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RotoBaller's Week 4 college fantasy football running back rankings for 2026. Set winning CFB fantasy lineups with these RB rankings for the top Power 4 players.
It's already Week 4, and many of you have had to pivot significantly at the running back position after some hyped-up preseason studs have failed to perform. Hopefully, you have a productive stable of running backs now, and we're here to help you make tough start-sit calls with our college fantasy football running back rankings for 2026.
RotoBaller's Week 4 CFB fantasy running back rankings include the top 100 ball carriers. These rankings will be updated throughout the week as injury news rolls in. Below, see where key chain-movers such as Nate Sheppard, Jamal Rule, CJ Baxter, Mark Fletcher Jr., Daniel Hill, Kewan Lacy, Bo Jackson, DeSean Bishop, and more stand among all others.
Be sure to bookmark our college fantasy football news feed for the latest breaking news, injury updates, and more. CFB alerts are also available in our mobile app.
Week 4 College Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings
| Rank | Player Name | Team | Position |
| 1 | Nate Sheppard | DUKE | RB |
| 2 | Jadan Baugh | FLA | RB |
| 3 | Wayne Knight | UCLA | RB |
| 4 | Justice Haynes | GT | RB |
| 5 | Adam Mohammed | CAL | RB |
| 6 | Kendrick Raphael | SMU | RB |
| 7 | Cam Cook | WVU | RB |
| 8 | J'Koby Williams | TTU | RB |
| 9 | Antwan Raymond | RUTG | RB |
| 10 | Jamal Rule | NEB | RB |
| 11 | CJ Baxter | UK | RB |
| 12 | Ousmane Kromah | FSU | RB |
| 13 | Turbo Richard | IU | RB |
| 14 | Wayshawn Parker | UTAH | RB |
| 15 | Damon Ferguson Jr. | PITT | RB |
| 16 | Caleb Hawkins | OKST | RB |
| 17 | Daniel Hill | ALA | RB |
| 18 | Mark Fletcher Jr. | MIA | RB |
| 19 | Fame Ijeboi | PUR | RB |
| 20 | Duke Watson | UCF | RB |
| 21 | Fluff Bothwell | MSST | RB |
| 22 | Aiden Flora | ISU | RB |
| 23 | Makhi Hughes | HOU | RB |
| 24 | Marcellous Hawkins | VT | RB |
| 25 | Micah Ford | STAN | RB |
| 26 | Kewan Lacy | MISS | RB |
| 27 | DeSean Bishop | TENN | RB |
| 28 | Bo Jackson | OSU | RB |
| 29 | Jordon Davison | ORE | RB |
| 30 | Dilin Jones | LSU | RB |
| 31 | Jamal Roberts | MIZ | RB |
| 32 | Anthony Woods | UCLA | RB |
| 33 | Aneyas Williams | ND | RB |
| 34 | Jekail Middlebrook | UVA | RB |
| 35 | Keyjuan Brown | LOU | RB |
| 36 | Joe Jackson | KSU | RB |
| 37 | Jeremiah Cobb | AUB | RB |
| 38 | Jeremy Payne | TCU | RB |
| 39 | Nate Frazier | UGA | RB |
| 40 | Evan Dickens | BC | RB |
| 41 | Cole Tabb | CIN | RB |
| 42 | Javian Mallory | MIA | RB |
| 43 | Cameron Dickey | TTU | RB |
| 44 | EJ Crowell | ALA | RB |
| 45 | Dawson Pendergrass | BAY | RB |
| 46 | Mekhi Nelson | NEB | RB |
| 47 | Gi'Bran Payne | CIN | RB |
| 48 | Jeffrey Overton Jr. | VT | RB |
| 49 | Nolan James Jr. | ND | RB |
| 50 | Isaac Brown | LOU | RB |
| 51 | King Miller | USC | RB |
| 52 | DeJuan Williams | MD | RB |
| 53 | La'Vell Wright | PITT | RB |
| 54 | Sedrick Alexander | VAN | RB |
| 55 | Kamari Moulton | IOWA | RB |
| 56 | Dierre Hill Jr. | ORE | RB |
| 57 | Raleek Brown | TEX | RB |
| 58 | Kedrick Reescano | ARIZ | RB |
| 59 | Darius Taylor | MINN | RB |
| 60 | Jaivian Thomas | UCLA | RB |
| 61 | Ja'Kyrian Turner | PITT | RB |
| 62 | Micah Welch | COLO | RB |
| 63 | Jay Harris | KSU | RB |
| 64 | Jordan Marshall | MICH | RB |
| 65 | Caleb Komolafe | NU | RB |
| 66 | Sutton Smith | ARK | RB |
| 67 | Re'Shaun Sanford II | HOU | RB |
| 68 | Iverson Howard | MD | RB |
| 69 | Jayden Scott | NCSU | RB |
| 70 | Gideon Davidson | CLEM | RB |
| 71 | Joseph Himon II | NU | RB |
| 72 | TJ Thomas Jr. | MINN | RB |
| 73 | Carson Hansen | PSU | RB |
| 74 | Nathan Mcneil | IOWA | RB |
| 75 | Deuce Lawrence | WAKE | RB |
| 76 | Rueben Owens II | TA&M | RB |
| 77 | Ty Clark III | WAKE | RB |
| 78 | Jabree Coleman | SC | RB |
| 79 | Ja'Kobi Jackson | OSU | RB |
| 80 | Braeden Jackson | IOWA | RB |
| 81 | Abu Sama III | WIS | RB |
| 82 | Savion Hiter | MICH | RB |
| 83 | Waymond Jordan | USC | RB |
| 84 | Isaiah Mozee | NEB | RB |
| 85 | Daniel Bray | UTAH | RB |
| 86 | Riley Wormley | USC | RB |
| 87 | Ca'Lil Valentine | ILL | RB |
| 88 | Rodney Fields Jr. | KSU | RB |
| 89 | Duke Clark | FLA | RB |
| 90 | Trae'shawn Brown | ALA | RB |
| 91 | Xavier Brown | UVA | RB |
| 92 | Chauncey Bowens | UGA | RB |
| 93 | Xai'Shaun Edwards | MIZ | RB |
| 94 | Jason Patterson | UK | RB |
| 95 | Harry Dalton III | MD | RB |
| 96 | Samuel Singleton Jr. | FSU | RB |
| 97 | Isaiah Augustave | SC | RB |
| 98 | Davion Gause | NCSU | RB |
| 99 | Derrick McFall | SMU | RB |
| 100 | Caden Knighten | BAY | RB |
Week 4 College Fantasy Football Running Back News, Outlooks
Nate Sheppard, Duke
Duke running back Nate Sheppard has handled 82 carries through three games, and the production has matched the workload -- 528 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, plus three more scores through the air. He just went for 154 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 23 carries against Stanford, his third straight game with at least 147 yards on the ground.
Now William & Mary comes to Durham after allowing 281.3 rushing yards per game, 7.0 yards per carry, and 14 rushing touchdowns through four games. There is blowout risk here, so Sheppard may not need another 20-plus carries. That is the only real concern. With his role and this matchup, he is still a must-start and one of the strongest running back plays of Week 4.
Savion Hiter, Michigan
Michigan running back Savion Hiter finally broke through against UTEP, rushing 11 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns. He also lost a first-half fumble, and the backfield is not his alone. Jordan Marshall carried 12 times for 59 yards and a touchdown in the same game and, despite dealing with a lower-body injury, is expected to play against Iowa barring a setback.
That matters against a Hawkeyes defense allowing only 66 rushing yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry through three weeks. Hiter has earned a larger place in the rotation, but this is a rough spot to bet on another two-score day. He is a risky flex in deeper formats and a bench option in shallower leagues while Marshall remains available.
Wayne Knight, UCLA
UCLA running back Wayne Knight has scored in bunches since arriving from James Madison. After six rushing touchdowns in his first two games, he ran 18 times for 177 yards and two more scores against Purdue, pushing him to 345 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through three weeks.
Maryland is easily his toughest run-defense matchup so far. The Terrapins have allowed only 69.3 rushing yards per game and 2.1 yards per carry, with two rushing touchdowns surrendered through three contests. That is enough to lower the ceiling, not enough to send Knight to the bench. UCLA has given him at least 13 carries in each of the past two games, and his scoring role has been too productive to ignore. He remains a strong Week 4 start on the road in College Park.
Isaac Brown, Louisville
Louisville running back Isaac Brown scored his first touchdown of the season against SMU, finishing with 67 yards on 10 carries and one catch for minus-2 yards. The problem for Week 4 is not Wake Forest. It is the other Brown in Louisville's backfield. Keyjuan Brown also received 10 carries against SMU and exploded for 163 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 231 rushing yards on only 18 attempts this season.
Isaac Brown has 164 yards on 39 carries through three games. Wake Forest has allowed 144.3 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry, so the matchup at home is playable. The workload is much harder to trust than it was entering September. Brown is a matchup-dependent flex until Louisville shows whether last week's even carry split was a one-game development or the new normal.
Fame Ijeboi, Purdue
Purdue running back Fame Ijeboi was held to 47 yards on 17 carries at UCLA, but two rushing touchdowns kept the fantasy day alive. He has scored six times on the ground through three games and has already shown he can handle volume, including 27 carries for 114 yards and three touchdowns against Wake Forest.
Notre Dame is a different problem. The Irish have allowed only 175 rushing yards all season, 58.3 per game, at 1.9 yards per carry, with one rushing touchdown surrendered. Purdue gets this game at home, and Ijeboi's workload should keep him in the RB2 or flex mix rather than on the bench. Expectations for efficiency need to come down, though. The matchup is brutal. The volume is still good enough to keep him in lineups.
Nolan James, Notre Dame
Notre Dame running back Nolan James Jr. should be one of the first names claimed off waivers after his workload exploded against Michigan State. James carried 26 times for 121 yards and a touchdown while adding two catches for seven yards in the 27-10 win.
Aneyas Williams received only nine carries for 25 yards, a major shift in a backfield that had been more unsettled entering the season. James is still rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues, and Purdue is next on the schedule. With the workload now moving heavily in his direction, James is a must-add who has legitimate long-term starting value rather than a one-week chase.
