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2026 fantasy football running back rankings and tiers, including the 2026 NFL rookies. Our way-too-early redraft rankings are for the top RBs and draft targets.
One game remains in the 2025 NFL season, as the Seahawks are set to take on the Patriots in Super Bowl 60 soon. However, isn't it fun to take an early look at next year's fantasy football pecking order? In this edition of our early 2026 fantasy football running back rankings, we have added upcoming 2026 NFL rookies to the mix. These rankings take projected NFL Draft capital into account, and there will be plenty of movers and changes as the NFL Combine and NFL Draft play out.
These 2026 fantasy football RB rankings are put together by Nick Mariano, a top-accuracy industry ranker and the lead forecaster here at RotoBaller.
In the rankings below, check out where key players like Jonathan Taylor, De'Von Achane, Ashton Jeanty, Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker III, Jonah Coleman, and more stand for next year's fantasy football campaign.
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2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Redraft
| Tier | Rank | Name | Team | Position |
| 1 | 1 | Bijan Robinson | ATL | RB |
| 1 | 2 | Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | RB |
| 1 | 3 | Christian McCaffrey | SF | RB |
| 2 | 4 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | RB |
| 2 | 5 | De'Von Achane | MIA | RB |
| 2 | 6 | James Cook III | BUF | RB |
| 2 | 7 | Ashton Jeanty | LV | RB |
| 2 | 8 | Saquon Barkley | PHI | RB |
| 3 | 9 | Omarion Hampton | LAC | RB |
| 3 | 10 | Jeremiyah Love | FA | RB |
| 3 | 11 | Chase Brown | CIN | RB |
| 4 | 12 | Derrick Henry | BAL | RB |
| 4 | 13 | Josh Jacobs | GB | RB |
| 4 | 14 | Bucky Irving | TB | RB |
| 4 | 15 | Kyren Williams | LAR | RB |
| 4 | 16 | Breece Hall | NYJ | RB |
| 5 | 17 | Travis Etienne Jr. | JAC | RB |
| 5 | 18 | Kenneth Walker III | SEA | RB |
| 5 | 19 | Cam Skattebo | NYG | RB |
| 5 | 20 | TreVeyon Henderson | NE | RB |
| 5 | 21 | RJ Harvey | DEN | RB |
| 6 | 22 | Javonte Williams | DAL | RB |
| 6 | 23 | Quinshon Judkins | CLE | RB |
| 6 | 24 | D'Andre Swift | CHI | RB |
| 7 | 25 | Jaylen Warren | PIT | RB |
| 7 | 26 | Bhayshul Tuten | JAC | RB |
| 7 | 27 | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | RB |
| 7 | 28 | Tony Pollard | TEN | RB |
| 7 | 29 | Kyle Monangai | CHI | RB |
| 8 | 30 | Blake Corum | LAR | RB |
| 8 | 31 | Jadarian Price | FA | RB |
| 8 | 32 | Rico Dowdle | CAR | RB |
| 8 | 33 | Jonah Coleman | FA | RB |
| 9 | 34 | Woody Marks | HOU | RB |
| 9 | 35 | Chuba Hubbard | CAR | RB |
| 9 | 36 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS | RB |
| 9 | 37 | David Montgomery | DET | RB |
| 10 | 38 | Tyler Allgeier | ATL | RB |
| 10 | 39 | Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | RB |
| 10 | 40 | Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN | RB |
| 10 | 41 | James Conner | ARI | RB |
| 10 | 42 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG | RB |
| 10 | 43 | Emmett Johnson | FA | RB |
| 10 | 44 | J.K. Dobbins | DEN | RB |
| 10 | 45 | Tyjae Spears | TEN | RB |
| 11 | 46 | Jordan Mason | MIN | RB |
| 11 | 47 | Alvin Kamara | NO | RB |
| 11 | 48 | Trey Benson | ARI | RB |
| 11 | 49 | Sean Tucker | TB | RB |
| 11 | 50 | Kimani Vidal | LAC | RB |
| 11 | 51 | Jonathon Brooks | CAR | RB |
| 11 | 52 | Kaytron Allen | FA | RB |
| 12 | 53 | Braelon Allen | NYJ | RB |
| 12 | 54 | Zach Charbonnet | SEA | RB |
| 12 | 55 | Dylan Sampson | CLE | RB |
| 12 | 56 | Rachaad White | TB | RB |
| 12 | 57 | Tank Bigsby | PHI | RB |
| 12 | 58 | Demond Claiborne | FA | RB |
| 12 | 59 | Keaton Mitchell | BAL | RB |
| 12 | 60 | Nicholas Singleton | FA | RB |
| 12 | 61 | Joe Mixon | HOU | RB |
| 12 | 62 | Brian Robinson Jr. | SF | RB |
2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Outlooks
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs had 13 rushing touchdowns in 15 regular-season starts, but a knee injury he suffered in Week 11 against the New York Giants hampered him the rest of the way and made him a disappointment when fantasy managers needed him the most. The 27-year-old had 929 rushing yards on 234 carries and added 36 catches for 282 yards and another score on 44 targets. Jacobs didn't have a single 100-yard rushing performance and finished under 1,000 yards for only the third time in his seven-year NFL career.
The three-time Pro Bowler was the RB12 in half-PPR scoring, and his 234 carries ranked 16th among all RBs. Jacobs has double-digit rushing touchdowns in four of his seven seasons and will be Green Bay's RB1 again in 2026. The volume should be there if he's healthy, but fantasy managers should target Jacobs as more of an RB2 than an RB1.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor finished behind only Christian McCaffrey in overall fantasy points at the RB position in 2025 in his sixth year in the league. Taylor led the NFL in carries (323) and rushing touchdowns (18) while gaining 1,585 yards on the ground (4.9 yards per attempt). He added a career-best 46 receptions on 55 targets for 378 receiving yards and two more touchdowns in 17 starts.
The 27-year-old former second-round selection in 2020 out of Wisconsin has run for 3,016 yards and 29 touchdowns on 626 rushing attempts for the Colts the last two years, and he's found the end zone double-digit times on the ground in four of his six NFL campaigns. The three-time Pro Bowler will remain the centerpiece of Indy's offense in 2026, and with quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) expected to return, he should maintain high-end upside as a top-five RB for fantasy football managers.
Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys club officials have held preliminary contract-extension talks with pending free-agent running back Javonte Williams, but talks are on hold until Williams finalizes hiring an agent, according to The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins. The Cowboys have already made it clear that re-signing Williams will be a top priority this offseason after he had a career year in his first season in Dallas in 2025.
After four seasons with the Denver Broncos, Williams set career highs across the board with the Cowboys, carrying the ball 252 times for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 starts. He added 35 receptions on 51 targets for 137 yards and two more scores. Williams finished as the RB11 in half-PPR scoring as Dallas' unquestioned lead back all year long. He finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a shoulder injury, but Williams should be fully healthy by the start of the 2026 campaign. If he returns to Dallas, which is expected, the 25-year-old will be a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 target in fantasy.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard's RB15 finish in 2024 made him a popular early-to-mid-round pick in 2025, but after missing time and ceding primary early down work to a more efficient Rico Dowdle upon his return, he finished as the RB40. Dowdle, who was on a one-year deal, has been vocal about wanting to be featured as a lead back, but whether he returns to Carolina or not, it's unlikely that Hubbard will again see the type of volume that made him a fantasy league-winner in 2024.
Hubbard's usage in the passing game has ranked among the least efficient in the league over his five-year career, and his near-300 touches in 2024 came largely as a result of the unexpected absence of second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, who could be back to fight for a starting role in 2026. Regardless of who Hubbard finds himself sharing a backfield with next season, the 27-year-old has likely seen the last of his bell-cow duties.
De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins offense faces plenty of question marks this offseason, but running back De'Von Achane offers refreshing consistency. Achane is under contract for the 2026 season and has been playing the best football of his young career. He finished last season with a career-high 1,350 rushing yards, and he also caught 67 passes for 488 receiving yards. For the second year in a row, he scored 12 touchdowns and was the overall RB5 in full-PPR leagues. This past year, he accomplished those marks despite missing one game.
Miami did make a concerted effort to get Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright more involved, but that decision didn't really detract from Achane's role. If anything, it kept his legs fresh and allowed him to remain as dominant as ever. The Dolphins did make a coaching staff change this offseason, replacing offensive-minded head coach Mike McDaniel with the defensive-minded Jeff Hafley. Achane also got a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Slowik, who was with the Dolphins as a senior passing game coordinator in 2025.
Miami has some key questions to answer surrounding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason. As a result, the passing game faces major uncertainty. However, we expect the running game to remain unchanged, leaving Achane in line for another fantastic season in 2026. He should be a top-five running back in fantasy football drafts next summer.
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
