4 Dynasty Trade Targets: Running Backs (2026 Fantasy Football)

With NFL free agency officially underway and prospects heading to new homes, now is the perfect time to revisit dynasty rankings and reassess values. Differing opinions on these moves are inevitable, which creates a window to send out dynasty trade offers and capitalize on fantasy football value before the dynasty community fully digests the fantasy implications of each move. Strike while the iron is hot.

To that end, I’ve identified four running backs to target this offseason (each directly or indirectly impacted by the free-agent market) where my rankings sit ahead of Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR). I’ll make my case for each one below.

4 Dynasty Trade Targets (2026 Fantasy Football)

Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB – JAX)

My Rank – RB52
ECR – RB79

Rodriguez just signed a 2-year, $10 million deal with Jacksonville ($6.2 million guaranteed) following the departure of Travis Etienne.

Bhayshul Tuten appears to be the Jaguars’ lead back heading into 2026, though Jacksonville holds a ton of draft capital this offseason, so nothing is set in stone. Etienne’s departure is an obvious stock-up for Tuten in dynasty, but the sneaky winner here is Rodriguez.

Liam Coen has a proven track record of running back success. He put Bucky Irving on the map as a rookie in Tampa Bay and helped revive Etienne’s career this past season in Jacksonville. Tuten was handpicked by Coen, so I’m not suggesting Rodriguez will take over the backfield, but he has a real chance to be the 1B here with contingent upside if anything changes.

The value is hard to ignore. Rodriguez was efficient as a rusher in 2025, finishing 8th in the NFL in yards after contact per attempt (3.46, min. 100 attempts). He’s a zero in the receiving game, so the ceiling is capped, but you can acquire him for a single third-round rookie pick.

Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)

My Rank – RB39
ECR – RB53

Believe it or not, I’m probably the resident “bear” over at Dynasty Football Factory when it comes to Brooks. But relative to the dynasty community, I’m well ahead of consensus with him ranked as my RB39 overall.

Brooks wasn’t a free agent this offseason, but he’s a clear beneficiary of Rico Dowdle signing with Pittsburgh. The Carolina backfield is now Chuba Hubbard, Jonathan Brooks, and Trevor Etienne. Hubbard may technically be the RB1 on the depth chart today, but he was certifiably awful as a rusher in 2025, and I’m not sure he holds off a healthy Brooks for long.

The obvious red flag here is the injury history. Brooks suffered multiple ACL tears on the same knee within 13 months. That’s real. But he’s still just 22 years old, was the top running back prospect in the 2024 class, and is reportedly making good progress in rehab, with a full return expected for 2026. If he stays healthy, I don’t see how Carolina keeps him off the field. Target Brooks with a late 2026 second-round pick or a pair of future thirds.

Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)

My Rank – RB20
ECR – RB27

We’ve already touched on Tuten, but the short version is, it’s wheels up in 2026. Jacksonville holds 11 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, including four in the top 100, so I can’t say with confidence they don’t take a running back this spring. That said, Tuten would be the RB2 of this draft class behind only Jeremiyah Love, making it unlikely any rookie comes in and takes his job.

Tuten is Coen’s guy, and we just watched Coen take a Day 3 back in Bucky Irving and turn him into a superstar from day one. Who’s to say Tuten can’t see a similar meteoric rise? His price has naturally climbed since the Etienne news, but the dynasty community may still be sleeping on him. Check in with the Tuten manager in your league and see where his price sits. If you can land Tuten for a veteran like Josh Jacobs or Derrick Henry, take that deal and don’t look back. A late 2026 first (1.10-1.12) is also worth throwing out there to see if you get a bite.

Kenneth Walker (RB – KC)

My Rank – RB9
ECR – RB13

Kenneth Walker made headlines as arguably the biggest mover in free agency this week, signing a 3-year deal with Kansas City for $43 million ($28.7 million guaranteed).

Like Tuten, Walker’s dynasty price has climbed significantly this week, but value may still be there depending on your league. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive; Walker now has legitimate top-5 upside at the position each season. I’ve moved him up to my RB9 overall, just ahead of Breece Hall and Bucky Irving.

Walker is exactly the type of playmaker Kansas City has been missing. The Chiefs have ranked near the bottom of the league in explosive play rate over the past several seasons, and Walker’s home run ability directly addresses that. He’s not the highest success rate back in the league, but he has the juice to take it to the house on any carry and the profile to handle a three-down workload in this offense. As a side note, Isiah Pacheco landed in Detroit, removing some backfield noise. He wasn’t a real threat to Walker’s role, but it tidies things up nicely all the same.

Thanks for checking out today’s article. If you have any dynasty, devy, or C2C-related questions, I can be reached on X @jim_DFF.