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It’s time for another 2026 fantasy football season, with the arrival of NFL training camp bringing with it drafts across the globe. The top running backs will once again go off the board early, so we’re highlighting some mid- and late-round options to target in fantasy drafts.
Let’s dive into our list of running backs you should target for fantasy football this season. For this exercise, we’ll focus on ESPN’s average draft position.
Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Javonte Williams blossomed last season with the Dallas Cowboys, recording over 1,300 scrimmage yards with 13 total touchdowns in 16 games. We think he’s capable of doing a little more this fall. Dallas clearly loves to use Williams near the goal line (T-fifth in carries from inside the 5-yard line) and this offense figures to be one of the best in the NFL in 2026. Williams is absolutely capable of averaging over 4.6 yards per carry again and even if he doesn’t contribute a ton on passing downs, it’s not easy to find 1,100-plus rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns. We’d pick Williams before Josh Jacobs (26.0 ADP), Kenneth Walker III (28.6 ADP) and Cam Skattebo (43.6 ADP).
Related: Underrated Fantasy Football QBs to Target for 2026
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) runs to the sideline ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. (39) as a flag for holding flies during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
We’d understand fantasy football managers being hesitant about investing draft capital in any Cleveland Browns skill player outside of Harold Fannin Jr. It also doesn’t help that Quinshon Judkins spent his first full offseason recovering from a gruesome leg injury and he averaged just 3.0 yards per carry in his final 10 games before the season-ending injury. However, we like the improvements made to the Browns offensive line this offseason and there’s no denying his explosiveness as a ball-carrier. We already view Judkins as a mid-tier RB2 for the upcoming season and with the workload he’ll handle, we think Judkins’ upside is a low-end RB1.
Related: 2026 Dynasty QB Rankings
Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
TreVeyon Henderson wasn’t quite the fantasy football darling everyone hoped for in his rookie season, at least not initially. The New England Patriots brought him along slowly, with the 5-foot-10 back handling just 53 carries (6.6 per game) in his first eight contests. He was unleashed in the second half of the season. From Weeks 9-17, Henderson averaged 14.1 carries and 75.9 rushing yards per game with 8 rushing touchdowns and a 5.4 yards-per-carry average. He also helped out in the passing game (122 receiving yards on 19 receptions). We believe the player who averaged 89.4 scrimmage yards per game with 9 total touchdowns in the second half will be the version of Henderson we get in 2026. The RB1 upside is real.
Related: 2026 Dynasty TE Rankings
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) warms up ahead of the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
David Montgomery was an excellent complementary back for the Detroit Lions, and now he gets his shot to be the primary ball-carrier again. We recognize the Houston Texans‘ offensive line is the biggest weakness on the team, but the front office made improvements to it this offseason, and we anticipate seeing real gains made with the run blocking. We’re predicting double-digit touchdowns for Montgomery this fall and 900-plus scrimmage yards is doable.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesCredit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
We’re joining those rolling the dice on Jonathan Brooks this season. It helps that the Carolina Panthers coaching staff has talked him up a lot this summer and beat writers have said there’s a path to him being the team’s RB1. Thanks to two ACL tears, Brooks has only handled 9 career carries since he entered the league. With that said, he was a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a reason, and there are very few play-callers we have more confidence in than Dave Canales. We’d consider Brooks a FLEX fantasy starter entering training camp, but he could wind up producing like a reliable RB2.
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Let’s dive into our list of running backs you should target for fantasy football this season. For this exercise, we’ll focus on ESPN’s average draft position.
Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys – 37.1 ADP
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Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Javonte Williams blossomed last season with the Dallas Cowboys, recording over 1,300 scrimmage yards with 13 total touchdowns in 16 games. We think he’s capable of doing a little more this fall. Dallas clearly loves to use Williams near the goal line (T-fifth in carries from inside the 5-yard line) and this offense figures to be one of the best in the NFL in 2026. Williams is absolutely capable of averaging over 4.6 yards per carry again and even if he doesn’t contribute a ton on passing downs, it’s not easy to find 1,100-plus rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns. We’d pick Williams before Josh Jacobs (26.0 ADP), Kenneth Walker III (28.6 ADP) and Cam Skattebo (43.6 ADP).
Related: Underrated Fantasy Football QBs to Target for 2026
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns – 52.6 ADP
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Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) runs to the sideline ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. (39) as a flag for holding flies during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
We’d understand fantasy football managers being hesitant about investing draft capital in any Cleveland Browns skill player outside of Harold Fannin Jr. It also doesn’t help that Quinshon Judkins spent his first full offseason recovering from a gruesome leg injury and he averaged just 3.0 yards per carry in his final 10 games before the season-ending injury. However, we like the improvements made to the Browns offensive line this offseason and there’s no denying his explosiveness as a ball-carrier. We already view Judkins as a mid-tier RB2 for the upcoming season and with the workload he’ll handle, we think Judkins’ upside is a low-end RB1.
Related: 2026 Dynasty QB Rankings
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots – 66.1 ADP
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Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
TreVeyon Henderson wasn’t quite the fantasy football darling everyone hoped for in his rookie season, at least not initially. The New England Patriots brought him along slowly, with the 5-foot-10 back handling just 53 carries (6.6 per game) in his first eight contests. He was unleashed in the second half of the season. From Weeks 9-17, Henderson averaged 14.1 carries and 75.9 rushing yards per game with 8 rushing touchdowns and a 5.4 yards-per-carry average. He also helped out in the passing game (122 receiving yards on 19 receptions). We believe the player who averaged 89.4 scrimmage yards per game with 9 total touchdowns in the second half will be the version of Henderson we get in 2026. The RB1 upside is real.
Related: 2026 Dynasty TE Rankings
David Montgomery, Houston Texans – 72.5 ADP
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Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) warms up ahead of the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
David Montgomery was an excellent complementary back for the Detroit Lions, and now he gets his shot to be the primary ball-carrier again. We recognize the Houston Texans‘ offensive line is the biggest weakness on the team, but the front office made improvements to it this offseason, and we anticipate seeing real gains made with the run blocking. We’re predicting double-digit touchdowns for Montgomery this fall and 900-plus scrimmage yards is doable.
Jonathan Brooks, Carolina Panthers – 131.4 ADP
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Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesCredit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
We’re joining those rolling the dice on Jonathan Brooks this season. It helps that the Carolina Panthers coaching staff has talked him up a lot this summer and beat writers have said there’s a path to him being the team’s RB1. Thanks to two ACL tears, Brooks has only handled 9 career carries since he entered the league. With that said, he was a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a reason, and there are very few play-callers we have more confidence in than Dave Canales. We’d consider Brooks a FLEX fantasy starter entering training camp, but he could wind up producing like a reliable RB2.
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