Fantasy football is a numbers game. Weekly matchups. Player motivation. Rankings. Numbers drive it all. We have you covered with every Running Back number that will define the 2026 NFL season.
Special acknowledgment to Pro-Football-Reference.com and Spotrac.com!
Career Leaderboard Climbs
Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Current Stat Levels
- 13,018 rushing yards (10th most)
- 122 rushing touchdowns (4th)
Who Is Henry Chasing?
- Eric Dickerson, 9th all-time - 13,259 rushing yards
- Jerome Bettis, 8th all-time - 13,662 rushing yards
- LaDainian Tomlinson, 7th all-time - 13,684 rushing yards
- Curtis Martin, 6th all-time - 14,101 rushing yards
- Marcus Allen, 3rd all-time - 123 rushing touchdowns
- LaDainian Tomlinson, 2nd all-time - 145 rushing touchdowns
Henry has an opportunity to pass Emmitt Smith, who holds the top spot in both categories, with 18,355 rushing yards and 164 rushing touchdowns. Henry has averaged 1,758 yards while scoring 16 touchdowns in each of his two seasons in Baltimore. Maintaining that production would mean slightly over three seasons (likely 2029) for the yardage mark, while the touchdowns would pace to fall in the middle of 2028. Henry said he has not considered retirement in The Preseason Need-to-Know Report: Week 1.
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia
Current Stat Levels
- 8,356 rushing yards (44th)
- 55 rushing touchdowns (74th)
Who Is Barkley Chasing?
- Ricky Williams, 32nd all-time -10,009 rushing yards
- Thurman Thomas, Stephen Davis, Willis McGahee, and Mark Ingram, 48th all-time - 65 rushing touchdowns
Barkley has a chance to be the 33rd back to hit the 10,000-yard mark. He would need the second-best season of his career, trailing just the 2,005-yard season he posted in 2024, but 1,644 is not unrealistic. He has 20 touchdowns in 2 seasons with Philadelphia. Another 10 puts him inside the Top 50.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay
Current Stat Levels
- 7,803 rushing yards (58th)
- 74 rushing touchdowns (29th)
Who Is Jacobs Chasing?
- Maurice Jones Drew, 50th - 8,167 rushing yards
- Ezekiel Elliott, 40th - 9,130 rushing yards
- Priest Holmes, 16th all-time - 86 rushing touchdowns
- Frank Gore, 20th all-time - 81 rushing touchdowns
Jacobs can crack the Top 40 in rushing yards and Top 20 in touchdowns with a modestly productive season: 1,327 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Posting 12 rushing touchdowns would get him to Holmes, while 7 would move him inside the Top 20.
Jacobs is facing significant off-field obstacles to continue this chase.
|
Name |
Historical Place |
Yardage |
Name |
Historical Place |
Touchdowns |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
60 |
7,626 |
37 |
69 |
|||
|
62 |
7,598 |
55 |
62 |
|||
|
63 |
7,589 |
56 |
61 |
|||
|
65 |
7,428 |
60 |
60 |
|||
|
71 |
7,250 |
60 |
60 |
|||
|
65 |
59 |
A large group is moving up the board right behind Jacobs. Historically, players slow down at these yardage marks; Kamara is 71st, but only half the players who hit his 7,250 added another 2,750 to reach 10,000. Nick Chubb was in this range before announcing his retirement this weekend. Mixon looks to have played his final down. Kamara's 471 yards in 2025 were the lowest of his career. Jones's 548 was his lowest mark since his rookie season.
Taylor is the most interesting in this group. He is hitting his age-27 season, coming off 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns. It would not be shocking to see him catapult past Jacobs and chase the same thresholds.
Montgomery (6,115) and Conner (6,065) are the only other active running backs over 6,000 yards. Tony Pollard (5,782) and Kareem Hunt (5,775) are the only active backs over 5,000.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Current Stat Levels
- 626 Receptions (3rd)
- 5,390 Receiving Yards (5th)
- 36 Receiving Touchdowns (1st - Tie)
Who Is McCaffrey Chasing?
- Marshall Faulk, 2nd - 767 Receptions
- Larry Centers, 1st - 827 Receptions
- Marcus Allen, 4th - 5,411 Receiving Yards
- Ronnie Harmon, 3rd - 6,076 Receiving Yards
- Marshall Faulk, 1st - 36 Receiving Touchdowns
The easy one first: McCaffrey's next receiving touchdown will break a tie with Marshall Faulk for the most by a running back in NFL history. McCaffrey moved past LaDainian Tomlinson for third on the running back receiving list in Week 18 of 2025. He will not get to Faulk in 2026, but a strong season will put him in position in 2027. He has a chance to catch Centers in 2027, provided he averages 101 receptions over two seasons. He posted 102 in 2025 and has topped 101 three times. He can jump into third on the running back receiving yardage list with 686 yards.
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans
Current Stat Levels
- 606 Receptions (5th)
- 4,948 Receiving Yards (8th)
Who Is Kamara Chasing?
- LaDanian Tomlinson, 4th - 624 Receptions
- Tiki Barber, 7th - 5,183 Receiving Yards
- Keith Byers, 6th - 5,372 Receiving Yards
Kamara's journey up the career leaderboard was overshadowed and passed by McCaffrey's monster 2025 season. That should not diminish the rare air Kamara is hitting. There are currently only four members of the 5,000 rushing and 5,000 receiving yards club: McCaffrey, Tomlinson, Barber, and Marcus Allen. Kamara stands 52 receiving yards away. Kamara will be fighting an uphill battle to continue his climb up the record board, dealing with an MCL injury and a support role behind the newly signed Travis Etienne Jr.
