{"id":1824,"date":"2026-07-29T08:47:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dataforceff.com\/blog\/?p=1824"},"modified":"2026-07-29T09:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:07:25","slug":"2026-fantasy-football-running-back-rankings-draft-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dataforceff.com\/blog\/2026\/07\/29\/2026-fantasy-football-running-back-rankings-draft-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Running Back Rankings and Draft Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We made it! Training camps have opened, preseason football games are a few short weeks away, and redraft leagues are beginning to fill. <\/p>\n\n\n

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To help you prepare for the upcoming draft season, I will be breaking down how I will be approaching each position on draft day. This four-part series will feature redraft rankings, targets, fades, sleepers, and overall strategy for each of the positions (QB, RB, WR, TE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The series began with quarterback<\/a> and continues with running back. Discussions assume you\u2019ll start two running backs with a flex, and PPR scoring. Targets, fades, and sleepers are all based on how I see a player\u2019s value in relation to their current ADP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are very few players that I am completely out on. There is almost always a point where a player would slide far enough in a draft where I would feel comfortable selecting him. However, based on ADP, there are several players at each position that I am not likely to roster in a single league; those players make up my \u201cfade\u201d list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, my \u201ctargets\u201d and \u201csleepers\u201d are players I see as being undervalued, and as such, I am bound to be heavily invested in them this year, barring a significant change to their ADPs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t agree with some of the rankings or advice? Let us know your thoughts on our message board, found at the end of the article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rankings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Rank<\/th>\nName<\/th>\nTeam<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/td>Jahmyr Gibbs<\/td>DET<\/td><\/tr>\n
2<\/td>Bijan Robinson<\/td>ATL<\/td><\/tr>\n
3<\/td>Jonathan Taylor<\/td>IND<\/td><\/tr>\n
4<\/td>Christian McCaffrey<\/td>SF<\/td><\/tr>\n
5<\/td>Ashton Jeanty<\/td>LV<\/td><\/tr>\n
6<\/td>De’Von Achane<\/td>MIA<\/td><\/tr>\n
7<\/td>Omarion Hampton<\/td>LAC<\/td><\/tr>\n
8<\/td>Chase Brown<\/td>CIN<\/td><\/tr>\n
9<\/td>Saquon Barkley<\/td>PHI<\/td><\/tr>\n
10<\/td>James Cook III<\/td>BUF<\/td><\/tr>\n
11<\/td>Kenneth Walker III<\/td>KC<\/td><\/tr>\n
12<\/td>Jeremiyah Love<\/td>ARI<\/td><\/tr>\n
13<\/td>Derrick Henry<\/td>BAL<\/td><\/tr>\n
14<\/td>Josh Jacobs<\/td>GB<\/td><\/tr>\n
15<\/td>Javonte Williams<\/td>DAL<\/td><\/tr>\n
16<\/td>Breece Hall<\/td>NYJ<\/td><\/tr>\n
17<\/td>Kyren Williams<\/td>LAR<\/td><\/tr>\n
18<\/td>TreVeyon Henderson<\/td>NE<\/td><\/tr>\n
19<\/td>Travis Etienne Jr.<\/td>NO<\/td><\/tr>\n
20<\/td>Cam Skattebo<\/td>NYG<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Rank<\/th>\nName<\/th>\nTeam<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
21<\/td>Bucky Irving<\/td>TB<\/td><\/tr>\n
22<\/td>Quinshon Judkins<\/td>CLE<\/td><\/tr>\n
23<\/td>David Montgomery<\/td>HOU<\/td><\/tr>\n
24<\/td>Jadarian Price<\/td>SEA<\/td><\/tr>\n
25<\/td>D’Andre Swift<\/td>CHI<\/td><\/tr>\n
26<\/td>Kyle Monangai<\/td>CHI<\/td><\/tr>\n
27<\/td>Rico Dowdle<\/td>PIT<\/td><\/tr>\n
28<\/td>Jaylen Warren<\/td>PIT<\/td><\/tr>\n
29<\/td>Bhayshul Tuten<\/td>JAC<\/td><\/tr>\n
30<\/td>Chuba Hubbard<\/td>CAR<\/td><\/tr>\n
31<\/td>Tony Pollard<\/td>TEN<\/td><\/tr>\n
32<\/td>Rachaad White<\/td>WAS<\/td><\/tr>\n
33<\/td>Kenny Gainwell<\/td>TB<\/td><\/tr>\n
34<\/td>J.K. Dobbins<\/td>DEN<\/td><\/tr>\n
35<\/td>Blake Corum<\/td>LAR<\/td><\/tr>\n
36<\/td>Woody Marks<\/td>HOU<\/td><\/tr>\n
37<\/td>Rhamondre Stevenson<\/td>NE<\/td><\/tr>\n
38<\/td>Aaron Jones Sr.<\/td>MIN<\/td><\/tr>\n
39<\/td>Jordan Mason<\/td>MIN<\/td><\/tr>\n
40<\/td>Jonathon Brooks<\/td>CAR<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Rank<\/th>\nName<\/th>\nTeam<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
41<\/td>Tyrone Tracy Jr.<\/td>NYG<\/td><\/tr>\n
42<\/td>Jacory Croskey-Merritt<\/td>WAS<\/td><\/tr>\n
43<\/td>RJ Harvey<\/td>DEN<\/td><\/tr>\n
44<\/td>Jonah Coleman<\/td>DEN<\/td><\/tr>\n
45<\/td>Alvin Kamara<\/td>NO<\/td><\/tr>\n
46<\/td>Nicholas Singleton<\/td>TEN<\/td><\/tr>\n
47<\/td>Braelon Allen<\/td>NYJ<\/td><\/tr>\n
48<\/td>Dylan Sampson<\/td>CLE<\/td><\/tr>\n
49<\/td>Tyjae Spears<\/td>TEN<\/td><\/tr>\n
50<\/td>Chris Rodriguez Jr.<\/td>JAC<\/td><\/tr>\n
51<\/td>Isiah Pacheco<\/td>DET<\/td><\/tr>\n
52<\/td>Zach Charbonnet<\/td>SEA<\/td><\/tr>\n
53<\/td>Tyler Allgeier<\/td>ARI<\/td><\/tr>\n
54<\/td>Emmett Johnson<\/td>KC<\/td><\/tr>\n
55<\/td>Kaytron Allen<\/td>WAS<\/td><\/tr>\n
56<\/td>Sean Tucker<\/td>TB<\/td><\/tr>\n
57<\/td>Jaylen Wright<\/td>MIA<\/td><\/tr>\n
58<\/td>Brian Robinson Jr.<\/td>ATL<\/td><\/tr>\n
59<\/td>George Holani<\/td>SEA<\/td><\/tr>\n
60<\/td>Demond Claiborne<\/td>MIN<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Targets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kenneth Walker<\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n
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Kenneth Walker enters the 2026 season fresh off of a dominant playoff run where he rushed for 417 yards with four touchdowns over three games, culminating in his workhorse performance in Super Bowl LX, where he turned his 29 touches into 161 yards. Despite one of the final visions of last season being his post-season dominance, Walker seems to be somewhat undervalued in early best ball, with a DataForce ADP<\/a> near the 2\/3 turn. It appears that the collective hesitancy against selecting Walker in the early second would be the fact that he has not had that one big breakout season, largely due to his sharing the Seahawks backfield with Zach Charbonnet. Since entering the league in 2023, Charbonnet has accumulated 1,761 yards on 427 carries with 21 rushing touchdowns, including twelve in 2025. Walker should enjoy bell cow usage for the first time in his career after moving on from Seattle to Kansas City, where his greatest threat to touches will come from Emmett Johnson, a 5th<\/sup>\u00a0round rookie running back. With Patrick Mahomes returning from major knee surgery, the Kansas City offense may be more ground heavy than it has been in recent years. I am comfortable taking Walker in the early second as he is one of the more undervalued players in early drafts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Montgomery\u00a0<\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n
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The Texans struggled to establish any sort of consistent running game in 2025. An aging Nick Chubb, who as of this writing is not currently on an NFL roster, was given the first opportunity to lead Houston\u2019s ground game, but struggled to produce, rushing for 506 yards in 15 games with only three scores. As the season progressed, rookie Woody Marks, who best profiles as a passing-down specialist, was asked to take on more of a three-down role in an effort to turn around the team\u2019s rushing woes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter David Montgomery, whom Houston traded for in order to bring consistency to the Texans ground attack. Montgomery offers a steady, well-rounded skill set, having played in at least 13 games in each of his seven professional seasons, recording at least 24 receptions in six of those years. David Montomery may not excel in any one particular area, but he should see bell cow usage, including goal line work. If the Texans passing game can rebound from last year\u2019s overall dysfunction, double-digits scores are in play for Montgomery, making him a target at his Dataforce ADP at the 4\/5 turn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fades<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Christian McCaffery\u00a0<\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCaffery leading my \u201cfade\u201d list has nothing to do with his talent or role in the San Francisco offense and everything to do with risk aversion. The reality is that history has not been kind to backs who see 400 touches, including McCaffery himself who only was able to suit up for 10 games in the two seasons after having received 403 touches in 2019. Last season McCaffery logged 413 total touches. With him entering his age 30 season, I simply do not feel comfortable using my late first round pick on him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travis Etienne\u00a0<\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n
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After having signed a four-year, 52-million-dollar contract with the Saints on the heels of his RB10 finish in 2025, the fantasy industry seemed to largely be bullish on Travis Etienne. Since then, New Orleans has re-signed Alvin Kamara, destroying dreams of Etienne being a true workhorse. Add in the fact that new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier\u2019s offenses historically featured wide receivers, to the detriment of running back targets, and Etienne\u2019s ceiling may be considerably lower than previously hoped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleepers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rachaad White<\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n
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While there has been debate about how much of a leap Jacory Croskey-Merritt will make in his second year, and there has been some intrigue surrounding 6th<\/sup> round pick Kaytron Allen, there does not seem to be enough attention being given to the floor\/ceiling combination of Rachaad White. White has never finished with fewer than 40 receptions in any of his four seasons. With so many questions surrounding the early-down options, White could see career highs in carries, to add to his expected passing-down role. White is undervalued as the FantasyPros RB37 and makes for a fine 4th<\/sup> or 5th<\/sup> running back in best ball leagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenneth Gainwell<\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n
\n
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Kenneth Gainwell replaces Rachaad White in Tampa Bay and should step right into a receiving role, giving him a high floor. Just how high Gainwell\u2019s ceiling would be if Bucky Irving were to miss time seems to be greatly underestimated. Gainwell was the overall RB8 from Weeks 11-17 last season when given lead-back touches. Kenneth Gainwell has enough stand-alone value to be counted on in a best ball committee, and should be rostered in every redraft league, but especially PPR. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udfc8Leagues Forming Now at DataForce Fantasy Football! <\/strong>\ud83c\udfc8
<\/em>Ready to draft? We offer the widest variety<\/a> with the best prize payouts<\/a> anywhere!
Come check out what we have available in our lobby<\/a> and Orphan Marketplace<\/a>.
Join the fun and draft your winning team today at DataForceFF.com<\/a><\/strong>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matthew Hill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fantasy Sports Writer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We made it! Training camps have opened, preseason football games are a few short weeks away, and redraft leagues are beginning to fill.  To help you prepare for the upcoming draft season, I will be breaking down how I will be approaching each position on draft day. This four-part series…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[283,643,423,306,383,644,660,659,658],"class_list":["post-1824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-player-advice","tag-fantasy-football-draft-strategy","tag-fantasy-football-fades","tag-fantasy-football-rb-rankings","tag-fantasy-football-running-backs","tag-fantasy-football-sleepers","tag-fantasy-football-targets","tag-ppr-rankings","tag-redraft-rankings","tag-running-back-rankings"],"yoast_head":"\nFantasy Football Running Back Rankings for 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Matthew Hill ranks his top 60 running backs for 2026 fantasy football, with PPR draft strategy, sleepers, fades, and must-target players.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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