Between early injuries, notable players to monitor in the next few weeks leading up to Week 1, and depth chart battles, NFL running backs are already shaping the landscape for 2026 fantasy leagues. Here are the notable injuries, backfields, and competitions after a busy first full week of the NFL preseason.
Starting Running Back Injuries
Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals
The No.3 pick in this year's draft received extensive and quizzical-to-some usage in Arizona's preseason game this week. Love flashed his two-way ability but also sustained an ankle injury. The reporting on the injury quickly escalated from a small deal to "it will keep him out this week" to "this is a high-ankle injury, and we hope to have him back for Week 1." The fantasy community previously questioned the split between Love, Tyler Allgeier, and James Conner early in the season. Now, Week 1 appears to have decent odds of Allgeier and Conner splitting the backfield without Love. Allgeier is a likely streaming option in Week 1 should Love be inactive.
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers
Hubbard is out with a hamstring injury, with the projection of being ready for Week 1. The key twist is that Hubbard's absence opens the door for the surging Jonathon Brooks, who is finally healthy, to run with the first team and seize a larger share of the backfield whenever Hubbard returns. Brooks' redraft ADP could be cut in half, from Round 8-9-10 back a few weeks ago to Round 3-4-5 by the time many draft in the second half of August, with the presumption that Brooks is the better bet and an assumed starter sooner rather than later.
Starting Running Back Questions and Concerns
Cam Skattebo, Giants
Skattebo returns from a season-ending injury and played in the Giants' first preseason game. The bad news is Tyrone Tracy Jr. was heavily mixed with Skattebo and is listed as a co-starter on the initial depth chart for the backfield. Skattebo was a vibrant fantasy starter when healthy last season, but a new coaching staff and outlook on the hard-charging Skattebo could push him into a frustrating committee, with Tracy siphoning away enough overall work to have Skattebo out of the overt weekly starter bucket of fantasy running backs.
Jadarian Price, Seahawks
Seattle is the walking wounded in their backfield, with Price being held out of the first preseason game, Zach Charbonnet already set to miss the opening weeks of the season, and Emanuel Wilson on the mend as well. George Holani was the healthiest and highest-ranked option to play last week, and Week 1 is arguably the most ambiguous of any NFL backfield for projecting the split. It may come down to who is the healthiest, especially if Price does not return to full participation soon.
Tony Pollard vs. Tyjae Spears, Titans
The preseason game split was nearly 50-50 for Tennessee's 1-2 punch, which is bad news for Tony Pollard and potentially good news for the flex viability of Tyjae Spears. Pollard is already one of the cheapest projected starters in fantasy football drafts, but the upside may be drying up on his projection with an elevated role from Spears this season.
