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Matt Donnelly analyzes five fantasy football workhorse running backs to target. His top bell-cow and high-volume RBs include Bijan Robinson, James Cook III, and more.
What was once a dying breed in fantasy football is having a rebirth after 10 different running backs finished the 2025 season with 300 or more touches, with Christian McCaffrey leading the way with 413 touches in the regular season, the most since 2014 when DeMarco Murray had 449 touches with the Dallas Cowboys.
The running back position is all about opportunity. In the past, we have seen running backs with subpar yards-per-carry metrics lead fantasy rosters to championship glory by winning the war of attrition and handling heavy workloads.
It’s no secret that in the seasons following heavy workloads, McCaffrey has followed that with a shortened season and a dip in production. In 2019, McCaffrey was called upon 403 times, yet played in only 16 combined contests between 2020 and 2022. Then, in 2023, McCaffrey would go on to record 339 touches, only to follow that up with 13 games missed the following season due to injury. So, let's look at five workhorse running backs to target for 2026.
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Bijan Robinson: The Logical Choice
Last season, Bijan Robinson was third in touches (366) and fifth in rushing attempts (287) while on the way to totaling 2,298 yards of total offense and 11 touchdowns, finishing as the RB2 in fantasy behind McCaffrey.
BIJAN ROBINSON 93 YARDS!
LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/OTqGarUX9F— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025
Since joining the Falcons in 2023, Robinson has seen his touches increase each season, from 272 in his rookie season to 365 in 2024 to 366 last season. With some consistency at the quarterback position, Robinson could have had more receptions than the 79 he recorded, considering he saw 103 targets.
What’s new to the fantasy equation is the insertion of a Kevin Stefanski offensive scheme, one that relies heavily on 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) as well as outside-zone run blocking. Look at Stefanski's track record in Cleveland, with Nick Chubb consistently producing 1,000 yards on the ground and Kareem Hunt’s contributions in the receiving game.
Digging deeper into Stefanski's tenure as the offensive play-caller (2020-24) in Cleveland and in the three seasons in which Chubb suited up in 12 or more contests, only Derrick Henry (4,502) and Dalvin Cook (3,889) had more rushing yards than Chubb’s 3,851. No running back over that period also averaged more yards per carry than Chubb’s 5.3.
In the offseason, Atlanta moved on from Tyler Allgeier, who was once considered the 1B to Robinson’s 1A. Replacing him behind Robinson in the Falcons backfield is Brian Robinson Jr., who had just 100 touches backing up McCaffrey in San Francisco last season. Barring a significant injury, the superstar running back is poised for a 375-plus-touch season in 2026.
Jahmyr Gibbs: Finally Being Unleashed
Despite sharing the backfield with David Montgomery a season ago, Jahmyr Gibbs finished seventh in total touches (320), thanks to 243 rushing attempts and hauling in 77 of 94 targets that came his way. Gibbs was the only back in the 300 club to really be on any committee in 2025.
Gibbs to the HOUSE ‼️#NYGvsDET 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/3ELgGitRYf
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 23, 2025
In fantasy, Gibbs was the RB4 while his backfield partner was the RB26 with 160.4 fantasy points on 182 touches. Montgomery is now off to Houston, with his role being replaced by Isiah Pacheco, who is coming off a season in which he had 137 touches in 13 games and averaged 3.9 yards per carry.
While Pacheco's style will align with Dan Campbell’s philosophy, Detroit's offense centers on Amon-Ra St. Brown and Gibbs. Campbell is many things, but a liar isn’t one of them.
Earlier in the offseason, Campbell was quoted as saying that Gibbs is "going to be our bell-cow now. We’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit. We’re going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well."
Looking over the last three seasons, Gibbs ranks inside the top three in missed tackles forced per touch (0.28) and explosive play rank (15.0%). Gibbs is also one of four backs, along with Robinson, De'Von Achane, and Chase Brown, to post more than 2,000 yards rushing along with 750 receiving yards over the last two seasons.
More impressive than that is the fact that Gibbs scored 13 touchdowns last season despite receiving just 45% of the Lions' rushing attempts inside the 10-yard line. With the change in Detroit's backfield and from what we are hearing from the coaches, Gibbs’ opportunities in 2026 could rival those of McCaffrey in 2025.
Ashton Jeanty: Second-Year Breakout
Ashton Jeanty’s 321 touches during his rookie season were the 22nd-most all-time among rookie running backs. Of the five running backs ahead of him in touches last season, none had more touches in their rookie seasons than Jeanty.
The production may not have been what fantasy managers had hoped for, but the volume was. Not only were Jeanty's 55 receptions the sixth most among running backs last year, but they also rank as the sixth most in NFL history for a rookie running back as well.
Considering the Raiders' lack of pass-catchers, Jeanty should once again be heavily involved in the passing game in 2026. The path to fantasy production isn’t about averaging 6.5 yards per carry; it’s about volume. Jeanty is in a nice spot where he can easily see 22-25 rushing attempts per game, along with four to five targets, which puts his opportunities around 30 touches.
With the only significant addition coming in the form of Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of this past April's draft, the competition for those opportunities is minimal. Geno Smith was second to Jeanty in rushing attempts with 41 last season.
Historically, we often see breakout seasons during a running back's sophomore campaign as they gain a better grasp of NFL blocking schemes and pass protection and adjust to the overall game speed. Las Vegas’ offense should be improved with Klint Kubiak coming to town, along with a fresh quarterback under center in either Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza.
Any improvement in the offense will lend itself to more positive game scripts, leading to more red-zone trips. That should result in more touchdown opportunities inside the 10-yard line, where Jeanty already accounted for 94.1% of the team's backfield carries.
James Cook III: Cooking With Fire in Buffalo's Backfield
You don’t accidentally finish a season leading the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards. That only happens when a team trusts you to carry the ball time and time again, which the Bills did as James Cook III finished third in rushing attempts with 309 and fourth in total touches with 342 in 2025.
Cook enters the 2026 season as the unquestioned top option in Buffalo's backfield, with Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, and Frank Gore Jr. rounding out the depth chart. The only real threat comes from his All-Pro quarterback, Josh Allen, who had 14 rushing touchdowns on 112 rushing attempts. Allen’s 579 rushing yards were the second most on the Bills.
The biggest knock on Cook’s potential is that, unlike most backs on the list, he was somewhat uninvolved in the passing game. You have to be careful when looking at this aspect of Cook’s game.
Despite only a 37.1% involvement in passing plays, Cook’s 33 receptions were the 19th most among running backs last season. However, that 8.2% target share put him ahead of backs such as Javonte Williams and Kenneth Walker III.
People often talk about touchdown regression, and while that is possible for Cook, whose 28 rushing touchdowns are the fourth most since 2024, there is room for improvement. If Buffalo can get Cook more involved in the passing game, those touches could climb. Back in 2023, Cook recorded 44 receptions on 54 targets for a career-best 445 receiving yards.
Jonathan Taylor: Horsepowered Attack in Indianapolis
Jonathan Taylor’s finish to the 2025 season was somewhat disappointing, considering he produced 1,139 of his 1,585 rushing yards through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season. Finishing third in rushing is nothing to be ashamed of, but after that historic run, many were left wanting more.
YOU CAN'T STOP JONATHAN TAYLOR. 83-YARD TD.
ATLvsIND on @NFLNetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XiL55trl4d— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
Heading into 2026, Taylor sits 1,629 rushing yards shy of Edgerrin James’ all-time rushing mark for the Colts. Taylor's 46 receptions were the seventh most, but his real value came as a runner, as no other back had more rushing attempts than Taylor's 323.
Like Cook, the only real competition for carries came from the team’s quarterback, as Daniel Jones finished second in carries (45) and rushing yards (164).
Look for Jones to be the only real threat to Taylor for rushing opportunities once again. But Jones is coming off an Achilles injury, which should stifle that line of thinking among the coaching staff. After Jones, the Colts are looking at DJ Giddens and rookie Seth McGowan.
Don’t expect either back to be a threat to Taylor. He saw 92.9% of the team's backfield carries from inside the 10-yard line last season.
Last season, not only did Taylor account for a snap share greater than 80%, but he also set career highs in the passing game with 46 receptions and 378 receiving yards. Taylor would end up finishing sixth among his running back peers in receiving yards. Taylor also ended up inside the top five at the position in route participation and routes run.
Other Top-Tier Fantasy Football RB Candidates with Workhorse Potential (excluding Christian McCaffrey)
Javonte Williams: Finished 2025 with 252 rushing attempts, ranking 10th at the running back position. After Williams, the Cowboys' depth chart at the position is rather bleak with Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, and Phil Mafah.
De'Von Achane: With no other options in either the pass or run game, the entire Dolphins offense runs through Achane, whose 305 touches were the ninth most last season. Expect Achane to be even more involved this season out of necessity.
Derrick Henry: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Henry has surpassed 280 carries in each of his last four seasons and has eclipsed 300 carries in five of the previous seven seasons, including 307 rushing attempts last season, along with 15 receptions.
Chase Brown: One of the newest members of the 300 club. After finishing 2024 with 229 carries and 54 receptions, Brown followed that up in 2025 with 232 rushing attempts and 1,019 yards on the ground. Brown also had 69 receptions, pushing his total touches to 301.
Saquon Barkley: Saquon Barkley has had 280 or more touches in each of the past four seasons, including 317 touches last season. He totaled 280 rushing attempts and produced his third 1,000-yard rushing season over the past four years. More impressive yet was the fact that his heavy workload came a season after he ran the ball 436 times, including the playoffs.
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