We’re still a few months from peak draft season, but with NFL free agency behind us, we can start looking at early fantasy football average draft position (ADP) value.
On this page, we’re going to focus on FantasyPros expert consensus rankings (ECR) to find out the running backs to avoid.
Read on to learn why I’m fading Christian McCaffrey, De’Von Achane, and Javonte Williams for the 2026 fantasy football season.
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Running Backs to Avoid (2026 Fantasy Football)
Each of these three running backs has enough red flags to make you avoid them for the 2026 fantasy football season. This is related to workload, injury history, and team context. I won’t be taking these players in any of my leagues.
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF)
The time to buy Christian McCaffrey is when he’s coming off an injury-plagued season. That’s when the draft market is lower on him, so you can secure the value. But now, CMC is priced at his peak, which is concerning because of the extreme workload that he saw last year. This is a player coming off 311 carries and 102 catches. It was a 400+ touch season for a running back who is about to turn 30 years old.
I know, McCaffrey is one of the best running backs of our generation. But he showed signs of decline as a runner last year, with his yards per carry falling to 3.9, which was his lowest since 2020. The 49ers would be wise to bring in another running back in the draft this year, as giving this many touches to a 30+ year old is a recipe for disaster.
I would rather roll the dice on a young running back like Ashton Jeanty or simply take a wide receiver instead of paying a premium for CMC this year. The risk is too high with him coming off such a heavy workload.
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
De’Von Achane is one of the best running backs in the NFL. This is an explosive runner who can make a major impact in the passing game. However, I’m concerned about his 2026 outlook.
For one, the Dolphins signed Malik Willis to be their new starting quarterback. Rushing quarterbacks tend to scramble first rather than look for the checkdown, which could affect Achane’s receiving production. Additionally, by trading Jaylen Waddle, it’s clear that the Dolphins are rebuilding. To that end, this offense could be a complete dumpster fire.
Going from Mike McDaniel to Bobby Slowik and Kevin Patullo is bad news for Achane. I’m not a fan of what new head coach Jeff Hafley has done with this coaching staff. There’s also a chance that the Dolphins bring in another running back in the draft to ease Achane’s workload. After all, the bellcow usage came with McDaniel, so we can’t assume that will continue with a new coaching staff.
Javonte Williams (RB – DAL)
Javonte Williams was one of the steals of the draft last year. But like CMC, the time to draft Javonte is when he’s priced at rock-bottom, not at a premium. Why buy high on a player who has consistently dealt with injuries?
I get it, the Cowboys have a high-powered offense, where Javonte can have chances to score a bunch of touchdowns. But this is a player who finished with 14.1 fantasy points per game last year (RB12). Do we really think that he’s going to be better than that in 2026? You have to take him around RB18, so there’s not as much room for profit at cost as there was last year.
There’s also the chance that the Cowboys draft a running back to share some of the workload with Javonte. Perhaps they will even get Jaydon Blue more involved than he was last year. I’d rather wait and go with Bhayshul Tuten than take Javonte at this price.
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