Dynasty RB1 Candidates: 5 Running Backs Who Could Dethrone Bijan Robinson in Fantasy Football (2026)

July 3, 2026

Matt Donnelly's top five fantasy football running backs who could dethrone Bijan Robinson as the dynasty RB1 in 2026. Jahmyr Gibbs, De'Von Achane, more.

With the NFL calendar turning its page from the 2025 season onto the 2026 season and with the NFL Draft and free agency now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on the most recent fluctuations in the dynasty market, particularly that of the running back position.

While many fantasy assets, especially those of the running back variety, depreciate with age, the consensus RB1 is only 24 years of age and several years away from hitting the running back age cliff. In fact, Bijan Robinson is coming off a season in which he finished second to Christian McCaffrey in fantasy production and amassed 2,298 yards of total offense.

However, here are five running backs who could dethrone Bijan Robinson for the dynasty RB1 title. For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, rankings, and trade tactics, check out our complete Dynasty Fantasy Football Guide.

Jahmyr Gibbs - Detroit Lions

At the top of the list of contenders to dethrone Robinson is Jahmyr Gibbs. With the departure of David Montgomery in the offseason, there is nothing to hold Gibbs back, unless you consider Isiah Pacheco a legitimate threat coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign.

In six career contests in which Montgomery failed to suit up for the Lions, Gibbs averaged 5.6 yards per carry, churning out 665 yards on the ground. In those six contests, Gibbs would also play a factor in the passing game, hauling in 28 passes for an additional 219 yards, pushing his total yards from scrimmage up to 884 to go along with eight touchdowns.

Jahmyr Gibbs is inevitable.

NYGvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/xVC8d7DHuz

— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

If you do the math, that is 147.3 total yards of offense per game while also averaging a touchdown in each contest. Over a 17-game season, that works out to 2,504.6 total yards and 17 touchdowns. For fantasy, we are looking at upward of 430.2 fantasy points. That’s 13.6 more fantasy points than Christian McCaffrey accumulated as the RB1 last season.

Any running back with a legit shot of catching Robinson is going to need to have two things going for them. First, they have to remain healthy. At 24 years of age, Gibbs enters his fourth NFL season having missed only two games, both during his rookie season.

Second, the volume has to be there. For Gibbs, despite sharing the backfield with Montgomery, the volume is there as his 320 touches a season ago were the seventh most amongst his peers. With Montgomery now in Houston, there is an expectation that Gibbs could have an even larger impact on the Lions offense moving forward.

Ashton Jeanty - Las Vegas Raiders

Ahead of Gibbs in terms of volume last season was Ashton Jeanty with 321 touches, finishing sixth among running backs as a rookie. What makes Jeanty special is that he was productive on one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL. The Raiders ranked 28th in passing yards per game (169.5) and 32nd in both rushing yards per game (77.5) and total yards per game (247.0) in 2025.

Yet, despite the futility of the Raiders offense, Jeanty would go on to average 14.4 fantasy points per game and finish as the RB11 in fantasy, producing 245.1 fantasy points over the duration of that rookie campaign. With that in mind, any progression for this Raiders offense in 2026 will go a long way in drastically improving Jeanty’s standing in the eyes of dynasty managers.

During the offseason, the Raiders addressed some of those deficiencies on offense, adding Tyler Linderbaum at center to anchor the Raiders' interior offensive line. As bad as the offensive line was, Geno Smith under center was a complete train wreck; not only was he sacked 55 times, but he threw 17 interceptions in 15 games. When you give the ball up that often, it’s hard for anyone to reach their potential fully.

The additions of Fernando Mendoza (first overall draft selection) and Kirk Cousins (free agency) will certainly be an improvement under center; how that quarterback battle shakes out ahead of Week 1 is yet to be seen, but under the guidance of Klint Kubiak, Jeanty is in a much better position today than he was in Week 1 of the 2025 season.

Rumor has it that Vegas is also still in the market for a WR1 to play opposite Brock Bowers. If the Raiders are successful in adding some talent to their pass-catchers, then Jeanty will, in all likelihood, see fewer stacked boxes. Last season, of Jeanty’s 975 rushing yards, 815 of them came after contact.

De’Von Achane - Miami Dolphins

Another member of the 300-touch club in 2025 was Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, who would go on to produce 1,350 yards on 238 rushing attempts and haul in 67 passes for 488 receiving yards. Since 2023, Achane's 12 runs of more than 40 yards lead all running backs.

For running backs, especially in PPR formats, the ability to play a significant factor in the passing game gives you a fighting chance at finishing as the RB1 in fantasy.

Back in 2022, Austin Ekeler was a legitimate threat to the dynasty RB1 crown despite never running for more than 925 yards thanks to a 107-reception season. Last season, only five running backs topped 60 receptions: McCaffrey, Robinson, Gibbs, Chase Brown, and Achane.

Of those five backs, only McCaffrey caught more than 100 passes, which gave him the edge to finish as the RB1 in season-long formats last season. That said, with this Dolphins offense, Achane has an opportunity to repeat what McCaffrey accomplished.

This past offseason, Miami cut ties with Tyreek Hill, Darren Waller, and traded Jaylen Waddle. Those three subtractions accounted for 163 targets while the additions of Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert combined for 49 targets a season ago.

Achane is the Dolphins offense for the 2026 season and the foreseeable future. Miami made no significant additions to the backfield, so once again it will be Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II in relief of Achane, as the pair combined for 140 rushing attempts. That is one area Achane could find some additional touches, as well as the Miami back was 14th in rushing attempts.

Jeremiyah Love - Arizona Cardinals

At 21 years of age, Jeremiyah Love enters the NFL with an impressive collegiate resume and plenty of tread still on the tires. In three seasons at Notre Dame, Love finished with 2,882 rushing yards on 433 attempts, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Love also averaged 27.5 receptions and 258.5 receiving yards over his final two seasons in South Bend, proving that he has the chops to be a factor in the Cardinals' passing attack.

JEREMIYAH LOVE 94-YARD HOUSE CALL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/orFMG0TqX6

— ESPN (@espn) November 1, 2025

This may not be the breakout season for Love, as the Cardinals backfield is a bit of a mess with James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, and Trey Benson already in tow. But, eventually, the cream always rises to the top. When you are the third overall selection and one of the highest-paid running backs in the league, your employer is going to want to see what it invested in sooner rather than later.

There are already some who are projecting 254 fantasy points from Love before he even steps on the field; that’s Ashton Jeanty-type hype. If that were to be the case, Love would end up finishing as the RB10 overall based on last season's fantasy numbers.

If you like numbers, running backs selected inside the top five at the NFL Draft have an 85% chance of at least one RB1 season and a 60% chance of finishing top five, dating back to 2000.

Looking at current dynasty startups, the running back who averaged 20 touchdowns per season over the last two years is coming off the board early in Round 2 as the RB4, just behind Robinson, Gibbs, and Jeanty.

Omarion Hampton- Los Angeles Chargers

After Love in dynasty startups, we see Omarion Hampton drafted as the fifth running back in the middle of the second round, in the same area as CeeDee Lamb, Malik Nabers, and Achane. That’s pretty solid company considering Hampton played in just nine contests last season.

So, why the hype around Hampton as a potential threat to Robinson’s crown? In just nine games, Hampton recorded 124 carries, produced 545 rushing yards, and averaged 4.4 yards per attempt. In the passing game, Hampton was also a factor, catching 32 of 35 intended targets for 192 yards. If you project Hampton's rookie numbers over a 17-game season, he would have finished with 1,564 yards of total offense.

​In games in which Hampton recorded a snap share greater than 65%, the rookie would go on to average 20.1 fantasy points per game. We have seen time and time again that running backs break out in that sophomore season, which is what Robinson did.

What Robinson didn’t have during his breakout season was Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator. McDaniel has produced a top-5 fantasy running back in each of the last three seasons.

​We know the Chargers offense is going to be good; Justin Herbert is one of the best at reading the field and distributing the ball. Herbert also has a history of not being afraid to check the ball down to his backs in the open field and trusting them to pick up chunks of yardage after the catch.

In the Chargers running back room, we have Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal. While Vidal filled in admirably at times, neither is a real threat to Hampton's touches.

​What sets Hampton apart from other running backs who could challenge for this spot is the Chargers offensive line, which should be considered one of the best in the NFL next season with Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater fully healthy anchoring the tackle positions.

Los Angeles also signed both Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange during free agency, providing much-needed insurance for Hampton along the interior of that offensive line.

Honorable Mentions

Jonathan Taylor: It’s bad that 27 is now considered old by NFL standards, but here we are. If Taylor were 24 years old, he would be a real threat to Robinson's title, considering he is coming off a 1,585-yard season on the ground.

​James Cook III: Again, it’s an age thing. Despite leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,621) and coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons, Cook’s age plays a factor in his exclusion from the list.

​Breece Hall: How the mighty have fallen. Up until last season, Breece Hall was considered a legitimate contender for the dynasty RB1. That is wild considering the 1,065 rushing yards Hall posted last season were a career high. Still, for Hall to reclaim his spot amongst the elite, New York's offense must take several steps forward.

​Chase Brown: If you are looking for a dark horse to challenge for the crown, you could do worse than going with Chase Brown. He is not only coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season, but was one of just 10 backs to surpass 300 touches and finished fourth in receptions with 69.

​Kenneth Walker III: A change of scenario for the reigning Super Bowl MVP could be just what is needed for his fantasy value. Despite being vultured time and time again by Zach Charbonnet, Kenneth Walker III was the RB22 last season, averaging 11.3 fantasy points per game. In Kansas City, Walker no longer needs to look over his shoulder when his team gets inside the 10-yard line.

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