2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings For Seasonal Leagues

Running backs used to be the lifeblood of fantasy football. In fact, I can remember drafts where almost every first-round pick was a back (I like to call them the good old days). But over the past decade, with fewer true featured backs (and more committees) and a greater reliance on the passing game, runners have seen their stock fall. In fact, more and more fantasy fans are putting their focus on wide receivers, especially in leagues that reward points for receptions.

That’s not to suggest the position has lost all of its value because that’s not true. Four of the five highest-scoring players last season were backs, and 12 of the top 20 were also runners. But once you get past the backs we know will have featured (or mostly featured) roles, the position can become a crapshoot. If you drafted Chuba Hubbard last year, you know what I mean.

The good news, if there’s any to be shared, is that the focus on pass catchers has allowed there to be more good backs in the middle rounds. That has allowed for draft strategies like “Hero RB” or “Zero RB,” which suggests waiting to pick backs or drafting just one in the first five rounds.

That said, here are my 2026 fantasy football running back rankings … now with auction values! I’ll be updating these often throughout the summer, so keep checking back.

Note: Auction values are based on a $200 budget.

2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

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Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished 15 minutes ago | Modified 15 minutes agoMICHAEL FABIANO

Michael Fabiano is a fantasy football analyst for Sports Illustrated. His weekly rankings and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em articles are must-reads for fantasy players. He is also the co-host of the Fantasy Dirt Podcast on SI. Before joining SI in August 2020, he worked for CBS Sports, NFL Network and SiriusXM. He also contributes to Westwood One Radio. Fabiano was the first fantasy analyst to appear on one of the four major TV networks and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.

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