5 Dynasty Draft Values: Running Backs (2026 Fantasy Football)

Running backs are the most volatile position in dynasty fantasy football. They’re injury-prone and easily replaced at the NFL level, which is why I’m generally more comfortable spending draft capital on quarterbacks and wide receivers.

But that doesn’t mean I’m ignoring the position entirely. There are a handful of backs I’m genuinely excited about heading into startup season, and today I’m covering the five I’m targeting most aggressively.

Fantasy Football Dynasty Startup Running Back Targets

To gauge market average draft position (ADP) for dynasty startups, I’m referencing Dynasty Data Lab ADP, which pulls real startup data from Sleeper. As always, these values are based on Superflex/TE-Premium scoring — the most common dynasty league format.

Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)

Bhayshul Tuten comes in as my RB20 (79 overall), versus a market ADP of RB24 (86 overall). The bull case is straightforward: We’ve seen what Liam Coen can do with his running backs, putting Bucky Irving on the map as a rookie in Tampa Bay and resurrecting Travis Etienne‘s career in Jacksonville.

With Etienne heading to New Orleans this offseason, Tuten has the opportunity to be Coen’s next star back. Some have raised concerns about Chris Rodriguez Jr. cutting into his workload, but he has been cut or waived four times since 2024. If Tuten is any good, Rodriguez shouldn’t be a legitimate threat to his fantasy upside.

Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)

Jonathon Brooks slides in as my RB28 (118 overall), well ahead of his market ADP of RB36 (134 overall). Brooks suffered two ACL tears in the same knee just one year apart, which has kept him off the NFL field since December 2024.

Fast forward 18 months, and Brooks has reportedly looked fantastic in organized team activities (OTAs) for Carolina, putting him on track to be fully ready for Week 1.

It’s also worth noting that Brooks was a top-50 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the first running back off the board in that class. Chuba Hubbard is coming off a brutal 2025 season, stats-wise. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Brooks is a significantly better talent than Hubbard when both are healthy.

Emmett Johnson (RB – KC)

I was surprised to see just how far ahead of consensus I am on Emmett Johnson. I have him as my RB40, but he’s going as late as RB47 in dynasty startup drafts this offseason. That feels quite low for the projected No. 2 back in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense.

Even on contingent upside alone, Johnson should be valued higher than this. If something happens to Kenneth Walker III during the season, Johnson could be stepping into a three-down role overnight. But the contingent upside isn’t even the whole story.

Johnson was arguably the best pass-catching back in this entire rookie class. He wasn’t overly efficient as a rusher in college, but I can see him carving out a legitimate third-down role in Kansas City.

Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – NO)

While I agree with the general range that Travis Etienne is going in dynasty startups (somewhere in that round six/round seven turn window), I have him a bit higher than the market in my positional ranks — RB18 versus the market’s RB21.

Etienne just signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Saints this offseason, with $24 million guaranteed. At a minimum, he’s in New Orleans through 2027, as there’s no reasonable out for the next two years. With three straight seasons of 250+ rush attempts, we know Etienne can handle a feature back workload, and he provides a very nice receiving floor.

It’s a bit disappointing Etienne won’t be playing under Liam Coen again in 2026, but I’m a firm believer in Kellen Moore, and this Saints offense is clearly trending in the right direction. I’m also firmly in the camp that Alvin Kamara is dust and is a non-threat to Etienne’s role in 2026.

Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)

Similar to Travis Etienne, I’m comfortable with the late-fourth startup value Breece Hall currently holds, but I have him three spots higher in my positional ranks as my RB10 overall.

From a pure talent standpoint, the gap between Hall and backs like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson is incredibly thin. The differentiator has always been the same: Breece Hall plays for the New York Jets.

There’s no denying the Jets’ inability to move the football and score points has capped his upside over four seasons. Even so, I think it’s bullish that Hall signed such a lucrative extension with New York this offseason.

Hall’s three-year, $43.5 million deal makes him the fifth-highest-paid running back in the league on a per-year basis and signals that the Jets intend to build the offense around him.

I’m expecting a jump in offensive efficiency in New York in 2026 with Geno Smith under center and some newly added weapons in the passing game. Defenses will need to respect the pass more than they did with Justin Fields at the helm, which should make life easier for Hall.

And who knows, maybe the Jets land their franchise quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft and Hall’s best football is still ahead of him. I’m fine continuing to bet on his talent.

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