George Holani was nowhere near anyone’s radar heading into this offseason. A wave of reports has since suggested he will have a legitimate role in the Seattle Seahawks backfield, at least for the early part of the season.
That kind of unexpected opportunity always draws fantasy interest. Should fantasy football managers actually be drafting Holani in 2026?
Should You Draft George Holani in Fantasy Football?
I will be the first to admit this one caught me off guard. Holani being fantasy relevant was not on my bingo card for 2026. Throughout the early best-ball season, I was hammering Emanuel Wilson as my preferred way to fade Jadarian Price while we all waited for Zach Charbonnet to get healthy. Then the offseason reports started rolling in, and it was Holani, not Wilson, being tabbed to fill the Charbonnet role.
As things stand, the picture until Charbonnet returns looks fairly clear. Price projects as the primary early-down back, with Holani working as the receiving option out of the backfield. That is a defined role with a real path to touches, which is more than most people expected Holani to ever have.
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The context here matters a great deal, though. Holani entered the league as a 2024 undrafted free agent. Simply making the roster and sticking with it for what is now a third season already qualifies as a major success story for a player with his pedigree.
The flip side is that he has barely played. We are talking about a running back with just 28 career touches across 16 regular-season games. There is almost no NFL production to evaluate here, which makes projecting him a genuine leap of faith.
What I will say is that I buy the reports. The Seahawks clearly like Holani and appear to have real plans to use him. That belief from the organization counts for something, even if the on-field résumé is nearly blank. A defined receiving role in a good offense is not
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beGx-D7tLqc nothing, and it gives him a floor of usable weeks.
Holani’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
Everything about Holani’s value hinges on the two backs surrounding him. If you have read my outlook on Price, you already know I am largely fading the rookie. That naturally opens a bit more daylight for Holani early in the year. The bigger factor is Charbonnet, and here is where I need to set expectations honestly.
The reports on Charbonnet’s recovery have been overwhelmingly positive. Even so, we are still discussing a player who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in February. I would be genuinely stunned to see him on the field before November. When he does return, we should not expect Charbonnet to immediately reclaim the lead role either, as ramping back up from that injury takes time. That gives Holani a runway of meaningful snaps for a good chunk of the season.
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The problem is what sits on the other side of that runway. Between Charbonnet and Price, Holani’s ceiling is firmly capped, no matter how the early weeks unfold. He is the type of player who makes for a fine best ball selection, because he will carve out a role and deliver a handful of usable weeks across a long season. Translating that into a startable managed-league asset is a much taller order.
The lack of a clear escalation path is what really holds me back. Even if Price were to get hurt or struggle badly, Holani’s workload would likely climb only modestly. Emanuel Wilson would probably absorb the larger share of any vacated early-down work in that scenario. That caps the realistic outcome even in situations that are supposed to boost a backup’s value.
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My rank sits at RB62, a few spots ahead of his RB66 ADP, which tells you I acknowledge the role without seeing much of a ceiling. All of this is to say Holani is not a player I am actively targeting in redraft leagues.
Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Blake Corum | LAR
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
