Every fantasy football manager knows how quickly things can change when it comes to one of the most physical positions in football: running back. Staying prepared and knowing which backs are next in line for touches will always give you an edge on the competition.
It’s also important to understand which backups have a chance to rise the depth chart based on talent, which ones are poised for a leading role when injuries strike and those who would max out as part of a less appealing replacement committee.
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Here’s how I’m ranking the top backup running backs based on their fantasy potential in 2026.
1. TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots
While I believe it’s only a matter of time before Henderson emerges as the lead back in New England, it’s clear he’ll once again start the season behind Rhamondre Stevenson. The goal with my work is always to project how the next campaign will look and get ahead of how backfields will develop, but Henderson still has work to do in order to prove he deserves the top spot on the depth chart. Â
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The coaching staff has made it clear they need to see more from him as a pass protector and between-the-tackles runner. So far, it doesn’t sound like Henderson has answered the call in that area this summer.Â
The 23-year-old (turns 24 in October) is also dealing with a new lower ankle injury, after slipping on the turf during practice. He’s walking and moving fine, but will undergo precautionary tests.Â
We’ll see if this injury finally pushes Henderson’s ADP below Stevenson’s, which is how I’ve had it ranked for a while now. At the moment, Henderson is being taken in Round 6 as the RB26, while Stevenson is going off the board as the RB28 in the seventh round.Â
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Henderson is still holding down the No. 1 spot based on his performance as a rookie, which resulted in 911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards and 10 total TDs. A good chunk of that production came over the final eight weeks when Henderson took advantage of Stevenson being banged up and posted top-10 numbers at the position during that stretch. He flashed more than enough potential to think he can grow into a bigger role and become a weekly fantasy difference-maker.Â
In the meantime, Stevenson will begin the season offering RB3 fantasy production with Henderson being more of a boom-or-bust weekly RB3 with massive upside when the balance of the backfield shifts. We just don’t know if that will occur this year or not.Â
2. Jonathon Brooks, Panthers
Brooks is finally making headlines for the right reasons, after spending the first two seasons of his career recovering from ACL tears. The former second-round pick is back on the practice field and reminding fantasy managers what he’s capable of when healthy. The 22-year-old even earned some praise from head coach Dave Canales recently.
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Current starter Chuba Hubbard had a down year due to injuries, but he’s just one season removed from a 1,366-yard, 11-touchdown campaign that allowed him to finish as the RB12 in fantasy points per game. The veteran still has some tread on his tires entering his age-27 season, but he’s sat out most of August with a hamstring injury that’s expected to keep him sidelined until Week 1.Â
Whether he maintains the lead back job will depend on his health, as well as Brooks’ ability to return to his pre-injury form.Â
Fantasy managers searching for the next breakout or sleeper will be eyeing Brooks — and for good reason, since we’ve seen this backfield produce for fantasy at various stretches over the last couple seasons under Canales.
Brooks is one of the few players on this list who could take over the starting role without needing an injury ahead of him on the depth chart. Though his ADP is rising, he should be considered a high-ceiling stash and potential flex option, who has a realistic shot to become the lead back in Carolina before the end of the season.
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3. Rico Dowdle, Steelers
There aren’t many running backs who can brag that they posted over 1,300 scrimmage yards each of the past two seasons, but Dowdle is one of them. He accomplished the feat in 2024 with the Cowboys and again last season with the Panthers, when he overtook an injured Chuba Hubbard and erupted with a pair of 200-yard games before eventually cooling off down the stretch.Â
Now, he’s reunited with his former head coach Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh, who knows him well from their time together in Dallas. That could result in Dowdle capturing a significant role in the Steelers’ offense and perhaps even overtaking Jaylen Warren as the lead back at some point.
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For now, Warren and Dowdle seem poised to split touches 50-50 in a timeshare that looks like it could be a frustrating one for fantasy, because it has the potential to shift in either direction on a weekly basis. That ambiguity makes Dowdle an interesting fantasy pick though, since we’ve already seen him rise to the top of uncertain backfields in recent years.Â
Even if he remains behind Warren, Dowdle will have a chance to offer fantasy RB3 production while holding serious one-injury-away upside.
4. Blake Corum, Rams
Corum took a major step forward in Year 2, earning a larger role behind Kyren Williams and ultimately finishing with 782 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns.Â
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His best production came in the second half of the season, when he topped 50 yards in seven of his last 10 outings, including 81 yards and a touchdown in Week 13, 131 yards and two TDs in Week 14, 71 yards and a score in Week 15 and 61 yards and a TD in Week 16.
Even so, Williams has finished as a top-10 fantasy back on a per game basis for three straight campaigns and will continue to have the edge this season. It’s also worth noting that Williams and Corum will both turn 26 later this year, so this isn’t a situation where the younger back is coming for an older back’s spot.Â
That all boils down to Williams being a fantasy RB2 while Corum is an RB3 with enticing upside in favorable game scripts.Â
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Corum also carries more fantasy value thanks to being the No. 2 back in a Sean McVay system that tends to turn any starter into a quality fantasy option. Bottom line, Corum is one injury away from being a top-12 fantasy back.
5. Kyle Monangai, Bears
The Bears were one of the backfields that could have been hit hard by an addition this offseason, but that move never materialized. That leaves D’Andre Swift as the lead back with Monangai as a very strong backup once he’s healthy.Â
Monangai is currently sitting out with a hyperextended knee that could keep him on the sidelines in Week 1. Whenever he returns, he’ll slide back into the complementary role behind Swift.Â
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It took a month for Monangai to make his presence felt last year, but like most rookies, he did his best work after the bye. From Week 6 on, Monangai was the RB26 in fantasy points per game and finished the season with 947 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns.Â
Those numbers are even more impressive when you realize that Swift was the RB10 during that same span and ended the year with 1,386 yards and 10 touchdowns of his own. The 60-40 split is likely to continue and, given how well Ben Johnson’s rushing attack has performed, Monangai will offer weekly fantasy RB3 results in the No. 2 spot.
Just don’t forget what happened in the lone game Swift was sidelined. In that contest, Monangai capitalized on a soft Bengals’ defense and poured in 176 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards. So there’s a serious ceiling waiting to be unlocked if Swift were forced to sit out at any point.
6. Jordan Mason, Vikings
The Vikings almost moved on from Aaron Jones Sr. before a last-minute contract revision kept him in Minnesota. However, the veteran back will turn 32 in December and comes with an extensive injury history, including 11 missed games over the last three seasons.Â
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While Mason hasn’t officially pushed his way past Jones on the depth chart, he’s expected to handle more work this year as the team emphasizes an outside-zone scheme. Mason performed well in that type of rushing attack during his time with the 49ers.Â
The 27-year-old has also been productive in his opportunities with the Vikings. Despite the struggles of the offense as a whole, Mason was the RB16 in fppg when Jones was out of the lineup for over a month early last season (Week 3 to Week 7).
And when Jones sat out Week 18, Mason had his second-highest yardage total of the season with 94 yards on 14 carries. With Kyler Murray‘s arrival hopefully breathing life into the offense, Mason could be a sneaky RB3/flex who might emerge as Minnesota’s lead back if Jones hits the trainer’s table again.Â
Just note that sixth-round rookie Demond Claiborne could factor into the mix as a lightning fast big-play threat, who would pair well with Mason. If Claiborne is up to the task, it would lower any potential fantasy ceiling Mason offered.Â
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7. Kenny Gainwell, Buccaneers
Gainwell didn’t find a starting job in free agency, but he came away with the next best thing. In Tampa Bay, he’ll step into Rachaad White‘s old role as an overqualified No. 2 back with weekly RB3/flex potential thanks to his pass-catching prowess.Â
Last year in Pittsburgh, Gainwell caught 73 balls for 486 yards and three touchdowns, while finishing the year with over 1,000 scrimmage yards and eight total TDs.
He also proved to be more than capable of handling the starting job when called upon. In the four games where Gainwell saw at least 15 touches for the Steelers, he posted 134 yards and two TDs in the first, 105 yards in the second, 122 yards in the third and 126 yards in the fourth. If Irving ever misses time again, Gainwell will immediately be in the conversation as a top-15 fantasy back.Â
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8. RJ Harvey, Broncos
All of a sudden the Broncos’ backfield seems crowded. J.K. Dobbins has returned and will likely begin the season as the starter once again, but like every other campaign in his career, an injury seems inevitable. Prior to the draft, that put Harvey in a similar situation to last season, when he was RB9 on a per game basis (15.3 fppg) from Week 11 on, with four top-12 weekly finishes over his last six outings.
However, Denver drafted Jonah Coleman in the fourth round, which complicates Harvey’s outlook. He no longer has the same one-injury away upside, since Coleman would likely step into Dobbins’ spot if the veteran missed time. That doesn’t mean Harvey isn’t valuable for fantasy. As a rookie playing in a part-time role alongside Dobbins, Harvey was the RB33 (8.7 fppg) and a boom-or-bust flex option before the veteran got hurt. Just understand that Harvey would need multiple injuries to occur around him in order to unlock the top-10 fantasy ceiling we saw from him down the stretch last year.Â
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9. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jaguars
The competition in the Jaguars’ backfield between 23-year-old Bhayshul Tuten and the 27-year-old Rodriguez has ramped up with Rodriguez back on the field after dealing with a foot injury that kept him sidelined during OTAs.Â
I still have my doubts about Rodriguez’s fantasy ceiling, due to his limited pass-catching skills and uninspiring production over the first three seasons (held under 500 rushing yards every year). However, Rodriguez is a dependable option who head coach Liam Coen has an affinity for, going back to their time together when he served as his offensive coordinator at Kentucky.Â
Even if Tuten fails to emerge as a true lead back, Rodriguez would find himself in a committee with a fantasy ceiling as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3.
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It’s worth noting that last season, Tuten had over 100 touches and starter Travis Etienne Jr. was still a top-10 fantasy back on a per game basis. So Rodriguez should have a sizable role, while also providing his managers with one-injury-away upside in a very strong offense.
10. Rachaad White, Commanders
Though White has never been able to secure a full-time starting job in the NFL, he’s a very capable pass-catcher who has excelled as a short-term starter when injuries required it.Â
From Week 5 to Week 12, White played over 55% of the Buccaneers’ snaps while Bucky Irving was recovering from an injury. During that stretch, White was the RB24 in fppg. Â
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In Washington, he’ll have a clear role as the passing-down back while also battling for touches with Jacory Croskey-Merritt. In that scenario, White can be an RB3/flex in half PPR, with one-injury away upside. If JCM can’t prove he’s worthy of the starting role, White’s volume will increase to the point where he could be a weekly RB2 option — while facing the sixth easiest schedule for fantasy backs.Â
High-upside backups behind starter who’s currently injured
(Potential for spot starts or increased touches in September)
Mike Washington Jr., Raiders
Backups with RB3/flex potential
(Defined weekly role, but would need an injury to hit ceiling outcome)
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High-upside backups with minimal flex value
(Talented backs who would need an injury to hit ceiling outcome)
Upside rookies behind an RB with durability concerns
(Intriguing backs with increased value due to injury upside)
Demond Claiborne, Vikings
Rookie backups who could carve out a role
(Intriguing backs with a path to Year 1 production)
Quality backups recovering from an injury
(Should all have value in 2026, but patience will be required)
Former starters with unclear futures
(Best chance for fantasy value will be on a new team)
Backups to stash in deep leagues
(Less-hyped backups who are still one injury away)
