Free agent RB roundup: Walker, Etienne headline major running back shakeups across the league

The running back movement was wild Monday at the start of the free agent negotiating period. The top headlines were Kenneth Walker III agreed to terms with the Chiefs, and Travis Etienne Jr. agreed to terms with the Saints.

But we also wanted to update you on Rico Dowdle to Pittsburgh, J.K. Dobbins staying in Denver, Tyler Allgeier signing in Arizona, Kenneth Gainwell going to Tampa Bay, and Isiah Pacheco now in Detroit. The Fantasy value for all of these backfields will change for 2026 compared to how they finished in 2025.

Let's break down these backfields after all the agreements.

Dowdle to Pittsburgh

The Steelers and Dowdle agreed to terms on a two-year, $12.25 million deal, and Dowdle will be reunited with Mike McCarthy, who was his head coach in Dallas from 2020-24. Dowdle spent 2025 in Carolina, and he had a surprising season with 236 carries for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns, 39 catches for 297 yards and one touchdown on 50 targets. He averaged 12.9 PPR points per game.

Dowdle was the backup to Chuba Hubbard to start last season, but when he missed two games in Weeks 5 and 6 due to injury, Dowdle took over and was initially dominant. He had 32.4 PPR points against Miami in Week 5 and 33.9 PPR points against Dallas in Week 6.

Dowdle also had four more games with at least 12.4 PPR points from Week 7 on, but he also scored 9.9 PPR points or less in six of his final 12 outings, including the playoffs. While he was inconsistent, this is two years in a row where he averaged at least 12.4 PPR points per game.

In Pittsburgh, Dowdle will share touches with Jaylen Warren and potentially Kaleb Johnson, although we don't expect Johnson to have a big role. We'll see what happens with Dowdle and Warren in training camp, and I'd give a slight edge to Warren as the better Fantasy option. Warren just had a career season in 2025 at 13.9 PPR points per game while sharing touches with Gainwell, but Dowdle and Gainwell aren't the same type of running back.

Most likely, the winner of the Steelers' competition will be drafted in Round 6 at the earliest. But the other running back should come off the board soon after, since this will likely be close to a 50-50 split in touches, at least initially.

With Dowdle gone, we'll see what the Panthers do to replace him. Hubbard gets a huge boost if he's the starter, and hopefully, he can return to his 2024 form when he averaged 16.1 PPR points per game. Hubbard could be worth drafting as early as Round 5.

Jonathon Brooks (knee) could also play a role in Carolina if healthy. He sat out 2025 after suffering a torn ACL for the second time in his right knee in 2024, and Brooks could be worth a late-round pick in all leagues.

Dobbins re-signs in Denver

The Broncos and Dobbins agreed to terms on a two-year, $20 million deal, which includes $8 million guaranteed. He will hopefully pick up where he left off in 2025 before a foot injury ended his season in Week 10.

Prior to getting hurt, Dobbins was the lead running back in Denver ahead of RJ Harvey, and Dobbins had 153 carries for 772 yards and four touchdowns, and 11 catches for 37 yards on 14 targets. He averaged 11.6 PPR points per game, and he had five outings with at least 14.1 PPR points.

You should know what to expect from Dobbins, 27, at this point in his career. He's explosive when healthy -- he has three seasons with at least five yards per carry -- but he's played 10 games or less in three of the past four years. And he's limited as a receiver with one season on his resume with more than 20 catches.

The Broncos will likely use him and Harvey in a similar fashion to what happened in 2025 before Dobbins was injured, which isn't ideal for Harvey. Dobbins played more snaps than Harvey in each of the first 10 games, and Dobbins had 103 more carries than Harvey over that span.

Harvey had 25 catches for 175 yards and four touchdowns on 29 targets through Week 10, and he had three games with at least 16.6 PPR points. But his main production came after Dobbins was injured, and Harvey averaged 15.1 PPR points per game over his final eight outings, including the playoffs.

I still plan to draft Harvey ahead of Dobbins based on upside, but the earliest I would select a Denver running back is Round 6. Dobbins should be drafted soon after, likely in Round 7, and we'll see if he can stay healthy for a full campaign. Dobbins could be the better Fantasy option if he plays the majority of the season in 2026.

Allgeier to Arizona

The Cardinals and Allgeier agreed to terms on a two-year, $12.25 million deal, and this was a strange signing since Arizona just restructured James Conner's contract Sunday. Allgeier, Conner, and Trey Benson could be in a three-headed backfield now in 2026.

Most likely, Conner and Allgeier will get the majority of touches, with Benson the No. 3 option, but this backfield is worth monitoring in training camp. Conner, who turns 31 in May, was limited to three games in 2025 with a foot injury, and Benson only played four games last season due to a knee injury.

For now, I'll draft Conner first of the Arizona running backs since he has the most upside in Mike LaFleur's offense. Conner is a quality receiver out of the backfield, and he has six seasons on his resume with at least 34 receptions, including three years with at least 46 catches. He also has averaged at least 15.4 PPR points in four of five seasons with the Cardinals.

Conner is worth drafting as early as Round 6, and Allgeier should be next in Round 10. He would benefit immensely if Conner were to miss any time again in 2026, but Allgeier could also be the goal-line back for Arizona in tandem with Conner. In 2025, while sharing touches with Bijan Robinson in Atlanta, Allgeier scored eight rushing touchdowns.

Allgeier was the lead running back for the Falcons as a rookie in 2022 and had 210 carries for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns, and 16 catches for 139 yards and one touchdown on 17 targets. He only averaged 9.9 PPR points per game, but he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and would be at least a flex option in a featured role.

As for Benson, he is only worth a late-round flier at best. He could carve out a role behind Conner and Allgeier this season, but Allgeier joining the Cardinals is a bad sign for Benson's Fantasy value in 2026.

Gainwell to Tampa Bay

The Buccaneers and Gainwell agreed to terms on a two-year, $14 million deal, which includes $10 million in guarantees. He will share touches with Bucky Irving this season, and Gainwell should play on passing downs for Tampa Bay.

With Rachaad White and Sean Tucker not expected to return to the Buccaneers, Gainwell was brought in to complement Irving. I still like Irving as the No. 1 running back in Tampa Bay, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 3.

He will lose receptions because of Gainwell, but that also happened to Irving when he played with White the past two seasons. Irving still had 77 catches for 669 yards and three touchdowns on 87 targets in 27 games, and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson loves using his running backs in the passing game. Bijan Robinson just had 79 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns on 103 targets in 2025 when Zac Robinson was the play-caller in Atlanta.

Gainwell just had a surprise season with the Steelers, and he is worth a late-round pick in PPR. With Pittsburgh in 2025, while sharing touches with Jaylen Warren, Gainwell had 73 catches for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 85 targets, and Robinson should use him as a primary weapon for Baker Mayfield. Gainwell also had 147 carries for 537 yards and five touchdowns, and he should be a good change-of-pace back in tandem with Irving.

This should be a fun backfield in 2026. And Gainwell could emerge as a flex option in PPR if he remains heavily involved in the passing game as expected.

Pacheco to Detroit

The Lions and Pacheco agreed to terms, and Pacheco will be the David Montgomery replacement as the No. 2 running back in Detroit behind Jahmyr Gibbs. This is a good landing spot for Pacheco, who is worth drafting with a mid- to late-round pick in all leagues.

Montgomery, who was traded to Houston, had at least 158 carries and 182 total touches in each of the past three seasons with the Lions. He also scored 33 rushing touchdowns over that span.

Pacheco might not be able to replicate those numbers, but he will likely be the physical complement to Gibbs. And while Pacheco has struggled with injuries in each of the past two seasons with Kansas City, he did have a standout season in 2023 with 205 carries for 935 yards and seven touchdowns, and 44 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 49 targets. He averaged 15.3 PPR points per game that season.

This signing also keeps Gibbs in play for the No. 1 overall pick in all Fantasy leagues. Over the past two seasons, Montgomery has missed six games due to injury, and Gibbs has scored at least 25.4 PPR points in five of them. When Montgomery missed three games in 2024 due to a knee injury, Gibbs averaged 32.6 PPR points over that span.

Pacheco will play enough of a role to limit Gibbs' upside. But he should still be the focal point of Detroit's offense in 2026, and I plan to draft Gibbs with the first selection this season.