Running back values in fantasy drafts have swung drastically since last year. Running backs were falling below where they should have been last year. This year, they are shooting up draft boards as drafters react to last year’s outcome. Many drafters this year are targeting backs early and often, making draft boards look more like 2005 than 2025.
Expect the top 12 running backs to be gone by the end of Round 2 in most drafts this year. But if you miss out, don’t worry! There are great values scattered throughout draft boards this year. Early-round running back drafters have pushed middle-round receivers up, allowing for high-upside running backs to fall below where they should be going. This phenomenon has allowed for much more flexibility in draft strategy, and opens pockets of running back value through multiple levels of drafts.
Of course, every league and every draft is different. For the sake of this article and the Average Draft Positions (ADPs) I reference, assume this is a single-quarterback half-PPR league with two running back slots, two wide receivers, a tight end, and a flex. For rankings more specific to your league, check out our Rankings, which allow for league-syncing, creating customized rankings for every league you’re in.
Let’s start by looking at the top dogs, all going in the first half of Round 1 this year.
Fantasy Football RB Rankings
Crème De La Crème
These guys do it all. They all have at least three top-five career finishes under their belts. They were elite last year and should be elite again this year. While preferred age has Gibbs and Robinson typically going one and two in fantasy drafts, McCaffrey will typically fall into the middle of Round 1. If healthy, all of these running backs are likely to return top-five value, just as they typically do.
- RB1 - Jahmyr Gibbs - A perennial fantasy RB1, Gibbs is poised for a career year with David Montgomery no longer in Detroit.
- RB2 - Bijan Robinson - Like Gibbs, Robinson will no longer have to deal with Tyler Allgeier, setting him up for a career season.
- RB3 - Christian McCaffrey - Age, usage, and injury history are major red flags in McCaffrey's profile, but no running back has a higher ceiling when healthy.
Steady Round 1 RB1s
These guys are on good offenses, catch passes, and score touchdowns. That’s everything we want to see from a running back in fantasy. A tier gap and some elite WR1s push them into the back half of Round 1, and occasionally even Round 2, where they are valued appropriately. While these running backs are safe investments, many drafters will have to make a tough decision between this tier and wide receivers with similar ADPs. In PPR scoring, I prefer Ja'Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb to every running back here. In standard leagues, the scales tip back to the running backs. In half-PPR, pick your flavor.
- RB4 - Jonathan Taylor - The overall RB1 before Daniel Jones was injured, we saw Taylor's upside last year in a well-functioning offense for the first time since 2021.
- RB5 - Chase Brown - Brown sputtered early in the season, but earned his preseason price tag as an elite RB1 over the second half of the season when Joe Burrow returned.
- RB6 - James Cook III - Coming off a rushing title, Cook's upside as a three-down back on one of the league's best offenses makes him a steady and reliable RB1.
Year 2 Breakouts
Neither Jeanty nor Hampton was elite as a rookie, but both are heading into much-improved situations in Year 2. Drafters are holding onto hope, and both backs are still being drafted near the 1/2 turn. Fantasy managers are notoriously impatient with young players, but faith in these Year 2 guys has remained steadfast, robbing us of any potential sophomore discount.
- RB7 - Ashton Jeanty - Quietly productive in an awful rookie-season situation, Jeanty is set up to bounce back under new head coach Klint Kubiak.
- RB8 - Omarion Hampton - Hampton's rookie season was marred by injuries, but his pedigree and rookie-season flashes make a Year 2 breakout easy to envision.
Fringe RB1s
This is the first tier where you start to have some question marks about the guys you’re selecting. Barkley’s age and usage may be taking a toll. Walker has never been a three-down back. Achane is in the worst situation of his career. Henry is 32 years old. Williams has broken our hearts before. Jacobs is dealing with some legal issues. Last year, a lot of similar situations broke favorably for drafters, and now this tier is being pushed up to a range with much more risk. While many drafters are aggressively targeting this tier of running backs early in Round 2, I find myself favoring A.J. Brown, Drake London, Nico Collins, Rashee Rice, Malik Nabers, and Brock Bowers. Like the “Round 1 RB1s” tier, you’ll have to decide how to mix the running back and wide receiver tiers together.
- RB9 - Saquon Barkley - Barkley broke fantasy football in 2024 and reverted across the board in 2025, potentially signaling the downslope of his career.
- RB10 - Ken Walker III - Walker was awarded a huge paycheck in free agency and will have a chance to run away with the Chiefs' backfield early.
- RB11 - De'Von Achane - Achane has been hyper-productive in recent years, but a new offense without Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel makes his outlook uncertain.
- RB12 - Derrick Henry - Henry's production has mocked age-regression models, and he'll pay off as a draft-day steal if it happens again.
- RB13 - Javonte Williams - Williams returned RB1 value last year as the workhorse on an elite Cowboys' offense, and they paid him to return to that role in 2026.
- RB14 - Josh Jacobs - Jacobs has been a steady RB1 since joining the Packers, and looming legal issues keep him suppressed below safer options in rankings.
- RB15 - Jeremiyah Love - Love's talent is undeniable, but a crowded backfield and a shaky offensive line could make his rookie-season production unpredictable.
