RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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It's become a trend in recent years to avoid running backs on Draft Day and focus on wide receivers. Receivers are generally considered to be safer based on health, along with the volatility of the running back position given the amount of tandems and committees around the league.
But as defenses have tried to take away big plays in the passing game, we've seen more teams become reliant on the run game in recent years. For example, in 2021 there were 17 teams that averaged at least 26 rushing attempts per game. That number jumped to 21 teams in 2025.
It's not a huge leap, but it does show run games making a resurgence in the NFL -- and for Fantasy managers. It's OK to lean into running backs once again.
With that in mind, you should go into your Fantasy draft with a plan of when to select your running backs. My favorite strategy in half-PPR remains Hero-RB -- drafting one running back in the first two or three rounds and then attacking the position with mid-round picks -- but I'm not opposed to starting RB-RB depending on your draft spot.
I don't love Zero-RB this season, but it can still work. You just have to know when to start drafting your running backs. And that's where tiers come into play.
These are running back tiers you can follow on Draft Day, and they are a better guide than just going down a rank list. I'll tell you the round range for these running backs, as well as some stats of note, and this blueprint should help you dominate your league.
With David Montgomery gone, Gibbs could be amazing for Detroit and Fantasy managers. Over the past three seasons, Montgomery missed six games due to injury, and Gibbs scored at least 21.5 half-PPR points in five of them. When Montgomery missed three games in 2024 due to a knee injury, Gibbs averaged 29.1 half-PPR points over that span. Isiah Pacheco could be an issue, but I'm not overly concerned. Gibbs could break Fantasy this year.
Robinson was awesome in 2025 with 287 carries for 1,478 yards and seven touchdowns, and he added 79 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns on 103 targets. He should continue to have a prominent role in the passing game thanks to Tua Tagovalioa, who helped De'Von Achane get 172 targets over the past two seasons for 145 catches, 1,080 yards and 10 touchdowns. And new coach Kevin Stefanski should continue to feed Robinson on the ground. I plan to draft Robinson at No. 2 overall in all leagues.
Taylor averaged 25.2 half-PPR points through the first 10 games of the season in 2025 when Daniel Jones was healthy. Taylor never eclipsed 15.5 half-PPR points in the final seven games of the season after Jones suffered a broken leg and then ruptured his Achilles. We hope Jones is back at 100 percent this year, and Taylor will hopefully perform like the running back we saw in the first half of 2025. He also set a career-high with 46 receptions last year, which would be great if he could replicate that in 2026.
Last season, McCaffrey was the No. 1 non-quarterback at 20.7 half-PPR points per game, with 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns and 102 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns on 129 targets. All of his receiving stats were the best among running backs in 2025. He also added 26 carries for 83 yards and 11 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets in two playoff games. In total, McCaffrey had 450 total touches in 19 games, and that's a lot of work. He turned 30 in June, so there are red flags for his Fantasy value this season. That said, not many players, let alone running backs, can do what McCaffrey does in Kyle Shanahan's offense. He's risky, but I would still gamble on McCaffrey in the back half of Round 1.
Brown scored at least 16 half-PPR points in four of his final five games, which coincided when Joe Burrow returned from his toe injury. For the season, Brown had 1,016 yards and six touchdowns on 232 carries and was sixth among running backs with 437 receiving yards, while adding five touchdowns on 69 catches with 88 targets. He's in a contract year, and Brown is worth drafting in Round 1.
Jeanty only averaged 12.1 half-PPR points per game as a rookie, which made him a bust, but he should rebound in his sophomore campaign. He was No. 9 in total touches in 2025 with 321 (266 carries), and his 55 receptions were No. 7 among running backs. I'm excited about Klint Kubiak taking over as the head coach, and the quarterback play in Las Vegas should be improved with the duo of Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins . Most importantly, the offensive line should be better with a healthy Kolton Miller at left tackle and the free agent addition of center Tyler Linderbaum . Jeanty should challenge to be a top-five Fantasy running back this season.
Cook led the NFL in rushing yards in 2025 with 1,621. He was third in carries (309), tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (12) and also managed 33 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns on 40 targets. We hope he's more involved in the passing game with offensive coordinator Joe Brady now the head coach, but the recent history of rushing leaders isn't ideal. Since 2020, the rushing champ -- Derrick Henry , Taylor, Josh Jacobs , McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley -- had their rushing yards decrease by at least 848 the next year. And they had a decline by at least six touchdowns. Only Barkley played a full season the following year with Henry and McCaffrey getting hurt. That said, Cook still warrants enough upside to draft toward the end of Round 1.
Walker scored at least 16 half-PPR points in all three postseason games for the Seahawks and now becomes the lead running back for the Chiefs . We'll see how much he shares work in Kansas City, but Walker's track record with a quality workload is impressive. For example, in 2025, he had 12 games with at least 13 carries and averaged 14.1 half-PPR points per game. He's expected to have a big role in the passing game, and in 2024 he was on pace for 71 receptions in Seattle. Draft him in early Round 2....
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