- Kenneth Walker III is the best fit everywhere: The Super Bowl MVP could fit into any offense, and if he finds the right fit, he could be a first-round fantasy value this season.
- Tyler Allgeier deserves a starting job: The Atlanta Falcons backup has been among the highest graded running backs over the last three seasons, and has run well enough to be some team’s lead running back.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Free agency is a week away, and several players slated to become unrestricted free agents could be changing teams. Depending on where they land, they could be fantasy starters next season.
This article aims to rank the running backs and connect players with realistic landing spots that make sense for the player and the new team and should increase the player's fantasy value more than it hurts.
New York Jets running back Breece Hall is not included in this article because of the high likelihood that he either signs a new deal with the Jets or gets the franchise or transaction tag.
1. RB Kenneth Walker III
Walker has been among the best running backs on a per-play basis over the last three seasons. His 93.7 PFF rushing grade over the last three seasons is tied with De’Von Achane for the best mark among running backs. His 77.3 receiving grade is 11th among running backs with at least 1,000 snaps. This has helped him to the second-highest overall grade at 93.2, only behind Derrick Henry.
This hasn’t led to as much fantasy success as fantasy managers hoped, particularly this past season. He split the backfield with Zach Charbonnet, who is the 12th-highest graded running back over the last three seasons. Charbonnet notably played in goal-line situations, costing Walker several touchdowns. The Seahawks offense also deprioritized running backs in the passing game, leading to both running backs seeing their receptions per game cut in half.
If a team is willing to make Walker their lead back in rushing, receiving and goal-line situations, he has the potential to be a top-five running back and first-round pick in redraft leagues.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: Chicago Bears
Walker is great regardless of run concept, allowing him to fit in any scheme. That means his best landing spot is the team with the best offense, best offensive line and a willingness to feed a running back.
The Bears best fit that description. They had the eighth-best offense by PFF grade last season, and the top seven, outside of potentially Seattle, aren’t looking for a running back. The Bears reworked their offensive line last season, leading to the fifth-highest PFF team run-blocking grade. D’Andre Swift played well with the offensive line, but the Bears could save $7.5 million in cap space by releasing Swift and use that money on a significant upgrade.
The sky would be the limit for Walker in Chicago’s offense.
2. RB Tyler Allgeier
While there are a few free agent running backs with extensive work as a starter, Allgeier is here because he’s had a decent sample size of work during his NFL career and has graded notably better than the rest of the running backs, outside of Walker. His 90.2 PFF offensive grade over the last three seasons ranks 10th among all running backs with at least 500 offensive snaps. The other five running backs lower in these rankings all have offensive grades below 80.0.
If Allgeier had been a backup to another typical starter, his lack of playing time would be concerning, but Allgeier has been stuck behind Bijan Robinson, who is the highest graded running back with at least 2,000 snaps over the last three seasons.
Landing spots will play a big role in where the rest of these running backs ultimately rank. If a team views Allgeier as its lead running back, he has the second-most upside of the running backs on this list. However, there is a chance he won’t find an opportunity as a lead back.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: San Francisco 49ers
Allgeier spent the last two seasons as Robinson’s backup, excelling on outside zone runs. Atlanta ran outside zone at a higher rate than any other team, and Allgeier has an 82.2 PFF rushing grade on outside zones over the past two seasons, ranking sixth among running backs. The Falcons changed coaching staffs, adding Kevin Stefanski as head coach. The Browns run outside zone at a below-average rate, so a return to Atlanta doesn’t make sense.
The 49ers have the second-highest outside zone rate over the past two seasons. While the 49ers have Christian McCaffrey, he has averaged 4.0 yards per carry or fewer over the last two seasons and will be 30 years old before the start of next season. McCaffrey still excels as a receiver, but it would make sense to have another running back who can handle double-digit carries.
Allgeier would be an excellent fit. While other teams might be a better fit for Allgeier in terms of potential volume in 2026, San Francisco will give him the best opportunity to succeed, given their scheme and quality run blocking.
3. RB Travis Etienne Jr.
Etienne has spent the last four seasons as the Jaguars‘ starting running back, finishing with at least 1,000 rushing yards in three of those four seasons and at least 250 receiving yards in all four. Etienne has typically started the season strong, but he falls off over the second half of the year. He has an 83.6 PFF grade over the first nine weeks of the last four seasons and a 66.1 PFF grade over the second half. This is partially because he’s shown a willingness to play through injury. He’s only missed two games over the last four seasons.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City is the team that needs a running back the most. They had a 68.6 PFF team offensive grade last season, ranking sixth-worst among teams. Four of the other five teams have invested a recent high draft pick in a running back. The Chiefs‘ top two running backs from last season, Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, are slated to be free agents.
Etienne is more well-rounded than Allgeier thanks to his work in the passing game, and the Chiefs need someone who can both run the ball and catch the ball. It also helps that Etienne has shown interest in joining the Chiefs.
4. RB Rico Dowdle
Dowdle spent five years working his way up the Dallas Cowboys from an unrestricted free agent to a primary backup in 2023 and a starter in 2024. That helped him earn a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. He started the year as a receiving back but ran 53 times for 389 yards and a touchdown in two games where Chuba Hubbard was injured, earning him the starting job over the rest of the season. His quality of play declined as the season progressed, as did his playing time. He was held to 3.2 yards per carry or fewer in seven of his final nine games, including the playoffs.
Dowdle is notably older than the other top five running backs on this list. The other four all come from the 2022 draft class, while Dowdle entered the league in 2020. He will be 28 years old by the start of the season, while the others will be between 25 and 27.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: Pittsburgh Steelers
While Dowdle posted a few excellent games for the Panthers, his best PFF grades occurred while he was the Cowboys‘ lead running back in 2024. Mike McCarthy was the Cowboys‘ head coach in 2024, and now, he’s the Steelers‘ head coach.
McCarthy is typically used to two-man backfields, and Dowdle could join forces with Jaylen Warren, where Dowdle plays more of an early-down role, while Warren plays more in passing situations. While Kenneth Gainwell made some big plays for the Steelers last season, he is a free agent and might be finding a new home this season.
5. RB Rachaad White
White had significant volume in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense in 2023 but has taken a back seat to Bucky Irving over the last two seasons. He’s quietly improved each season significantly, finishing with an 80.9 PFF offensive grade last season, which ranked ninth among running backs with at least 500 offensive snaps.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: Dallas Cowboys
White has been a solid receiver but particularly excelled on lesser-used run concepts. He has an 84.0-plus rushing grade on counter and power run plays over the last two seasons in addition to an 80.0-plus grade on even lesser-used trap and pull lead plays. He has a 91.9 rushing grade when any of the four run concepts are used, which is second behind Derrick Henry.
The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals were the only teams to use power, counter and pull leads on at least 8% of their runs each. Both used traps on 4%, which also ranked among the top six teams. The Arizona Cardinals‘ 2025 offensive coordinator was Drew Petzing, who is now with the Detroit Lions, but Detroit does not need a running back.
This leaves Dallas, where the Cowboys re-signed Javonte Williams to a three-year contract, but they need a second option. Miles Sanders started the season as the backup last season, but he suffered an injury and is now a free agent. Dallas drafted Jaydon Blue, but he was often a healthy inactive.
While other teams might give White more volume, Dallas is the best spot for him to be effective. If the Lions move on from David Montgomery, the Lions would overtake the Cowboys as the top landing spot.
6. RB Kenneth Gainwell
Gainwell started his career as a receiving back for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was the week 1 starter in 2023, but he missed Week 2. D'Andre Swift played well in his absence and remained the starter. Gainwell took the receiving role with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 and played very well in his first start with the team, running 19 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He remained a larger part of the offense throughout the season, playing just over 50% of the Steelers' offensive snaps on the season. He played at least 55% of the snaps in each of their final three games.
Gainwell was the rare backup running back with fantasy value, thanks to significant receiving volume, mixed with a few big plays. His 73 receptions last season ranked fourth-most among all running backs, behind Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: Denver Broncos
The Steelers have made it clear they want Gainwell back, but that might not be the best location for his fantasy value. Mike McCarthy is the new head coach of the Steelers, but both his Dallas Cowboys and his Green Bay Packers were below league average in targets to running backs when he was their head coach. Gainwell’s strength is his receiving, and his fantasy value would be maximized with a team willing to throw to running backs.
No head coach has prioritized targets to running backs more than Sean Payton. From 2006-2021, the Saints running backs had 382 more targets to running backs than any other team and 830 more than the league average. Similarly, the Broncos have 13 more targets to running backs than anyone else over the last three seasons, since Payton became their head coach. Gainwell would be sharing the backfield with R.J. Harvey, but Gainwell is used to sharing the backfield, and Payton is used to utilizing multiple running backs.
7. RB J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins has been a successful running back whenever healthy, averaging 5.2 yards per carry throughout his career. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry over 24 games with the Baltimore Ravens, 4.6 yards per carry in his 13 games with the Los Angeles Chargers, and 5.0 in 10 games with the Denver Broncos.
The obvious concern is his injury history and whether those injuries will start to impact his efficiency. He’s played 32 games over the last five seasons and has missed 53. His injuries have been to his legs and feet, but they have typically been different injuries. Most recently, he suffered a pedal foot sprain, costing him the final seven games of the Broncos' regular season, as well as the playoffs.
Ideal fantasy landing spot: Carolina Panthers
While Dobbins has said he wants to remain with the Denver Broncos, there could be a better landing spot for his fantasy value.
All running backs need good run blocking to have success, but the gap between Dobbins' play is more extreme than that of most running backs. If Dobbins doesn’t get contacted by the defense until he’s past the line of scrimmage, he averages 7.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons, seventh among all running backs. If he’s contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage, he averages 1.6 yards per carry, 26th.
The Carolina Panthers had the fourth-highest team run-blocking grade last season. They have Chuba Hubbard, under contract, and Rico Dowdle, who is a free agent, and both are better than Dobbins when contacted early but not as good as Dobbins when the blocking is solid. Dobbins would be a better fit for the offense, showing the potential to make several big plays. While he would have to compete for snaps with Hubbard, he has the potential for a larger workload in Carolina compared to competing with R.J. Harvey in his second season with the Denver Broncos.
- Honorable Mention Early-Down Backs: Brian Robinson Jr., Najee Harris, Nick Chubb
- Honorable Mention Every-Down Backs: Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Miles Sanders, Alexander Mattison, Raheem Mostert, A.J. Dillon
- Honorable Mention Third-Down Backs: Antonio Gibson, Jerome Ford, Austin Ekeler, Michael Carter, Jeremy McNichols, Ameer Abdullah
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