Several notable running backs are recovering from injuries, impacting their fantasy football prospects for 2026. Understanding their recovery timelines can provide a drafting advantage.
Key points
Injuries are a common issue in football.
Fantasy football requires adaptability due to unpredictable injuries.
Some players may return by Week 1 while others face longer rehabs.
Understanding injury recovery can aid in fantasy drafts.
Injuries are the worst part of football. No one wants to see players get hurt and have to go through grueling recoveries in order to get back on the field. Unfortunately, it’s an unavoidable byproduct of an incredibly physical sport.
When it comes to fantasy football, you have to be adaptable because injuries are difficult to foresee. However, you can give yourself an advantage in drafts if you’re able to accurately predict when injured stars will return to action.
While some players are ahead of schedule and should be back to form in time for Week 1, others are facing more challenging rehabs that could keep them sidelined well into the season.
Let’s continue this series by taking a look at the fantasy running backs who are working their way back from serious injuries and what it could mean for their outlooks in 2026.
Fantasy Outlook: Skattebo is someone I’ve already written about multiple times this offseason due to the volatility around his fantasy value in 2026. The list of his injuries is impossible to ignore and the gruesome nature of how it occurred is difficult to forget. Though he’s expected to be cleared for the season, we don’t know whether the 24-year-old will be fully back to form yet.
The possibility also exists that the Giants draft a running back, perhaps even taking star prospect Jeremiyah Love with the fifth overall pick. It would be a tough outcome for Skattebo if that were to occur, but we’ve seen plenty of Day 3 backs get replaced after posting decent rookie campaigns.
While Skattebo was extremely productive in his first season, it amounts to a small sample size since he only suited up in eight games. That being said, he did average the sixth-most fantasy points per contest among running backs during his last six outings and earned 22 touches per appearance in his final four starts.
Q&A
Which running backs are recovering from injuries for the 2026 fantasy football season?
The article discusses various notable running backs who are currently rehabilitating from serious injuries as they prepare for the 2026 season.
How do injuries affect fantasy football draft strategies for 2026?
Injuries can significantly impact draft strategies, as predicting player recovery timelines can help managers make informed decisions on when to select injured stars.
What is the expected recovery timeline for injured running backs in 2026?
Some running backs are expected to return by Week 1, while others may face longer rehabilitation periods that could delay their return.
Why is it important to monitor running back injuries for fantasy football?
Monitoring injuries is crucial as it allows fantasy managers to adapt their strategies and potentially gain an advantage in player selection during drafts.
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If he’s close to 100% and the Giants don’t spend an early-round pick on the position, Skattebo will have a strong chance to be a top-20 fantasy RB with RB1 upside. However, he needs to survive the draft and prove he’s overcome the devastating injury before fantasy managers can feel confident drafting him. In the meantime, I’ve continued to draft and acquire Skattebo in all formats, understanding the risk involved.
Fantasy Outlook: Judkins is in a similar situation as Skattebo following a scary leg injury. However, Judkins suffered his injury two months later, which gives him less time to work with if he’s going to be back to full strength for Week 1.
If all goes according to plan, Judkins should be on the field for the opener, but the condensed recovery timeline makes me more concerned about him not being able to replicate his rookie production in the early part of the season.
After all, Judkins had an impressive debut campaign on a subpar Browns team, totaling 998 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns in just 14 appearances. The 22-year-old also finished as the RB22 in fantasy points per game (11.2) despite dealing with injuries and playing in a Cleveland offense that lacked quality quarterback play most of the year.
You could argue Judkins has a much higher ceiling as well, because If we isolate the five games before he suffered his first injury (shoulder), the second-rounder was the RB14 over that stretch (14.6 fppg).
There’s no doubt Judkins is locked in as the long-term starter for the Browns and he’s already shown the talent to be a difference-maker at this level. Unfortunately, I’m hesitant to invest in him coming off a serious injury in December. If anything, Judkins might be a buy-low candidate after the first month once he gets closer to his pre-injury form.
Fantasy Outlook: Fantasy managers have waited a while for Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III to be given an opportunity to start in separate backfields. The cruel twist of fate is when that scenario finally materialized this offseason, Charbonnet is dealing with a torn ACL that will likely sidelined him for the first two months and maybe longer.
Seattle signed free agent Emanuel Wilson as an insurance policy for the first half of the season. As it stands, he’s set to compete with George Holani to be the temporary starter until Charbonnet returns. It’s also very possible the Seahawks draft a back, since they’ve met with Mike Washington Jr., Jonah Coleman and Emmett Johnson, who they could target with their second- (64th overall) or third-round (96th) picks.
A healthy Charbonnet would still be favored to start over everyone mentioned in the previous paragraph, but redraft managers will need to be patient while holding him in their injured reserve spot and hoping for a late-season surge. In dynasty, he’s likely the future star of this backfield — we just might have to wait until 2027 to see him flourish.
Fantasy Outlook: The good news is that Dobbins is already back to full health and back in a familiar role after re-signing with the Broncos. Before the veteran got hurt last year, Dobbins was the RB22 in fantasy points per game (11) with rookie R.J. 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.
The bad news is that Dobbins’ durability concerns are not going away after yet another season cut short by injuries.
The veteran, who turns 28 in December, has yet to complete a full NFL campaign without an injury costing him significant time. So, while his return to Denver lowers the odds of a true R.J. Harvey breakout season, it’s tough to project Dobbins being available unscathed for the entire year.
That means Harvey could once again be a key piece on fantasy title rosters, like he was last year when he broke out as the RB9 in fppg (15.3) with four top-12 weekly results over his last six outings.
It could also manifest in the Broncos drafting a running back to eventually be Dobbins’ replacement, making up one half of the backfield tandem with Harvey. Denver hosted prospect Jonah Coleman on a top-30 visit and he would fit that role perfectly. It’s worth noting that Sean Payton has an affinity for deploying multiple backs.
If you do draft Dobbins, just be ready to pivot when his annual injury woes pop up again. He’s the kind of fantasy asset you can draft as an early-season starter, but who you should instantly be trying to trade after his first big game.
Fantasy Outlook: The Cardinals’ backfield will look a lot different in 2026 after the arrival of Tyler Allgeier in free agency and with the rumors the team could be interested in Love with the third overall pick. Using a pick that high on a running back doesn’t seem like the best move for an organization in the midst of a rebuild, but stranger things have happened.
Either way, Allgeier projects to be the starter with contributions from Conner and/or Benson along the way.
While Conner is the favorite to maintain a role next to Allgeier, he’s also about to turn 31 in May, just restructured his contract by taking a pay cut to stay in Arizona and is returning from a season-ending ankle/foot injury that required surgery.
Though Benson is younger (turns 24 in July), he has yet to live up to the third-round pick the Cardinals used to draft him in 2024. He’s also coming back from a meniscus tear that derailed his campaign and the front office’s recent moves don’t make it seem like they view him as a real starting option.
As we wait to see what Arizona does in the draft, I’m viewing Conner and Benson as two players competing for a backup role behind Allgeier, which severely limits their fantasy value.
Fantasy Outlook: Brooks has made more headlines for injuries than he has for anything else since being drafted during the second round in 2024. And while there’s been some hype surrounding his return — you should proceed with caution.
Chuba Hubbard had a down year due to injuries last year, but he’s just one year removed from a 1,366-yard, 11-touchdown campaign that allowed him to finish as the RB12 in fantasy points per game. The veteran still has plenty of tread on his tires entering his age-27 season.
Meanwhile, Brooks is trying to overcome ACL tears in 2023 and 2024, which is no simple feat. We don’t even have proof of concept yet, since he’s barely suited up in the pros. His only NFL action came during a three-game stretch late in his rookie season when he turned nine carries into 22 yards and three catches in 23 yards. Hardly eye-popping numbers and those occurred before his second ACL injury.
Fantasy managers addicted to finding the next breakout or sleeper will be eyeing Brooks and it’s certainly possible he defies the odds and goes on to have a great career. However, recapturing his pre-injury form is far from guaranteed. It should be considered a win if he’s just able to secure the backup role behind Hubbard.
I’m valuing Brooks as an intriguing bench stash with an outside shot to earn more volume, but I’m keeping my expectations in check.
