10 Fantasy Football RB Risers or Fallers: 2026 Player Outlooks

June 11, 2026

Andrew Ball's fantasy football running back risers and fallers for June 2026. His fantasy outlooks for the top 2026 fantasy football running backs (RBs).

As summer rolls on and the fantasy football draft season nears, every player is in the "best shape of their lives," and every camp video posted to social media is just confirmation of your previous bias.

So, let's back up a bit and look at the spring shifts that shook up the running back landscape. Offseason transactions have some running backs gaining steam for legitimate reasons. Stocks for others are falling, and they may be a landmine that you'd like to trade away by Week 3.

Today, we're going to break down 10 running backs whose fantasy stock is moving and whether they should be a draft (or trade) target or not.

Fantasy Football Running Back Risers

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

For the third consecutive offseason, Chase Brown has evaded backfield competition.

Think about it. Once Joe Mixon left, Brown's biggest obstacle to consistent touches was Zack Moss. Last offseason, the additions were Samaje Perine, who almost exclusively operated as a third-down back, and sixth-round rookie Tahj Brooks. It's the same pair rounding out Cincinnati's depth chart as we head into training camp this year.

Brown burned a lot of fantasy managers early last season. Coming off the board in the second round, seven subpar (or worse) weeks sent those managers to the bottom of the standings. However, he finished the season with at least 15 PPR points in every game and was the RB4 in that stretch.

Once again, he's an early second-round selection in redraft formats. Brown is heavily involved in the passing game and is a crucial piece of one of the best offenses in football. Bank on another 230 carries and 50+ receptions.

Cam Skattebo, New York Giants

The last memory we had of Cam Skattebo's rookie season was a gruesome leg injury, one that he admits he's still recovering from, but he plans to be ready for Week 1. Before that, remember the good times, when the rookie was plowing over defenders and doing backflips in the end zone.

CAM SKATTEBO. POWERFUL TD.

KCvsNYG on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/giI1kvy2l3

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2025

John Harbaugh is bringing a run-first offense to East Rutherford, a philosophy confirmed by quarterback Jaxson Dart. The roster says everything you need to know. They have two capable tight ends, an All-Pro fullback, and invested one of their first-round picks into the offensive line. The receiver room is in flux, casting doubt on Malik Nabers' availability early in the season.

The Giants reportedly flirted with the idea of getting Jeremiyah Love in a blue jersey, signaling that they wanted another running back to pair with the violent running of Skattebo.

It's hard for a runner to survive a 17-game season the way he plays. Not only did they not get the chance to draft Love, but they also didn't draft any running back or sign one in free agency. It's Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary competing for touches.

If Skattebo can stay healthy, it projects to be a monster year for the 24-year-old. Hopefully, that's not as big of an ask as we think it is.

Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars let Travis Etienne Jr. walk in free agency and replaced him with Chris Rodriguez Jr., essentially moving Bhayshul Tuten up one spot on the depth chart.

Rodriguez himself is an offseason winner, as he is theoretically the clear complementary piece rather than whatever rotation Washington used last season. And Rodriguez is a screaming value at his double-digit ADP, especially if he handles the goal-line duties, but I digress.

Tuten is the more enticing player of the duo because of his breakaway ability and the flashes of potential he displayed during his rookie season. The rookie scored in every game he notched at least nine touches, and the Jaguars landed in the top 10 in rush attempts last season.

With three, if not four, downfield threats at wide receiver, the running lanes will be open. Time and time again, we've seen lead runners succeed in Liam Coen's offensive system. Although it may be obvious, here's another one staring you in the face.

Rachaad White, Washington Commanders

Four years into his professional career, I think it's safe to say that Rachaad White's rushing isn't his strong suit. His RB4 finish in 2023 wasn't built off his legs. He posted a career-low 3.6 yards per carry then, an average that still sits below four yards across his career. Rather, it's been through the air; he's caught 40 balls every year and topped out at 64 in that RB1 season.

White lost the rushing downs touches he had in 2023 to Bucky Irving, but it appears he'll get those opportunities again with his new team. The Commanders' depth chart is White, seventh-round sophomore Jacory Croskey-Merritt, sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen, special teams ace Jeremy McNichols, and Cleveland castoff Jerome Ford.

JCM is likely to see some early down work this season, but it should be nothing like the dramatic split in Tampa Bay. White played fewer than 50% of the snaps in all games that Irving was active last season, and despite the lower snap count, was on the field for the same amount of dropbacks per game as his counterpart. He was a third-down running back who handled more responsibilities in Irving's absence.

For argument's sake, let's pretend that White is the change-of-pace guy for the Commanders. We tend to shy away from pass-catching running backs who play with mobile quarterbacks, because instead of dumping it off, they scramble instead.

But in 2024, Austin Ekeler saw a double-digit target share and scored 10 or more fantasy points in eight of 12 games, with scarce rushing attempts. I expect White to be much more involved in the ground game than Ekeler.

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Tony Pollard is nearing the running back age cliff, has had his lowest fantasy points per game in the last four years, and generally lacks the explosive ability that puts him on the fantasy map.

But we think about the Tennessee Titans as an up-and-coming offense. Former first overall pick Cam Ward is entering his second season as the team's starting quarterback, and the front office gave him wide receivers who weren't Day 3 rookies this year. Wan'Dale Robinson brings 90+ catches as an underneath threat to Nashville to play alongside fourth overall pick Carnell Tate.

The Titans averaged 16.7 points last year, good for the third-worst mark in the league. With offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calling the plays, we only expect that number to rise.

It doesn't matter if Pollard's opportunities stay consistent with his prior Tennessee seasons. There will be more scoring chances, and that's been the dark mark on Pollard's profile.

He's over 1,000 yards on the ground and is involved enough in the passing game (41 targets, 24th among running backs). Give us a slight uptick in those touchdown numbers, and he goes from a boring, low-end RB2 to one you can start with confidence weekly.

Fantasy Football Running Back Fallers

Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals

And James Conner. And Trey Benson.

A once-crowded backfield became standing room only at a sold-out concert when the Arizona Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love with the third overall selection in April's NFL Draft. The four running backs were once integral parts of dynasty rosters across the globe. Benson and Conner are likely only to be relevant if they are cut or traded before the season starts.

Then there's Tyler Allgeier, who is on one heck of a roller-coaster ride this offseason. Tied to a generational running back in Atlanta, Allgeier thought he was escaping Bijan Robinson's shadow to be the starter in the desert. Now, he's partnered with a second can't-miss running back prospect.

Ultimately, his stock dropped from his time on the other bird team, largely because the Cardinals are projected to be one of, if not the, worst teams in football this year. It's difficult to be an effective fantasy RB on a losing team when you aren't the primary receiving back and are splitting possibly three ways.

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Set aside the injury concerns for a minute, Bucky Irving went from a star-in-the-making in his first offseason to a running back surrounded by question marks in his second.

Rachaad White (40% of snaps Week 13 and on) and Sean Tucker (double-digit red-zone carries in that same window) took away what made Irving great in his first go-around. While White has moved on to Washington, the Buccaneers replaced him with Kenneth Gainwell, a running back who just led his team in receptions.

Gainwell is a pass-blocking savant and statistically a better pure runner than White. This isn't a one-to-one replacement. Gainwell will be more than a pass-catching back for the Buccaneers. If Tucker retains the goal-line role, there are very few high-value opportunities remaining for Irving.

Remember, he was a fourth-round pick. Historically speaking, teams quickly replace those flash-in-the-pan players. Be warned.

RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey's RB13 run from Week 8 through the end of the regular season seems bound to be the peak of his fantasy production.

Much like the next name on the list, Denver didn't intend to rely on the rookie in a featured role. The box scores of the first half of his season tell the story. Just once, until the season-ending injury to J.K. Dobbins, did Harvey log double-digit carries. Twice in the final seven games, Harvey averaged more than 3.4 yards per carry.

Despite Denver bringing Dobbins back on a two-year deal, Harvey is being selected higher in fantasy drafts. And I get it. He's the younger of the two, he's more explosive in the passing game, and doesn't have the lengthy injury history like Dobbins does. But if Dobbins is the early down runner, then that makes Harvey a 25-year-old third-down back, and that's a tough look for a once-promising rookie prospect.

It wasn't just Dobbins. Denver was rumored or linked with several free-agent running backs or trade targets, and also drafted Jonah Coleman in the fourth round. Denver doesn't view Harvey as an every-down, reliable runner.

Woody Marks, Houston Texans

It was never supposed to be only Woody Marks.

Joe Mixon's mysterious, season-long foot injury and the aging legs of Nick Chubb thrust Marks into a role that was never intended for him. It's not to say that the fourth-round rookie was awful. He had his moments, such as the Wild Card win over the Steelers (19-112-1), but would routinely fail to sustain his momentum and drop a dud soon after (14-17-0 against New England).

Ultimately, Marks averaged 3.6 yards per carry, 4.1 yards per touch, and 0.65 fantasy points per opportunity, all of which ranked 50th or worse among running backs. Still, a starting running back is a fantasy asset, so there were fantasy rosters riding Marks as a low-end RB2 throughout the second half of the 2025 season.

The upside quickly disappeared with the trade to acquire David Montgomery. The former Lion saw his usage tank with the emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs, and his role became expendable. The 29-year-old may not be the freshest of legs, but the efficiency numbers weren't bad a year ago, like 0.89 fantasy points per opportunity.

David Montgomery stepping in as the lead back in Houston could mean 250+ touches.

Volume like that still wins leagues. Monty could be a nice value in fantasy drafts this summer. pic.twitter.com/hx0sPZE939

— Moody (@EricNMoody) March 26, 2026

Monty will be, rightfully so, the primary runner of the Houston backfield, with Marks operating as the change-of-pace guy, a role that meshes much better with his skill set.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

There's a world where the Seattle Seahawks treat Zach Charbonnet just as they did Kenneth Walker III: Thank you for your services, but we're not in the market to pay running backs in our Super Bowl window.

Charbonnet enters the final year of his rookie contract with health concerns and a more crowded, albeit less talented, depth chart. An ACL tear deep in the postseason puts his Week 1 status in serious doubt.

That may be, in part, why the Seahawks selected Notre Dame's Jadarian Price with their first-round selection. Emanuel Wilson, who admirably performed the insurance role to Josh Jacobs in Green Bay last season, was also brought in.

There's zero rush to bring Charbonnet back before he's ready. By then, if Price performs like a first-round runner, he may be back to a 1B role before he ever got the opportunity to be the leader of the position.

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