Re-Ranking RBs You Should Target in Fantasy Drafts After Jeremiyah Love Injury

With the NFL preseason ongoing, the 2026 fantasy football rankings are prone to rapid shifts.

These changes occur in the wake of training camp and preseason game performances, injuries, depth-chart adjustments and other factors, giving high potential for some players to quickly rise and others to drop dramatically.

One such shift occurred on Saturday, when prized Arizona Cardinals running back prospect Jeremiyah Love suffered an ankle injury in his preseason debut.

ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed the No. 3 overall pick is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, an issue that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the preseason.

While the Cardinals are reportedly hopeful Love will return for their opener next month, it remains to be seen if he will be sidelined or limited to start the regular season.

Love's injury has introduced a new wrinkle to the fantasy RB rankings. Given the possibility he's hindered by the ailment, managers shouldn't hesitate to move him down their big board.

If you are looking for some assistance on where to place Love, read on for a look at our re-ranked RB list for the 2026 fantasy football season.

The rankings—based on a combination of projected production, prior contributions, ceiling and floor—are broken down into three tiers, with Tier 3 and Tier 2 each including five backs and the top tier of the position containing the four best fantasy RB picks a manager can make in 2026.

Fantasy points, rankings, average draft position (ADP) and other metrics courtesy of FantasyPros using PPR data.

Tier 3 (Nos. 14-10)

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

Chase Brown

No. 14: Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals

Even before picking up a high-ankle sprain, Love was already facing an uphill battle to have a truly sensational rookie season.

With James Conner set to return from the foot injury that cut his 2025 campaign short and Tyler Allgeier joining the squad in free agency, Arizona's backfield is brimming with capable backs who will command touches.

Love is likely to remain the leader and focal point when healthy, but Arizona may be cautious with its prized prospect's workload as he returns from injury, especially if the team falls out of contention.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see him post similar numbers—albeit more efficiently—to those fellow top-10 draftee Ashton Jeanty put up last year when the Las Vegas Raiders' rookie tallied 190.1 points and finished as the RB15.

No. 13: Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams has posted three consecutive top-10 fantasy seasons to start what has been an impressive career, but he's falling near the bottom of Tier 3 because of the touches he's set to cede to Blake Corum in 2026.

Head coach Sean McVay got the backup more involved down the stretch last season and is likely to employ more of a platoon approach in the backfield this year.

No. 12: Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs

Walker was the crown jewel of Kansas City's free-agent class, coming over on a big contract after earning Super Bowl LX MVP honors with the Seattle Seahawks.

The veteran was red-hot during the NFL playoffs, but only ranked as fantasy's RB22 last season and hasn't posted a finish better than RB18.

However, Walker does possess tremendous upside in an Andy Reid offense that will likely want to lighten Patrick Mahomes' load after recovering from an ACL injury, and he should come off the board shortly after the second tier of backs.

No. 11: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Hampton's rookie year hit a snag when he suffered an ankle fracture that kept him sidelined for nearly half the season. While that ailment limited him to an RB35 finish, he was highly productive when he was available.

His 15.1 points per game ranked 13th at the position last year, and that average could improve with a clean bill of health and little competition for touches in L.A.'s backfield.

No. 10: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow rookie season, Brown has quietly become one of fantasy's most reliable backs. He finished as the RB10 in 2024 and the RB7 last season, missing just one game in that span.

While a healthy Joe Burrow may mean the back won't get as many looks in the passing game—he notched a career-high 88 targets in 2025—Brown can easily eclipse the personal-best 1,019 rushing yards he amassed last year and is a good bet to push his streak of top-10 finishes to three straight.

Tier 2 (Nos. 9-5)

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James Cook

No. 9: Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Henry has become an ageless wonder as he gears up for his 11th NFL season. While most backs don't even reach an age-32 campaign, let alone play at a Pro Bowl level at that point, Henry is coming off an RB8 finish with a real chance to string together a fifth consecutive top-10 season.

As long as he remains healthy and continues to score at a ridiculous rate—his 32 rushing touchdowns since joining the Ravens in 2024 lead the league by a decent margin—it would be foolish to consider Henry as anything less than a top-10 RB.

No. 8: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley came back down to earth last year after an otherworldly 2024 season. While he still finished as a top-15 back, his 232.3 points in 2025 were 123 fewer than he tallied the previous year.

The Eagles made several changes in wake of their disappointing title defense, moves that included swapping embattled offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo for Sean Mannion. With Mannion describing Barkley as the "focal point" of the system he's installing, a bounce-back season should be in the cards.

No. 7: De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

After bursting out as a fantasy supernova early in his rookie season, Achane has remained one of the most exciting backs a manager can roster. He finally mixed health and production last year by putting up career-best marks of 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns on 238 totes and added another 488 yards and four touchdowns on 85 catches to secure an RB5 finish.

While that effort was impressive, Achane's best could still be yet to come. The Dolphins don't have much else to work with offensively, opening the door for Achane to put up huge numbers on high volume in his fourth NFL season.

No. 6: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

Even after using the No. 6 overall pick on Jeanty, the Raiders' offense was downright abysmal in 2025. With little talent to leverage in the passing game and unsightly quarterback play from Geno Smith, the coaching staff opted to feed the rookie as often as possible.

While Jeanty's 321 touches resulted in 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage (good for an RB11 finish), it was still a relatively disappointing Year 1 showing from the hyped young back. Following a much-needed regime change and major roster overhaul, Jeanty should have a far stronger (and far more efficient) sophomore showing.

No. 5: James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Cook earned the rushing crown last year with a brilliant 1,621-rushing yard effort. He solidified his status as one of the NFL's best backs and helped keep the Bills' offense humming despite a glaring lack of receiving talent on the roster.

Although his lackluster passing-game contributions limited him to an RB6 finish in fantasy, Cook's incredible efficiency—he averages 5.1 yards per carry on his career—and penchant for scoring (he's racked up 32 total touchdowns in the last two seasons alone) make him a strong top-10 candidate in 2026.

Tier 1 (No. 4): Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

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Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts were on fire to open the 2025 NFL season.

With the rejuvenated veteran rusher leading the charge, Indy jumped out to the best record in football and even generated some buzz that a running back might win the league MVP award for the first time since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Injuries to quarterback Daniel Jones ultimately derailed the Colts' resurgent campaign and playoff hopes, but Taylor still rewarded fantasy managers with an RB4 performance.

He finished 2025 with 362.3 points, marking his first placement inside the top 10 at the position since he won the league's rushing crown as a breakout sophomore star in 2021.

Volume won't be a concern at all for Taylor this season, as the Colts' lone backfield addition was seventh-round draft pick Seth McGowan. McGowan and incumbent backup DJ Giddens are little threat to eat into Taylor's workload and should only see a few touches per game, making the starter one of the NFL's rare lead backs set to assume the lion's share of offensive snaps regardless of game scripting.

Taylor still must prove he can string together elite seasons for the first time in his career, but the injury woes that plagued him in 2022-23 at least seem to be behind him. He only missed three games in 2024 and didn't sit out at all last year, a promising indicator for his chances of success in 2026.

As long as Jones can stay on the field—Taylor's production nosedived after the quarterback went down with an Achilles tear—Indy's offense should get back to its exciting and explosive ways.

There are clearly more injury-related risks when it comes to drafting Taylor than with any other Tier 1 back, but the floor is high and the upside undeniable.

Tier 1 (No. 3): Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

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Christian McCaffrey

After disappointing his fantasy managers in 2024, Christian McCaffrey returned with a vengeance last season. He put up a whopping 416.6 points during a scintillating campaign, ranking as fantasy's No. 1 scorer by a wide margin.

Despite McCaffrey's unparalleled contributions—he's the only back of the last decade to lead the league in fantasy scoring and the only one to eclipse the 400-point mark, accomplishing these feats in both 2019 and 2025—he has enough red flags surrounding him to warrant caution in 2026 fantasy drafts.

Injuries have been the unfortunate story of McCaffrey's career following uber-productive, high-usage seasons. After finishing as the RB1 with 391.3 fantasy points and leading the league with 339 touches in 2023, McCaffrey suited up for just four games in 2024. 

He was also only available for a meager 10 games across the two seasons that followed his 471.2-point RB1 showing in 2019—a season in which he tallied an NFL-most 403 touches.

With McCaffrey logging a career-high 413 touches last year, there is valid reason for concern about his 2026 outlook.

Despite the troubling history, McCaffrey is still worth a top-three selection this year. San Francisco's coaching staff is making it a point to prioritize McCaffrey's health as he gears up for an age-30 season. The back has been sitting out practice sessions to stay fresh for the long road ahead, with offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak confirming McCaffrey will be on a rep count for training camp.

While the Niners' overarching plan could mean a dip in touches and more volume going to McCaffrey's backups, it's highly unlikely the superstar will have his workload reduced enough to where he would fall outside the top-five of his position in fantasy.

San Francisco runs one of the most innovative and creative offensive systems in the league, a scheme that relies heavily on McCaffrey's unique talents to dissect defenses. That won't change in 2026, making him a top candidate to dominate fantasy leagues and push for the RB1 distinction as long as he can stay on the field.

Tier 1 (No. 2): Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

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Jahmyr Gibbs

The Detroit Lions struck gold with their selection of Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1 of the 2023 draft.

The back has rewarded their faith with three consecutive RB10 or better seasons, including an RB1 finish in 2024 and an RB3 ranking last year.

While it didn't take long for Gibbs to jump out as one of the NFL's best players, he has been somewhat limited by a timeshare with David Montgomery. That will change in 2026 following the veteran's trade to the Houston Texans, a transaction that could lead to Gibbs going nuclear.

Establish the Run's John Daigle pointed out how much damage Gibbs has done in games where his longtime running mate was unavailable:

Gibbs isn't going to be involved in every one of Detroit's offensive plays, but he should see an increase over the career-high 67 percent snap share he logged in 2025—potentially even eclipsing the 75 percent mark.

Isiah Pacheco is the only real competition Gibbs will face for playing time, but the former Kansas City Chiefs back has been steadily declining since winning back-to-back Super Bowls during his first two years in the league.

If Pacheco and fellow depth choice Sione Vaki underwhelm, the Lions will have little choice but to keep Gibbs on the field as much as possible. He could also see increased usage as a receiver if any of Detroit's preferred pass-catching weapons are injured or ineffective—something he did last year during Sam LaPorta's absence.

According to FantasyPros' Derek Brown, Gibbs led all running backs with a 19 percent target share and 48.6 receiving yards per game between Weeks 11-18.

Considering the back averaged just 25.2 receiving yards and had a 12.7 percent target share over the first 10 weeks of 2025, it's clear Gibbs is the next man up in Detroit's passing attack.

This rare blend of opportunity, upside and production makes Gibbs a no-brainer selection at or near the top of any 2026 fantasy draft. He's a shoo-in for an RB5 or better finish and should be right in the hunt for the RB1 distinction if all goes to plan for the Lions.

Tier 1 (No. 1): Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

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Bijan Robinson

Bijan Robinson is not only the top-ranked running back going into the 2026 fantasy football season, but the No. 1 overall player. Given his status as the lone running back listed as a "franchise cornerstone" on the B/R Scouting Department's NFL 1000 list, any manager fortunate enough to possess their league's top pick shouldn't hesitate to draft Robinson.

Robinson cemented his place atop the league's running back hierarchy last season, leading all players with an eye-popping 2,298 yards from scrimmage while adding 11 touchdowns on 366 touches.

While he only logged one additional touch last year compared to his breakout 2024 sophomore season, Robinson became a far more efficient and effective player. He racked up more rushing yards (1,478 vs. 1,456) despite logging 17 fewer carries and became a focal point in the passing game—achieving career highs in targets (103), receptions (79) and receiving yards (820).

If Robinson was stuck in the same system with the same supporting cast from last year's 370.8-point RB2 season, he'd still be a strong candidate to go No. 1 overall. That won't be the case, however, as the addition of Kevin Stefanski as Atlanta's new head coach gives the back even more upside for 2026.

Stefanski has a proven track record of maximizing his backfield talent. After he took over as the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator in 2019, Dalvin Cook posted his first 1,000-yard rushing season and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. Nick Chubb found immense success as Stefanski's RB1 during their shared tenure with the Cleveland Browns, notably averaging 1,283.7 yards and 10.7 rushing touchdowns per year during the head coach's first three seasons with the club.

Expect the coach to coax similar success from Robinson. He's already one of the NFL's best players and now has a real chance to raise his game to new heights, making him an ideal No. 1 fantasy draft pick.