The notion of some running backs ratcheting up the rankings once preseason games started dissipated quickly ... and a few running back injuries became the storyline.
Christian McCaffrey missed practice (and got better). Ashton Jeanty got hurt in practice. Jeremiyah Love got hurt in a preseason game. Breece Hall got hurt in practice. Josh Jacobs got hurt in practice, and right when he got better, his off-field issues became a much greater concern.
Now more than ever, running back tiers should help you highlight the gaps between which RBs are great, which are very good, which ones are startable, and which ones could make your Fantasy Football team struggle.
Running backs will continue evolving all the way up until Week 1, which is somehow still about a month away from the time this story publishes. A smart Fantasy drafter will stay on top of the news and make draft plan changes accordingly. For now, all of the running back changes have deepened the position and made it a little bit easier to draft with confidence.
Is it enough to alter draft strategies? No, but at least you now know of more options once you get past the first few tiers.
These Tiers are based on half-PPR; important to note because we offer full-PPR and non-PPR rankings. This should help you have an idea where these players will get taken in your drafts.
Looking for the right running backs to build around in 2026? See which players Jamey Eisenberg and the Fantasy Football Today team are targeting on the Fantasy Football must-draft list for Draft Day!
Tier 1
Round 1 in half-PPR
Pretty self-explanatory group of mega-stud running backs worth a first-round pick. All of them have the potential for 18-plus half-PPR points per game. Maybe there's an argument that Chase Brown doesn't belong, but he has not only been solid in each of his past two seasons (at least 14 half-PPR points per game in each), but he has also shown flashes of being a monster close to the level of Robinson and Gibbs when the Bengals have given him a lot of work. That's in play this season, given the lack of running back improvements they made this offseason.
Tier 2
Round 2 in half-PPR
Don't be surprised to see Achane or Henry taken closer to the names in the first tier. Walker could also get there -- a minor injury late in camp doesn't seem to be slowing his momentum.
This is a good group to expect at least 15 half-PPR points per game from.
Tier 3
Round 3 in half-PPR
This is when you might be comfortable taking a chance on an injured back like Jeanty or Love. Both are available at a discount here, albeit for good reason, but it's a key to Fantasy success when you "buy the dip." It's just a matter of whether or not you can stomach any early-season issues these guys will have because of their ailments.
If you don't want to deal with those discounted RBs, there's either of the two Williamses, both of whom offer some pretty solid stability as the lead backs in strong offenses. Makes both of them quality picks in Round 3.
I don't think it's a mistake to expect at least 13.5 half-PPR points per game from this tier.
Tier 4
Rounds 4-5 in half-PPR
It's notable that a tier of six players is expected to last two rounds. That speaks to the limited supply of decent-enough No. 2 running backs.
Etienne should be the primary back for a potent Saints offense. Swift has had a grand training camp in Chicago and seems poised to begin the year as the feature back with Kyle Monangai sidelined and perhaps unavailable in early September. We know Judkins can be a workhorse in Cleveland; we're not sure if Skattebo will be given the same chance in New York but his game is impossible to ignore, and while it's been a few years since we've seen Hall average over 13.5 half-PPR points per game, there is a fair argument to make that he can get there again. You may see Hall go a full tier higher, something I personally don't agree with.
Every RB in this tier should be gone by the end of Round 5, if not the middle, and all have a profile that offers at least 12.5 half-PPR points per game.
Tier 5
Rounds 6-7 in half-PPR
This is where Jacobs landed in my half-PPR Tiers in the wake of misdemeanor charges being filed by the local police. Once charged, Jacobs is subject to a suspension that could be as long as eight games. That has to be taken into account when drafting him. Of course, just because he might get suspended doesn't mean it's imminent. You should be comfortable drafting Jacobs at this spot, maybe even a shade sooner.
You're hoping for these guys to at least hold down an 11 half-PPR average in their starts, save for Jacobs, who could easily be at least two points per game better.
Tier 6
Round 8 in half-PPR
Tier 7
Rounds 9-11 in half-PPR
Tier 8
Rounds 12+ in half-PPR (and pretty much any format)
