Fantasy Football 2026: Running backs primed to exploit soft schedules

• RB Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams: PFF’s strength of schedule metric projects Rams running backs to face the NFL’s softest schedule.

• RB Travis Etienne Jr., New Orleans Saints: Etienne’s easy schedule somewhat offsets concerns about his backfield touch competition.

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Opponent quality can have outsized impacts on the NFL’s running back position. Talented running backs, playing in high-end offenses, are well equipped to efficiently exploit plus matchups. PFF’s strength of schedule metrics project Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum, New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to face the three softest 2026 positional schedules.

Gibbs is set to assume a bell-cow role in his age-24 season, playing in a fantasy-friendly offensive environment. He closes the fantasy football season with two favorite matchups and should be considered the favorite to lead the league in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. His 81.1 PFF rushing grade ranked 14th among 36 NFL running backs with at least 150 rushing attempts in 2025, while his 90.3 PFF receiving grade was second among 27 NFL running backs with at least 40 targets in 2025. 

PFF’s Gordon McGuinness dropped the Lions’ offensive line ranking from 13th to 19th following center Cade Mays’ wrist fracture. The high-priced free-agent signee is expected to return midseason.

His absence could push Lions coaches to decrease Gibbs’ interior run rate and increase his passing-game involvement, perhaps slightly decreasing his touch volume while increasing his per-touch fantasy-scoring outlook. Mays’ 67.4 PFF offense grade ranks 19th among 33 NFL centers with at least 900 offensive snaps from 2024-25.

Corum, 25, enters his third NFL season receiving positive reviews in training camp. He is expected to operate in a near-50-50 split with starting running back Kyren Williams. Unfortunately, Williams is expected to be the primary passing-down and scoring-position running back, while Corum will take on a larger rushing workload than he did previously. 

Corum effectively matched Williams’ per-play efficiency last season. Both players benefit from head coach Sean McVay’s exceptionally fantasy-friendly offense and PFF’s softest projected schedule for the running back position. Corum earned an 85.8 PFF rushing grade last year, while Williams sat at an 87.1 rushing grade.

Corum should reliably return flex value and can be expected to deliver RB1/2 performances at times in his run-centric role. He gets exploitable matchups in Weeks 15 and 17.

Etienne’s projectable touch count took a theoretical hit when career Saint, running back Alvin Kamara, accepted a pay cut to remain with the team. Since reworking his deal, Kamara has been operating as the team’s primary running back on passing downs. 

Kamara, 31, suffered an ankle sprain in October and a season-ending MCL sprain in November last year. An MCL sprain in 2021 cost him four games as well. Kamara reportedly left practice early on Tuesday, Aug. 18 after suffering a knee injury and is expected to miss at least one month.

Kamara’s 39.5 PFF receiving grade in 2025 was 25.2 points lower than his prior career worst. He also logged his fifth single-season sub-39.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 (23.4 PFF pass-blocking grade). Conversely, Etienne, 27, earned a 62.1 PFF receiving grade and a career-best 68.0 PFF pass-blocking grade last year.

Etienne could encroach on Kamara’s expected passing-down role simply by outplaying the aging veteran. Regardless of Kamara, Etienne still gets a run-centric boost from the Saints’ soft schedule, particularly in the fantasy football playoffs. He registered a 74.5 PFF rushing grade last year.

The Falcons enter 2026 with a thin front seven. They notably face the Saints in Week 4.