Every position is important in fantasy football, but the running back position might be the single most important. There are a lot of good running backs in the NFL, but there are very few elite ones. And with the NFL going to split backfields more often than ever, the days of being able to find an elite RB1 past the middle of round two are virtually gone.

There are two ways you can play it. You can either grab at least one running back in the first two rounds and make sure you have one of the best guys, or while everyone else is busy fighting over the top running backs, you can get your receivers, a quarterback or even a tight end early and have a major advantage at those positions.

Hero RB or Zero RB? It’s up to you how you want to play it, but either way is risky.

With fantasy season getting underway, I’ve already dished out my quarterback and wide receiver rankings, so now it’s time to hit on the running backs.

1. Jahmyr Gibbs

In three seasons, Jahmyr Gibbs has never failed to finish as a top-10 running back in fantasy, and in the last two years, he’s finished as the RB1 and RB3. And that was while splitting touches with David Montgomery. I know Detroit brought Isiah Pacheco in to fill that role, but I don’t see him being as impactful as Montgomery was. This is Gibbs’s backfield, and with how explosive Detroit’s offense is, I fully believe he’s a lock to finish as a top-three RB this year.

2. Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson is in the same boat as Gibbs. In his first three seasons, he’s finished as the RB9, RB3, and RB2 in fantasy, and he’s coming off a career year where he totaled over 2,200 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s the focal point of Atlanta’s offense, and with Kevin Stefanski calling plays, they should only get better on that side of the ball. Robinson should be in for another 2,000+ yard, 10+ touchdown season. He has true RB1 upside.

3. Christian McCaffrey

If I could say for certain that Christian McCaffrey wouldn’t get hurt this year, he’d be RB1. Just look at his fantasy finishes over the past eight seasons compared to his games played.

When McCaffrey plays the entire season, he’s a lock to finish as a top-two running back in fantasy football. But over the past eight years, there have been three years where he’s missed 10+ games and finished as the RB38 or worse. He’s a gamble, but if you hit on him, you’re going to do well.

4. Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor got off to a scorching hot start last year, but after Daniel Jones got hurt, his numbers dropped off. But even when they dropped off, Taylor still averaged over 13 points per game towards the end of the year. Jones will be back for the start of the season, so even though I don’t see him putting up 30+ every week like he did last year, he should have a very strong season in a backfield with little competition. Plus, I always underestimate Taylor in fantasy, and he always surprises me, so I’m not making that mistake again.

5. De’Von Achane

De’Von Achane is my most-drafted player over the last two years. I’ve played in five total leagues during that span, and I’ve drafted him in four of them, and he hasn’t disappointed me. Last year, he didn’t have a single game under 12 points, and only had two under 15 points. He was as consistent as they come, but he was also still capable of giving you 20+ on any given week.

I am a bit concerned about Achane this year, though. I don’t think the Miami Dolphins are going to be very good, and with Malik Willis under center, how much is he going to take away from Achane with his legs? Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t a rushing threat at all, but Willis absolutely is.

Achane should be fine, but there is a bit more concern for him than some other top players.

6. James Cook

The NFL’s leading rusher last year comes in as my RB6. Despite having the most rushing yards in the league last year, Cook still finished as the RB6 in fantasy, mostly due to his lack of receiving production. However, reports are saying that the Buffalo Bills plan to get him more involved in the pass game this year, which bodes well for his fantasy stock. Cook’s floor is a top-10 running back, but his ceiling is a top-five finish. He feels like a very safe second-round pick.

7. Saquon Barkley

After an RB14 finish last year, people are going to be low on Saquon Barkley this year, and that’s exactly why you can take advantage. The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense was a mess last year, but now they brought in Sean Mannion to revamp their offense and bring some juice, and I think that’s exactly what he’s going to do. Philly still has a great offensive line, so if Mannion can fix the play-calling issues, Barkley could be in for another top-five fantasy finish, like he did in 2018, 2022, and 2024.

8. Ashton Jeanty

The same goes for Ashton Jeanty. After a disappointing rookie season (due to no fault of his own), I expect him to have a massive sophomore year. Klint Kubiak is going to improve the play calling, Tyler Linderbaum should be a big help on the offensive line, and having Kirk Cousins/Fernando Mendoza under center will open things up for the run game. Jeanty is massively talented – there’s a reason he went top-10 in the NFL Draft just last year – but people will write him off because he plays for the Raiders.

Don’t be that person.

9. Omarion Hampton

While we’re on the topic of underperforming running backs, let’s talk about Omarion Hampton. He dealt with injuries last year, but even when he was on the field, he wasn’t all that impressive, which will cause him to slide in some drafts. However, the Los Angeles Chargers are getting their two star tackles back, and Jim Harbaugh loves to run the football. Hampton is the clear RB1 in a run-heavy offense, so he’s going to get a high volume of touches; he just has to make the most of them.

10. Derrick Henry

Despite offering basically nothing as a receiver, Derrick Henry has gone on to finish as a top-10 fantasy running back in six of the last seven seasons, and the one time he didn’t, he played just eight games. He may be 32 years old, but he’s still outproducing almost everyone in the league on the ground. His fall off is going to have to happen eventually, but after a 1,595-yard, 16-touchdown season, I don’t think 2026 will be that year.

11. Chase Brown

Chase Brown has been a sneaky good fantasy running back the past two years, finishing as the RB10 and RB7 in fantasy. He’s a solid runner, but the Cincinnati Bengals love to use him in the pass game, totaling 797 yards and nine touchdowns through the air in the last two seasons. He’s not going to score you 20+ all that often, but he can give you 14-19 points pretty much every week.

12. Kenneth Walker

Kenneth Walker has never finished better than the RB18 in fantasy, but after a stellar playoff run and a massive payday, I think he’s in store for his first top-15 finish. The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t a super run-heavy offense, but they invested a lot of money into Walker. He’s going to get a ton of touches, so his fantasy value should skyrocket this year.

13. Travis Etienne

Another guy who moved to a new team this year is Travis Etienne. It looked like his career was dead in 2024, when he finished as the RB35 despite playing 15 games, but he completely turned it around in 2025, totaling over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first year under Liam Coen. Now, he moves to New Orleans, where he’ll be the lead back in Kellen Moore’s offense. He should be heavily involved in the run and pass game, so I could see him having a very similar finish in 2026.

14. Kyren Williams

Even though I know Kyren Williams is always underrated, it didn’t stop me from underrating him on this list. He’s finished as a top-10 fantasy running back in each of the last three seasons, but I just like the ceiling of some other guys better. Williams is going to get you 12+ points pretty much every week, but he’s only hit 20+ seven times in the last two years. Very high floor, but not a very high ceiling.

15. Javonte Williams

After some very disappointing years in Denver, Javonte Williams completely revived his career in Dallas, rushing for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 137 yards and two scores through the air. His production did slip a bit later in the year, but he was still consistently pumping out 12+ points per game. I like him as an RB2 option.

Rest of the Rankings

16. Josh Jacobs

17. Cam Skattebo

18. Jeremiyah Love

19. Quinshon Judkins

20. Breece Hall

21. TreVeyon Henderson

22. Jaylen Warren

23. Bucky Irving

24. David Montgomery

25. D’Andre Swift

26. Bhayshul Tuten

27. Tony Pollard

28. Jadarian Price

29. Chuba Hubbard

30. J.K. Dobbins