Running backs are all the rage this offseason in fantasy football. Posting seven of the top 10 non-quarterback fantasy totals last year, the fantasy running back meta is back. The market reflects this, with 11 of the top 17 picks in average draft position (ADP) being ball-carriers.
With all the focus on running backs, it is arguably more important than ever to find value at the position. One of the clearest ways to do that is to find whose ADP is being suppressed by a poor 2025 season. This season, these bounce-back values are hard to find as the position did not have a lot of surprises in 2025.
Last year, 11 of the top 12 backs drafted finished the season in the top 14. The one outsider was Bucky Irving, who missed most of the season due to injury. As a result, 10 of last year’s top 12 in backs ADP are once again being selected inside the top 12 in 2026.
- Fantasy Football Research & Advice
- Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
Fantasy Football Bounce-Back Running Backs
Below are four backs who could enter the top 10 at the position despite missing out last season.
Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
Entering his second season in the league, this is more of a “bounce” in the right direction rather than a “bounce back.” For fantasy, Ashton Jeanty did not produce the numbers we were hoping for. Finishing as the RB13 in half-PPR, it was by no means a bad season for the young back. That said, what can his 2026 look like?
It may seem overzealous to see a significant bounce forward from 1,321 total yards and 10 touchdowns. However, Jeanty is one of the best running back prospects we have seen over the last decade.
Last season, Jeanty was fifth in snap share at running back and first in backfield opportunity shares. If this usage continues, all we need is for the offense to take a step forward to have a huge season.
Thankfully, the Raiders’ offense looks like it’s not just taking a step forward but a leap. With the signing of superstar offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, it was clear that the management was focused on improving the offense this year.
Not only is Linderbaum a huge upgrade, but guard Kolton Miller (who missed most of 2025) is healthy. We also have Klint Kubiak joining the team after scheming an incredibly efficient offense to a Super Bowl championship last year.
With the improvements to the team as a whole and the stranglehold that Jeanty has on this backfield, the sky is truly the limit for the second-year pro. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeanty cracks the top five at the position.
Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)
After running laps around the position in 2024, Saquon Barkley’s finish of RB14 was a shock. Despite only missing one game, he scored 214 fantasy points compared to the 339 points he scored in 2024. That’s a decrease of 37% and 7.8 fewer fantasy points per game.
The last time a star running back’s production decreased by over 100 fantasy points in back-to-back seasons while playing 14+ games in both seasons was Austin Ekeler with the Chargers in 2022 and 2023. The season after, Ekeler took another step back.
Any comparison to Barkley can be swept aside with the sole argument that he is truly a generational talent. However, there were signs that last season may not have been a fluke.
With the entire Eagles’ offense taking a step back, it was no surprise that regression was coming. That said, on the same offense, Tank Bigsby had a rushing success rate of 53.4% compared to Barkley’s 42.1%. To put it in perspective, Barkley’s 2024 success rate was 52.5%.
At the end of the day, the Eagles’ offense with Sean Mannion should be a lot better than it was with Kevin Patullo in 2025. Will Barkley be able to bounce back after an underwhelming season? Sure, it all depends on how we define bounce back. Will he bounce back to a top-five fantasy season? I don’t see it. But if he plays 14+ games, he should finish inside the top 10.
Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
Josh Jacobs finds himself in a similar situation to Saquon Barkley, but for very different reasons. Unlike Barkley, who has a new offensive coordinator and is on a team primed to bounce back from top to bottom, Jacobs finds himself in a very similar situation to last season.
In 2025, the Packers found themselves second in their division with a 9-7-1 record. The offense scored the 14th-most points per game, three fewer than the previous season, when they were eighth in the league. With that difference in team offense, it would make sense that Jacobs fell from the RB5 to the RB12 across those seasons.
However, last season, Jacobs scored two fewer touchdowns than in 2024 and had the same number of receptions. He also saw a similar average in snaps — 36 snaps per game in 2024 and 36.2 in 2025. What changed? The answer is efficiency.
Although he was still effective, Jacobs’ 1.6 fewer fantasy points per game were a direct result of a decrease in yards per touch. This may be nothing, but it also could be a sign of deterioration. Over the last five years, only Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have had more rushing attempts. Jacobs hasn’t fallen off the cliff yet, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he is near the edge.
The biggest difference is that two of the team’s receivers from last year are now on different teams. With Romeo Doubs departing for New England and Dontayvion Wicks joining Barkley on the Eagles, there should be some extra targets to go around. Either way, we have seen a very similar involvement in the passing game from the veteran running back.
The last part of the Jacobs discussion is his offseason arrest for a domestic abuse case. No charges have been filed, and the arrest was a result of a mandatory arrest clause in the state. Still, legal expert and fantasy analyst Drew Davenport said that when an outside party calls in a domestic dispute, it usually means something alarming was going down.
That said, Davenport also doesn’t believe that Jacobs will be disciplined this season. Even if the legal matter doesn’t affect his availability this season, it is important to bring it up, as it could affect his mindset throughout the offseason.
Of the names so far, I am least confident that Jacobs will finish in the top 10. This is predominantly due to his reliance on touchdowns over the last two years, scoring 30 in 32 games. However, the Packers are one of the most stable organizations. Jacobs could return to the top 10 at the position, but he’ll need to maintain his prolific touchdown rate.
Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
Every year, we do this dance with Breece Hall and the Jets. We once again have the talented back trying to stay afloat on a mediocre Jets offense. Thankfully, he has sorted out his contract situation this offseason and won’t have that hanging over his head.
After his RB4 season in 2023, Hall finished as the RB17 and RB18, respectively, in the last two years. In 2024, his RB17 finish was devastating for those who took him at his RB2 ADP. As for last season, he nearly returned to fantasy prominence after being selected as the RB16. This year, he is in a similar range, going as the RB15.
With Geno Smith commanding the offense, this may be the most stable quarterback Hall has played with in his young career. That said, we are also coming off a horrific season for Smith with the Raiders in 2026. The Jets also spent two first-round picks on their offense in Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. The team is clearly trying to take a step forward on offense, and should rely heavily on Hall and Garrett Wilson.
I don’t necessarily believe Hall will “bounce back,” as he seems fairly priced in drafts. That said, if this offense is functional, he should outplay his ADP. However, to crack the top 10 at the position, Hall needs the Jets to have their best offensive season in recent years.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn