Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Running Backs (2026 Fantasy Football)

We’ll have you covered as you prepare for your 2026 dynasty rookie drafts. In order to dominate your dynasty rookie draft, check out our expert consensus running back dynasty rookie draft rankings. And sync your dynasty league to practice with fast and free dynasty rookie mock drafts. Below, we dive into running back dynasty rookie draft rankings from some of our fantasy football expert community.

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2026 Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Running Backs

Here are our latest running back Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings from our consensus of fantasy football experts. You can find the latest running back Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings and sync your fantasy football league for specific advice.

Derek Brown shares his outlook for a few dynasty rookies.

Kaytron Allen is built like a bowling ball. He has a low center of gravity, which helps him make a difficult wrap for defenders at times. He’s able to keep his legs churning and run through half-hearted tackling attempts. Allen is a patient back that allows his blockers to clear the road before he charges down it. Allen’s burst and raw speed are below-average. He’s at his best when getting downhill immediately and getting a head of steam built up. His lateral agility is lacking at times, so asking him to operate in a stretch zone-based scheme wouldn’t be ideal. With his limited athletic profile, Allen is a capped passing game option, but he can still operate as a valuable checkdown option. His route deployment will be limited, but he has soft hands with only one drop in his final season. His stature helps him in pass protection with a solid anchor. He can hold his own with incoming rushers bearing down, but speed rushers can give him issues. With his limited lateral agility, speed options can easily bypass him as they barrel toward the quarterback. Allen isn’t a make-you-miss type of back, but he can deploy a well-timed jump cut at times to get the job done. He’ll be heavily dependent upon his offensive line at the next level because he won’t be creating a ton of yards on his own (especially near the line of scrimmage). Dynasty Outlook: Kaytron Allen was selected by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. This backfield is a wide-open competition between Allen, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and Jerome Ford. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them is named Week 1 starter when it’s all said and done. Ford and White are also on one-year deals, so the team could opt to run with Croskey-Merritt and Allen as the leaders of this backfield with multiple years of runway for them with the franchise. Allen is a decent dart throw at a possible Week 1 starting back.

Eli Heidenreich was a Swiss army knife weapon for Navy. He finishes his collegiate career with 1,157 rushing yards (no more than 77 carries or 499 rushing yards in any season). In 2025, he also had 79 targets, 18.5 yards per reception, and 941 receiving yards. In 2025, Heidenreich spent 44.3% of his snaps in the backfield, 14.7% of them in the slot, and 32.9% as a perimeter wide receiver. His eventual home in the NFL is likely as a slot receiver. When utilized as a backfield/rushing option, it was as a motion player or getting him to the perimeter with toss plays. He didn’t operate with a heavy dose of traditional running back usage in the rushing department. As a receiver, he has legit route-running chops, and he can win from the perimeter. He has a serviceable release package, but he’ll need to continue to add to that tool belt and refine his footwork to work on the boundary. As a slot option, Heidenreich can already win against zone. He has a decent understanding of pacing against zone coverage and leverage. Dynasty Outlook: The Navy standout and Pittsburgh native was selected by his hometown team in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Heidenreich has the raw athletic upside and versatility to squint and see a potential starting NFL slot receiver a few years down the road if everything works out in his favor. The chances of it coming to fruition are slim, so don’t overspend in any rookie draft. He’s a third or fourth round dart throw/taxi squad option only.

Dean Connors is a solid all-around back who should settle in as an RB2/passing down back for an NFL team. He finishes runs well with plus leg drive as he grinds out extra yards. He’s not an explosive runner, but he can pick up tough yards. Connors has average contact balance and burst. He doesn’t have stellar long speed and gets caught from behind with runs, but he plays with max effort and has no issues lowering his shoulder to make defenders pay. Conners is solid in pass pro. He can quickly diagnose his assignment and attacks incoming defenders with a solid base. Connors can anchor and hold his own while displaying good lateral agility to maneuver into position to meet defenders head-on. Connors is a trusted check-down option in the passing game. He finishes with an overall 14.4% collegiate target share and 1.43 yards per route run or higher in two of his final three collegiate seasons. He had only one drop in his final season. Dynasty Outlook: Connors joins a stacked Rams backfield as a UDFA. He’ll have to beat out Ronnie Rivers to earn a job with the Rams as their RB4. It’s possible, but not probable. I’ll pick Connors up off waivers after rookie drafts and stash him on taxi squads where I can because I’m a fan of the talent. If he doesn’t stick with the Rams, I easily could see him latching on with another team.