Fantasy Football Running Back Debate: Bhayshul Tuten or Jadarian Price?

The slate is wiped clean as all 32 NFL teams attack this upcoming fall with a 0-0 record. They do so in different dresses, wearing new rosters that will be set in stone over the next two months. As we love our beloved game of fantasy football, today's outlook focuses on it. New teams with revised depth charts are looking to find the latest breakout candidates—two of those premier names: Bhayshul Tuten and Jadarian Price.

The Case for Bhayshul Tuten

Tuten rose in quick order at the beginning of his rookie 2025 season. He began training camp as the RB4. By week 2, the team had traded Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Tuten had also risen above LeQuint Allen. The team was rumored to have loved Tuten in camp, and that became reality.

In 2025, Tuten was the backup to Travis Etienne Jr., who himself rushed for 1,174 yards and 7 touchdowns. Tuten's backup role saw him finish with 358 yards and 5 touchdowns. The then-rookie accounted for a 17% rush-share and the same in rushing yards.

The Jaguars will enter Week 1 with Tuten now as their RB1. They signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. to be his backup. That carries hardly any risk to Tuten's projected workload. Rodriguez Jr. is a career third-down back.

The Jaguars are projected to be an average NFL offense in 2026. Per the FPI, they have an offensive power index of 0.0. Dating back to 2025, the Jaguars ran the ball at the 14th-highest rate in the NFL. Tuten projects to have a purely average season, but with an optimistically heavy workload, which could raise him to the fringe of top-15 running back status.

Ranking Projection: RB25

The Case for Jadarian Price

Price will be the Seahawks' Week 1 RB1 with the injury to Zach Charbonnet sidelining him for the season. While fans may dream of Kenneth Walker-esque output, the pause button must be hit. Why? Coaching.

Klint Kubiak was among the NFL's best offensive coordinators in 2025. That proves true as the team, well, won the Super Bowl!

Out went Kubiak to Las Vegas, and in comes Brian Fluery, who was most recently the 49ers' Run Game Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach. There will be optimism in the play-calling of Fleury, who spent years in that innovative and successful 49ers scheme. Nonetheless, we are asking a lot of Fleury to replicate the success that Kubiak footed forward.

Back to Price, he will demand a high workload come Week 1, and that speaks to us. The issue, however, will be that of Charbonnet's eventual return. The running back is currently expected back by midseason, with no hard-set return date. When he does return, he can eat into Price's work, especially if the rookie is not playing to Pro Bowl-caliber output.

We have now identified two moderate risks: a new coach and a depth-chart threat. Price certainly can become an RB1, but he can also fall short of RB2 status amid the return of Charbonnet. To say with confidence what will happen is to speak rashly.

Ranking Projection: RB27

ADP Debate: Bhayshul Tuten vs Jadarian Price

The battle between these two young stars is tough. The key is always to measure risk and reward.

Tuten's risk is that the Jaguars struggle offensively. The likelihood of that seems quite low, as they field a deep wide receiver depth chart in an offense of proven success in year one of Liam Coen. The Jaguars nearly made the AFC Championship Game, and even better, they get back Travis Hunter back. Touchdowns are in the future, and the reward is sizeable.

Price's risk is that the Seahawks' offense regresses and Charbonnet steals his job. Clearly, Price's role is more volatile and risky than Tuten's.

The answer is simple: Draft Bhayshul Tuten over Jadarian Price.

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