Running back depth is the backbone of a successful fantasy season, and it’s perhaps the toughest position to address in-season. While the studs and other starters will fly off the board early, there’s still value to be found in the middle and later rounds. This article will group the backups for all 32 teams into one of three tiers.
In Tier 1, we have players with value independent of the starter. They should be selected in all leagues. In Tier 2, we have players that are unlikely to have large roles but are still worth a look late in drafts as roster depth. In Tier 3, we have players that should only be of interest if you have the running back ahead of them (e.g., Tank Bigsby for Saquon Barkley owners).
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Tier 1: Standalone Value
- 1) TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots: A backup in name only, Henderson is far more explosive than Rhamondre Stevenson and carries more fantasy value as well.
- 2) Kenneth Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Broke out with the Steelers last year. On paper, he’s a better version of Rachaad White and should be involved in both the running and passing games.
- 3) Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers: Overtook Chuba Hubbard in Carolina a year ago. We’ll see if he can do the same thing to Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh.
- 4) Rachaad White, Washington Commanders: His numbers have been uninspiring the past two years, but he should be heavily involved on offense and could easily outperform Jacory Croskey-Merritt in this backfield.
- 5) Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears: He came on strong at the end of his rookie season and should be the David Montgomery to D’Andre Swift’s Jahmyr Gibbs in Chi-Town. However, Monangai hyperextended his right knee on Sunday and is expected to miss multiple weeks, putting his early-season availability in question.
- 6) RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos: Struggled as a runner after taking over for J.K. Dobbins last year, but he’s a nice receiving threat. Plus, history tells us Dobbins won’t make it through a full season unscathed.
- 7) Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers: The first running back selected in 2024. He’s played in just three games due to injury. If he can prove he’s healthy, he can leapfrog Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart.
- 8) Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams: A nice complementary back to Kyren Williams, though his ceiling seems a bit lower than some unless he starts to contribute to the passing game.
- 9) Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: With Charbonnet working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in January, Seattle used the No. 32 overall pick on Jadarian Price after Kenneth Walker III left. In Charbs’ absence, George Holani and Emanuel Wilson hold nominal appeal.
- 10) Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings: He’s 1A/1B with Aaron Jones, and Mason was the superior of the two backs in 2025. With Jones turning 32 in December, you’d probably rather have Mason on your roster.
- 11) Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals: Signed before the Cardinals made Jeremiyah Love the third overall pick, Allgeier is a bruising complement with a nose for the end zone. He offers nothing as a receiver, however. Love is currently dealing with a high-ankle sprain, though, which could give Allgeier an expanded role early in the season.
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Tier 2: Fringe Appeal
- 12) Isiah Pacheco, Detroit Lions: Struggled with injuries and uninspired performances the past two years. We’ll see how he fares as David Montgomery’s replacement with the Lions.
- 13) Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints: A longtime stud RB, Kamara is nearing the end of the line. He’s appeared in more than 13 games just once in the last five seasons, and the Saints didn’t sign Travis Etienne to split time with the veteran.
- 14) Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans: There was some hype around Spears entering each of the last three seasons. The result: an average of 640 yards and 3.3 TDs per year. There’s no reason to expect much more.
- 15) Woody Marks, Houston Texans: Became the de facto RB1 when Joe Mixon missed all of 2025. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in the role. He’ll fit in behind David Montgomery in 2026.
- 16) Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars: Flashed in limited burn in Washington. While he’s penciled in as a co-starter with Bhayshul Tuten, there could be an opportunity for a larger-than-expected role if the inexperienced Tuten isn’t up to being a lead back.
- 17) Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants: Pressed into the lead role when Cam Skattebo was lost for the season, Tracy is a physical runner with receiving chops. Both backs should see plenty of work under new head coach John Harbaugh.
- 18) Brian Robinson Jr., Atlanta Falcons: A starter in Washington, Robinson spent last year backing up Christian McCaffrey. He should see more action taking over for Tyler Allgeier, who had 143 carries working as a physical complement to Bijan Robinson.
- 19) Braelon Allen, New York Jets: A knee injury ended Allen’s season after just four games. He’s reportedly in the best shape of his life, but how much action he’ll see behind Breece Hall is unclear if the recent groin injury doesn’t cost the latter time.
- 20) Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens: Injuries derailed Hill’s 2025, limiting him to 10 games and 18 carries. He has some big-play ability as a runner, but as long as Derrick Henry is healthy, Hill isn’t going to see much action.
- 21) Marshawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers: Lloyd is in the same boat as Jonathon Brooks, having basically missed his first two NFL seasons due to injury. He has all the physical tools you could want at the position, but he needs to prove he can stay on the field. Josh Jacobs remained out with a groin injury on Aug. 16, and Lloyd has established himself as the Packers’ leading backup while receiving first-team opportunities.
- 22) Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers: While Keaton Mitchell might see more touches when everyone is healthy, the guess here is that Vidal would be the lead back if Omarion Hampton missed time. That’s what happened a season ago with Vidal totaling 779 yards and 4 TDs.
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Tier 3: Pure Handcuffs
- 23) Tank Bigsby, Philadelphia Eagles: Acquired from Jacksonville before Week 2, Bigsby saw just 58 carries for the Eagles last year, 33 of which came in two games (including a meaningless Week 18). He has talent, though, and is someone every Saquon Barkley owner should draft.
- 24) Jordan James, San Francisco 49ers: Christian McCaffrey is 30, and he’s coming off a season in which he logged 450 combined touches. The previous year, he played in four games. Whoever emerges as RB2, whether it’s James, Kaelon Black, or someone else, becomes a priority pick for CMC owners.
- 25) Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins: Had the same number of carries (70) in 2025 as Ollie Gordon II, but Wright did it in seven fewer games. He has a little juice but is no threat to De’Von Achane.
- 26) Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs: KC handed Kenneth Walker III a lot of money to stabilize a position that has underperformed in recent years, so expect him to see the bulk of the carries. Johnson and Emari Demercado are poised to fill out the depth chart, though the rookie looks to be the better bet if Walker misses time.
- 27) Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills: While Ty Johnson sees more regular work on a week-to-week basis, Davis is better suited to extended duty if James Cook were to miss time.
- 28) Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders: Should be an upgrade over Raheem Mostert, and if Klint Kubiak duplicates the approach he took in Seattle, maybe Washington finds himself in more of a Zach Charbonnet complementary role.
- 29) Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns: As a rookie, Sampson averaged a measly 2.7 yards per carry. He did flash some juice as a receiver, though.
- 30) Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals: A reliable veteran, but entering his age-31 season, he’s never moved the needle statistically. Even if Chase Brown were to miss time, it’s far from clear how much more the team would ask of Perine.
- 31) Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys: Played sparingly as a rookie but has reportedly looked much sharper in camp this year. He’s competing with Malik Davis and Phil Mafah for the spot.
- 32) DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts: No team leans more heavily on a single back than the Colts. In 2025, Jonathan Taylor had 323 carries. Giddens logged just 26.
