The Top 10 | Ranking the 2026 Rookie Running Backs for Dynasty

by Wolf Trelles-Heard · Featured
dynasty rookie running backs

Ah, running backs: the very lifeblood of fantasy teams for decades. Despite the relatively short shelf life, it’s hard to win in dynasty without at least one or two running backs anchoring your squad. After getting cast aside for a while in favor of receivers, workhorse backs have made a comeback of late. Go take a look at KeepTradeCut — you’ll find Bijan Robinson sitting right at the top alongside quarterbacks Josh Allen and Drake Maye (even in Superflex formats), and Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t far behind. 

The incoming 2026 class doesn’t compare favorably against the 2025 group. Outside of Jeremiyah Love, there are plenty of question marks. It doesn’t mean there aren’t quality tailbacks in this group; it just means it’s weaker than the incoming wide receiver talent. That said, dynasty managers are always hunting for the next difference-maker at the position.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at my top 10 incoming rookie running backs for dynasty purposes.

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1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

The clear 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts — not just among running backs — but in this 2026 rookie class as a whole. Jeremiyah Love is a future bell cow, the kind of prospect fantasy managers salivate over. He’s a former high school track champion who boasts a dangerous blend of size and speed. He put all those skills on full display at Notre Dame, rushing for 2,497 yards and 35 TDs over the last two seasons with the Fighting Irish.


The Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman Trophy finalist will be the first running back off the board in the NFL draft, with several suitors potentially interested in the top 20 selections. If he gets a great landing spot with minimal competition for touches, Love has mid-RB1 capability from the jump.

2. Jonah Coleman, Washington

After Love, it’s wide open as to who the RB2 is in this class. The 5’9”, 228-pound Jonah Coleman makes a great case to be next in line. He reminds me of a stockier version of Maurice Jones-Drew. He runs with excellent contact balance, is tough to bring down, and isn’t afraid to run through defenders.

Over the past two seasons at Washington, Coleman amassed over 1,800 rushing yards, 500 receiving yards, and 27 total TDs. He profiles as a three-down back, so if he tests well at the NFL Combine, Coleman could boost his stock and climb boards to be a Day 2 selection.

3. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Well-suited for today’s NFL, Emmett Johnson possesses a nice combo of rushing elusiveness and pass-catching chops. At Nebraska, Johnson showed nice progression as a ball-carrier, increasing both his workload and yards per carry each season. In 2025, Johnson finished fourth in the country with over 1,400 rushing yards, while finding the endzone 12 times.

Johnson is especially appealing in full PPR formats, having hauled in 85 catches over the past season. He’s only 200 pounds, so he may need to bulk up a little bit if he wants to see a sizable workload at the next level. Still, if he earns Day 2 draft capital, Johnson could be an intriguing RB3 or flex option for fantasy managers as a rookie.

4. Kaytron Allen, Penn State


The 23-year-old Kaytron Allen enters the NFL as Penn State’s all-time leading rusher with 4,180 yards. Pretty impressive given the names that have come through that program, right? Allen increased his rushing output every season, capping off his Nittany Lions career with 1,303 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.

Allen is a powerful runner who displays nifty footwork and toughness between the tackles. He won’t be confused for a true receiving back anytime soon, but he did catch 70 passes during his collegiate career. Allen could be a usable flex option if he earns consistent “between-the-20s” work and double-digit opportunities per game.

5. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

While he wasn’t as productive on the ground as teammate Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton still left Penn State as its all-time leader in touchdowns and scrimmage yards. Built like a tank at 6’0” and 224 pounds, Singleton has all the tools you look for in a pro ball-carrier. He’s strong and fast, possessing an extra gear once he gets into the open field.

He was up-and-down in his four years with the Nittany Lions, and is coming off his worst season yet: just 123 carries for 549 yards. He did, however, score 13 times and displayed a real knack for finding the end zone. The talent is there, but Singleton also broke his foot during a Senior Bowl practice, so he won’t have a chance to impress teams at the NFL Combine. Singleton is the wild card of this group of backs. Outcomes could vary immensely depending on where he ends up.

6. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

He played second fiddle behind Love at Notre Dame, but Jadarian Price has a lot to like about his game. At 210 pounds, Price is built like an NFL back, with a nice mix of vision, physicality, and quick-cut ability. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry (YPC) in three seasons with the Fighting Irish and punched in 21 rushing touchdowns during that span.

Price isn’t much of a weapon in the passing game — he had just 15 receptions in 41 games. However, he does offer utility on special teams, evidenced by three return scores on only 22 kickoffs. He could start as a special teams contributor while getting sprinkled into the run game. Price has the goods; now let’s see if he lands in a spot where he can carve out an early-down or red zone role.

7. Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

This big-framed back is a fast riser in this class after turning heads at the Senior Bowl. At 6’2” and 228 pounds, Mike Washington Jr. clocked the fastest speed (21.21 MPH) among all backs in Mobile, AL, and wowed scouts in the process. He gets downhill in a hurry and possesses some surprising agility during his cuts.


The fifth-year senior heads to the league hot off the heels of a breakout final season with the Razorbacks: 167 carries for 1,070 yards (6.4 YPC) and eight touchdowns. He also chipped in 28 catches for 226 yards and another score through the air. Washington could be a sneaky workhorse at the next level if he lands in a one-cut system and gets decent draft capital.

8. Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest

With nearly 2,000 rushing yards, 51 receptions, and 23 trips to the end zone over the last two seasons, Demond Claiborne could be a nice change-of-pace back in the pros. At 5’10” and 195 pounds, he possesses above-average contact balance and patience as a runner. Claiborne doesn’t do anything at an elite level but does do everything well.

Claiborne will likely make an immediate impact on special teams. He averaged 26.3 yards per kickoff return and scored twice on just 22 attempts at Wake Forest. He’ll likely come off the board in Round 4 or 5; keep an eye out for him to see if he lands with a team in need of an explosive option behind its main ball-carrier.

9. J’Mari Taylor, Virginia


After rushing for 1,146 yards and 15 touchdowns at North Carolina Central in 2024, J’Mari Taylor transferred to Virginia and led the ACC in rushing during the regular season. In his lone season with the Cavaliers, Taylor rushed for over 1,000 yards, averaged 4.8 YPC, and found the end zone 14 times.

Taylor can also be a weapon as a receiver out of the backfield, as he posted 43 catches for 253 yards in 2025. Coming in at 5’9” and 204 pounds, he profiles as a complementary back in the pros. He’ll go on Day 3 due to age—he’ll turn 24 in March—but deserves monitoring in case he gets a suitable destination.

10. Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M

He had limited production during his time at Texas A&M, but you can see shades of a potential stud in Le’Veon Moss. He finished his Aggies career with just 1,767 rushing yards, but he averaged 5.5 YPC and hit paydirt 22 times.

Injuries are a big concern for Moss. Unfortunately, he had his senior season cut short after suffering a severe ankle injury in October, missing most of the year. That came after he tore his ACL and MCL in 2024. Two significant lower-body injuries may ding his draft stock, especially since he only appeared in 32 games across four seasons. Still, if he can stick with a team and stay healthy, there is a path where he can see the field thanks to his punishing rushing style.

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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf