Breece Hall Headlines Group of Potential Running Back Busts in Fantasy Football

The zero-running-back strategy has become one of the more popular strategies in redraft leagues.

Whether you're waiting to draft your RB 1 in later rounds or wanting a RB 2 / Flex option in those round, Fantasy managers should avoid these three running backs with bust potential.

Breece Hall

Hall (RB 14, 27 ADP PPR Leagues) tallied career-high usage in his fourth season with 243 carries, which led to the New York Jets running back to break the 1,000 yards mark for the first time in his career.

The career season for Hall didn’t directly translate to career marks in Fantasy, however. Hall finished with a career-low 13.0 FPPG in PPR leagues, which ranked as RB 19, and his forecast for the 2026 season doesn’t look better.

Hall’s dip in Fantasy production is a direct result of lack of touchdowns and he may not have more opportunities this upcoming season.

While new offensive coordinator Frank Reich brings experience as a play caller, Geno Smith is being tasked with righting the ship under center.

Smith led a league-worst offense at 14.2 PPG in Las Vegas last season, somehow worse than the Jets’ 17.6 PPG, who held a trifecta of Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook at quarterback.

Being in one of the lowest scoring offenses in the league will limit Hall’s red-zone opportunities, thus keeping his touchdown numbers way lower compared to running backs in a similar ADP. Kyren Williams (RB 15, 31 ADP PPR Leagues) is currently being selected as the next running back behind Hall and is a part of the league's highest-scoring offense. Even if running backs behind Hall may not have a bell-cow workload, the higher red-zone touches make them less of a Fantasy bust compared to Hall.

Hall’s decreased activity in the pass game is another cause for concern.

Hall’s receiving yards have dipped since his second season and is another factor that could lead to Hall being a bust.

As the Jets trail games, Hall may not be on the field and getting touches in the pass game, hurting his overall Fantasy output, especially in PPR leagues.

Travis Etienne, Jr.

Etienne, Jr. (RB 16, 34 ADP PPR Leagues) is coming off a revitalized season, cracking 1,000 rushing yards for the third time in his four-year career.

The former Jag moved to the New Orleans Saints this offseason and appears to be slotted for a workhorse role, but the Saints’ offensive line may get in the way of a strong Fantasy season.

The Saints offensive line didn’t create clear paths for their backfield last season as they averaged 3.7 yards per carry, second worst in the NFL.

Etienne, Jr. 's stock drops in PPR leagues with noted backfield receiving threat Alvin Kamara lurking behind the former Jaguar.

Much like Hall, Etienne, Jr. 's receiving numbers have dropped since a career year in his second season. While at Jacksonville, Etienne, Jr. never had to deal with sharing the receiving work in the backfield with the likes of Kamara.

The Saints’ offensive line inefficiency and murky receiving workload creates a potential bust season for Etienne, Jr. in his first year in New Orleans.

Jaylen Warren

Warren (RB 27, 70 ADP PPR Leagues) is coming off a career year in rushing yards, nearly cracking the 1,000 yards mark for the first time in his career.

The career mark may be intriguing for Fantasy managers to take a flyer on Warren in deeper leagues, but the snap share in a loaded backfield is a cause for concern.

Warren led Steelers’ running backs in only eight of his 16 regular season games played last year, despite being labeled the lead back and rookie Kaleb Johnson being in former Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin’s doghouse.

Kenneth Gainwell, who took a lionshare of snaps away from Warren, moving on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may present another situation for Warren to be the lead running back.

The Steelers signing Rico Dowdle , who is coming off back-to-back 1,000 rushing yards campaigns, this offseason throws a wrench into the possibility of Warren taking a majority of snaps.

Even in deeper Fantasy leagues, the murky snap share and crowded backfield makes Warren a bust possibility this season.

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