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Dan examines fantasy football committee backfields to target in 2026. His top crowded backfields to chase in drafts, including the Chicago Bears and more.
The resurgence of running backs in fantasy football was clear in 2025 and will have a major impact on fantasy football managers in 2026. However, NFL teams have also gotten better (and smarter) at splitting their backfields to keep players fresh and maximize efficiency. Identifying and attacking those edges is a way for fantasy managers to have an advantage.
Sometimes, backfields are capable of producing two players who can be weekly staples in a fantasy lineup. In 2025, there were three teams (Denver, Pittsburgh, and Seattle) that had three top-30 running backs.
Below you’ll find four offenses that have crowded backfields and will have multiple pieces worth drafting in 2026. Let’s dive in.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new offensive system in place after hiring Mike McCarthy to be their head coach during the 2026 offseason. One of his first moves of the free-agency period was signing Rico Dowdle, his starting running back from the 2024 season in Dallas, to be part of his backfield split.
Dowdle is fresh off his second consecutive season with at least 235 carries, 1,000 rushing yards, 39 receptions, 200 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns. He has back-to-back top-24 fantasy finishes in PPR points per game in each of the last two years.
There goes Rico Dowdle for 43 yards!
MIAvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/4G1FS2SHgQ
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
Conversely, Jaylen Warren is coming off his highest-volume season as a professional, handling 211 carries for 958 yards and six touchdowns while adding 40 receptions for 333 yards and two touchdowns, finishing 17th in PPR points per game among running backs with 10 games played.
Warren is not only an impact pass-catcher but also one of the best pass-blocking running backs in the NFL. That will ensure a role for him in 2026.
Finally, McCarthy historically runs a zone-heavy offensive scheme. In his final season with the Cowboys, his team used a zone concept run on 47.2% of the run plays. Pittsburgh ranked 15th in zone success rate (39.3%) and explosive play rate on zone runs (10.2%) last season and added a first-round tackle (Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor) to an already solid unit.
Both Warren (ADP: 74.3, RB28) and Dowdle (ADP: 88.2, RB32) are being priced as RB3s thanks to the ambiguity surrounding their workload in 2026. Both players should have weeks of fantasy relevance in an offense that should lean on their talents in the backfield.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Few teams were as impacted by injuries across the offensive line as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2026. The team didn’t get a single snap with its projected starting five heading into the 2025 season and had just one starter, center Graham Barton, log more than 800 snaps. 209 of his 1,135 snaps came at left tackle to start the season due to a Tristan Wirfs injury.
That inconsistency showed up in the run game. From Weeks 1 to 9 (when the offense was missing numerous players at different times), the Buccaneers ranked 22nd in rushing success rate (40.2%). From Weeks 10 to 18 (when the group was mostly healthy), it ranked ninth (43.3%).
Like the offensive line, Bucky Irving’s 2025 season was also marred by injury. A shoulder and foot injury limited him to just 10 games and 865 all-purpose yards just one year after he played a full 17-game season with 1,500 yards as a fourth-round rookie. Irving still hadn’t been cleared to play from shoulder surgery during OTAs, but should reportedly be ready during training camp.
The Buccaneers added to their backfield this offseason, signing veteran Kenneth Gainwell to a respectable two-year, $14 million contract with $9.8 million guaranteed this offseason.
Gainwell is coming off his most successful season as a running back, finishing with 114 carries for 537 yards and five touchdowns, plus 85 targets, 73 receptions, 486 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in Pittsburgh.
Early reports throughout the summer were that the team expects Irving and Gainwell to function in a 1A/1B situation more so than a change-of-pace tandem. Both players will be fantasy-relevant in 2026 if healthy behind what should be an improved offensive line.
Los Angeles Rams
Second-year running back Blake Corum was a colossal disappointment as a third-round rookie in 2024, logging just 65 touches for 265 yards. Six weeks into 2025, things didn’t look much better. Corum produced just 24 carries for 133 yards and one touchdown with three receptions for nine yards on a 21.8% snap share. However, things changed starting in Week 6.
From Weeks 6 to 18, Corum posted 121 carries for 613 yards and five touchdowns while adding five receptions for 27 yards. More importantly, Corum’s snap share leaped to 32.3% during that stretch.
He was on the field even more during the Los Angeles Rams’ playoff run (37.2%), even if his counting stats took a slight dip in those three games (26 carries for 119 yards and five receptions for 37 yards).
Blake Corum! Rams making a statement 😤
DETvsLAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/13sO5EjLgQ
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
Corum’s increased role had an impact on veteran Kyren Williams, but didn’t stop him from posting a third straight season with at least 225 carries, 1,300 all-purpose yards, and 13 touchdowns. Williams posted his third straight season as a top-10 running back in PPR points per game despite handling just 68% of the team’s snaps after back-to-back seasons above 80% in 2023 and 2024.
Los Angeles had a top-10 run game in 2025 based on EPA (1.91) and success rate (47.1%), but there is a chance its run game is even better in 2026. The Rams quietly hired former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury as their assistant head coach this offseason.
Kingsbury won’t have a ton of influence on the play-calling, but he’s proven to be one of the better run game designers in the NFL. Washington finished above the Rams in rushing EPA (13.58) and seventh in success rate (44.0%) in 2025.
There’s also a chance he could help the Rams improve in pace of play. Washington was first in the NFL in no-huddle rate in 2025, running it nearly 40% higher (61.5) than second place (23).
The Rams had an efficient run game while utilizing two backs in 2025. There is no reason to believe that it will change in 2026. Both Williams and Corum can consistently find their way into fantasy lineups this season.
Chicago Bears
Most of the attention surrounding the Chicago Bears offense this offseason has been dedicated to Caleb Williams. That has allowed their elite run game in head coach Ben Johnson’s offense to fly under the radar.
The 2025 Chicago Bears finished first in rushing success rate (47.5%), second in explosive rush rate (13.3%), and third in yards before contact (2.8).
Not only did veteran D'Andre Swift produce a career-best year (223 carries for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns with 48 targets, 34 receptions, 299 yards, and one touchdown), but 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai also impressed on a significant workload (169 carries for 783 yards and five touchdowns) despite his lack of draft capital.
Chicago’s offensive line will have some changes thanks to a surprise retirement (center Drew Dalman) and a playoff injury at left tackle (2025 second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo), but the team was able to fill those holes through free agency (left tackles Braxton Jones and Jedrick Wills Jr.), trade (center Garrett Bradbury), and the 2026 NFL Draft (second-round pick Logan Jones).
The one position where the Bears didn't add more depth was at running back. That makes it easy for fantasy managers to understand and project how the touches will be distributed in 2025, making this a backfield worth targeting even though the workload will be split.
If Caleb Williams can be more consistent in his second season in Johnson’s offense, the Bears can be a top-5 offense in the NFL. If that happens, both Swift and Monangai can be relevant fantasy options.
Who Should I Draft Tool
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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Warren, Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell, Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Draft? button to see who the recommended draft picks are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Rico Dowdle, Jaylen Warren, Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell, Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai:
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