Research Lab
League-wide patterns derived from 3,623 player-seasons (2016-2025)
RB Age Curve — Fantasy PPG by Age
Shaded bands show 25th-75th percentile range. Line shows median. This is the baseline expectation for any RB at a given age.
RB Career Archetypes
How RB careers typically unfold (152 players with 3+ seasons)
Early Bloomer: Peaks in first third of career
Ascending: Strong upward trajectory early
Steady: Consistent output throughout
Late Bloomer: Peaks later in career
Declining: Clear production drop-off
RB Rookie Development
Average fantasy PPG by NFL year and draft round
RBs typically produce immediately — Round 1 RBs average 10+ PPG by Year 1. The position has the fastest phase-in.
Key Insights — RB
RBs peak at 24-26 with a sharp decline after 28. The "RB cliff" is real — only ~10% maintain elite production past 29.
The most common archetype for RBs is Early Bloomer (47%). This means most RBs at this position produce their best seasons early.
Round 1 RBs produce 2-3x more fantasy points than late-round picks in Year 1. The gap narrows quickly by Year 3.