- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions: The NFL’s new highest-paid running back could experience career highs in touches.
- RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: Despite Atlanta’s uncertain quarterback situation, Robinson is sure to carry a heavy workload.
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NFL coaching staff are using heavy personnel packages more often, while increasing their neutral-situation run play rates. NFL skill-position touch count competition is shrinking, making elite RB1s more valuable than in recent seasons.
The article below breaks down four contenders for the overall RB1 finish.
Gibbs', Robinson's, Jeanty's and McCaffrey’s 2025 data
| Metric | Jahmyr Gibbs | Bijan Robinson | Ashton Jeanty | Christian McCaffrey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-17 Total Points Half-PPR – PPR | 309.6 (RB4) – 346.6 (RB4) | 325.5 (RB3) – 365.5 (RB2) | 206.7 (RB14) – 232.7 (RB13) | 356.9 (RB1) – 404.9 (RB1) |
| Weeks 1-17 Points Per Game Half-PPR – PPR | 19.4 – 21.7 | 20.3 – 22.7 | 12.9 – 14.5 | 22.3 – 25.3 |
| RB1 Season Streak Half-PPR – PPR | 3 – 3 | 3 – 3 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 |
| Reg. Season Rush Att. – Yards – TD – Fum. | 243 – 1,223 – 13 – 2 | 287 – 1,478 – 7 – 3 | 266 – 975 – 5 – 1 | 311 – 1,202 – 10 – 1 |
| Reg. Season Rec./Tgt. – Yards – TD – Fum. | 77/92 – 616 – 5 – 0 | 79/99 – 820 – 4 – 1 | 55/68 – 346 – 5 – 1 | 102/121 – 924 – 7 – 1 |
| PFF Rushing Grade | 81.1 | 84.7 | 73.1 | 67.4 |
| Missed Tackles Forced Per Rush | 0.26 | 0.30 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Yards After Contact Per Rush | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| Yards Per Rush | 5.0 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| 1st Down &/or TD Rate | 23.1% | 21.9% | 16.5% | 21.4% |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 90.3 | 88.1 | 66.7 | 91.7 |
| Target Rate | 25.0% | 22.7% | 18.9% | 23.8% |
| Yards Per Route Run | 1.67 | 1.88 | 0.96 | 1.81 |
| Missed Tackles Forced Per Reception | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.42 | 0.21 |
| Yards After Contact Per Reception | 8.1 | 10.9 | 8.4 | 6.9 |
| PFF Pass-Blocking Grade | 72.7 | 80.0 | 58.9 | 84.5 |
| Team EPA Per Play | 0.063 | -0.016 | -0.198 | 0.028 |
PFF’s strength of schedule metric projects Detroit to face the fourth-softest 2026 schedule for running backs. Detroit’s schedule, coupled with head coach Dan Campbell declaring Gibbs the team’s “bell cow” and the backfield’s reduced touch competition, should lead to career highs in both rushing attempts and total offensive touches.
Robinson will handle an elite workload. The Falcons’ injured and uninspiring two-top quarterbacks could limit offensive productivity.
Jeanty proved himself an elite tackle-breaker despi playing in an abysmal offensive environment as a rookie. His 2026 environmental upgrades include a new head coach, who is among the league’s sharpest, fantasy-friendly tacticians, two quarterback upgrades and a healthy, reinforced offensive line.
Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller, 30, suffered a season-ending high-ankle sprain and hairline fracture in Week 4. Among 67 NFL offensive tackles with at least 1,000 offensive snaps from 2024-25, Miller’s 85.3 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks seventh. His 74.9 PFF run-blocking grade ranks 28th.
Raiders general manager John Spytek made former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum the NFL’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman ever with a three-year, $81 million contract this offseason. He also signed former San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Spencer Burford and spent a third-round pick on former Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III, who may offer positional versatility.
Among 33 NFL centers with at least 900 offensive snaps from 2024-25, Linderbaum’s 64.7 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks 15th. His 89.2 PFF run-blocking grade ranks fourth.
Burford earned a 61.4 PFF run-blocking grade last year. Zuhn earned a 92.1 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 64.2 PFF run-blocking grade over the past two seasons.
Reports consistently indicate that new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak will not employ the two-player backfield tactic that helped him guide the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX victory. Instead, Kubiak will feature Jeanty in a schematically foundational three-down role.
McCaffrey, 30, totaled a career-high 450 offensive touches across the full 2025 NFL season, marking his third 400-plus-touch campaign since 2019. His exceptionally high workload keeps him locked firmly in the elite RB1 tier, though his stable rushing metrics are notably decreasing and injury concerns are reasonable at both the player and team level. The 49ers reportedly had 20 players sidelined due to injury on Wednesday.
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