Our fantasy football roundtable series turns its attention to running backs. In case you missed our Q&A on quarterbacks, we have enlisted a standout crew of contributors to The Athletic fantasy football, including Jake Ciely, Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Brad Evans, Michael Salfino, Jess Bryant and Brandon Funston.

Who deserves to be the first RB off the draft board? Will Jeremiyah Love’s rookie season go better than Ashton Jeanty’s 2025 inaugural campaign? Which time-share back has the best chance to break free of his constraints? Read on for our answers to these questions, and stay tuned in later this week for our running back, wide receiver and tight end roundtables!

Note: All Average Draft Position (ADP) references below are from Fantasy Pros’ real-time ADP.

Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson? What is the biggest deciding factor in who you are taking?

Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs — who do you got? (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Ciely: Just like our childhood Mario versus Sonic debates, this is tough. Initially, I was barely leaning Robinson with the injury to Cade Mays for the Lions, and Robinson already had more FPPG last year. After watching Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1, though, I’m leaning slightly back to Gibbs.

Behrens: It’s Bijan for me, but essentially a coin flip. Robinson is simply one of the greatest do-everything backs we’ve seen. He moves unlike any player his size. I’d give him a slight workload edge over Gibbs, even in the post-David Montgomery era.

Del Don: I have Gibbs slightly higher. Tua Tagovailoa could lead to a bunch of targets for Robinson, but I’m generally worried about Atlanta’s QB situation. The Lions are projected to have a far better offense, and Gibbs has averaged easily the most fantasy points in NFL history during games without David Montgomery.

Evans: Squirt a little Bijan on your sandwich and dig in. Robinson’s pass-catching usage gives him the edge. Most talent and fantasy evaluators believe Atlanta’s defense will be bottom-10 overall in the league. As a result, Robinson will eclipse 2,000 total yards with 12-15 scores and 80-plus receptions. Delicious.

Salfino: The thing that’s most advanced in ranking RBs is expected QB play given the backs need third-down conversions to add touches and to get red-zone possessions. So it has to be Gibbs/Jared Goff over Robinson/Tua (or Michael Penix).

Bryant: Jahmyr Gibbs, primarily because of my belief in the Lions’ offense. While Bijan Robinson was incredibly successful last season behind a strong O-line in a Cousins/Penix-run offense, I don’t think it gets better with Tua Tagovailoa, and it could get worse. I think there’s more certainty with Gibbs. The Lions lead back is sure to get as many or more touches this year with David Montgomery gone, and Detroit’s offense will score points. I don’t love the Cade Mays (Lions center) injury, but putting Tate Ratledge at center is a solid coaching choice.

Funston: Gibbs is set for the biggest workload of his career. As Ben Gretch wrote in his projections intel column, the Lions’ offense looks to be very consolidated this season and he expects a “monster season from Gibbs, perhaps among the best we’ve seen at the position.” Gibbs averaged 1.15 PPR points per touch last season and 1.20 in 2024. Robinson’s marks in the past two seasons were 1.01 (2025) and 0.94 (2024). If Gibbs gets the expected bump in volume, he should roll to the top RB spot.

Which top-12 RB in ADP would you be most unlikely to draft given the price?

Ciely: Ashton Jeanty. The QB situation should be better, the offensive line should be better, and the offense under Klint Kubiak should be better. It’s a big jump from RB17 in FPPG though. I believe … just more of a backend top-10 believe.

Behrens: Omarion Hampton is the one guy on the list who isn’t like the others in my opinion. As long as someone in the draft room views him as a sure thing, I’ll never get him.

Del Don: I’m drafting Chase Brown and Kenneth Walker ahead of De’Von Achane, who has the higher ADP. Miami is projected to be one of the NFL’s lowest-scoring teams; there have been only two top-10 fantasy finishes from an RB on a bottom-five offense over the past five seasons. Achane will also go from a QB with one of the league’s highest checkdown rates to a QB with one of the lowest. Achane has averaged just 2.4 targets and 10.5 fantasy points in eight games without Tagovailoa over the past two years.

Evans: Saquon Barkley. Whether you’re looking at YAC per attempt, missed tackle rate, yards created per touch or various other advanced analytics, Barkley proved tofu bland last season. The Eagles’ offensive line should be stellar, and Nick Sirianni is a run-heavy coach, but the quads have to seriously flex for Barkley to regain my trust. I will not own a single share of Saquon in the roughly 933 leagues I’m participating in this year. The under-the-surface data reveals a horror story.

Salfino: Depends who got hurt at practice today, given the daily injuries at RB in mid-August. But assuming health, Kenneth Walker. I don’t think this KC offense is going to be above middle-of-the-pack in scoring, I have no confidence in Walker as a bell-cow/receiver and Patrick Mahomes had 60 points in fantasy last year on scrambles, extending so many drives. That’s gonna vanish in 2026.

Bryant: Jeanty disappointed last season, but the Raiders’ offensive line will be at least a little better this year, and last year’s version can be somewhat to blame for some bad stats: Jeanty had 26.7% of his rushes go for 0 or negative yards (53rd among 55 RBs with 100+ touches) with a -0.20 EPA/rush (52nd) and 0.60 yards before contact per touch (53rd). Jeanty has no competition for touches, but I worry his upside is limited at the price.

Funston: I know we are supposed to ignore coach speak during the preseason but it’s kinda hard when Chargers OC Mike McDaniel directs his comment directly to our community. Said McDaniel, “”Bad news, fantasy owners. Good news is I see all three of those guys producing at a very high level. Bad news is I can’t tell you which games those are.” McDaniel was of course talking about Hampton, Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell. And as Salfino wrote in his Zero RB column, Mitchell was a lightning-quick signing by the Chargers the moment free agency opened, with John Harbaugh gushing about how dangerous RBs with Mitchell’s speed can be. There’s too much noise here to feel comfortable with Hampton as RB9.

Which RB outside the top 20 in ADP are you targeting most based on value?

After catching 73 passes in Pittsburgh last season, Kenneth Gainwell could prove to be a popular target for Baker Mayfield in 2026. (Cliff Welch / Getty Images)

Ciely: It was Jonathon Brooks, and now, it’s even more so. If Brooks is anything like his pre-injury self, he would push Chuba Hubbard for the lead and possibly take it by midseason. With Hubbard (hamstring) sidelined, the door is wide open, and Brooks could have that lead immediately and never give it back.

Behrens: I’m floored by the ADP on Quinshon Judkins. He’s much better than the other backs in his draft neighborhood. I’d be happy to select him at least a full round higher than he’s typically taken. It’s possible we’re all running away from the Browns, despite all their young talent.

Del Don: I’m mostly grabbing running backs early and avoiding this RB21-30 range, but Jonathon Brooks screams value at his RB34 composite ADP. Brooks goes 30+ picks earlier as the RB27 in recent NFFC drafts. Chuba Hubbard was one of the league’s worst starting backs last season and is currently week-to-week (hammy). Meanwhile, Brooks was a legit prospect who’s finally put his knee woes behind him.

Evans: Shiver me timbers! Gainwell is impossible to pass up around pick No. 100 overall. Though Bucky Irving is likely to dominate early-down and goal-line work, Kenny G is sure to tally sound production weekly in PPR leagues. Last year with the Steelers, Gainwell ranked top-seven among all RBs in yards per route run, catch rate and target share. He’s bound to become a Baker Mayfield favorite. Another 60-plus grabs with 5-7 total TDs are reachable.

Salfino: I do not understand Rhamondre Stevenson’s ADP. But I’ve written about him so much. Ditto J.K. Dobbins and Jadarian Price. So we need a fresh face: Jordan Mason. He does have to compete with the ghost of Aaron Jones.

Bryant: At RB27, I like Rhamondre Stevenson, who will get at least a 50-50 split of backfield touches and likely closer to 55%. He has a safe floor compared to other backs in this range, and his ceiling is the 25-35 PPR points we saw in Weeks 17 and 18 in 2025. He was better than TreVeyon Henderson last season (who’s going two rounds earlier). He’ll get early-down work and be used in the passing game — he was targeted 2.64 times per game last season.

Funston: TreVeyon Henderson (RB24) was a mixed bag as a rookie, but he finished RB21 in PPR formats despite not logging a weekly finish higher than RB24 until Week 9. From that point on (Weeks 9-18), he finished as the RB9. Henderson’s rookie season really wasn’t a far cry from Jahmyr Gibbs’ — a few more touches and yards for Gibbs, but nearly the same yards per touch mark (5.4 to 5.3) while operating in a split backfield. The news that Henderson will split the workload again with Rhamondre Stevenson in 2026 is not that damning. Though I think he’ll see more, even if he only runs back the same 215 touches from his rookie season, you don’t think down-field threat of A.J. Brown won’t help lighten the box?

Where are you ranking Jeremiyah Love (high-ankle sprain) among RBs, and would you be Over or Under on a 14.4 PPR PPG mark for his rookie campaign (Jeanty’s mark from 2025)?

Ciely: He’s a low-end RB2 for me now, as the Cardinals don’t need to force him into a high workload (no play on words intended) upon return, given Tyler Allgeier being adequate. I’ll lean slightly under (on 14.4 FPPG) given the few games sharing with Allgeier, plus the uncertainty that Jacoby Brissett is the QB the entire season.

Behrens: I wouldn’t bet that total, to be honest, because it feels just about right. If forced to guess, I’d say under. Love is an obviously talented runner who will definitely not have full ownership of the full Arizona backfield workload. His injury — suffered in an exhibition game in which he handled 14 touches! — should allow his draft price to settle at a reasonable level. He’s my RB17, which probably means I’ll never land him.

Del Don: The under is more likely to hit thanks to a slow start with Love dealing with a high-ankle sprain, but the rookie has remained my RB13 even after the injury. Love looked like a star before suffering the sprain during his debut, and every back in his tier enters with question marks. Love will make a big fantasy impact in the second half when it matters most, including a favorable schedule during the playoffs (NYJ, @NO, LV).

Evans: Over! At print time, it’s unknown how severe Love’s high-ankle setback really is. If the mild variety, he should be close to full strength in time for the opener. However, if worse, he could be limited well into the regular season. Still, this riverboat gambler has faith in the talent and presumed quick-healing ability. Deficits in Arizona will be as common as saguaros dotting the landscape. Hola, Love receptions. Assuming at least 15 games played, he’ll be good for 1,300 total yards, 5-7 TDs and 55-plus catches. Buy on the bear.

Salfino: It’s more about the games than the PPG. He’s probably not healthy to start the year. If he plays through it, he won’t be healthy all year and his PPG will fall short of that mark. If he sits for the first month of the regular season and gets fully healthy for a team going nowhere, he will beat the mark. The Cardinals are stupid, so I will take the under.

Bryant: I don’t trust that Love will be back for Week 1, but given he won’t need surgery, he shouldn’t be out too long. I’m over 14.4 FPPG only if he plays when healthy, but it’s tough to spend on him in the second round, given Arizona’s plethora of depth at the position, and backs like David Montgomery and Quinshon Judkins available in the fifth. RB17 or RB18 seems about right, pushing him into the late third or early fourth, and I doubt I’d get him there.

Funston: He’s my RB18, and I think he comes in under Jeanty’s mark of 14.4. That was also basically the mark of Bijan Robinson in his rookie campaign (14.5) when he shared the backfield with Tyler Allgeier. But Bijan didn’t enter his rookie campaign with a high-ankle sprain, so I’m taking the under on Love.

Which non-Notre Dame rookie RB would you be most willing to stash on the end of your fantasy roster this season?

Backing up an oft-injured J.K. Dobbins, Denver rookie Jonah Coleman has stash appeal in fantasy football. (AAron Ontiveroz/ Getty Images)

Ciely: The popular pick seems to be Jonah Coleman, but unlike most, I’m not tossing aside RJ Harvey like my drifting stick N64 controllers. So, give me Mike Washington. I think Nicholas Singleton is a great stash given both Tennessee lead backs are impending free agents, but Singleton probably doesn’t get evaluated for 2027 until later in the year. If anything were to happen to Ashton Jeanty, Washington would be an immediate RB2 with Chris Carson/Jay Ajayi similarities.

Behrens: Nick Singleton is one of my most-drafted players, because A) I think he has some juice, B) Tennessee’s backfield depth chart isn’t too intimidating and C) neither Tony Pollard nor Tyjae Spears is under contract next season.

Del Don: Emmett Johnson also possesses upside, but give me Coleman. The rookie enters the season third on Denver’s depth chart, but there’s a good chance he’d take over base-down work should J.K. Dobbins get seriously injured yet again. Coleman has received praise from Denver’s coaching staff throughout training camp, and Dobbins has never reached 200 carries in a season, averaging just 7.8 games played over six years in the league. Coleman could have a big impact during the fantasy playoffs.

Evans: Jonah Coleman. Clearly he’s behind Dobbins and Harvey on the depth chart, but he’s a pinball between the pipes. His contact balance, versatility and fall-forward abilities are striking. Built like a nesting doll, he should inflict damage at some point this season. Denver’s elite offensive line and generally healthy offensive environment only boost the breakout appeal. Consider him one muscle tweak away from entering the RB2 conversation in 12-team leagues.

Salfino: I’m not a fan of rookie RBs with third-round-plus draft capital. At all. They have to show me something first. At best, it will be a slow-developing story. But I guess Coleman, assuming Dobbins gets hurt again.

Bryant: There’s a path to playing time for Coleman this year. He could surpass Harvey and get more work alongside Dobbins, or if Dobbins goes down, feature as the lead back in Denver. The Broncos have one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines, so if he gets touches, he’s in a good position to score fantasy points and hold on to the job in the future.

Funston: I can’t veer from the crowd here. As a Washington Huskies fan, I watched Coleman a ton the past couple seasons. Let’s be clear, he’s more than just a early-down replacement should Dobbins go down (again). He’s good in pass protection and he’s an adept receiver, twice averaging more than 11 yards a catch on at least 25 receptions. The object in Harvey’s rear-view mirror may be closer than it appears.

Who is the biggest risk/reward RB pick for this season?

Ciely: Even before the Najee Harris signing, it was Cam Skattebo. He could be the bell-cow with passing-game upside, and go Juggernaut on defenses. At the same time, a mix of John Harbaugh and Greg Roman already carried committee-backfield risk, and Harris is now in tow. Skattebo could be Mark Ingram of the Ravens, without the touchdowns carrying him to a top-20 finish.

Behrens: While I am certainly not one of the Omarion Hampton zealots, I’m willing to concede that it’s possible the Chargers will be one of the right answers in fantasy football this season. If so, Hampton might be headed for a monster TD total. But if the Chargers remain Chargerly, I’m not convinced he can deliver value on his aspirational ADP.

Del Don: It’s Christian McCaffrey yet again. McCaffrey has either finished as the RB1/2 or missed 10+ games for six straight seasons, recording three of each. CMC had 24.0 expected fantasy points (PPR) per game last season, and the next closest back averaged 18.7! He’s also 30 years old, coming off 450 touches and currently missing time with “tightness.” CMC enters 2026 with the upside of the No. 1 overall fantasy player and the downside of missing significant time yet again.

Evans: This one may seem like every gummy in the bag was consumed, but Saquon Barkley possesses significant boom/bust appeal. Yes, the Eagles’ offensive line is arguably top-five on paper, but Jalen Hurts’ often gross inaccuracy could lead to an uncomfortable number of stacked boxes. Most unappealing, Barkley ranked poorly in missed tackle rate (RB27), YAC per attempt (RB47) and yards created per touch (RB48) last season. With an effective backup in Tank Bigsby lurking and given the disgusting analytics profile, he’s boom/bust. Then again, so is virtually every RB in the league.

Salfino: I focus more on reward and that means cheap with explosive play-making and, to me, someone who doesn’t need an injury to be playable. So, Keaton Mitchell.

Bryant: At the RB3 price, Christian McCaffrey, though that’s an obvious answer. He was the only RB to have over 400 touches last season, and that’s a lot for a 30-year-old, injury-prone back. His ceiling is another No. 1 RB finish, but the floor is an early-season injury or lost explosiveness.

Funston: Same answer as last year — Christian McCaffrey. The reasons have already been spelled out here. I’ll just say that the amount you pucker up and forget how to breathe normal after a selection tells you how much of a risk your are taking on. If you draft CMC, you’ll be waiting until December to exhale.

Which of the following is your favorite one-injury-away potential league winner?

• Blake Corum (LAR)
• Tank Bigsby (PHI)
• Kenneth Gainwell (TB)
• Kyle Monangai (CHI)
• Brian Robinson (ATL)
• Chris Rodriguez (JAX)
• Isiah Pacheco (DET)

Ciely: If anyone answers with anyone but “the guy playing for Sean McVay,” they’re insane.

Behrens: First of all, it’s interesting that our editors selected Rodriguez here and not Bhayshul Tuten. Let’s please respect co-starter status! Secondly, the actual answer has to be Corum. He’s truly one injury away from ranking as an every-week, matchup-proof top-10 back.

Del Don: Corum would also immediately become an RB1, but I’ve been loading up on the less expensive Bigsby. The 23-year-old jumped off the tape during his limited touches after getting traded to Philadelphia last season, and few , if any, offer Bigsby’s upside at his ADP. Assuming his recent toe injury is minor, Bigsby has “league winning” fantasy potential should Saquon Barkley go down. MarShawn Lloyd could also be thrown in here too.

Evans: Tank Bigsby. The ultimate handcuff in fantasy, the Eagle has a chance to fly high if Saquon Barkley were to be sidelined. In limited work last season, Bigsby proved ultra efficient, slotting No. 3 among qualifying RBs in YAC per attempt. He also totaled an absurd 28.5 percent missed tackle rate and an impressive 5.9 yards per touch. He’s one ankle wrench away from being a legit RB1 in 12-team and deeper formats.

Salfino: Corum, obviously. I think he and Gainwell and Rodriguez are going to be playable with near 50% market share right away. Monangai is similar. Pacheco is a dead player to me since his leg injury. So that really only leaves Bigsby.

Bryant: I know Sean Tucker’s still in Tampa Bay, but Gainwell had an excellent year with the Steelers last season, and he’s a real receiving threat out of the backfield. Gainwell also had 3.2 yards after contact per rush, which is higher than you might expect from a receiver-first back, and Tampa Bay’s O-line (and offense) should be better than Pittsburgh’s, which should bump up his yards before contact mark (1.53 in 2025). He had seven games of over 16 PPR points last season and 20+ on four occasions, topping out at 31.4.

Funston: I don’t want to risk being labeled “insane” by Jake for going against Corum here, but it would be nice if the Rams threw to their RBs more — bottom-three in RB receptions seven straight seasons. That made me think about Gainwell, since he’d have a high receptions ceiling in Tampa with Bucky Irving out, but Corum does a pretty good Kyren Williams impersonation, and Williams has three consecutive top-nine RB finishes as the Rams’ lead.

Which of these presumed time-share backs has the best chance to rise above and finish inside the RB top 20?

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS)
• Rachaad White (WAS)
• Chuba Hubbard (CAR)
• Jonathon Brooks (CAR)
• Jaylen Warren (PIT)
• Rico Dowdle (PIT)
• Aaron Jones (MIN)
• Jordan Mason (MIN)

Ciely: This is another layup question (Jonathon Brooks) … mainly because I already answered it with a previous question. Like finding a warp pipe letting you jump all the middle levels, I was nearing the endgame already, and so should you.

Behrens: Jordan Mason has become a pet player for me. He’s basically the Kirkland Signature version of Omarion Hampton, minus the receiving workload. If the Vikings offense regains its footing, Mason could be headed for double-digit touchdowns.

Del Don: Brooks has just nine career NFL carries and is returning from his second ACL surgery, but all signs point to him finally being back to 100 percent. He likely would’ve been the second RB drafted in this year’s rookie class, and Hubbard is one of the league’s most replaceable starters (and already injured). Brooks has three-down ability, and he’s easily my preferred target in this tier.

Evans: Jonathon Brooks. Given Chuba Hubbard’s week-to-week hamstring strain, Brooks has strong odds of carving out an immediate workload. If he exhibits a hot hand, he could overtake Hubbard on the depth chart promptly. Still fairly discounted in drafts, Brooks is someone to circle on your cheat sheet.

Salfino: Well, Warren just was a top-20 RB (19th in FPPG last year). Brooks has not proven he’s healthy. Mason could/should start and was top 20 in his starts last year. I feel like those are cheating. I will go JCM since he’s available so cheaply even though he’s a starter.

Bryant: What if Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle both finish inside the top 20? They each achieved the feat last year, as did Kenneth Gainwell, who was previously on the Steelers in a timeshare with Jaylen Warren. It’s the rushing ability (both over 3.0 yards per rush after contact) and receiving ability (2.81, 2.94 targets per game for Warren and Dowdle respectively in 2025).

Funston: Give me Warren, who finished in the top 20 last season despite teammate Kenneth Gainwell finishing one spot ahead of him on the strength of 73 receptions. Aaron Rodgers dinked and dunked the Steelers to the second-most RB receptions in the league last season, and I expect Warren to fill more of the Gainwell role this season as Rico Dowdle takes on more of the ground work. I think Warren still has a solid chance to push 250 touches, with roughly 60 of them being receptions. That could easily deliver top-20 returns.