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  1. Best Running Back Landing Spots For Fantasy Football
  2. Which NFL Teams Need A Running Back In The 2026 NFL Draft?
  3. Best Running Back Landing Spots For 2026 Production
  4. Best Running Back Landing Spots For 2027 Production And Beyond

The idea of “landing spot” in dynasty fantasy football evaluation is a controversial subject. I mean, some folks love their pre-draft analysis so much that they even ignore draft capital (how early a player is drafted) despite historical data suggesting it does not matter. So it’s not surprising that the team they land with is also ignored completely at times.

And, in some cases, we should ignore it. If a running back goes top 10 in the NFL Draft, for instance, the hit rate has been historically high. But we also need to keep in mind that the running back position has a much shorter shelf life than some of these other ones. You are stuck with the organization that drafted you for a minimum of four years. We saw Saquon Barkley struggle on bad teams, and we are seeing it now with Breece Hall as well.

So it’s a worthwhile exercise to look at some of the top landing spots now, especially for the short term. I mean, the draft hasn’t happened yet, so why not do some fantasy football wishing and jump out to best cast scenario after all? We have a couple of weeks left to dream. 

So far, we have covered wide receiver, quarterback, and now running back landing spots - tight end will wrap up the series!

When And Where Is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23rd, with the first round at 8 PM ET. The main event is set in Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pennsylvania. Then round 2-3 will be on Friday, April 24th, at 7 PM ET. The rest of the draft will start on Saturday at noon ET and finish off the last four rounds. Obviously, Thursday and Friday are the most important for fantasy football. 

With running back, draft capital can be a little tricky. At the very top, especially with players picked top 5-10 overall, the hit rate is astronomically good. So, if Jeremiyah Love gets picked there, that’s exciting news. For everyone else, there is a positive correlation to being picked earlier, especially Day Two vs. Day Three, but the order itself isn’t necessarily everything. So we’ll consider other factors as well. 

 

 

 

Best Running Back Landing Spots For Fantasy Football

For a running back landing spot, we look at a few different criteria. The ability to actually have a contributing role is obviously going to be key. But what that role is and the quality of the offense matter as well. Here’s what I look at.

Starting Job - This is crucial at running back in the NFL. Ideally, they are drafted to be THE guy from day one. But, at the very least, we need some sort of path to a meaningful role within the first two years. As we mentioned in the introduction, landing spot is more important for running back than any other position in fantasy because of the short shelf life at the position and early age apex.

Scheme/Role - Not every role is equal for fantasy football. And not every scheme is a good fit for every back. Some guys have the vision to thrive in zone blocking schemes, while others have that “shot out of a cannon” ability to hit holes forcefully with man/gap blocking. Not to mention, every team is going to have incumbent backs. The running back position is basically split into five roles (early down, third down, goal line, two-minute drill, and late lead). Some teams use one guy for most of those, while some split them up - we want our guy to have as many high-leverage responsibilities as possible. When it comes time for our 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Guide, we’ll predict who gets those roles for every team in our Running Back Questionnaire!  

Good Offense - Having a good offensive line never hurts. We saw that with Todd Gurley and his success before/after they brought in players like Andrew Whitworth. But, as we always say, running the football is the luxury of the winning team. So the overall strength of the offense matters too. We’ve seen guys like LeGarrette Blount and Jamaal Williams score 18 rushing TDs in the right offense. Is that because they were great or because the offense was great? We can’t ignore that part of the equation. 

Which NFL Teams Need A Running Back In The 2026 NFL Draft?

We are going to break this into two categories. The first few teams will offer immediate production THIS season under the right circumstances. The next few are looking more at future value or niche circumstances. So let’s dive into the best landing spots where immediate starting jobs are available first.

 

 

 

Best Running Back Landing Spots For 2026 Production

Washington Commanders

This one comes with a caveat. If the Washington Commanders draft Jeremiyah Love at 7 overall (or trade back but still take him early), they would really have no choice but to feature him. And that could be great with Jayden Daniels running the RPO and an offense we know is capable of making the playoffs. That specific situation would be great. If they take a running back early in the second, we could get on board there, too.

That said, if they don’t do that and opt for a back later, we probably don’t love this landing spot. Why? Well, running back coach Anthony Lynn has made a career of splitting up his backfields. Austin Ekeler specifically told us he joined Washington because of Anthony Lynn’s split backfield philosophy. This could still be a landing spot for an early down bruiser, but if it is, they are probably splitting that workload with Rachaad White operating on passing downs. 

  • Top Option: Jeremiyah Love

For access to our 2026 rookie running back prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Running Back Breakdown!

New York Giants

Look, Cam Skattebo is a fun player. So we root for those guys. But we see productive Day Three backs get replaced all the time - especially by new regimes. It’s easy to forget that guys like Tyler Allgeier, Dameon Pierce, and even Michael Carter had a little steam as rookies. All three of those guys had a higher yards per carry than Skattebo. And, with all three, the team went out and drafted a high-end back to work ahead of them.

So it wouldn’t surprise us to see that happen with the New York Giants either. And John Harbaugh is bringing his fullback and tight ends with him on a team that is trending up. So it could make for a nice setup in dynasty leagues. Lesser backs could just end up part of the rotation with Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy, so this is another spot we want to see a high-end three-down back drafted early or nothing. 

  • Top Option(s): Jeremiyah Love, Jonah Coleman, Mike Washington

For access to our 2026 rookie running back prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Running Back Breakdown!

Jacksonville Jaguars

I’m a Bhayshul Tuten fan personally. But, as with Cam Skattebo, we have to acknowledge that he’s a Day Three pick. In fact, Tuten is a fourth-round pick, LeQuint Allen is a 7th round pick, and Chris Rodriguez, despite having ties to Liam Coen, was signed to a fairly affordable deal. The Commanders need RB help themselves, and they let him walk. I mean, he does only have six catches in three seasons. So the backfield has some things to like, but no one who is irreplaceable either.

We like Liam Coen’s scheme. Trevor Lawrence finally took things to another level in 2025 with Jacksonville going 13-4. If the Jaguars add another late-round pick to the mix, it might not be super appealing, but if they were to spend up, this would be one of the best immediate landing spots out there. Unfortunately, they don’t have a first-round pick, so giving up what it would take for Jeremiyah Love is likely off the table. 

  • Top Option(s): Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman, Mike Washington, Emmett Johnson

For access to our 2026 rookie running back prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Running Back Breakdown!

Honorable Mentions: 

  • Seattle Seahawks - With Zach Charbonnett coming off a serious injury that occurred late, there is room to contribute right away
  • Denver Broncos - JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey are there. And Sean Payton can be stubborn with rookies. But this is a great offensive line, a good team, so if someone can get on Payton’s good side, the upside is big.
  • Tennessee Titans - They currently have Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, though Pollard could be released for $7.25M in savings. The jury is still out on Cam Ward and this offense, though. 

 

 

 

Best Running Back Landing Spots For 2027 Production And Beyond

Minnesota Vikings

With some of these other teams, it takes a little bit more speculation. Someone might need to be released while under contract. Or the starter might have to opt to retire. With the Vikings, the path is pretty simple. They only have three guys under contract for 2026: Jordan Mason, Aaron Jones, and Xavier Scott. And both Mason and Jones are unrestricted free agents next year.

Of course, the Vikings still need to figure out their long-term answers at quarterback. But they do have a boatload of great weapons for them to work with. And the offensive line, when healthy, is pretty darn good. So the Vikings are quietly one of the more appealing landing spots.

  • Top Option(s): Jadarian Price, Jonah Coleman, Mike Washington, Kaytron Allen

For access to our 2026 rookie running back prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Running Back Breakdown!

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens just had a big shakeup with the coaching staff. But this has generally been a good organization that has put the team in a position to succeed. We’ve obviously seen Derrick Henry have massive success - no player has more yards from scrimmage over the last five years. And he’s also 32 years old, well beyond the age apex for running backs.

On top of that, Justice Hill can fairly easily be released if they do want to go that route. I know he’s been a reliable player, but his contract isn’t super friendly, and he did end last season with a neck issue. There could be room for work on pass downs right away that could grow into something bigger once Henry calls it a day.  

  • Top Option(s): Emmett Johnson, Nick Singleton, Adam Randall, Eli Heidenreich

For access to our 2026 rookie running back prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Running Back Breakdown!

Chicago Bears

D’Andre Swift has been rock solid for them. But, at 28 years old, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. So the Bears might start kicking the tires on some options now to see if maybe someone can be their guy of the future.

Ben Johnson has utilized a split backfield with a bruiser and a shifty pass-catcher. Kyle Mongangai is the bruiser, so the role would be that pass-down one. Guys like Jahmyr Gibbs simply don’t grow on trees, so they may need to be creative. Adam Randall is particularly interesting as a converted wide receiver and size-speed specimen that needs some development. 

  • Top Option(s): Adam Randall, Eli Heidenreich

For access to our 2026 rookie running back prospect rankings, tiers, classifications, and breakdowns, become a Fantasy Alarm member to access our 2026 Pre-Draft Running Back Breakdown!

Honorable Mentions: