Hey!
These 5 running backs could absolutely take over your league in 2026, and most of them are still going at a discount in early drafts.
Here are the 5 running backs who could break fantasy football in 2026:
#1 Omarion Hampton
The Chargers offensive line and run-blocking just got a complete overhaul.
They signed Center Tyler Biadasz, Guard Cole Strange, fullback Alec Ingold and blocking TE Charlie Kolar.
This all makes sense because Mike McDaniel is the new OC. He wants to run the ball. McDaniel has produced an RB1 every season for 3 years straight.
In Hampton’s 3 healthy games without Najee Harris on the field as a rookie, he averaged an 83% snap share and hit 21+ fantasy points twice.
#2 Bhayshul Tuten
He could earn nearly 300 touches in a Liam Coen offense, despite this Tuten’s going in Round 7 of early drafts.
He has elite 4.32 speed and scored 7 TDs on just 83 carries as a rookie. Travis Etienne is gone, leaving behind a Top-12 fantasy role.
Etienne was replaced with Chris Rodriguez who played under Coen in college at Kentucky and has averaged a career 4.6 yards per carry in the NFL.
Now we know what Coen's offense does. Bucky Irving and Travis Etienne became fantasy stars under Coen the past 2 seasons. Tuten could be next…
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#3 James Cook
Cook just led the league in rushing yards, and you can still get him in Round 2 of drafts.
In 2025 he earned 309 carries (3rd), 1,621 rushing yards (1st in the NFL), and 14 total TDs. And in 2024 he led the entire NFL in rushing TDs with 18.
The Bills led the league in rush attempts, rushing YPG, and rushing TDs last year. Cook just turned 26, just got paid, and his competition is the same as last season.
One of the cleaner RB picks on the board in the early rounds…
#4 TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson might be the next Jahmyr Gibbs, and he's going at a quarter of the price Gibbs went last year.
From Week 9 on with Rhamondre banged up, Henderson was the RB7 averaging 16 fantasy points per game with 4 multi-TD games.
Rhamondre is 28 and missed 10 games over the last 3 years. The Patriots are very likely adding AJ Brown and already ranked 2nd in scoring offense last season.
Henderson is set up well to take a Year 2 jump…
#5 Breece Hall
Hall got the franchise tag, the Jets are betting on him as their run-game engine, and the offense around him got upgraded this offseason.
They now have Geno Smith (who made Ashton Jeanty 7th in RB targets), Garrett Wilson back healthy, Two 1st Round pass-catchers and a solid O-Line filled with young talent.
Hall totaled over 1400 yards last season despite a terrible offense. But the situation should improve this year…
— Sal
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