2026 Fantasy Football: Positional Tiers Running Backs

Not every running back is created equal. Far from it, in fact. There’s a clear difference that becomes even more startling as we work our way down the rankings. For that reason, it becomes very important to understand when to attack the position to ensure a balanced roster. It would be nice if we could all draft first- and second-tier running backs, but it’s simply not possible. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 2026 fantasy football running back tiers.

Running Back Notes

Marshawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers

Sometimes, it’s all about opportunity. If we go back a week ago, Lloyd would have been a footnote. An interesting young running back, yes, but also stuck behind Josh Jacobs. In fact, the initial write-up was going to be about Jacobs. Now, with Jacobs on the exempt list, it’s unclear when we’ll see him this season and what we can expect from him.

While he’s entering his third NFL season, Lloyd might as well be a rookie as he has just one professional game under his belt. Injuries have clearly been an issue, but the talent and upside haven’t gone anywhere. He’s both fast and athletic and, despite the injuries, he still knows the Green Bay offense. That gives him a clear advantage over the newly acquired Kaleb Johnson. The ranking might be aggressive here, but Lloyd is a starting running back with limited opposition.

Rachaad White, Washington Commanders

After four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, White joined the Commanders this off-season. Aside from 2023 when he rushed for 990 yards and scored six touchdowns, White was always in a supporting role. That’s expected to continue alongside Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but last season he also didn’t exactly distinguish himself in a leading role, which leaves a substantial opening for White.

Last year, White averaged a career-high, for the second straight season, 4.3 yards per carry. He also caught 40 passes for 218 yards in what was the worst receiving season of his career. Instead of focusing on that, I’d instead highlight his six receiving touchdowns from the year prior and his 64 catches for 549 yards two years ago.

Despite his struggles statistically, White still had an 8.3% team target rate along with an 88.9% catch rate. I’m expecting him to be heavily involved in the passing game, and that should bring a fair amount of value with it.

Travis Etienne, New Orleans Saints

Keeping Alvin Kamara around wasn’t necessarily the biggest vote of confidence for Etienne, but things quickly changed. Now that Kamara will be out for at least a month, Etienne will begin the season quite busy in his new home. After he carried the ball 260 times for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns, that part of his game wasn’t necessarily the concern. It was the third time in four seasons that Etienne broke the 1,000-yard mark, so it provides some comfort.

Etienne only caught 36 passes for 292 yards last year, but six of those receptions found the end zone. With the presence of Kamara, there was a real concern about Etienne’s role in the passing game, but I would no longer worry about that.

Tier Definitions

Tier 1: These are your first-round studs

Tier 2: I’m comfortable securing my RB1 here

Tier 3: Legitimate RB2 territory

Tier 4: This is RB2/Flex territory. There are some questions and concerns, and we could be looking at matchup plays, but they’ll likely be starting most weeks.

Tier 5: All players should be drafted here. Things need to go right, but it’s possible for there to be true fantasy value. You will get occasional starts out of this tier.

Tier 6: Take your shot to fill out the remainder of your bench. Things need to change for them to have value, but it’s possible.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2026 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!

2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Tiers