Fantasy Football Rookie Running Backs You Must Draft In 2026

May 2, 2026

John's rookie running backs to target and draft in fantasy football. His top NFL rookie sleepers and draft values for 2026 redraft, dynasty, and best ball leagues.

Well, this is kind of awkward. The 2025 NFL Draft class was loaded to the brim with highly talented running backs. One prospect was seen as generational at his position, and there were a bunch of other running backs with excellent traits. That translated to quite a bit of on-the-field production.

Were it not for injuries to players like Los Angeles Chargers RB Omarion Hampton and New York Giants tailback Cam Skattebo, and poor offensive environments like that of Las Vegas Raiders (Ashton Jeanty), there would have been quite a bit more production, too. Some of the rookies were stuck behind talented players, as well.

This year's draft class is... different. Not in a good way. There isn't nearly as much talent as there was last year. In fact, it's historically weak at the position. The title of the article might have to be taken a bit less literally than we'd like, but let's dive into five running backs you should at least consider drafting in 2026!

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Yeah, obviously. Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love is an elite talent who showcased his skills last season at Notre Dame. He totaled 199 rushes for 1,372 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns while averaging a ludicrous 6.9 yards per carry despite facing a lot of high-quality competition. Love was also more than capable as a pass-catcher.

He's an instant shot in the arm for any team struggling to rebuild right now. While he might push you out of contention for the No. 1 overall pick in 2027, he can immediately give you a solid playmaker for years to come. Love is a fantastic prospect.

@NFLPerformances pic.twitter.com/qNrhbvP1TK

— Performances (@NotPerformances) February 16, 2026

There has been plenty of rhetoric advising against drafting Love. Many analysts suggest you should trade Love for an equivalent amount of draft capital if your team is rebuilding to ensure that he doesn't hurt your draft spot for 2027. This year's draft class overall is seen as less talented than normal.

I would tend not to agree. The problem is that the NFL has become more conservative about passing in recent years. In 2025, there was a historically low level of overall pass attempts by teams. They're getting more run-happy, and with the success of "heavy" sets, opposing defenses have had to match them on defense.

Teams with good run games that run the ball heavily are becoming the new (actually good) meta. We may see this continue to develop over the next few seasons. Low passing volume, a lot of running, and an increase in the salaries of top-tier running backs, as well as an emphasis on teams acquiring more interior offensive line talent.

That's a tough run for a TD for Love pic.twitter.com/RGH0pQRdUA

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) January 10, 2025

Maybe you can draft Love and trade away some of your other players in dynasty fantasy football. That being said, I think a Jeanty 2025 season could be the floor here for Love. The Raiders offensive line was absolutely putrid on the interior last season, as was the offensive coaching and scheming. The Cardinals are better up front.

We saw RB James Conner (ankle) have a solid season in 2024, and even some third-string guys had reasonable success in 2025. Love should come out of the gates and absolutely smash.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Before you ask, yes, I will be listing the most highly drafted running backs from the 2026 class here. Don't hold it against me. This class doesn't have a ton of names that you should be salivating over. But Price, despite being Love's backup, is set up to have significant volume for Seattle in his first season, and he's also quite talented.

Love overshadowed Price at Notre Dame, but even solid NBA players look pedestrian playing next to guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Price is a versatile RB who has good vision, hangs on to the ball, is shifty enough to set up blockers to fail at the next level reasonably well, has good contact balance, and sufficient speed.

pic.twitter.com/mlWhL6E6YL

— Performances (@NotPerformances) March 3, 2026

Raw speed isn't the most important thing, either. He accelerates well enough, even if his top gear won't let him hit home runs in the NFL. He's decisive with his cuts. There's a lot to like about him, especially his lateral agility for his size. That and his ability to break tackles are impressive.

He'll join RB Zach Charbonnet (ACL), who's dealing with a major injury he suffered near the end of the 2025 season. He was also a second-round pick, while Price was selected at the end of the first round. Price should be the RB1 early on, and they'll likely settle into somewhat of a committee later.

Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch decided to reach incredibly hard, as he usually does, when he selected Indiana running back Kaelon Black as the third RB off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. Lynch's hit rate on his reaches is very low at this point, aside from the outlier WR Deebo Samuel Sr.

We can ignore what he does because the reality is that not all NFL executives are geniuses who know that much more than the consensus that their reach makes sense. Instead, we should go a spot down and look at new Denver Broncos RB Jonah Coleman. He dealt with injury issues in 2025, so he was held back by those.

Jonah Coleman is a FREAK athlete😳

Here our some of his best college highlights: pic.twitter.com/571wIZ46n2

— Bando (@BandoKnowsBall) March 17, 2026

Coleman is not a freak athlete in my mind, but he's good at choosing the right gaps to work in, he's shifty with the ball in his hands, makes good decisions early on in plays, and runs with toughness. He's difficult to tackle. His burst leaves something to be desired, but he's probably the eventual replacement for RB J.K. Dobbins.

Getting excited about Coleman in redraft probably is a waste of effort, but in dynasty leagues, he has interesting value as a late sleeper. In previous seasons, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been able to get great production out of RB duos, and Coleman and fellow Broncos back RJ Harvey could have some good seasons in the future.

Mike Washington Jr., RB. Las Vegas Raiders

Washington is an absolute freak of an athlete. He was the only running back at the 2026 NFL Combine to post a higher RAS (Raw Athletic Score) than Love. He ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine while weighing in at 223 pounds. He also jumped 39 inches in the vertical jump and 10'8" in the broad jump.

He's a very explosive athlete who's now under the tutelage of Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, one of the most revered offensive minds in the league. Kubiak's offenses with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks propelled the latter to a Super Bowl victory and earned the 39-year-old to his new job.

My Favorite RB in the 2026 NFL Draft

Mike Washington Jr ⭐️

6’1 223 lbs

4.3 40 yard time 💨 pic.twitter.com/RG32C713lR

— OgnBurgh (@scottiloss) March 17, 2026

Washington lacks a good contact balance and has major problems with his vision and ability to find open lanes, but a good enough offensive system can create those holes for him and make it easier for him to get into space, where his track-star-level speed can help pick up big gains.

Washington has great handcuff potential. If Jeanty gets hurt, he could be the next man up and could have a few big games by picking up a lot of yards on just a few plays. His effectiveness at the goal line isn't entirely convincing, though.

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Tennessee Titans

Singleton's fall from grace as a draft prospect after his monster freshman year in college is notable. But he's still a big, powerful back that has utility as a pass-catcher, even if his vision isn't the best. Titans RB Tony Pollard struggled to be effective last season, and his backup, Tyjae Spears, hasn't been a difference-maker in the league.

Singleton will probably carve out enough of a role by midseason to be worth starting in dynasty fantasy football leagues. In redraft, he's just a dart throw, as he might be on one of the NFL's... not-so-great offenses. And Pollard is quite explosive himself, though he's had a lot of injury problems in recent seasons.

SINGLETON DOES IT AGAIN 😱@PennStateFball HAS TAKEN THE LEAD VS No. 2 INDIANA pic.twitter.com/scQAMIOjDg

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025

Singleton is an intriguing player to keep your eye on. My analysis indicates he's worth a bench stash in redraft in deeper leagues and a second-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts this year.

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