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Craig's overvalued fantasy football running backs busts. His top starting RB busts set to fall short of ADP, including Saquon Barkley, Bucky Irving, and more.
With today’s NFL, where more teams than ever are utilizing the dreaded running-back-by-committee approach to their rushing attacks, fantasy football managers are harder-pressed than ever before to get their hands on workhorse running backs who never get off the field.
The running back position is still the most important one in fantasy football. Yes, NFL teams pass more than they used to, so wide receivers are neck-and-neck with running backs at the top of the most-important-position list. But running backs still rule the roost, especially now that fewer get 20 touches on a weekly basis.
That does not mean that all workhorse backs are guaranteed to be fantasy forces, though. More carries do not always equal more touchdowns. Here are five workhorse running backs who are bound to be fantasy football busts in 2026!
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Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles (ADP 12, RB7)
Saquon Barkley rushed for 2,013 yards and 13 touchdowns and was a Super Bowl hero just two short seasons ago. He enters the 2026 season as a top-10 fantasy running back on most cheat sheets and draft lists, despite having a disappointing season where a banged-up offensive line and a subpar passing attack allowed defenses an easier time to shut him down.
Barkley has a lot going against him heading into the upcoming season. The guy looked like he lost a step last year, and why shouldn’t he have? The man had 1,167 rushing attempts between 2022 and 2025. Only Baltimore’s Derrick Henry had more. Barkley also had 168 receptions over that span, so that is additional pounding his body took.
Barkley also has an aging, injury-prone offensive line blocking for him that might be primed for a comeback season, or might be ready to have its wheels fall off. Then there is the fact that an entirely new offense has been installed, and offensive coordinator Sean Mannion might steer the offense away from centering around handoffs to Barkley.
Then there is the issue of backup Tank Bigsby, who averaged 5.9 yards per carry for Philly in 2025, being given more opportunities to keep Barkley fresh and to give the offense some spark. Barkley has more negatives than positives heading into the season, and therefore has a better chance to finish with 1,000 rushing yards than racking up 2,000 again.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (ADP 6, RB3)
Fantasy managers who have been playing for years know all about Christian McCaffrey’s pluses and minuses. When he is healthy, McCaffrey is one of the top-5 running backs in fantasy and among the top-10 players overall to roster. Look no further than last season -- he played in all 17 games and amassed 1,202 rushing yards, 102 receptions for 924 yards, and 17 total touchdowns.
Those are the kind of numbers that win fantasy leagues for people. But McCaffrey’s injury-riddled past is as well-documented as the Revolutionary War, and they have lost fantasy leagues for people, too. He missed nine games or more due to major injuries four times in his nine-year career.
The mojo in San Francisco is at an all-time low. The owner was arrested for soliciting a prostitute. The head coach got into a mysterious car accident that busted up his face. The top receiver refuses to practice or play and makes nonsensical social media posts.
The team is already battling injuries all over the roster for what seems like the 10th season in a row. Doesn’t it make sense for McCaffrey to suffer some cruel fate that ruins his season, too?
The bottom line is, having McCaffrey on your fantasy roster is as risky as walking into a WNBA game with a rabble-rousing shirt on. He was injury-free for two seasons in a row in 2022 and 2023, but what are the chances he can avoid injury two years in a row AGAIN?
Probably not good, especially since he is a year older and his brittle body just survived a 400-touch season last year. I am going to avoid CMC in fantasy drafts unless he falls a round or two and I have no choice but to take him and pray for the best.
De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins (ADP 17, RB11)
There is no doubt that De'Von Achane is going to be one of the league leaders in touches per game in 2026. Miami has no choice but to give the ball to its main man any way it can. Let him run 25 times, catch 5-10 passes out of the backfield, and heck, have him return punts and kickoffs at this point!
No. 26 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@MiamiDolphins RB De'Von Achane! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/6wFhBTS6NT
— NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2026
Miami has the worst receiving corps in the NFL. The most productive receiver on the Dolphins roster, Malik Washington, only averaged 6.9 yards per catch last year. Stalwarts Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and tight end Darren Waller are all gone. The offense will revolve around Achane whether he likes it or not.
Achane will be asked to carry more of his offense than arguably any other back in the NFL except for Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor. New Miami quarterback Malik Willis has only started six games in his career. We have no idea how good or bad he will be, but considering who Willis has to throw to, defenses will likely key in on Achane and force Miami to pass to move the ball.
Achane is a dynamic back. That said, he cannot block for himself or keep defenses from stacking the box by passing himself. He is going to get beat up this year, and his body might break down before the end of the season, especially if he gets overused. Achane will pay off handsomely with a huge reward if he stays healthy, but he is also a huge risk considering the circumstances.
Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs (ADP 15, RB9)
Is this Super Bowl hero about to become a fantasy zero? Maybe not a zero, but Kenneth Walker III is no sure thing to replicate what he did last year or improve upon it. I am seeing him ranked in the top 10 among fantasy running backs by many experts, but you have to remember who he is and not what he was in the Super Bowl or what you might think he will be in KC.
Yes, Walker’s body held up for all 17 regular-season games in 2025, a first for him. But while he rushed for 1,027 yards at a 4.6 yards-per-carry clip, Walker scored a career-low five touchdowns as he conceded most red-zone work to tailback teammate Zach Charbonnet.
Kansas City is certainly starved for a bell-cow back who is explosive and can score from anywhere on the field, and Walker was that guy in Seattle -- when he was 100 percent healthy and being kept fresh by sharing some of the load with Charbonnet and others.
But with the unheralded backups behind him in Kansas City, Walker will be expected to carry more of the load than ever before in his career. Unfortunately, he is dealing with what is hopefully a minor foot injury that he recently suffered.
Walker will have tons of pressure on him to be the best featured back Kansas City has had since Patrick Mahomes took over the offense. But Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL, Travis Kelce is on his last legs, the receiving corps is always having off-the-field problems, and the offensive line has some holes.
Meanwhile, Walker has never rushed for 1,100 yards or scored 10 touchdowns in a season, yet fantasy managers are expecting that or more. Walker is a walking “bust alert.”
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP 47, RB20)
Bucky Irving burst onto the fantasy scene two years ago as a rookie when he ran roughshod over defenses to the tune of 1,122 rushing yards, 47 receptions for 392 yards, and eight total touchdowns. The plucky, undersized back had no trouble putting his helmet between the tackles, but he was better at running outside and breaking big gains at a moment’s notice.
Irving was a fantasy bust mostly due to his body in 2025, though. He only dressed for 10 games due to injury and averaged 3.4 yards per carry when he did play, compared to 5.4 YPC the year prior. Granted, Tampa Bay’s offensive line was injured and ineffective for much of the season, but Irving just did not run as well or break tackles as well as his first year.
While Irving is still Tampa Bay’s top tailback, multi-dimensional Kenny Gainwell was brought in to serve as the pass-catching specialist (73 receptions in 2025), but he is more than just a third-down back.
The guy rushed for 537 yards and five touchdowns for Pittsburgh last season, which is why he secured a multimillion-dollar deal from TB. Irving might lose out on red-zone carries now that Tampa Bay decided not to cut RB3 Sean Tucker.
Bucky Irving Could Lose Goal-Line Touches https://t.co/nXKZ7tAlZp
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 30, 2026
Irving is going to be pushed for touches and time by Gainwell all season long. Which Irving are fantasy managers going to get? The scintillating version that took the league by storm in 2024, or the pedestrian plodder who was on the field in 2025? Irving will hopefully bounce back, but even if he runs well, Gainwell is going to cut his fantasy worth down a level or two.
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