2026 Fantasy Football Rookie RB Rankings (Post NFL Draft) - Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman, Jeremiyah Love, Mike Washington Jr., more

April 28, 2026

RotoBaller's fantasy football rookie running back (RB) rankings for after the 2026 NFL Draft. These tiered rookie rankings are for rookie drafts, dynasty drafts, and more.

The 2026 rookie running back class isn't the flashiest on paper, and we only saw 13 total ball carriers selected this year. However, there are two first-round RBs to be excited about immediately, and several others could be an injury or two away from playing meaningful snaps and contributing to your fantasy team's success. Check out the first edition of our post-draft 2026 fantasy football rookie running back rankings.

These updated 2026 rookie RB rankings are put together by Matt Donnelly, Phil Clark, Jackson Sparks, and Andrew Lalama. These rankings will be updated throughout the offseason, up until the start of the 2026 NFL regular season, based on training camp intel, preseason performances, and more. Below, check out where Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Kaelon Black, Emmett Johnson, Adam Randall, and more stand, among all others.

In addition to these rookie rankings, in our 2026 fantasy football rankings dashboard, you will also find our team's Dynasty League rankings. Bookmark that page, and use it to prepare for all of your 2026 fantasy football dynasty league drafts.

NFL Rookie RB Rankings for Fantasy Football (Post-Draft)

Check out our PPR fantasy football rankings and standard (non-PPR) fantasy football rankings as well:

2026 Fantasy Football Rookie Running Back Outlooks

Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have selected Notre Dame running back prospect Jadarian Price with the 32nd and final pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The opening night of the draft concludes with two running backs off the board, and both of them were from Notre Dame. Together, Price and new Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love made history, marking the first time in the common draft era that the first two running backs selected were from the same school.

As the 1B option behind Love, Price racked up 761 scrimmage yards and 13 offensive touchdowns (plus two special teams touchdowns) last year. He's the early favorite to open the 2026 season as the Seahawks' primary running back after they lost Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs in free agency.

Since Zach Charbonnet (knee) is still working his way back from an ACL tear, Price's main competition in this backfield is free agent signing Emanuel Wilson. The Notre Dame product ranks as the RB26 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings, and he has even higher upside given his prominent role in a successful, Super Bowl-winning offense.

Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos selected Washington running back Jonah Coleman with their first of two fourth-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and The Athletic's Nick Kosmider believes he will have an immediate role as the Broncos' short-yardage back. Coleman joins a running back room of J.K. Dobbins and 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey, who combined to see 12 carries from inside the five-yard line in 2025.

Harvey was personally able to convert four of his seven goal line carries into scores, so he could still have some say in just how quickly Coleman claims the role, but regardless of how the division of labor shakes out in Denver, it could result in frustration for fantasy managers. Coleman is a well-rounded runner who can be trusted on passing downs as either a receiver or blocker, so there is a fair amount of overlap between the skillsets of all three backs.

Based on draft capital and last year's usage, Dobbins is still likely to see the largest workload, at least to start the season, but Coleman is RotoBaller's dynasty RB29 and could see that ranking rise if he's truly able to carve out a meaningful role near the end zone.

Demond Claiborne, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have selected Wake Forest running back prospect Demond Claiborne with the 198th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Vikings traded up to select Claiborne, acquiring the 198th pick from the New England Patriots in exchange for the 234th pick and a 2027 sixth-round selection.

A multi-year contributor in the ACC, Claiborne tallied 1,956 rushing yards, 394 receiving yards, and 23 touchdowns over his last two seasons at school. With Aaron Jones Sr. presumably getting closer to his retirement, adding a young, depth running back makes sense for the Vikings. Claiborne and Zavier Scott will presumably compete to be active as the Vikings' No. 3 running back behind Jones and Jordan Mason in 2026.

Nicholas Singleton, Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have selected Penn State running back prospect Nicholas Singleton with the 165th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Singleton exploded for 1,474 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024, and while his yardage was nearly cut in half last season, he still found the end zone 14 times. He's a solid receiver but does most of his work as a ball-carrier, showcasing an ability to find gaps at the line of scrimmage and rack up extra yardage. He's the all-time touchdowns leader at Penn State, surpassing Saquon Barkley by two scores.

There's a path for him to earn immediate playing time in Tennessee. Pollard is 28 years old and heading into a contract season, so the Titans may look to shift some of his workload to Singleton in preparation for the future. Meanwhile, Tyjae Spears should remain nestled into a third-down role, staying away from most of the early-down work. After proving that he was capable of producing in the Big 10, Singleton will now make the leap to the NFL as a potential steal in fantasy football rookie drafts.

Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have selected Nebraska running back prospect Emmett Johnson with the 161st overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Johnson was widely regarded as one of the top running backs available on Day 3, mostly because of his ability to join any system and take on an immediate role in the passing game. He had 46 catches, 370 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns at school last year, so we wouldn't be surprised if he consistently gets onto the field on third down.

There's significant receiving upside here, but Johnson is a proven ball-carrier, too. He led the Big 10 in carries (251) and rushing yards (1,451) last year. With that said, the Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker III to a large contract this offseason, so Johnson's short-term ceiling on early downs is likely a change-of-pace back. Most of his short-term value will come in PPR leagues, as he might be able to carve out a steady receiving role on third downs.

Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have selected Arkansas running back prospect Mike Washington Jr. with the 122nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Washington joins a backfield that lacks much depth behind former first-rounder Ashton Jeanty. Washington will presumably compete for the backup role with Dylan Laube, the New Hampshire product who has just 27 scrimmage yards through two seasons.

Washington has experience as a productive ball-carrier at a Power 4 program, amassing 1,070 rushing yards, 226 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns with the Razorbacks in 2025. Depending on whether the Raiders make any other backfield additions this offseason, Washington could have immediate dynasty appeal as the handcuff behind Jeanty, especially in an upward-trending Raiders offense led by No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.

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