB5)
D. Henry, 307 attempts (RB7)
2024
S. Barkley, 345 attempts (RB1)
D. Henry, 325 attempts (RB2)
K. Williams, 316 attempts (RB6)
B. Robinson, 304 attempts (RB4)
J. Taylor, 303 attempts (RB9)
J. Jacobs, 301 attempts (RB5)
2023
No one reached 300 rushing attempts! D. Henry was the closest with 280.
2022
D. Henry, 349 attempts (RB4)
J. Jacobs, 340 attempts (RB3)
N. Chubb, 302 attempts (RB5)
Not a single rusher finished outside the top-12 and only one fell worse than top-six. Take that to the bank! To put a bow on this, here are the RB’s with the most seasons with 300+ rushing attempts in NFL history:
Source: Statemuse
Shout Out
My grandma hosted family on Easter. She’s a subscriber herself and mentioned to me that she reads every issue hoping for a shout out. Well grandma, your wish is my command! Thank you for your support and being a champion of the newsletter every chance you get — it means a lot!
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