Running back is one of the most important positions to get right in fantasy football, and there are plenty of intriguing options heading into the 2026 season. From established stars to young players ready to break out, the position has plenty of depth.
These rankings feature 75 running backs, ranked from No. 1 through No. 75, to help you navigate your draft and identify the players worth targeting. With injuries, depth charts and preseason performances constantly changing the fantasy landscape, these rankings can help give you a strong starting point.
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Top 1-10Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images1 & 2. Bijan Robinson & Jahmyr Gibbs: It may seem like a cop out, but deciding between these two guys is literally mental torture. Either one will give you a clear advantage over the pack, and don’t overthink it if you get the top pick. Gun to my head, I lean Bijan in PPR leagues because I think Tua is going to check down to him close to 8 times a game and he could go for 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving with close to 100 receptions. Gibbs is in a better offense and could have opportunities for more touchdowns. Just pick one and don’t look back.
3. James Cook: He led the league in rushing last year, and he has the backfield all to himself on a great team. Supposedly he’ll be more involved with the passing game as well, but I’ve heard that before. He’s a stud.
4. Jonathan Taylor: He was a world beater until Daniel Jones went down, and he then had to deal with what seemed like 11-man fronts. He has league-winning upside and can dominate weeks with multi-score games.
5. Ashton Jeanty: We’re projecting a bit here, but it isn’t hard. He excelled as both a rusher and pass catcher last year, despite an awful surrounding cast and bad coaching. Everything has gotten better in Vegas; Jeanty is poised to have a huge year.
6. Christian McCaffrey: He was a monster last year, and won many fantasy managers their leagues. It’s not likely to happen again as there are just too many risks here. If he falls to the end of the 1st round and you want to take a big swing for the fences, go for it. Just don’t cry when he breaks down. Age, workload, and added competition for receptions are all working against him.
7. Chase Brown: Quietly put up almost 1,500 combined yards with 69 receptions and 11 scores in a rough season for the Bengals. Has minimal competition for touches and could improve on last year’s stat line with more positive game scripts. May lose some receptions, but gain rushing yards and scores.
8. Kenneth Walker III: The Chiefs brought him in for a reason, and we could be looking at the return of a classic Andy Reid running back. It’s been a long time since Brian Westbrook, but Google what he did way back when Reid ran the offense through him. That’s this guy’s ceiling. His floor is an ankle sprain in week 1 and a bunch of headaches all season long.
9. Saquon Barkley: He’s probably a safer pick than Brown or Walker, and nobody would blame you for taking him at the end of the 1st /early 2nd round. There is a chance that Sean Mannion draws up more designed pass plays to Barkley this season. Last year’s stat line feels like his healthy floor to me.
10. Omarion Hampton: Some might say that Mike McDaniel threw some cold water on our dreams of Hampton being a “bellcow”, but I’m betting that once the games start, the “hot hand” is going to be this guy every single week. Don’t be scared off by preseason coach talk. Did you expect him to say “The only guy I trust is Omarion Hampton”? Take him in the early 2nd round and enjoy.
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Top 11-25Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) celebrates after the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images11. Derrick Henry: It appears that Father Time is built like a small cornerback, and King Henry is not slowing down as the collision nears. In the end, we all know who wins that battle, but Henry is a safe bet to rumble for 1,300+ yards and 12+ touchdowns even with Father Time dragging behind him.
12. De’Von Achane: What if the Dolphins offense doesn’t completely stink? There’s a chance this guy ends up as the top fantasy scorer, as he will get the ball until he throws up every week. I’m willing to take that chance in the 2nd round.
13. Jeremiah Love: He has all of the talent in the world, and if this was real life I would take him as maybe the 3rd running back for my real football team. But this is Fantasy, and we have to deal with how the coaches use him. I love him as my RB2 based on upside, but I worry that he may not get goal-line work and that crowded RB room may eat into his numbers. But then I saw him in that preseason game, and I can’t rank him any lower than this. Call me an over-reacting donkey, but I saw what I saw. Elite talent.
14. Javonte Williams: Williams isn’t as sexy as some others, but he’s running behind a great line in what should be one of the better offenses in the league. He put up great numbers last year, and I think he can take another step forward this year if the Cowboys defense can take a step forward and keep the Cowboys from having to pass every down.
15. Breece Hall: The coach says he’ll be “the bellcow,” and I would love to believe him. I bumped him up because Geno is going to get him back north of 55 receptions and he really doesn’t have much competition for touches between the 20’s. Now that goal line, that’s a different question. If he gets the red zone touches, he’ll be a top 12 RB.
16. Travis Etienne: He comes home to Louisiana and gets paid a big chunk to lead this backfield. I really like what the Saints are doing, and even if Alvin Kamara has a role as the passing-down back, there is still plenty of room for Etienne to eat.
17. Josh Jacobs: He’s a steady, high-floor option based on his red zone usage. He grits through injuries and takes the field when he’s not 100%, so he looked slow at times last year. I worry about this team’s offensive line, and we can’t just ignore the fact that he could get suspended for a few games. Be sure to grab Marshawn Lloyd later on if you draft Jacobs.
18. Kyren Williams: I love the player, and I love the offense, but I don’t love people saying that Blake Corum is emerging as a 50/50 partner in the backfield. While it feels like that’s what was happening, it really wasn’t when you track respective snap shares. Kyren was on the field far more than Blake. Even half of this pie is better than all of most others in the league, and I’m OK taking him as my RB2.
19. David Montgomery: This is a back I usually target while taking Wide Receivers in the previous rounds. He’s exactly what DeMeco Ryans wants for this offense and what they lost when Joe Mixon missed last season. The Texans want to run the football and ride their defense to wins, and Monty is poised for a heavy workload this season.
20. D’Andre Swift: Grab any piece of the Bears offense you can, whenever you can. The coach wants to break the game with this offense, and they will need to with their defense. He’s going to split the backfield with Monangai, but it will likely be more of a 60/40 split in Swift’s favor.
21. Bhayshul Tuten: This is another offense I want to get a piece of. We don’t know for sure what the split will be between Tuten, Chris Rodriguez and LaQuint Allen, but Tuten has the highest upside of the group, and he could finish as a top 12 scorer at the position.
22. Quinshon Judkins: This team is probably going to have a bottom 8 offense in the league, but Judkins should be the Bell Cow and get all of their rushing touchdowns. Todd Monken and Duce Staley have been gushing about this guy and have hinted that he could be a bigger part of the passing game.
23. Cam Skattebo: I’m lower than most on Skatt since I don’t really believe everything they’re trying to sell me on him. Is he a bowling ball that can put defenders on their backs? Maybe some, but not all defenders. He’s not big enough to play the way he does, and he’s not fast enough to break long runs (1 run over 20 yards in over 100 carries last year). Tyrone Tracy is going to share this backfield with him, like it or not. Cam can’t win you fantasy championships from the Blue Tent.
24. Jadarian Price: He’s going to get a shot to lead this backfield in touches, and the early returns from camp have been very positive. His speed is elite, and he has shown prowess as a pass catcher as well. The normal rookie issues like pass protection will probably keep him from full-time work early on, and there’s a chance that Charbonnet will take goal-line touches when he returns, but Price has the type of upside I’m looking for in my 2nd or 3rd RB.
25. Bucky Irving: I hate the addition of Kenny Gainwell to this backfield as I was hoping Bucky would emerge as an Austin Ekeler-type weapon for the Bucs. As it stands, we may be looking at a 3-headed monster with Sean Tucker stealing goal-line touches. He’s a low-end RB2/flex play for me.
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26. Jaylen Warren: He’s the starter; Dowdle is the backup. That’s what they’re saying, and that’s what I am choosing to believe. I see Warren picking up a good chunk of Kenny Gainwell’s vacated pass targets and, at worst, putting up 1,000 combined yards with 60+ catches, even if Dowdle does have a large role.
27. TreVeyon Henderson: While he may not be the starter, he’s the guy you want to own based on his upside. Stevenson may be the better value based on their current average draft positions, but Henderson is the guy who can win you your league if he gets the larger workload.
28. Rhamondre Stevenson: Stevenson is the starter. It’s hard for fantasy players to wrap their heads around because the backup is a better fantasy option. TreVeyon Henderson is being drafted ahead of him, but at the end of the day, Rho will get over half of the touches as long as he’s healthy. Take one or the other and hope for the best. Taking both is just going to be a headache.
29. Jonathan Brooks: Another situation where the backup has more fantasy appeal than the starter. Brooks’ fantasy stock has been skyrocketing this draft season due to a combination of how great he has looked in camp and Chuba Hubbard’s hamstring injury. Brooks doesn’t come without risk as he has torn the same ACL twice, but if he makes it all the way back, he has game-changing ability.
30. Tony Pollard: Only 2 backs have rushed for over 1,000 yards for 4 straight seasons. The other back is Derrick Henry. Pretty nice company to be in, huh? The offense looked like it began to gel at the end of last season, and Pollard was the main beneficiary. Just beware that there is a decent chance he splits this backfield with Spears, so his upside feels a bit capped.
31. Rico Dowdle: He rushed for 1,000 yards for the 2nd straight season last year. That’s great. The issue I have is that the bulk of it came in 3 games, and I don’t see him getting 30 touches in any contest this year. He was pretty mediocre in the rest of his games last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry when you take out the big 3.
32. Jordan Mason: Last season felt like a letdown as I had high hopes for him to lead the Minnesota backfield on early downs while handling goal line duties. I’m willing to run it back again this year since his “down” year still had him averaging almost 5 yards per carry with 6 scores. Aaron Jones is another year older, and Demond Claiborn is a scatback. Give me Mason here.
33. Jacory Croskey Merrit: “Bill” will handle the early downs while Rachaad White works as the passing down back. A healthy Jaden Daniels will open up running lanes, but not quite as much as a healthy Laremy Tunsil would have. Losing the All-Pro tackle is going to hurt the offense overall. Merrit is a solid flex filler, but I don’t see him setting the world on fire in PPR leagues.
34. RJ Harvey: Harvey has more value in PPR leagues as he showed proficiency as a pass catcher, as well as a nose for the end zone. Sean Payton likes to use the whole running back room, so don’t expect a Bell Cow role to emerge if JK Dobbins gets hurt.
35. Blake Corum: His role was expanding as the season went on, and by the end of the year it seemed like he and Kyren Williams were alternating drives. The truth is, his snap share didn’t ever quite approach 40%, hovering around the 25-30% range (except for one week against the Lions). This is still a 60/40 split at best, with Corum on the short side. An injury to Williams could make him a league winner, but an injury to Stafford can tank this whole offense.
36. JK Dobbins: He’s going to be the starter and early down back until he gets hurt. Grab Jonah Coleman later on if you draft him. We typically don’t “handcuff” late-round picks, but in this case it’s just preparing for the inevitable. I wouldn’t bother with this backfield in leagues with short benches. None are better than flex options, and all will be involved in the offense on some level.
37. Chuba Hubbard: He’s currently nursing a hamstring injury, and his draft price is getting cheaper and cheaper. At some point I am going to jump on as many shares of this guy I can get because at worst he’ll be their goal line back. There isn’t a world where Dave Canales is going to let Jonathan Brooks touch the ball 20 times a game.
38. Kenneth Gainwell: He emerged last year as an elite pass-catching back in Pittsburgh and landed a new deal to join the Bucs. I love Tampa’s pass offense this season as I think they could possibly have one of the worst defenses in the league (especially if Vita Vea gets that trade he wants). Baker will check it down, and I expect Gainwell to be involved.
39. Rachaad White: He moves from Tampa to Washington to join his buddy from college, Jayden Daniels. He’s going to have a passing down role in DC, but it remains to be seen how often Daniels will throw to his backs. To this point in his career, he has opted to tuck the ball and run when under pressure rather than dumping it off to a running back.
40. Kyle Monangai: He’s a very attractive bench option for 12-team leagues or flex play in deeper leagues, as I think the Bears will be one of the top 5 scoring offenses in the league.
41. Tyrone Tracy: He’s going to annoy the heck out of everybody who drafts Cam Skattebo. He’s been over 1,000 combined yards in both seasons in the league and the Giants look at him as the co-starter with Skattebo. Sometimes, the job is going to call for a screwdriver and not a hammer. Sorry folks.
42. Chris Rodriguez: He’s not very exciting, but the Jags have brought him in to share the backfield with Bhayshul Tuten. He is going to have a role of some sort, and it could be anywhere from just short yardage to goal line to early down “between the tackles”. Either way, this should be a high-scoring offense and both backs are worth roster spots for fantasy.
43. Aaron Jones: He’s still kicking around and will share the backfield with Jordan Mason. His role will be a bit more than just a passing-down back, initially, but as the season wears on, he may start to lose some of that work to rookie Demond Claiborn. I wouldn’t draft him as much more than an early-season fill-in or flex play.
44. Keaton Mitchell: Mike McDaniel is going to use this guy. McDaniel loves guys with speed, and Mitchell has plenty of that. The Chargers used to have a dude named Danny Woodhead who wasn’t any bigger than Mitchell who had some serious fantasy impact as a passing-down specialist. That was a different time with a different coaching staff playing in a different city, but in this case lightning may actually strike twice. Nice bench stash.
45. Tyler Allgeier: The Cardinals signed him to a significant contract this offseason and many were excited to see what he would be able to do with a starting job. Then they drafted Jeremiah Love at #3 overall, and the excitement died. So, he’ll again have to settle for the role as the guy who mutes the upside of the first-round rookie as he did with Bijan Robinson. Most forget that this dude had 1,000 yards as a rookie himself before being relegated to backup duties.
46. Tyjae Spears: I may be stubborn, but I know this guy is better than Tony Pollard. At the very least, he has appeal in PPR formats based on upside alone. If he stays healthy, he might just take over this backfield. He just hasn’t ever been able to stay healthy, and I’m not betting very much that this is the year it will happen. Taking him late, as my RB5 to stash on my bench, is as far as I’ll go.
47. Jonah Coleman: He’s a rookie in Denver that has a chance for a role in the offense right away. When JK Dobbins gets hurt, he has a great chance for that role to expand. At his current draft price, I think he makes too much sense, so I’m stashing him on my bench whenever I can.
48. Tank Bigsby: We are officially in the “handcuff” zone. If you draft Saquon, save a roster spot for this dude. If you’re the type that likes hunting other teams’ handcuffs, this is one of the highest upside options available.
49. Woody Marks: He will likely have a passing down role in the Texans offense. I don’t expect much at all on the ground since he isn’t particularly fond of heavy traffic. He should still have some decent value in PPR leagues as a bye week filler.
50. Alvin Kamara: He’s entering the end stages of his career, but he could still be a factor as a pass catcher for a few more seasons. He’s one of the all-time best pass-catching backs, and while he may not be as good as he once was, he could be as good as he ever was.
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51. Isiah Pacheco: A knee injury has him falling in drafts, but Coach Campbell says he’ll be fine. Then again, Coach Campbell would probably play with a torn meniscus and not even notice. Pacheco is going to have a role as the “Monty Light” in the Lion offense and, if healthy, will come in to spell Gibbs and annoy everybody who had the first pick in their fantasy draft. He’s worth taking as the Gibbs handcuff regardless.
52. Zach Charbonnet: He just tore his ACL in January and had the surgery in February. I’m not sure what we are expecting from him this year, but the Seahawks are maintaining that his recovery is going great and they expect him back. They aren’t putting a timeline on it, so I’m not expecting much. If he makes it back by week 6 or 7, he should slide right in as no less than the goal line back. Don’t expect much volume.
53. Marshawn Lloyd: Much like Jonathan Brooks, he was drafted a couple of years ago with high hopes and hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Unlike Brooks, he isn’t going to cost you very much to draft as he is a clear backup in Green Bay. He’s worth taking as Josh Jacobs insurance.
54. Jaydon Blue: He’s the speedy option behind Javonte Williams, and he’s competing with the much larger (and slower) Phil Mafah for the #2 job in Dallas. Both will make the team, and I expect Blue to get passing down work spelling the starter.
55. Dylan Sampson: He’s backing up fellow 2nd year back Quinshon Judkins in Cleveland. Sampson profiles as a pass catcher and could carve out a role on 3rd downs.
56. Brian Robinson: He’s the handcuff to own if you draft Bijan Robinson. Just make sure you read the whole first name when you set your lineup each week.
57. Ray Davis: The James Cook handcuff. He’s a very nice high-upside pick to take late in drafts as the Bills have one of the better rush offenses in the league.
58. Mike Washington: Ashton Jeanty insurance. The rookie out of Arkansas deserved better than to be drafted to a team that already has a young stud starter. Washington is big and fast, and if he was drafted almost anywhere else, he would be a highly coveted rookie back. He’s a good one; the Raiders have a loaded backfield.
59. Sean Tucker: He may be the goal line back in Tampa right away, and he’s worth drafting as insurance for Bucky Irving.
60. Kimani Vidal: The Chargers say they will use all of their backs. Vidal is the guy to draft as a backup if you draft Omarion Hampton in the second round. His role will expand, not Keaton Mitchell’s, if Hampton goes down with an injury.
61. Braelon Allen: One run in a pre-season game flipped me on this guy. He’s the size of Derrick Henry, and he’s very young for somebody entering his 3rd season. The fact that he added weight in the off-season had me concerned, as he isn’t as fast as Henry. Then he ripped that 30+ yard run. OK, I’m back in.
62. Nicholas Singleton: One of two rookie running backs drafted out of Penn State, Singleton profiles as an explosive runner with good size who could develop into a 3-down starter. He just hasn’t put it together yet, and it may not happen this year on the Titans as he has to jump two guys to get the starting gig.
63. Seth McGowan: The buzz has been that it’s McGowan and not DJ Giddens who will be the Colts backup to Jonathan Taylor. He profiles more as the type of back that can handle an early down, between-the-tackles role if needed, so it makes sense.
64. Kaelon Black: The 49ers drafted him higher than most had him ranked, but they maintain he was the second-best back in the draft by their metrics. The Indiana product is older than a bunch of players who have been in the league for multiple seasons, and he is currently dealing with a thigh injury that has kept him out of practice. He has appeal as Christian McCaffrey’s handcuff, but it isn’t clear that he has that role yet.
65. Emmett Johnson: It’s actually Emeri Demarcado who is listed at #2 on the Chiefs depth chart at the moment, but we like Johnson as the handcuff for Kenneth Walker. Coach Reid compared him to Shady McCoy earlier in camp, so let’s keep an eye on him.
66. George Holani: The Seahawks have Holani listed on their depth chart as the co-starter with Jadarian Price. He’s not. Even if he does play a decent amount, he’s not going to be much more than a passing-down back. He’s a last-round pick if you took Price and want the insurance.
67. Kaytron Allen: The rookie out of Penn State isn’t sexy, but he’s a workhorse. He reminds me of Alfred Morris, who had some decent years in Washington. The Commanders must see it too, as they gave him a whopping 23 carries in their first preseason game. I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
68. Jordan James: He’s younger than Kaelon Black and is competing with the rookie for the role as CMC’s top backup. He suffered a rib injury that has held him out of camp, but he does have the benefit of a full year in Shanahan’s system. He doesn’t have tremendous upside, but the Oregon product was a capable runner and pass catcher in college.
69. Demond Claiborne: Minnesota drafted him in the 6th round out of Wake Forest, and while he’s fast, he’s small, and he isn’t exactly a great receiver. He’s likely going to return kicks and could work his way onto the field as a gadget-type player. He’s a name to watch in the event Aaron Jones gets injured.
70. Samaje Perine: He seems old and boring at this point, but he’s really all the Bengals have behind the smallish Chase Brown. He used to be a very good pass catcher, but that went away last season, and despite being 240 lbs he’s never been a short-yardage grinder. The other option in Cincy is Taj Brooks, who just feels like a smaller yet younger version of the same guy. Leave him on waivers unless you draft Brown and have a large bench.
71. Jaylen Wright: He’s competing with Ollie Gordon for the backup role in Miami’s backfield. The coach says he’s giving Achane the ball 40 times a week, so I’m not sure there’s much room left for the rest. This is purely a handcuff pick with little upside.
72. James Connor: We are only drafting him in case he gets traded to a team like Green Bay or Dallas that needs a backup. Otherwise he’s buried behind Love and Allgeier in Arizona.
73. Laquint Allen: There’s talk that Allen will be the passing down back in Jacksonville. That would mean they plan on using all three backs, and I see that less as good news for Allen and more as bad news for Tuten. Allen is worth a roster spot in super deep leagues.
74. Chris Brooks: He’s #3 in Green Bay and is just a name worth knowing if Jacobs gets suspended, since Marshawn Lloyd could get injured just reading this article.
75. Justice Hill: The Owner of the Ravens personally drafted Adam Randall in the 5th round, but Hill is the guy who will act as the change-of-pace back to Derrick Henry again this year. His speed and pass-catching ability give him some flex appeal for bye weeks.
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