The Super Bowl is in just a few days, and then we are officially into the NFL offseason. As always, one of the biggest questions of the offseason is where the top free agent running backs will land. This year’s crop includes big names like Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker, as well as some sneakier options who could provide legit fantasy production in the right spot. Without further ado, here are my rankings of the top 2026 free agent RBs.
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2026 Free Agent Running Back Rankings
1. Breece Hall, Jets
Fantasy managers everywhere have been clamoring for this day for some time now. With Breece Hall wasting his prime years on the Jets, everyone — including Hall himself — will be jubilant if he finally escapes New York. He’s the epitome of the Bugatti in the trailer park meme. Now, there’s a chance the Jets use the franchise tag on him, but let’s hope they don’t ruin everyone’s fun.
Breece Hall‘s Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Hall is the cream of the crop in this year’s free agent RB class and deserves a chance to shine on a competent offense. Still just 24 years old, Hall is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season as a pro. Unfortunately, a lack of catches and scoring opportunities on a putrid offense led to his worst fantasy season on a per-game basis, as he averaged just 13.0 PPR points per game.
However, he still has plenty in the tank, and a change of scenery should do him well. He’s a true three-down back who already has an overall RB2 yearly finish (2023) under his belt. If he lands in a better situation, Hall should be right back in the RB1 conversation again. If he stays in New York in 2026, bump him down to a high-end RB2 and pray things improve offensively for the Jets.
2. Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks
For the first time in his career, Kenneth Walker suited up for all 17 games in 2025. Sadly, durability didn’t translate into fantasy success. Like Hall, he’s coming off his worst fantasy season from a per-game standpoint, averaging just 11.3 PPR points per game. Thanks to constantly being vultured at the goal line by Zach Charbonnet, Walker finished as the RB28 on average and RB22 in total points. Not great, Bob.
That said, Walker played well in OC Klint Kubiak’s system, posting a career-best 4.7 YPC and racking up over 1,300 total yards on 252 touches. His fantasy numbers just didn’t pop because he only found pay dirt five times.
It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the 25-year-old former second-round pick. As the 2025 season progressed, many assumed Walker would be leaving town to explore greener pastures. Plans may have changed once Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs; the Seahawks may now see Walker as a priority and push to re-sign him. If he either returns to Seattle with a clearer path to volume or signs somewhere willing to feature him, Walker has the home run ability to be a difference-maker in fantasy. However, we need to pay attention to the landing spot. If he ends up in another crowded backfield, it could be another frustrating season for fantasy managers.
3. Travis Etienne, Jaguars
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Travis Etienne in his five seasons as a pro. He joined his Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence as a first-round pick in 2021, but missed his entire rookie year due to a Lisfranc injury. He came back the next year and rushed for 1,125 yards and five scores, then followed that up in 2023 by averaging 16.6 fantasy PPG on sheer volume. Then his play cratered in 2024 — Etienne went from RB3 overall the year prior to RB35 — as he recorded only 558 rushing yards and two total TDs.
Enter Liam Coen. With a new play-caller and scheme in place, Etienne played like a top back once again in 2025, finishing with 1,399 total yards and a career-high 13 TDs. If he remains in Jacksonville, Etienne carries low-end RB1 upside as he’s likely to continue getting enough work to make up for middling efficiency.
Travis Etienne‘s 2025 EPX Rating
Due to his age — he turned 27 in January — Etienne is a notch below the first two guys on this list. Meanwhile, Jacksonville drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round last year, and he flashed at times as a rookie. Do the Jaguars decide to run it back with Etienne after a successful season, or do they turn the page and roll with their younger back? We’ll find out in just a few weeks.
4. Javonte Williams, Cowboys
What a pleasant surprise Javonte Williams was in 2025. Anyone who went hero or zero RB in their draft and snagged him late was rewarded in a big way. Dallas signed Williams to a one-year, $3-million deal and got far more than they paid for. The veteran set new career highs in attempts (252), rushing yards (1,201), yards per carry (4.8), and TDs (13). That production resulted in a 15.2 fantasy PPG average, which was good for 11th-best among RBs.
I have to bring up that there was a noticeable drop-off in the second half of 2025. From Week 9 on, Williams failed to post a single RB1 finish, which does raise a bit of concern. If that dip in production doesn’t worry the Cowboys and they bring Williams back, there’s no reason to think his role will be any different in 2026. In that scenario, he’ll be a mid-RB2 for fantasy purposes, with upside for more if he looks like the player we saw in Weeks 1-8 last year. However, Williams’ outlook could get murky if he hits the open market. Going elsewhere could put him in a committee role, which would limit his fantasy ceiling.
5. Rico Dowdle, Panthers
You can’t say Rico Dowdle isn’t consistent. His last two seasons were mirror images in terms of final production. In both years, he put up a 4.6 YPC and caught 39 passes. Across the two seasons, he averaged 1,078 rushing yards, 272 receiving yards and six TDs.
When Chuba Hubbard went down with a calf injury early in the season, Dowdle stepped up and smashed with back-to-back 200-yard performances. Unfortunately, he fell out of favor late in the season and had just 15 touches for 45 scoreless yards in Carolina’s final two games.
Rico Dowdle‘s 2025 Efficiency Metrics
I’d be shocked if Dowdle is back with the Panthers in 2026. He wants to go to a team where he can get a bulk of the work, and Carolina’s RB room will be crowded with Jonathon Brooks returning from a torn ACL. If Dowdle’s dreaming of a lead role, he’s likely going to be disappointed. I don’t believe there will be a massive market for services. Dowdle will be 28 when the season kicks off and seems destined to split work rather than being a true workhorse moving forward.
The Best of the Rest:
- Rachaad White looks like he’s washed his hands of the Buccaneers and likely won’t be returning. He’s a stud catching passes out of the backfield, with 205 catches in four seasons. We’ve seen his ceiling — White finished as the RB4 overall back in 2023 — so he can produce if given the touches. My hunch is he reunites with his former college QB Jayden Daniels in Washington and replaces Austin Ekeler as the third-down back.
- Teams looking for an early-down bruiser could do much worse than Tyler Allgeier. After a 1000-yard rookie campaign, the former fifth-round pick has averaged 614 yards in three seasons while playing second fiddle to Bijan Robinson. He’s coming off a career-high eight rushing TDs and will only be 26 years old when the season starts, so there should be some competition for his services. Allgeier could be a low-cost flex option for fantasy managers next year, especially in standard or half-PPR scoring.
- J.K. Dobbins was enjoying a career reassurance last season with the Broncos. In 10 games, Dobbins rushed for 772 yards and four scores while averaging a strong 5.1 YPC. Sadly, his year ended the same way it has many times before — with an injury. It sucks that Dobbins has never been able to stay healthy long enough to earn a decent contract with a team. He’ll likely have to settle for another one-year “prove it” deal in 2026.
- When Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Steelers, everyone assumed he’d just be a rotational back behind Jaylen Warren and rookie Kaleb Johnson. Instead, he carved out a fruitful role and finished 2025 with the fourth-most receptions (73) among all RBs. From Week 11 on, he was a startable PPR asset and delivered six RB1 weekly finishes down the stretch for managers when it mattered most. Any team looking for a trusty option on third downs could look to add Gainwell, and fantasy managers should keep him on their radar as a later-round selection next year.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
