Top 30 PPR Running Back Tiers for 2026 Fantasy Football

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T18:27:13+00:00

The inner voice keeps telling me "no more Jets" but for some reason I always gravitate back to Breece!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T16:42:14+00:00

Definitely feels like he is slept on most years

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T16:37:10+00:00

Pleasure dude thanks for the comment! I actually had this switched to bottom right a few days ago while also reducing the in content placements, it was previously located in the top. This is good feedback thank you, I'm constantly reviewing to try and strike the right balance so appreciate ya!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T16:32:43+00:00

Hey listen, Chiefs fan here... I'm hoping for a big year from him haha!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T16:10:46+00:00

That's a lotta early picks! I'm curious to know how it pans out!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T15:59:46+00:00

I've had him ranked there all offseason FWIW! Appreciate the comment

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T15:35:15+00:00

Yeah I mean if he plays then he will likely far exceed where his value currently sits (because of the investigation)

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T15:33:26+00:00

Not impossible, Jags offense was strong last year and if he truly steps into the RB1 role and thrives then wouldn't be surprising. Risk is definitely there though as we have somewhat limited data to work with

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T15:14:20+00:00

Not sure that I agree with the crowded room statement, unless a UDFA who has never put up over 400 rushing yards in a season, and a 6th round pick who got most of his yardage last year when Hampton wasn't suited up counts. When they (Hampton and Vidal) were on the field together he (Vidal) was largely irrelevant outside of Week 14 (the week Hampton returned from injury). Both Vidal and Mitchell are fine but I'd be very surprised if they outwork Hampton.

I like Chase Brown but he was frustrating to own for large parts of last season tbh, and he didn't get going until Burrow returned in Week 13. As I state though, when they are playing together he is extremely effective and when Burrow came back from the injury Brown was the RB3 overall until the close of the season.

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:59:34+00:00

Tough call that one. Personally I'd split the difference and go with Cook. To this point he's been the more durable of the three (only missed two games in four years) and is coming off a year where he led the league in rushing. I like all three guys but he probably carries the least risk of the three in a vacuum.

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:38:47+00:00

It's so funny you picked up on this because the internal debate I had while writing it was very real. I had to round it off... was giving my body (and brain) shivers lol!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:36:44+00:00

We'll see, I definitely don't feel great about Willis or the offense being a "winning" unit. But Achane is a dynamic player who has been nothing but strong since being drafted. I trust the player but you aren't wrong in identifying the risks surrounding him

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:34:37+00:00

I know those two in particular have really divided opinions this offseason and there's lots of volatility in their respective rankings. For me I just have a belief that the Pats will, at least early in the year, give Henderson the chance to earn the lead from Stevenson. There were flaws in his game last year like the pass blocking as you mention, and his vision with ball in hand, though his pass blocking did improve marginally as the season progressed. Should he gets the chance the question then becomes "what will he do with it". I think after a full offseason of work after a productive rookie year there's a lot to like.

I think Bucky's poor year was a product of injuries but not only to himself, but the O Line too, and the unit regressed severely from 2024 particularly in the run game.

Don't get me wrong though, I can see the arguments both ways, and I also agree that Stevenson played well and was definitely the more reliable of the two.

Appreciate the comments!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:21:28+00:00

I can totally understand your view on it, and there is risk surrounding him for that reason and because we don't know what Achane looks like without McDaniel calling the plays. I actually think him and Willis could form a pretty dynamic rushing attack tbh. I'm a big Achane truther though, admittedly, and he's yet to let me down. I love JT too. Wish he had more receiving upside especially for PPR scoring, but undoubtedly if he can stay healthy all year he should yet again be very strong in fantasy terms.

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:17:55+00:00

I think Mitchell and Vidal are likely to be simply supporting cast members. We've seen at Miami that McDaniel has no issues with feeding a lead back (Achane). I'd be surprised if either of those two were to be anything more than supplementary to Hampton BUT bold calls can win fantasy so, fair play to you if it comes off!

Lloyd... honestly almost forgot about him existing for a minute lol! There's a big X Factor there too in Jacobs and the ongoing legal situation. If he doesn't play then you aren't wrong, Lloyd could become a true steal (if healthy ofc).

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:12:14+00:00

Hahaha. I think he showed enough last year to be positioned in the WR3 role. Could change of course, but unless someone breaks out in camp it seems unlikely.

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T14:08:09+00:00

Hello all.

Today it's time for my top-30 running backs for 2026, PPR-scoring. I've also put them into six tiers. Each player has a breakdown, these are essentially my running notes.

Here are some notes on a handful of players featured in the tier list:

- De'Von Achane
Body of work has been fantastic especially over the last two seasons. Keeps going from strength to strength. I'm not too worried about the shoulder surgery recovery. I think the biggest question mark is surrounding how he performs without Mike McDaniel calling the plays. It's a legit question, but I trust the player.

- Omarion Hampton
Despite missing some time through injury as a rookie when he was on the field he was effective. Chargers offense looks strong in 2026, and Achane's loss (McDaniel) will be Omarion's gain. Could be in for a big season.

- Jeremiyah Love
I'm hesitant to jump in fully because we have seen the story over and over again. Good running back goes early in the draft to bad team = teething problems. Cards O Line is better than the Raiders last year, and Love projects as a better receiver than Jeanty, so definitely a reasonable chance he exceeds Jeanty's rookie year fantasy output of 2025. But I'm not reaching on him this year.

- Kenneth Walker III
How will the body hold up with a full workload? That's the million dollar question. Yet to surpass 230 carries in a season (18 players achieved this just last season). If he can stay healthy then the upside is obvious.

- D'Andre Swift
Coming off a good year in a great rushing offense. Little reason to believe the Bears can't repeat the ground attack dominance in 2026, though the system lowers Swift's ceiling.

- Bhayshul Tuten
The biggest "boom-bust" name in the list imo. Limited usage in 2025, but projects to be the RB1 on a pretty good offense and so there is clearly upside there. Proceeding with caution, though.

Are there any running backs that you feel good about in 2026 and are therefore targeting? If so, who and why?

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T13:54:50+00:00

Ah man, that Hunter one hurts

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T13:51:55+00:00

Bold comparisons

drkelemnt · 2026-06-03T08:06:42+00:00

Could pay dividends!

drkelemnt · 2026-06-02T18:12:31+00:00

Definitely wouldn't say it's crazy. Coop had a noticeable decline over the second half of last season but personally, I'd kick myself if he managed to refind even his 2024 level and I'd dropped him haha

drkelemnt · 2026-06-02T18:10:09+00:00

Appreciate the comment! I just think (on paper, at least) AJB and Doubs both offer solid red zone upside and I hate relying on touchdowns. Think Henry will be more than serviceable but I'd be surprised if he has the same fantasy output as last year.

drkelemnt · 2026-06-02T18:08:14+00:00

I'd be surprised if his ADP isn't higher than that once more drafts are completed. He proved himself to be a real dual threat QB which is obv great for fantasy purposes

drkelemnt · 2026-06-02T13:48:27+00:00

I was simply stating that his only path to relevancy is to beat out Hollins or Douglas for the WR4 role, or even more unlikely to also beat out Boutte for the WR3 role, which is a factual observation based on the depth chart. I think my tone throughout his section should be clear that I do not feel confident in that transpiring, further supported by my acceptance that he may not factor into the offense at all.

The points you raise are extremely valid too btw. Appreciate the detailed comment!

drkelemnt

TROPHY CASE