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Fantasy football rankings - running backs (RB) Week 5 rankings early edition for 2026. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football RB rankings.
Hey RotoBallers, Week 5 officially kicks off, and we are back with more early-week rankings. Injuries continue to mount as fantasy managers will likely be without Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who is week-to-week with a hamstring injury. On top of that, fantasy managers will be without Kenneth Walker in Week 5 as the Chiefs are on a bye. Below are our early Week 5 2026 Half-PPR fantasy football running back rankings to help you prepare. Find out where key backs such as Jonathan Taylor, Kyle Monangai, Jeremiyah Love, Emanuel Wilson, Ollie Gordon II, TreVeyon Henderson, Tyler Allgeier, RJ Harvey, Will Shipley, and MarShawn Lloyd rank.
Our running back fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important RB fantasy football news for this week. Key injuries and developments keep coming, so check back throughout the week for updates.
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Week 5 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 1 |
| 1 | 2 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 2 |
| 1 | 3 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 7 |
| 1 | 4 | Derrick Henry | RB | 8 |
| 1 | 5 | Kyren Williams | RB | 9 |
| 1 | 6 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | Chase Brown | RB | 11 |
| 2 | 8 | James Cook III | RB | 12 |
| 2 | 9 | Javonte Williams | RB | 14 |
| 3 | 10 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 17 |
| 3 | 11 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 23 |
| 3 | 12 | Aaron Jones Sr. | RB | 24 |
| 3 | 13 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 25 |
| 3 | 14 | Jeremiyah Love | RB | 27 |
| 3 | 15 | David Montgomery | RB | 31 |
| 3 | 16 | Cam Skattebo | RB | 35 |
| 3 | 17 | Bhayshul Tuten | RB | 36 |
| 4 | 18 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 37 |
| 4 | 19 | Bucky Irving | RB | 38 |
| 4 | 20 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 39 |
| 4 | 21 | Quinshon Judkins | RB | 44 |
| 4 | 22 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 46 |
| 5 | 23 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 50 |
| 5 | 24 | RJ Harvey | RB | 53 |
| 5 | 25 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 56 |
| 5 | 26 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 58 |
| 5 | 27 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 59 |
| 5 | 28 | Tony Pollard | RB | 61 |
| 5 | 29 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 63 |
| 5 | 30 | Braelon Allen | RB | 65 |
| 5 | 31 | Alvin Kamara | RB | 68 |
| 5 | 32 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 71 |
| 5 | 33 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 75 |
| 5 | 34 | Woody Marks | RB | 80 |
| 5 | 35 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 83 |
| 6 | 36 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 98 |
| 6 | 37 | Blake Corum | RB | 101 |
| 6 | 38 | Will Shipley | RB | 102 |
| 6 | 39 | MarShawn Lloyd | RB | 103 |
| 6 | 40 | Samaje Perine | RB | 106 |
| 6 | 41 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 117 |
| 6 | 42 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 119 |
| 6 | 43 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 124 |
| 6 | 44 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 126 |
| 6 | 45 | Justice Hill | RB | 132 |
| 7 | 46 | Najee Harris | RB | 135 |
| 7 | 47 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 138 |
| 7 | 48 | Kendre Miller | RB | 141 |
| 7 | 49 | Austin Ekeler | RB | 145 |
| 7 | 50 | Kaelon Black | RB | 151 |
| 7 | 51 | Mike Washington Jr. | RB | 153 |
| 7 | 52 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 154 |
| 7 | 53 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 158 |
| 7 | 54 | Ty Johnson | RB | 162 |
| 7 | 55 | Dameon Pierce | RB | 163 |
| 7 | 56 | Sione Vaki | RB | 166 |
| 7 | 57 | Tyler Goodson | RB | 172 |
| 7 | 58 | Sean Tucker | RB | 180 |
| 7 | 59 | Tyler Badie | RB | 185 |
| 7 | 60 | Joe Mixon | RB | 186 |
| 8 | 61 | George Holani | RB | 187 |
| 8 | 62 | Seth McGowan | RB | 192 |
| 8 | 63 | Demond Claiborne | RB | 195 |
| 8 | 64 | Kaytron Allen | RB | 215 |
| 8 | 65 | DeeJay Dallas | RB | 216 |
| 8 | 66 | Roschon Johnson | RB | 218 |
| 8 | 67 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 219 |
| 8 | 68 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 227 |
| 8 | 69 | Nicholas Singleton | RB | 232 |
| 8 | 70 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 234 |
| 8 | 71 | Hunter Luepke | RB | 240 |
| 8 | 72 | CJ Donaldson | RB | 248 |
| 8 | 73 | Ray Davis | RB | 253 |
| 8 | 74 | Chris Brooks | RB | 258 |
| 8 | 75 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 263 |
| 9 | 76 | Ameer Abdullah | RB | 270 |
| 9 | 77 | Jaydon Blue | RB | 271 |
| 9 | 78 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 272 |
| 9 | 79 | Corey Kiner | RB | 275 |
| 9 | 80 | Dylan Laube | RB | 276 |
| 9 | 81 | Jordan James | RB | 277 |
| 9 | 82 | Jacob Saylors | RB | 281 |
| 9 | 83 | Alec Ingold | RB | 283 |
| 9 | 84 | Reggie Gilliam | RB/TE | 284 |
| 9 | 85 | Rasheen Ali | RB | 285 |
| 9 | 86 | Julius Chestnut | RB | 287 |
| 9 | 87 | Patrick Ricard | RB | 301 |
| 9 | 88 | Dare Ogunbowale | RB | 304 |
| 9 | 89 | Bam Knight | RB | 305 |
| 9 | 90 | Craig Reynolds | RB | 306 |
Week 5 Running Back News
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson thinks that running back Kyle Monangai (thumb) is "going to be OK" and called his right-thumb injury a "day-to-day deal," according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Monangai stayed on the sideline for the end of Sunday's win over the New York Jets on Sunday after suffering a thumb injury, but it does not appear to be much of a concern as the Bears head into their big Week 5 divisional clash at the Green Bay Packers this weekend.
In the win over the Jets, Monangai had a huge workload, carrying the ball 30 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns while also catching a four-yard pass as a receiver. The 24-year-old former seventh-rounder last year out of Rutgers already has two 100-yard rushing performances in his second NFL season through four weeks and has found the end zone three times on the ground. Monangai should be available against the Packers, and if he is, he will be a strong fantasy play against a Packers defense that has allowed 139.3 rushing yards per game, which is the fourth-highest in the league.
Jermiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said on Monday that the ankle that was giving rookie first-round running back Jeremiyah Love (ankle) discomfort in Sunday's loss to the New York Giants is not the same ankle from the sprain he suffered in the preseason, according to Dani Sureck of the team's official website. The 21-year-old suffered a high-ankle sprain back in August in the early portion of spring training and did not play again until the start of the 2026 regular season.
Love limped off the field late in Sunday's game and never returned, finishing with 14 carries for 63 yards while catching his only target for a loss of eight yards. Love has been splitting backfield work with Tyler Allgeier to begin the season, with James Conner (foot) on Injured Reserve and Trey Benson (knee) done for the season. He has not scored since his NFL debut in the Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and he has averaged 4.1 yards per carry for 223 rushing yards on his 55 attempts in his first four games. Love has added 11 receptions for 36 yards and another score through the air. We should have a better idea of his status for Week 5 once the Cardinals resume practicing on Wednesday. If Love should miss any time, Allgeier would essentially become a must-start in fantasy.
Ollie Gordon II, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II had nine carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, along with two receptions, in the 15-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite facing one of the NFL's top run defenses, Gordon produced at an elite level, averaging 11.1 yards per carry and breaking off multiple big runs on Sunday. The second-year back was listed as the RB2 on the team's depth chart behind Jaylen Wright, but that did not appear to be the case last Sunday, as Gordon played 56% of snaps while Wright played just 31%.
With much easier matchups ahead, Gordon should be a solid FLEX play if he can keep gaining work. Fantasy managers should take notice of his big day against Minnesota, and he should be rostered in all leagues moving forward.
Emanuel Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson had 21 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown, along with three receptions for 39 yards and another score in the 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. In his first start of the season, Wilson went off, scoring a career-high 25.5 half-PPR fantasy points last week. With rookie running back Jadarian Price (chest) and Zach Charbonnet (knee) on injured reserve, Wilson became the clear starter, playing 60% of snaps and taking 76% of backfield opportunities.
With no timetable for Charbonnet's return and Price out until at least Week 8, Wilson should be the lead back in the coming weeks. Fantasy managers should add Wilson on waivers, as he's an RB2 with both Charbonnet and Price out.
Who Should I Start Tool
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Jonathan Taylor, Kyle Monangai, Jermiyah Love, Emanuel Wilson, Ollie Gordon II, TreyVeyon Henderson, Tyler Allgeier, RJ Harvey, Will Shipley, and MarShawn Lloyd. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 5.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare, all in a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 5 for Jonathan Taylor, Kyle Monangai, Jeremiyah Love, Emanuel Wilson, Ollie Gordon II, TreVeyon Henderson, Tyler Allgeier, RJ Harvey, Will Shipley, and MarShawn Lloyd:
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