Justin Boone's fantasy football backup running back rankings ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft

Every fantasy manager knows how quickly things can change when it comes to one of the most physical positions in football — running back. Staying prepared and knowing which backs are next in line for touches will always give you an edge on the competition.

It’s also important to understand which backups have a chance to rise the depth chart based on talent, which ones are poised for a leading role when injuries strike and those who would max out as part of a less appealing replacement committee.

Here’s how I’m ranking the top backup running backs based on their fantasy potential in 2026, before the NFL Draft completely shakes things up.

1. Blake Corum, Rams

Corum took a major step forward in Year 2, earning a larger role behind Kyren Williams and ultimately finishing with 782 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns. His best production came in the second half of the season, when he topped 50 yards in seven of his last 10 outings, including 81 yards and a touchdown in Week 13, 131 yards and two TDs in Week 14, 71 yards and a score in Week 15 and 61 yards and a TD in Week 16.

Williams and Corum, who will both turn 26 later this year, seem locked into a timeshare backfield, which makes Williams a fantasy RB2 while Corum is an RB3 with enticing upside in favorable game scripts. Corum also carries more fantasy value thanks to being the No. 2 back in a Sean McVay system that tends to turn any starter into a quality fantasy option. Bottom line, Corum is one injury away from being a top-12 fantasy back.

2. Rico Dowdle, Steelers

There aren’t many running backs who can brag that they posted over 1,300 scrimmage yards each of the past two seasons, but Dowdle is one of them. He accomplished the feat in 2024 with the Cowboys and again last season when he overtook an injured Chuba Hubbard and erupted with a pair of 200-yard games before eventually cooling off down the stretch. Now he joins the Steelers, where he’ll reunite with his former head coach Mike McCarthy, who knows him well from their time together in Dallas. That could result in Dowdle capturing a significant role in Pittsburgh’s offense and perhaps even replacing Jaylen Warren as the lead back at some point.

For now, the Warren-Dowdle timeshare looks like it could be a frustrating one for fantasy, with the potential to shift in either direction on a weekly basis. That ambiguity makes Dowdle an interesting fantasy pick though, since we’ve already seen him rise to the top of uncertain backfields in recent years. Even if he remains behind Warren, Dowdle will have a chance to offer fantasy RB3 production while holding massive one-injury-away upside.

3. Kyle Monangai, Bears

It took a month for Monangai to make his presence felt last year, but like most rookies, he did his best work after the bye. From Week 6 on, Monangai was the RB26 in fantasy points per game and finished the season with 947 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers are even more impressive when you realize that D’Andre Swift was the RB10 during that same span and ended the year with 1,386 yards and 10 touchdowns of his own. The 60-40 split is likely to continue and, given how well Ben Johnson’s rushing attack has performed, Monangai will offer weekly fantasy RB3 results in the No. 2 spot.

Just don’t forget what happened in the lone game Swift was sidelined. In that contest, Monangai capitalized on a soft Bengals’ defense and poured in 176 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards. So there’s a serious ceiling waiting to be unlocked if Swift were forced to sit out at any point.

4. Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots

There are a few backfields that will be highly debated for fantasy purposes between now and Week 1. The Patriots are at the top of that list, with last year’s second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson often taking a backseat to Stevenson during his rookie campaign. Even with Stevenson heavily involved, Henderson ended the season with 911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards and 10 total TDs. The 23-year-old was a top-10 fantasy back over the final eight weeks and flashed more than enough potential to think he’ll grow into a bigger role and become a weekly fantasy difference-maker as early as this season.

That doesn’t mean Stevenson won’t have value. The veteran will still be used as a complementary piece and is likely going to see more touches than Henderson’s fantasy managers would like in 2026. Though he’s not as sexy of a fantasy pick as some of the other names on this list, Stevenson will have plenty of standalone value as a RB3/flex option. Just don’t be surprised when his touches slowly decline as the more explosive Henderson gains the coaches’ trust - which is why the sophomore is being drafted as RB20 while Stevenson is going off the board as RB28.

5. RJ Harvey, Broncos

J.K. Dobbins will likely begin the season as the starter once again, but like every other campaign in his career, an injury seems inevitable. That’s why Harvey has an ADP in the sixth round, while Dobbins is being taken in the ninth. Before the veteran got hurt last year, Dobbins was the RB22 in fantasy points per game (11 fppg) with Harvey playing a part-time role that let him be the RB33 (8.7 fppg) and a boom-or-bust flex option during that stretch. However, once Dobbins was sidelined, it was Harvey’s time to shine. From Week 11 on, the rookie was the RB9 on a per game basis (15.3 fppg) with four top-12 weekly finishes over his last six outings.

Sean Payton always likes to deploy multiple backs and it’s possible we could see the Broncos add a rookie to this mix, which would complicate things further. But for the time being, Harvey is still a player to target because of Dobbins’ undeniable durability concerns that’ll lead to Harvey capturing more work in the second half of the season — when it matters most for fantasy.

6. Kenneth Gainwell, Buccaneers

Gainwell didn’t find a starting job in free agency, but he came away with the next best thing. In Tampa Bay, he’ll step into Rachaad White’s old role as an overqualified No. 2 back with weekly RB3/flex potential thanks to his pass-catching prowess. Last year in Pittsburgh, Gainwell caught 73 balls for 486 yards and three touchdowns, while finishing the year with over 1,000 scrimmage yards and eight total TDs.

He also proved to be more than capable of handling the starting job when called upon. In the four games where Gainwell saw at least 15 touches for the Steelers, he posted 134 yards and two TDs in the first, 105 yards in the second, 122 yards in the third and 126 yards in the fourth. If Bucky Irving misses time again, Gainwell will immediately be in the conversation as a top-15 fantasy back.

7. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jaguars

A competition is brewing in the Jaguars’ backfield between 23-year-old Bhayshul Tuten and Rodriguez, who will turn 27 during the season. Rodriguez has been in the league for three years and hasn’t topped 500 rushing yards, so consider me skeptical that a fantasy breakout is coming for a veteran with very little upside as a pass-catcher. Even if Tuten fails to emerge as a true lead back, Rodriguez would find himself in a committee with a fantasy ceiling as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3.

It’s worth noting that last year, Tuten had over 100 touches and starter Travis Etienne Jr. was still a top-10 fantasy back on a per game basis. So Rodriguez will have a role, while also providing his managers with one-injury-away upside in a very strong Liam Coen offense.

8. Jordan Mason, Vikings

The Vikings almost moved on from Aaron Jones Sr. before a last-minute contract revision kept him in Minnesota. However, the veteran back will turn 32 in December and comes with an extensive injury history, including 11 missed games over the last three seasons. While Mason hasn’t pushed his way past Jones on the depth chart, he has been productive in his opportunities. Despite the struggles of the offense as a whole, when Jones was out of the lineup for over a month early in the season (Week 3 to Week 7), Mason was the RB16 in fppg.

And when Jones sat out Week 18, Mason had his second-highest yardage total of the season with 94 yards on 14 carries. With Kyler Murray’s arrival hopefully breathing life into the offense, Mason could be a sneaky stash who might emerge as Minnesota’s lead back if Jones hits the trainer’s table again.

9. Brian Robinson Jr., Falcons

Robinson has quietly occupied a spot in my top-10 backup running backs for multiple seasons now. He’s only two seasons removed from posting 1,101 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns, while finishing as the RB21 in fantasy points per game as a member of the Commanders. He was a must-roster bench stash last year as the next man up behind Christian McCaffrey, who surprised everyone by staying healthy all season.

Now Robinson joins the Falcons, where he’ll serve a similar role behind another superstar back in Bijan Robinson. Unlike a lot of the other names on the list, I don’t expect him to offer much in terms of flex value, but he would instantly vault into the top-20 fantasy RBs if Bijan suffers an injury.

10. Emanuel Wilson, Seahawks

While Wilson might not be a long-term starting option, he’s currently the leader in the clubhouse to top the depth chart for the Seahawks until Zach Charbonnet is healthy in the second half of the season. We’ll see if Seattle invests in another back in the draft, but Wilson has shown more than enough to be a temporary starter.

Last season in Green Bay, Wilson was given at least 10 touches in six different games and posted over 80 yards and/or a touchdown in five of those appearances. That included a monster Week 12 when he turned 30 touches into 125 yards and two scores. Wilson rounds out the top 10 thanks to a solid résumé and the chance to get significant volume early in the season.

Former starters recovering from injuries

• James Conner, Cardinals

Backups who could challenge current starter

• Jonathon Brooks, Panthers

Strong backups who need to survive the NFL draft

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Commanders
• Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants
• Tyjae Spears, Titans

Backups with Flex potential

• Keaton Mitchell, Chargers
• Isiah Pacheco, Lions
• Woody Marks, Texans
• Dylan Sampson, Browns
• Alvin Kamara, Saints (if he doesn’t retire)

High-upside backups with question marks

• Braelon Allen, Jets
• Tank Bigsby, Eagles
• Ray Davis, Bills

Upside backups to stash

• Jordan James, 49ers
• Trey Benson, Cardinals
• Sean Tucker, Buccaneers
• Jaylen Wright, Dolphins
• Najee Harris, Free agent
• Emari Demercado, Chiefs

Backups to stash in deep leagues

• Jaydon Blue, Cowboys
• George Holani, Seahawks
• Chris Brooks, Packers
• Justice Hill, Ravens
• Ollie Gordon, Dolphins
• Kendre Miller, Saints
• Devin Neal, Saints
• DJ Giddens, Colts
• Tahj Brooks, Bengals
• Isaiah Davis, Jets
• MarShawn Lloyd, Packers
• Phil Mafah, Cowboys
• Michael Carter, Titans