Outlook: New Patriots running back Antonio Gibson finds himself in a new situation, which isn't always ideal for fantasy purposes, but the Patriots' offense isn't much worse than what he experienced with the Commanders. Unfortunately for Gibson, he joins an offense that already has a viable pass catcher out of the backfield in Rhamondre Stevenson. However, Stevenson was a major disappointment in 2023, and the new Patriots coaching staff has no ties to him. This could make Gibson a sneaky late-round value, especially considering Stevenson missed significant playing time last season and played through injuries in the games he didn't miss.

While Gibson is unlikely to be a major fantasy contributor without an injury to Stevenson, his presence could still be a thorn in the side of Stevenson managers this season.

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Outlook: James Cook enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, but that didn't stop the Bills from adding to their running back room by selecting Ray Davis in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Cook supporters should be thankful that Buffalo didn't add one of the many proven veterans who were available this offseason as had sometimes been rumored, but Davis is still a player who could play significant snaps for the Bills this season. Cook was by far Buffalo's most productive back in 2023, and was the only back who played in every game for them, but he still only managed to be on the field for just under 55 percent of the team's snaps. This indicated that while the Bills view Cook as their lead back, they're not willing to completely hand over the keys to make him their version of Christian McCaffery.

If Davis is able to play even 35 percent of the snaps for the Bills, there will almost certainly be weeks where produces usable fantasy numbers. The problem is that, unless Cook is out, predicting those games is going to be nearly impossible. Latavius Murray was Buffalo's main RB2 in 2023 and while he played over 30 percent of the team's offensive snaps, he only saw double-digit carries twice and only managed to score four total touchdowns, making him a completely unusable fantasy asset.

Davis may show us something that allows him to earn more of a 50/50 split by the end of the season, but fantasy managers should be expecting that he'll take a while to give us anything useful - if he ever gets there at all - as long as Cook is available.

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Outlook: The Jets' fourth-round draft pick Braelon Allen has emerged as a standout player during OTA practices, prompting many to believe he has already secured the RB2 role. Despite his impressive performance, though, Allen remains stuck behind one of the league's best all-around running backs (Breece Hall), limiting his opportunities to see the field unless Hall suffers an injury.

However, if Allen manages to carve out a role in the Jets' offense, his size and speed combination make him an intriguing prospect. Standing at 6-2 and weighing 235 lbs, Allen averaged over 3.6 yards after contact per attempt during his collegiate career, with nearly 5.9 yards per attempt and 35 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he has received high praise for his pass-catching ability in Jets camp, indicating potential as an every-down back if Hall is sidelined.

For now, Allen should be considered a pure handcuff, but his potential makes him an interesting late-round pick. If given the opportunity, Allen could prove to be a valuable asset in the Jets' backfield.

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Outlook: Tampa Bay added another Pac 12 (RIP) player to their offense, selecting former Oregon running back Bucky Irving. In the eyes of the Bucs coaching staff, Irving will ideally be able to take some work off White's plate. Tampa Bay's coaches and front office have made it clear that they want to reduce White's workload. They gave Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker tryouts last season to play this complementary role but neither met expectations and White remained the bell-cow.

The question becomes, can Irving be the secondary option in this backfield? Although he struggled in athletic testing, his production in college indicates that he could be an effective back in the NFL. This is especially true as a pass-catcher. Irving was the FBS leader in receptions among RBs last season.

At this point, Irving is nothing more than a late-round flier. His value is primarily driven by the fact that he has little competition for the RB2 job in Tampa Bay.

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Outlook: Lloyd, the 3rd rounder out of USC (he played for both Southern Cal and South Carolina) brings the dynamic element to the running game that was lost when Aaron Jones departed. He was electric in college, and flashed at the combine with a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. The biggest obstacle to playing time is a lack of experience in the passing game. Matt LeFleur's concepts are notoriously complex, and Lloyd wasn't asked to participate much as a blocker or receiver in college. He only had 34 receptions in his three-year collegiate career, and tack that on to a penchant for fumbling, and you have the makings of a tricky situation. Lloyd brings a unique speed element to this backfield, but there are lots of roadblocks to playing time. In deep leagues he might be worth a bench stash if he looks good in the preseason and can leap Dillon in camp.

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Outlook: The trio of Herbert, Foreman, and Johnson combined for 1,400+ rushing yards and 8 scores, of which Herbert contributed the most. The "starter" when healthy, Herbert piled up most of his production in just three games, as a slow start and a high ankle sprain doomed his numbers. Clearly Chicago didn't think enough of Herbert to let him run it back as a starter, paying good money to bring Swift to Chicago. Consider Herbert a cheap, veteran option to back-up and spell Swift, rather than a true competitor for the alpha role. Because workhorse backs are rare breeds in the modern NFL, Herbert is going to contribute a fair share, but he's more waiver add than draftable asset.

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Outlook: After four years behind Dalvin Cook, Mattison slid into the RB1 role for the Vikings last year. It didn't go well. He ran the ball 180 times for 700 yards (3.9 YPC) but never ran for a touchdown -- he did score three times as a receiver on 30 receptions, though. Still just 26, Mattison was signed to spell White and provide an insurance policy in case the young starter falters. Given Mattison's experience in the blocking scheme offensive coordinator Luke Getsy utilizes, it's a solid idea. Although he's probably not worth drafting outside of deep leagues, you can keep him on your watch list.

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Outlook: Before last season Hill was a little used backup during his time in Baltimore, but a multitude of injuries to this backfield allowed him to set career highs in usage. Henry is sure to dominate touches, but he's 30, and there isn't anything else in this backfield but a rehabbing Keaton Mitchell, and a 5th-round rookie. Unless they add someone in camp, Hill is the contingency plan, and could return FLEX value if Henry goes down. Keep an eye on him as a waiver add if the need arises.

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