2026 Fantasy Football: Week 9 RB Rankings

I guess we aren’t going to get a break. Whether it’s bye weeks, injuries, timeshares, or poor performances, it simply doesn’t end. The running back position is simply insane, and now we have trade rumors to work through. Both Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor can be moved over the next week plus before the NFL Trade Deadline. Each transaction comes with a downhill impact, but that’s left for another day. Let’s try to make sense of the overall picture and dig into our Week 9 NFL running back rankings.

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Running Back Notes

Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos

This is going to be the week. At least, it feels that way.

With RJ Harvey on the Injured List, the Broncos backfield has cleared up a little bit. However, as Harvey exits, Coleman arrives. With that, though, it does appear we have clarity. We have been hearing about Coleman for a week, and now he’s healthy and ready to deliver on that upside, potential, and optimism.

Last week, Coleman led Denver with 15 touches compared to seven carries for Dobbins. While Dobbins might receive goal-line work, it’s clear that things are trending in this direction. The rookie finished with 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 63 yards. That came after he gained 54 yards on nine carries the week before as Coleman seems to be settling in nicely.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

After rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns, Judkins followed that up with just 25 yards on 11 carries last week. However, facing the New Orleans Saints should be a lot easier than facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Saints rank at the top of the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs in the form of allowing 139 rushing yards per game. That’s in stark contrast to the Steelers allowing 84 rushing yards per game.

The one thing we don’t have to worry about with Judkins is quantity. Cleveland will continue to feed Judkins the ball as it fits into the flow of the game, and this matchup should be a perfect example of that.

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

Is Jeanty just a pass-catching threat now? That’s a far cry from the late first-round pick he was in the majority of leagues this season. To be fair, though, it’s not like Jeanty has done much in his professional career to stand out as a ball carrier.

Despite getting 266 carries last season, Jeanty gained just 975 yards. He was also busy in the passing game with 55 receptions, but big plays weren’t exactly his specialty with 346 receiving yards. That has changed this season, though, as Jeanty is already up to 376 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 37 receptions. In fact, it’s that production that has saved him from a fantasy perspective to begin the season.

Since carrying the ball 23 times for 102 yards in Week 1, everything has consistently gone downhill. We’ve seen Jeanty’s carries decrease each week. That’s all the way down to two carries for nine yards last week after essentially being benched for the majority of the afternoon. The running back did finish with three catches for 64 yards in Week 8.

Moving forward, trusting Jeanty is going to become increasingly difficult. While Mike Washington will continue to be a real factor as a ball carrier, Jeanty should get more than two carries. When you combine that with about five catches per game as a floor, all isn’t lost. However, it is downgraded.

Check out all of our Week 9 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings | MOP Rankings

Week 9 Running Back Rankings

Make sure to check out all of our Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!