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RotoBaller's updated top 70 college fantasy football running back draft rankings for 2026. CFB fantasy RB rankings for Yahoo drafts, including Kewan Lacy, LJ Martin, and more.
College football season kicks off this month! Although Week 0 won't count toward Yahoo's fantasy slate, it will be a nice appetizer of games ahead of the college fantasy football season start in Week 1. At RotoBaller, we have you covered at the RB spot with our updated college fantasy football running back rankings for 2026.
In the table below, check out where big-name players and underrated RBs such as Darius Taylor, LJ Martin, Caleb Hawkins, Justice Haynes, Dierre Hill Jr., Jeremy Payne, Jeremiah Cobb, Dilin Jones, and more stand among the other top 70 RBs in our preseason rankings.
As camp developments and injury news roll in, we'll update these running back rankings ahead of the start of the 2026 regular season.
College Fantasy Football Running Back Draft Rankings
| Rank | Player Name | Team | Position |
| 1 | Kewan Lacy | Ole Miss | RB |
| 2 | Caleb Hawkins | Oklahoma State | RB |
| 3 | LJ Martin | BYU | RB |
| 4 | Antwan Raymond | Rutgers | RB |
| 5 | Cam Cook | West Virginia | RB |
| 6 | Nate Sheppard | Duke | RB |
| 7 | Jadan Baugh | Florida | RB |
| 8 | DeSean Bishop | Tennessee | RB |
| 9 | Isaac Brown | Louisville | RB |
| 10 | Darius Taylor | Minnesota | RB |
| 11 | Jordan Marshall | Michigan | RB |
| 12 | Bo Jackson | Ohio State | RB |
| 13 | Mark Fletcher Jr. | Miami | RB |
| 14 | Ja'Kyrian Turner | Pittsburgh | RB |
| 15 | Justice Haynes | Georgia Tech | RB |
| 16 | Ahmad Hardy | Missouri | RB |
| 17 | Wayshawn Parker | Utah | RB |
| 18 | Aneyas Williams | Notre Dame | RB |
| 19 | Joe Jackson | Kansas State | RB |
| 20 | Wayne Knight | UCLA | RB |
| 21 | Makhi Hughes | Houston | RB |
| 22 | Cameron Dickey | Texas Tech | RB |
| 23 | Raleek Brown | Texas | RB |
| 24 | Kendrick Raphael | SMU | RB |
| 25 | Jordon Davison | Oregon | RB |
| 26 | Evan Dickens | Boston College | RB |
| 27 | Nate Frazier | Georgia | RB |
| 28 | Dierre Hill Jr. | Oregon | RB |
| 29 | Waymond Jordan | USC | RB |
| 30 | DeJuan Williams | Maryland | RB |
| 31 | Kamari Moulton | Iowa | RB |
| 32 | Jeremy Payne | TCU | RB |
| 33 | Fluff Bothwell | Mississippi State | RB |
| 34 | Sedrick Alexander | Vanderbilt | RB |
| 35 | Jekail Middlebrook | Virginia | RB |
| 36 | Caleb Komolafe | Northwestern | RB |
| 37 | Hollywood Smothers | Texas | RB |
| 38 | Rueben Owens II | Texas A&M | RB |
| 39 | Jayden Scott | NC State | RB |
| 40 | Jamal Roberts | Missouri | RB |
| 41 | Adam Mohammed | California | RB |
| 42 | Cam Edwards | Michigan State | RB |
| 43 | Carson Hansen | Penn State | RB |
| 44 | L.J. Phillips Jr. | Iowa | RB |
| 45 | King Miller | USC | RB |
| 46 | Jeremiah Cobb | Auburn | RB |
| 47 | J'Koby Williams | Texas Tech | RB |
| 48 | Turbo Richard | Indiana | RB |
| 49 | Dilin Jones | LSU | RB |
| 50 | Marcellous Hawkins | Virginia Tech | RB |
| 51 | Quintrevion Wisner | Florida State | RB |
| 52 | Micah Ford | Stanford | RB |
| 53 | Ca'Lil Valentine | Illinois | RB |
| 54 | Ty Clark III | Wake Forest | RB |
| 55 | Gideon Davidson | Clemson | RB |
| 56 | Harlem Berry | LSU | RB |
| 57 | Dawson Pendergrass | Baylor | RB |
| 58 | Duke Watson | UCF | RB |
| 59 | Khobie Martin | Indiana | RB |
| 60 | Daniel Hill | Alabama | RB |
| 61 | Kedrick Reescano | Arizona | RB |
| 62 | Chris Johnson Jr. | Clemson | RB |
| 63 | Caden Durham | LSU | RB |
| 64 | Kyson Brown | Arizona State | RB |
| 65 | Demon June | North Carolina | RB |
| 66 | Fame Ijeboi | Purdue | RB |
| 67 | Sutton Smith | Arkansas | RB |
| 68 | CJ Baxter | Kentucky | RB |
| 69 | Peyton Lewis | Virginia | RB |
| 70 | Abu Sama III | Wisconsin | RB |
2026 College Fantasy Football Running Back News
Bo Jackson, Ohio State
Ohio State running back Bo Jackson Jr. has been a standout in fall camp as he looks to lead the Buckeyes' backfield in 2026. Jackson has been competing with sophomore running back Isaiah West during camp, and while West has made a case for a bigger workload in 2026, Jackson has been the top guy.
During his freshman year, Jackson had 179 carries for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns, while adding 200 receiving yards and a touchdown on 19 receptions. As part of one of the nation's top teams, Jackson should have plenty of opportunities to make fantasy managers happy this season. Currently ranked as the RB12 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Jackson is a great value with tremendous upside with the Buckeyes this season.
Quintrevion Wisner, Florida State
Florida State running back Quintrevion Wisner (undisclosed) returned to practice this week after missing time to begin fall camp, according to head coach Mike Norvell. Norvell also said he "should be good to go." Wisner is a Texas transfer who was widely considered one of the top running backs available in this offseason's portal after rushing for 1,661 yards and eight touchdowns over the last two seasons.
He also caught 66 passes. However, sophomore running back Ousmane Kromah has flashed while Wisner has been sidelined, so there could be a 1A-1B backfield in Tallahassee this season. Either way, getting Wisner back in action ahead of the September 7 matchup against SMU is great news for the Noles.
Tikey Hayes, Nebraska
Nebraska has dismissed running back Tikey Hayes from the program, according to Sean Callahan of Husker Online. Hayes joined the program as a late-arriving transfer after spending last season at Penn State and the spring at Iowa Western Community College.
Callahan reports that Hayes was competing for a role in the Husker backfield and worked with the starters in Saturday's team scrimmage. Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Mozee, and Jamal Rule remain the contenders to help replace the production of Emmett Johnson, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs after rushing for 1,451 yards in 2025. Hayes rushed just three times for 18 yards last season with the Nittany Lions, and his future is now unclear.
EJ Crowell, Alabama
Alabama running back EJ Crowell (lower body) missed practice again on Monday after missing last week's scrimmage with a lower-body injury, but offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said he expects the freshman to be ready for Week 1. "EJ is doing great. Sooner than later, he'll be back," Grubb said. "Definitely not season-ending.
Fully expect him to be ready for the first football game." Crowell is competing for immediate playing time with Daniel Hill and Trae'shawn Brown. Veteran running back AK Dear (ankle) is expected to miss the start of the season after suffering an ankle injury in Thursday's scrimmage. With Dear sidelined, the Tide could open the year with Crowell as the lightning to the 240-pound Hill's "Thunder."
Joe Jackson, Kansas State
Kansas State running back Joe Jackson had a strong first season as the team's primary back, rushing 169 times for 911 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also involved in the passing game, collecting 22 receptions for 119 yards and one score.
Former Oklahoma State running back Rodney Fields Jr., who has 1,012 total yards and three touchdowns to his name through two collegiate seasons, will also be involved in Collin Klein's rushing attack. But Jackson remains the clear RB1 for the Wildcats, and he could be headed for a big breakout season in Klein's new offense. As Texas A&M's offensive coordinator last season, Klein led the Aggies to the No. 3 rushing offense in the SEC (184.7 YPG). With dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson at the helm, expect the run game to be a point of emphasis in Klein's first year at the helm.
Turbo Richard, Indiana
Indiana running back Turbo Richard has put together a strong camp and is pushing for the starting role for the defending College Football Playoff National Champions, according to On3's Pete Nakos. "The Hoosiers have been excited about the return of Khobie Martin and Lee Beebe, but they also feel like they got a steal in the portal with the [Richard]," Nakos wrote.
As a sophomore at Boston College, Richard rushed 145 times for 749 yards and caught 30 passes for 213 yards, scoring 11 total touchdowns. Martin and Beebe played third-and-fourth fiddle to Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black last season, combining for 105 carries for 714 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. The Hoosiers' backfield will likely remain a committee in 2026, but Richard could handle the most touches after a strong first spring and fall camp with the program.
Javin Gordon, Tennessee
Tennessee running back Javin Gordon has drawn rave reviews since transferring to the program from Tulane, and On3's Pete Nakos reports he is trending to win the RB2 job behind DeSean Bishop. Gordon flashed in Tennessee's scrimmage on Saturday, running hard and ripping off a few explosive runs. As a freshman for the Green Wave, Gordon tallied 128 carries for 516 yards and five touchdowns. He added 13 receptions for 93 yards and a receiving score.
While Bishop, who totaled 1,076 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns last season, is expected to carry the bulk of the load in the backfield, the Vols have often produced multiple productive ball carriers, and Josh Heupel could lean heavily on the ground game with a freshman quarterback under center. If Bishop has to miss any time this year, Gordon could be in for explosive weeks. Tennessee is expected to have one of the best offensive lines in the SEC.
