It's never too early to look to the future, and we're already starting to plan for the 2026 fantasy season. That's right, it's not even a matter of Super Bowl for now, but we are already preparing for the next fantasy campaign.
With that in mind, here's a first look at our starting 2026 running back rankings. We are well aware that many things can change with the advent of free will and NFL Draft.
But based on what just happened in the 2025 season, as well as what we think could happen in the offseason, here are the top 12 running back rankings for the 2026 class from our CBS Sports staff.
Jamie Eisenberg
1. Sesame Robinson
2. Jamir Gibbs
3. De'Von Achane
4. Christian McCaffrey
5. Jonathan Taylor
6. James Cook
7. Omarion Hampton
8. Chase Brown
9. Josh Jacobs
10. Ashton Ginty
11. Derrick Henry
12. Saquon Barkley
What caught our eye: Henry just turned 32, and we don't know what's going to happen to him. Crows This is the off-season. But at age 31, he averaged 15.7 PPR points per game and was second in the standings. NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns and second in rushing yards with 1,595. He didn't get his numbers very well at times, but he still managed to go seven games with at least 17.4 PPR points. And in most leagues' Fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17), Henry averaged at least 22.8 PPR points twice. I can understand the skepticism about Henry at his age, and at some point Father Time will call. But I'm still willing to draft Henry in the second round if he decides to play in 2026.
Adam Eiser
1. Sesame Robinson
2. Jamir Gibbs
3. De'Von Achane
4. Omarion Hampton
5. Christian McCaffrey
6. James Cook
7. Jonathan Taylor
8. Josh Jacobs
9. Chase Brown
10. Saquon Barkley
11. R.J. Harvey
12. Ashton Jeanty
What stood out: Adam is the best of the two rookies in Hampton and Harvey, and there's a lot to like about their upsides. We all have Hampton in the top 12 and he was great when healthy in 2025. He missed seven games with a foot injury and then rested in Week 18 to prepare for the tournament. NFL playoffsbut in nine healthy games, he scored at least 14.7 PPR points five times. He also had four games with at least five receptions, and Chargers Hopefully the offensive line will be healthy and injury free in 2026. Hampton could be a first-round pick next season. As for Harvey, he became stronger at the end of the season after J.C. Dobbins (foot) was injured in the 10th week. Harvey has scored at least 18.6 PPR points in four of his last six games, including six total touchdowns and three starts with at least four receptions during that span. I'm waiting Broncos use multiple running backs in 2026, so we'll see who complements Harvey next season. However, he can be targeted as early as the second round.
Heath Cummings
1. Jamir Gibbs
2. Sesame Robinson
3. Christian McCaffrey
4. De'Von Achane
5. Jonathan Taylor
6. James Cook
7. Josh Jacobs
8. Ashton Jeanty
9. Chase Brown
10. Travis Etienne
11. Omarion Hampton
12. Saquon Barkley
What stood out: The Heat are the only ones to put Etienne in the top 12, and I'm curious what will happen to him this offseason since he's a potential free agent. Jaguars could re-sign him or give him a franchise tag, and ideally he would stay in Jacksonville to continue his play from 2025 onwards. Etienne had an outstanding season, with 260 carries for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns and 36 catches for 292 yards and six touchdowns on 52 targets. He averaged 14.7 PPR points per game, and Liam Cohen's offense revived Etienne's career after a dismal 2024 in which he averaged 8.7 PPR points per game. Depending on what happens this offseason, Etienne could become a solid second-round pick in most leagues, and then we could join the Heat in placing Etienne in the top 12.
Jacob Gibbs
1. Jamir Gibbs
2. Christian McCaffrey
3. Sesame Robinson
4. De'Von Achane
5. Jonathan Taylor
6. James Cook
7. TreVeyon Henderson
8. Josh Jacobs
9. Ashton Jeanty
10. Omarion Hampton
11. Cam Tax Chamber
12. Chase Brown
What stood out: Jacob is the only one to put Skattebo in his top 12, and I'm hoping he's healthy for the start of 2026 following the ankle injury he suffered in Week 8 of his rookie campaign. Before his injury, Skattebo was a fantasy star and averaged 15.9 PPR points per game, which was the best among rookies. In six games where he had double-digit carries, Skattebo averaged 19.1 PPR points, seven total touchdowns and had 24 catches for 207 yards on 32 targets. Let's see who Giants hire a coach, and hopefully there won’t even be a separation in contacts between Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr.. But given what Skattebo showed in a small sample size in 2025, there's a lot to be excited about about his upside, and we're hopeful he'll be ready for Week 1 in 2026.
Dave Richard
1. Jamir Gibbs
2. Sesame Robinson
3. De'Von Achane
4. Christian McCaffrey
5. James Cook
6. Jonathan Taylor
7. Omarion Hampton
8. Chase Brown
9. Ashton Jeanty
10. TreVeyon Henderson
11. Josh Jacobs
12. Saquon Barkley
What stood out: Dave and Jacob were the only ones to have Henderson in the top 12, and I'm curious to see where Fantasy managers pick him in 2026. At this point I'm guessing it's round three at the earliest. He was great at times in his rookie campaign in 2025, scoring at least 17.3 PPR points in four games, but two of those came when Rhamondre Stevenson was out of the house. In 14 games with Stevenson, Henderson averaged just 9.5 PPR points per game, and Stevenson is under contract through 2028. I like Henderson's upside as much as anyone, but he's only played more snaps than Stevenson three times. It looks like we'll have a tandem again in 2026, so Henderson isn't in my top 12 at the moment.
Dan Schneier
1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Sesame Robinson
3. Jamir Gibbs
4. Jonathan Taylor
5. De'Von Achane
6. James Cook
7. Chase Brown
8. Ashton Jeanty
9. Derrick Henry
10. Saquon Barkley
11. Josh Jacobs
12. Omarion Hampton
What stands out: We all have McCaffrey in our top five, but Dan is the only one who has him at No. 1. And the question of when to draft McCaffrey will be one of the biggest offseason talking points for Fantasy managers. McCaffrey excelled again in 2025 when he ranked first among non-quarterbacks with 23.8 PPR points per game. He finished the regular season with 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with 102 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns on 129 targets. But he turns 30 in June and has over 400 total touches in 2025, which is a major red flag. He last played a full season under a huge workload in 2023, returning the following year and being limited to four games by injury – a risk that now increases with his age. For now, I'll still be picking McCaffrey in the first round, but I don't want him ahead of Robinson, Gibbs, or Achane.
