The excitement of the NFL season is here. Fantasy drafts are happening, preseason games are starting, and that football buzz is just in the air as we continue to look around at all the exciting ways to get in on the action. That brings us to our friends at Underdog Fantasy and their season-long projections. We’ll start with getting back to what football is all about: “run the damn ball.” Here are 3 rushing combos to hammer on Underdog.
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The workhorses:
James Cook Higher Than 1199.5
Javonte Williams Higher Than 949.5
Chase Brown Higher Than 859.5
Let’s kick it off with the big dogs. All three of these running backs are the sole guy for their teams. They aren’t splitting time 50/50; they are the main dawg for the team. That’s a great start for us. For James Cook, we know this Bills offense will be good, and while there was a head coaching change, it won’t affect play calling since it’s still Joe Brady in charge. Cook has easily hit this all three seasons that he’s been the starter for Buffalo.
Javonte Williams’ career started off disappointing with all of the injury issues. He’s recovered from that and found a new home in Dallas where he is on a great offense, and he’s their go-to guy. Williams is only 26 years old; he dashed for 1,201 yards for Dallas last season. Chase Brown is the perfect third projection here. It’s the same situation: great offense, only back to lean on. And he’s very productive. He’s been the guy in Cincinnati for two seasons, and hit this number in both, including crossing the 1k mark last year even with the Bengals’ struggles.
Cook + Williams + Brown = 6.5x your entry!
The Scramblers:
Drake Maye Higher Than 424.5
Kyler Murray Higher Than 374.5
CJ Stroud Higher Than 199.5
There are few things I love more than quarterback rushing yards. It’s always a fun market to look at, and at times their projections are just a little too low. Two of these guys are severely underrated going into 2026. The other, Drake Maye, is already a superstar with a Super Bowl appearance. Maye has hit this number in both seasons. The Patriots offense hasn’t changed, and he’s a smart runner. They’ll keep it part of the offense, and their offensive line is going to force him to scramble at points this year.
Kyler Murray gets his second chance in Minnesota. He’s already been named the starter. We all saw NINE last year and in the preseason; that job is safe with Kyler, and we know she’s capable of being a good quarterback. In the five seasons he’s played at least seven games; he’s easily cruised past this number. It’s a new wrinkle in a dangerous Vikings offense that they haven’t had.
CJ Stroud gets disrespected because of his bad playoff performance last year. In his three seasons as the Texans quarterback, he’s three for three hitting this mark. Even in the two seasons where he hasn’t played all 17 games. It’s also getting close to new contract time for Stroud, whose rookie deal is up after 2027. Time to show the club why they can’t fumble their deal with him.
Maye + Murray + Stroud = 6.5x your entry!
The Underdogs:
TreVeyon Henderson Higher Than 699.5
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Higher Than 599.5
Travis Kelce Higher Than .5
Of course, we have to include some underdogs in this Underdog article. Players who aren’t their team’s superstars, at least not yet, or not as a running back. They have lower projections because they are expected to do less. TreVeyon Henderson is the first place to start. This is a ridiculously low projection for Henderson. This Patriots offense is a good one and just keeps getting better. Yes, he has to split time as the backup, but he’s a superstar in the making. Henderson rushed for 911 yards as a rookie backup.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was all the rage heading into last year. It’s remembered as a disappointing season after he didn’t live up to all the fantasy hype. But Croskey-Merritt wasn’t a bad back at all. He dashed for 805 yards as a rookie last year, and their backfield is wide open in 2026. He’ll get more opportunities, and he’s already done it.
Travis Kelce for a rushing yard? Yes, it sounds weird but the newly married man gets himself at least a yard quite a bit. He’s done it two straight seasons and seven times over the last 10 yards. That’s a solid enough pattern to throw him in as a dog. The Chiefs will get creative at some point with him.
Henderson + Croskey-Merrit + Kelce = 6.5x your entry!
You can play up to eight projections in a single Underdog fantasy lineup. We’ll leave out Kelce and play the eight together for a 120x your entry fee score! I used a 30% NFL boost and was able to get 155.7x my entry.
