These are Rich Hribar's 2026 fantasy running back rankings with brief analytical notes on every fantasy relevant player.
The full rankings for PPR, Half-PPR, Superflex, and TE Premium leagues are downloadable and sortable on our main fantasy rankings page.
Rich's 2026 positional tiers will publish later this summer.
These notes will be updated throughout the offseason as the landscape changes.
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2026 Fantasy Running Back Rankings:
1. Bijan Robinson: Since entering the league, leads all running backs in total yards (5,648) and touches (1,003) while sharing a backfield with Tyler Allgeier. If Brian Robinson does not command the same role as Allgeier, Bijan was only 68.8% of the backfield opportunities in 2025, which was 10th in the league.
2. Jahmyr Gibbs: Has seen his workload increase each year in the NFL, going from 234 touches as a rookie to 302 in 2024 and then a career high last year (320). He played 737 snaps (67%) after 596 snaps and 639 snaps in the first two years. With Detroit moving on from David Montgomery this offseason, Gibbs is expected to keep raising his opportunity share in the offense.
3. Christian McCaffrey: Will be 30 this June, coming off 450 touches and 984 snaps, including the postseason. Efficiency dropped on the ground, but still the ultimate combo-back when he is on the field. McCaffrey became the first player to ever have 2,000 total yards and 100-plus receptions in multiple seasons. He has finished as the RB1 or RB2 in overall scoring in each of his past five complete seasons.
4. Saquon Barkley: Coming off arguably the most disappointing 1,413-yard and 9 touchdown season in recent memory, based on the expectations coming off a historic 2024 season. Regression was fueled by a battered offensive line and a systemic collapse, but Barkley still has one of the best workloads and the highest upside at the position. 75.3% of the backfield touches ranked as RB4, while he was RB7 in expected points per game.
5. Jonathan Taylor: Was still the catalyst for this offense last season, turning 369 touches into 1,963 yards from scrimmage and a league-high 20 touchdowns. Taylor led the NFL in rushing attempts (323), rushing scores (18), and first downs on the ground (84). He also handled a league-high 84.4% of his backfield touches. Also had a spike in receiving output, posting career highs in receptions (46) and receiving yards (378) with two added scores.
6. James Cook: Set career highs in rushing attempts (309), rushing yards (1,621), touches (342), and yards from scrimmage (1,912) to go along with 14 touchdowns. That came while facing eight or more defenders in the box on 56% of his attempts, the second-highest rate in the league. If there is one nit to pick here, it is that Cook is arguably underused in the passing game.
7. Kenneth Walker: Joining Kansas City with a huge payday, should be thrust into one of the largest workloads of his career. For his career, Walker has averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game over the 26 games he has reached the 60% snap mark.
8. Ashton Jeanty: Consistent efficiency was lacking due to an anemic offensive line, but Jeanty showcased the same ability from college in handling a massive workload. Jeanty racked up 321 touches (RB6) and handled 84.3% of the backfield touches (RB2). Klint Kubiak and Rick Dennison are coming in to fix the run game, paired with upgrades across the offensive line from players returning from injury and those added via free agency.
9. Chase Brown: Built on his second-year breakout from 2024 by totaling 301 touches for 1,456 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Has been a high-floor player since taking over the backfield, posting the seventh-most fantasy points at the position per game since the midpoint of 2024. Averaged 104.7 yards from scrimmage per game over the final 11 weeks (RB8), reaching at least 90 total yards in nine of those games.
10. Josh Jacobs: Handled 270 touches for 1,211 total yards and 14 touchdowns last season. 30 touchdowns over the past two seasons, fifth in the NFL. Jacobs was also dealing with his own set of injuries and running behind a battered offensive line. Through nine games, Jacobs had 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. He then posted 366 total yards and 3 touchdowns over the remainder of the season.
11. Derrick Henry: Father Time eventually catches up with everyone, and Henry turned 32 this January. But he is still operating at a high level, turning 322 touches into 1,745 yards and 16 touchdowns. Double-digit touchdowns in eight straight seasons with 300-plus touches in six of his past seven seasons.
12. Omarion Hampton: Rookie year was limited to nine games due to an ankle injury. When active, Hampton turned 156 touches into 737 total yards (4.7 yards per touch) and 5 touchdowns. Should benefit from the addition of Mike McDaniel, paired with the potential for better run blocking from having his starting offensive tackles on the field more often in 2026. Over his time with Miami, McDaniel's offenses ranked fifth in yards per rush for running backs (4.7 YPC), fifth in success rate (40.9%), and first in explosive run rate (12.7%).
13. De’Von Achane: Controlled a career-high 305 touches for 1,838 yards from scrimmage while reaching the end zone 12 times. Has scored double-digit touchdowns in all three of his years in the league. Achane is clearly the best player Miami has on offense at the moment. Still, the loss of Mike McDaniel, the transition away from Tua Tagovailoa to a mobile passer, and a top-down, underwhelming offensive core could reduce some of the gaudy efficiency and receiving numbers.
14. Jeremiyah Love: The top running back in the draft, Love is still ready to be used in a Bijan Robinson-esque fashion out of the box. Like rookie-year Robinson, I expect Love to be used enough to deliver fantasy points, with the runway to offer a higher ceiling via a larger workload than median projections expect, but to operate more as an upside RB2 given the offensive environment in Arizona paired with a potential goal-line thorn in Tyler Allgeier.
15. Breece Hall: Is coming off 1,415 yards from scrimmage and 5 touchdowns on 279 touches in 2025. He rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards, adding 36 catches for 350 yards as a pass catcher. Hall has had an efficiency dip since his rookie season, finishing as RB17 and RB21 in fantasy points per game the past two seasons. Still, he is a reliable contributor in a bad offense, putting up at least 1,300 total yards in each of the past three seasons.
16. Kyren Williams: A rock-steady producer with at least 1,300 total yards and double-digit touchdowns in each of the past three seasons. Must remain efficient if a similar backfield split is in store in 2026 from the one we saw to close last season. Williams only had 59.3% of the backfield touches over the final 12 games (RB18).
17. Javonte Williams: Three-down back in an offense built to score points, Williams had a bounce-back season with Dallas last year, turning 287 touches into 1,338 yards and 13 touchdowns. 32.5% of his runs came against light boxes (3rd-highest rate in the league), by far the highest rate of his career. If there was one area that left more to be desired, it was that Williams only averaged 3.9 yards per reception on his 35 catches. Williams has now averaged fewer than 5.0 yards per catch in three of his past four seasons.
18. D’Andre Swift: Ended the season handling 257 touches for 1,386 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. The yards and touchdowns were career highs. His 5.4 yards per touch average was his best rate since 2022. Swift produced a run of 10 or more yards on 13.5% of his runs, which ranked sixth in the league. Did share work to close the year, handling 55.6% of the backfield touches over the final nine games.
19. David Montgomery: Will turn 29 in June and is coming off career lows in touches (182) and yards from scrimmage (908) with Detroit in 2025. Was still a solid back when on the field, averaging 4.5 yards per rush (21st out of 49 backs with 100-plus attempts), a 39.9% success rate (24th), and 3.17 yards after contact per rush (17th). Houston was second in the league in man/gap run rate (38.8%), trailing only the Rams. On man/gap runs, Montgomery had a 50% success rate (10th) and led all backs in EPA per rush (.034). Houston has thrown a lot at fixing their interior line issues, setting up Monty for a high workload, scheme fit, and potentially improved offensive line on a team capable of creating scoring chances and playing ahead through their defense.
20. Travis Etienne: Has been right at 1,400 yards from scrimmage in three of his four NFL seasons, but has been more of a volume-based producer. He did not rush for 100 yards in a game after Week 4 on a hot Jacksonville offense. After the Week 8 bye, Etienne rushed for 3.6 YPC (24th out of 32 backs with 100-plus attempts) with a 31.9% success rate (30th). Big money in an up-and-coming offense is a signal he is the RB1 in New Orleans, but the ghost of Alvin Kamara is still a potential hindrance in shaving some opportunity off the top.
21. Cam Skattebo: Turned 125 touches into 617 yards and 7 touchdowns in his eight appearances. Skattebo made five starts, with games of 90, 104, 110, and 94 total yards in his four full games before suffering a gruesome injury in Week 8 against the Eagles that ended his season. Skattebo dislocated his right ankle, fractured his fibula, and ruptured his deltoid ligament. The severity of his injury does provide some insecurity. Still, the Giants did not add significant competition this offseason, after Skattebo had already taken over the gig from Tyrone Tracy as a rookie.
22. Quinshon Judkins: 256 touches for 998 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie. As a rusher, Judkins averaged 3.6 yards per attempt (45th out of 49 backs with 100-plus attempts) with a 32.2% success rate (44th). The offensive environment limited his efficiency. Judkins was 14th out of those 49 backs in yards after contact per rush (3.20), but he was dead last on that list in yards before contact per rush (0.40). Judkins was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 55.2% of his rushing attempts. Cleveland has thrown a lot at the offensive line to try to patch it up, but we still need more out of Judkins in the passing game under Todd Monken. The team ran the ball 57.1% of the time with Judkins on the field, while he ran a route on only 30.4% of the team's dropbacks in his games played. Judkins did close the season with a significant ankle injury, dislocating his right ankle and fracturing his fibula in Week 16. The team is expecting him to be a full participant in training camp.
23. Jadarian Price: The biggest winner from the draft cycle for fantasy purposes. Price lands in a backfield with next to zero proven NFL production, while Zach Charbonnet is not expected to play until late in the season, if at all in 2026. Outside of a veteran coming in this summer, Price has a runway to lead this backfield. He could end up undervalued in this range while pricing in potential hang-ups, as he was undersized with limited touches and no work in the passing game entering the NFL.
24. TreVeyon Henderson: Despite a limited playoff run with only 35 touches for 109 yards, posted 1,132 total yards and 10 touchdowns on 215 touches during the regular season as a rookie, better totals than Rhamondre Stevenson. Postseason usage suggests the Patriots will be looking for Henderson to round out his game, be a more consistent runner, and improve his pass protection in year two, but this is not far from a Jahmyr Gibbs/David Montgomery situation, where the more electric back can earn more and more work. Gibbs had 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie. Henderson had 4 touchdown runs last season of 50 or more yards, the most in the NFL. That is the most 50-yard touchdown runs by a rookie in a season since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
25. Bucky Irving: Declined across the board in the run game from his rookie season. A hall pass for injuries, but there are still concerns about whether Irving has a three-down role. Irving operated as a between-the-20s banger to end the year, conceding passing-down work to Rachaad White and short-yardage work to Sean Tucker. Irving had 0 touches inside the five-yard line last season and played just 2 snaps in that area of the field. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson may shuffle that rotation this season. Still, the Bucs have a similar layout with Tucker retained on a restricted tender and Kenneth Gainwell added as a replacement for White, who left in free agency.
26. Tony Pollard: Turned 275 touches into 1,288 yards and 5 touchdowns in his second season with the Titans. This was Pollard’s fifth year in a row topping 1,000 total yards and fourth in a row accumulating at least 1,200 yards. He closed the season on a high note. Over the final five weeks of the year, Pollard had three 100-yard rushing games.
27. Jaylen Warren: For the first time in his career, served as the leading rusher, posting career highs in rushing attempts (211), yardage (958), and touchdowns (6) on the ground. He added 40 receptions for 333 yards and 2 scores through the air. Warren has averaged over 5.0 yards per touch in each of his four seasons in the league. Warren keeps producing, but the Steelers keep adding backs as competition yearly. The addition of Rico Dowdle to replace Kenneth Gainwell could push Warren back into a more complementary rushing role, or Pittsburgh could use these backs as interchangeable options across all facets of the offense.
28. Rhamondre Stevenson: End-of-the-year production showcased that he is not ready to give up this backfield. Stevenson averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in each of his final four games of the regular season and then dominated the backfield in the postseason. Stevenson played 70.3% of the postseason snaps, out-touching TreVeyon Henderson 70 to 35. That said, we have been here before, and the mid-career back has had trouble fighting off the younger, more electric upside player more times than holding on to the primary job.
29. Bhayshul Tuten: There were moments during his rookie season when Tuten was pushing Travis Etienne for a backfield split, but they were always fleeting. He played 21% of the offensive snaps as a rookie, turning 93 touches into 386 yards (4.2 yards per touch) and 7 touchdowns. With passing-game limitations, Tuten’s best ability is in an early-down role, creating yards after contact, which overlaps with the newly added Chris Rodriguez. Tuten still had as many top-24 weeks as Rodriguez did last year (3) and has a more complete profile to bet on as the upside play in this backfield, even if things are ambiguous over the summer and to start the season
30. Rico Dowdle: Coming off 1,373 total yards and 7 touchdowns on 275 touches last season with the Panthers. Reuniting with Mike McCarthy, Dowdle posted 1,328 yards and 5 scores on 274 touches with McCarthy in Dallas in 2024. Dowdle also has 39 receptions in each of the past two seasons. There is an outcome where Dowdle is the early-down back in Pittsburgh, but also one in which both Dowdle and Jaylen Warren are used in a similar, interchangeable fashion, as we saw with Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard to close last season.
31. RJ Harvey: Finished his rookie season with 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on 193 touches. On the surface, those are solid counting stats, but his production as a runner left a lot to be desired. Harvey was woefully inefficient on the ground and was out-touched 164-to-75 by J.K. Dobbins when the latter was healthy. Harvey only had 2 rushing touchdowns prior to Dobbins going down in Week 10, then rushed 19 times for 57 yards (3.0 YPC) in the postseason. He made an impact as a pass catcher, however. Harvey caught 47 passes (RB8) for 356 yards (RB8) and 5 touchdowns (RB3). Harvey was targeted on 22.8% of his routes (RB11) for 1.40 yards per route. Jonah Coleman can be a thorn here for both Denver backs.
32. Chuba Hubbard: Coming off two strong seasons in 2023 and 2024 that earned him a contract extension, he took a step back last season, producing 164 touches for 734 yards and 4 touchdowns. He suffered a calf injury in Week 4 that impacted his season, as his longest run of the year was only 14 yards. With Rico Dowdle leaving in free agency, Hubbard has a runway to bounce back and take the lead in the backfield, but he will have to be more efficient to keep Jonathon Brooks at bay.
33. Jonathon Brooks: Returning from missing all of the 2025 season with an ACL injury. Carolina and Dave Canales are saying positive things about Brooks and his expectations for 2026. Still, he is a mystery box at this point, having played only 14 games of football over the past three years due to knee injuries. We only had a brief glimpse of Brooks as a rookie in 2024, handling 12 touches for 45 yards.
34. Rachaad White: Efficiency as a rusher has declined, and that has cost him rushing volume the past two seasons to low-capital backs. That could exist here again in Washington, as this backfield could be messy in terms of rushing opportunities, but White’s role as a pass catcher is the clearest element from this group. White was 12th in pass blocking grade among running backs in 2025, per Pro Football Focus, and he has at least 40 receptions in each of the past four seasons.
35. Blake Corum: Arguably the top handcuff/FLEX back in drafts. Corum handled 126 touches (37.9%) for 640 yards and 5 touchdowns in his second season. Out of 49 running backs with 100 or more attempts, Corum ranked first in success rate and produced a first down or touchdown on 30.3% of his runs (2nd). Corum is a bit more efficiency-based than Kyren Williams, since he was more sensitive to game scripts, but he made up for that with a 15.8% rate of runs of 10 or more yards, second in the league.
36. Aaron Jones: At age 31, averaged a career-low 4.2 yards per rush. He had career lows in yards after contact per rush (2.67), success rate (39.4%), and explosive run rate (9.1%). His 4.7 yards per touch marked the first time he was below 5.0 in his career. Jones missed five games due to hip, shoulder, toe, and hamstring issues, leaving this backfield open to be a split between him and Jordan Mason.
37. J.K. Dobbins: Showed he still has it as an efficient rusher. Dobbins rushed for 5.0 YPC (7th among backs with 100-plus runs) with a 42.5% success rate (14th). 13.7% of his runs went for 10 or more yards (5th) while 14.4% failed to gain yardage (14th). But completely rushing-dependent for fantasy output. Dobbins was not a factor in the passing game, catching 11 passes for 37 yards. Denver ran the ball 55.7% of the time with him on the field. He also missed the final seven games of the regular season and has not yet played a full season in the league, missing four or more games each year. Jonah Coleman’s addition could prove to be more than insurance.
38. Jacory Croskey-Merritt: Led the backfield in touches (184), yards from scrimmage (873), and touchdowns (8) as a seventh-round rookie. Upside to lead the team in rushing again in 2026 under a new regime. While his rookie season was successful when paired with a team environment and draft investment, Croskey-Merritt lost work to Chris Rodriguez over the back half of the year due to ball-protection and pass-protection issues. He fumbled 4 times and only caught 9 passes all season. At minimum, Rachaad White is a roadblock as a pass catcher, while Kaytron Allen could push for opportunities as a rusher and near the end zone.
39. Jordan Mason: Added 809 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns on 173 touches as a complement and fill-in for Aaron Jones when he was down. Mason averaged 4.8 yards per rush (12th) with 3.41 yards after contact per rush (10th). While Mason was an effective rusher, he was still a limited offensive asset that did not add to the receiving game. Mason only ran a route on 28.9% of the dropbacks in his games played, which was 42nd at his position. He caught only 14 passes, with 28 receptions over four NFL seasons.
40. Kyle Monangai: Was a hit as a seventh-round pick in year one, with 187 touches for 947 yards and 5 scores as a rookie. That was the most touches for a seventh-round rookie running back since 2019. Over the final nine games, D’Andre Swift had 139 touches (55.6%) compared to 110 touches (44%) for Monangai, so he still is more handcuff/FLEX than being a standalone target. Monangai got to play one game without Swift active, and although it was against the Bengals, he throttled them, totaling 198 yards.
41. Chris Rodriguez: Produced 974 yards and 10 touchdowns on 204 touches over three years in Washington. Last year, Rodriguez rushed for 3.46 yards after contact per rush, which ranked eighth out of 49 running backs with 100 or more runs. He posted a 48.2% success rate (3rd) with a run of 10 or more yards on 11.6% of his attempts (12th). In 2021 at Kentucky with Liam Coen as the offensive coordinator, Rodriguez popped for 1,440 total yards and 12 touchdowns. Bhayshul Tuten can have an extended workload in 2026, while the Jaguars could view him and Rodriguez as interchangeable power-back options. Neither back has much experience as a pass catcher. Rodriguez has 6 receptions in the NFL.
42. Tyrone Tracy: After 1,123 yards and 6 touchdowns from scrimmage as a rookie in 2024, accumulated 1,028 total yards and 4 touchdowns last season. If Cam Skattebo has a setback in recovery, Tracy could play more early in the season, but last year showed that he is vulnerable. He has been a subpar rusher, ranking 65th among 69 running backs in success rate (31.3%) over the past two seasons. But Tracy has made an impact in the passing game, catching 74 passes for 572 yards and 3 touchdowns.
43. Tyjae Spears: Has been snakebit by injuries the past two seasons. After missing five games in 2024, he missed another four games last season. After 152 touches for 5.5 yards per touch as a rookie in 2023, Spears has rushed for 3.7 and 3.9 yards per rushing attempt the past two seasons, serving as an ancillary pass catcher. The addition of Nicholas Singleton could compromise that role and limit his full potential as an upside handcuff.
44. Alvin Kamara: Is coming off a career-low 4.0 yards per touch, turning 164 opportunities into 657 yards and 1 touchdown. He turns 31 this July with one year remaining on his current contract. There have been rumors that Kamara might retire, but as of coach Kellen Moore‘s latest statements, he expects Kamara to be part of their plans. That could be coachspeak right now, but given their investment in Travis Etienne and the fact that they still have a handful of other options on the roster, Kamara is expected to have a significantly reduced role in the offense.
45. Kenneth Gainwell: Had his best NFL season in Pittsburgh last year, posting career highs in every significant category. He ended up with 1,023 yards from scrimmage and 8 touchdowns on 187 touches. Gainwell rushed 114 times for 537 yards and 5 touchdowns as a complement to Jaylen Warren, but made a major dent in the passing game, catching 73 passes, fourth at his position.
46. Dylan Sampson: 98 touches for 446 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie. Sampson rushed for 2.7 yards per carry, which ranked last among 65 running backs with 50 or more attempts. Sampson fell victim to poor offensive line play and had issues when given space. He ranked last in the league in yards per rush when contacted beyond the line of scrimmage (5.0 YPC). Where Sampson made an impact on offense as a rookie was in the passing game. He was targeted on 28% of his routes (2nd among running backs with 100-plus routes) with 1.90 yards per route run (2nd). With Jerome Ford leaving in free agency, Sampson should be in line to take over the full-time receiving back with handcuff upside behind Quinshon Judkins.
47. Tyler Allgeier: Must be experiencing déjà vu after the Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love, something that happened to him when the Falcons selected Bijan Robinson ninth overall following Allgeier's 1,174 yards as a rookie. Has been one of the league’s most effective early-down backs since entering the league. Still, his limitations are that he has not been overly explosive (his 9.8% explosive run rate ranks 37th) and has not been used much in the passing game, leaving him a handcuff and touchdown-dependent option.
48. Keaton Mitchell: A speed back, which new OC Mike McDaniel loves. Mitchell only has 140 career touches through 26 games played, but he has averaged a robust 6.3 yards per rush when he has received opportunities. A small sample size, 18.2% of Mitchell’s career runs have gained 10 or more yards, the highest rate in the league over the past three seasons.
49. Woody Marks: Coming off an inefficient season marred by struggling to stay on the field. Marks has been relegated to handcuff status behind David Montgomery, though Montgomery is 29 and lost work last season in Detroit.
50. Kaytron Allen: Allen is a threat to push for early-down work in Washington and could be this year’s Kyle Monangai. Jacory Croskey-Merritt had trouble keeping Chris Rodriguez off the field, and Rachaad White has lost touches to low-draft-capital backs in back-to-back seasons. At 5-foot-11 and 216 pounds, Allen has plenty of size to reinforce his workload and utilization in college. Allen was used as a power runner, with a class-high 66.2% of his runs coming on man/gap runs. 27.1% of his rushing attempts this past season were against heavy boxes (8 or more defenders), the highest rate in this class. Against those heavy boxes, Allen rushed for 4.8 YPC (5th). He forced a missed tackle on 25% of his touches, which was second in this class.