Fantasy Football Rookie Running Back Rankings: Pre-NFL Draft (2026)

April 14, 2026

RotoBaller's pre-2026 NFL Draft fantasy football rookie running back rankings. Top rookies and dynasty draft targets include Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman, and more.

The NFL Draft is just over a week away, and we'll finally get to see where top fantasy football prospects land. It's almost time to crush those rookie drafts, and we're here to give you a final pre-draft look at the pecking order with our 2026 fantasy football rookie running back rankings. See where key studs and sleepers like Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Emmett Johnson, Mike Washington Jr., and Demond Claiborne stand, among all 28 RBs on this list.

We will update these rookie rankings all offseason long, including after the 2026 NFL Draft. It's never too early to start your research and homework on rising NFL players, so let's get to it! These updated 2026 rookie rankings are put together by Jackson Sparks, Matt Donnelly, Andrew Lalama, and Phil Clark.

In addition to these rookie rankings, in our 2026 fantasy football rankings dashboard, you will also find our team's Dynasty League rankings. Bookmark that page, and use it to prepare for all of your 2026 fantasy football dynasty league drafts.

Fantasy Football Rookie Running Back Rankings (2026)

Check out our PPR fantasy football rankings and standard (non-PPR) fantasy football rankings as well:

Rookie Running Back NFL Draft Outlooks for Fantasy Football

Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price is squarely in the conversation to be the second running back selected in the 2026 NFL Draft despite never handling more than 10 offensive touches per game in any of his three collegiate seasons. Sharing a backfield with one of the best offensive players in this year's draft class, Jeremiyah Love, Price saw his career production nearly doubled by the presumed early first-round pick, but he was still productive on his limited workload.

Price averaged more than six yards per carry in his collegiate career and reached double-digit touchdowns in 2025. As one of the best kick returners in the country, he displayed excellent vision and the ability to slash through shifting lanes without gearing down, traits that should translate in a larger role out of the backfield. Price has good size and runs low and behind his pads, and with the right landing spot, he could emerge from a lackluster running back class as Love's largest threat to finish the year as the rookie RB1.

Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

University of Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson was one of the more productive backs in the country as a junior in 2025, recording 1,821 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns on 297 touches across 12 games. With 85 receptions over his last two collegiate seasons, Johnson can impact games as both a rusher and a receiver. The 22-year-old has a chance to hear his name called in the middle rounds of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

However, he's not considered to be a high-level athlete relative to other running back prospects, leading some to question whether he can work his way into a lead role in an NFL backfield. Johnson should be able to find a role in the pros due to his well-rounded skill set, but dynasty managers may want to take a conservative approach to projecting his upside. RotoBaller currently ranks Johnson as the 40th-best running back for dynasty formats.

Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest

Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne weighed in at 188 pounds at the NFL Combine, putting him in the 3rd percentile among Combine-invited running backs historically. The saving grace is that he ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash; however, that game-breaking speed did not always show up on his collegiate tape.

Claiborne's 6.1% rate of runs resulting in 15+ yards ranks in the bottom half of this year's draft class and is well below the historical average among backs who weighed in below 200 pounds at the Combine. Claiborne's is an archetype that has largely survived on explosive plays, but without seeing such explosiveness on his college tape, a late-round bet in rookie drafts is one that he can become a rare outlier.

Roman Hemby, Indiana

Indiana running back Roman Hemby spent four years at Maryland before transferring to Indiana, where he put up his best statistical season on the way to a National Championship. While he led the team in yards and carries, his rushing efficiency numbers were surpassed by almost every other back on the roster, perhaps reflecting the environment more than his own individual efforts.

Hemby ranks near the bottom of the class in both explosive run and missed tackles forced rates, and his cleanest path to an NFL role is likely through his work in the passing game, having topped 30 receptions and more than a yard per route run in each of his final three seasons at Maryland. He projects as a late-round or UDFA prospect who will need to earn a committee role in the NFL.

Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Penn State running back Kaytron Allen, who is ranked as the No. 7 RB prospect in this year's draft class by ESPN, is a big back at 5-foot-11, 216 pounds. Allen led the Nittany Lions in rushing in each of the last three seasons and became the school's all-time leading rusher with a total of 4,180 rushing yards in his 54 games over four seasons. The 23-year-old saved his best for last, rushing for a career-high 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries in 12 games in his senior season in 2025.

Allen won't be a priority for fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues later this year because of his lack of prowess on passing downs, though, as he never had more than 20 receptions in a single season at Penn State. He finished his four-year career in college with 70 catches for 490 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. Still, Allen will be coveted by RB-needy teams for his physicality, size, and strength. Early on, Allen figures to be more of a short-yardage, goal-line back in the NFL.

Jonah Coleman, Washington

Across 12 games for the University of Washington in 2025, running back Jonah Coleman racked up 1,112 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns on 187 touches. The 22-year-old is considered one of the better running back prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft and could hear his name called as early as day two of the upcoming draft in April. Coleman is known as a productive three-down player who provides stability as both a rusher and pass-blocker.

However, he's not considered to be an elite athlete or a dynamic tackle-breaker, which limits his fantasy upside. Coleman also appears unlikely to earn a high-volume role in an NFL backfield as a rookie, so fantasy managers may have to be patient with him. RotoBaller currently ranks Coleman as the 31st-best running back for dynasty formats.

Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton was a four-year contributor for the Nittany Lions, but he was never able to recapture the magic of his 2022 true freshman season. After scoring 10 touchdowns and nearly reaching 1,000 yards on a 6.3 yards per carry clip, his average dropped below five yards per attempt over his next three seasons, and he topped double-digit rushing scores only once more. Singleton is often knocked for his subpar vision, but he has the physical traits that offensive coordinators dream about, which often translate into fantasy success.

He weighs in at nearly 220 pounds, and had he not injured his foot during Senior Bowl practices, he likely would have threatened for one of the faster 40 times at the NFL Combine. In a wide-open rookie running back class, those physical tools could see him come off the board earlier than anticipated, and he will likely become a divisive pick in the second round of dynasty rookie drafts.

More Dynasty Fantasy Football Analysis