- Ashton Jeanty could explode with improved support: Despite ranking near the bottom of the league in yards before contact, Jeanty forced 61 missed tackles and earned a 92.3 PFF rushing grade on perfectly blocked runs, making him a prime breakout candidate in an improved Raiders offense.
- Kenneth Walker III captures an elite volume ceiling in Kansas City: Walker has earned a 93.7 PFF rushing grade over the past three seasons, positioning him to dominate high-leverage touches following his high-profile arrival in the Chiefs backfield.
- The PFF Early Bird Sale Is Here: Save 33% and get PFF+ for just $79.99, our lowest price of the year.
Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson enter 2026 as the favorites to finish as fantasy football's overall RB1. Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor have each accomplished the feat before, and another No. 1 finish from either veteran would hardly be surprising.
The more interesting question is which running back could join that group. This article focuses on high-upside options being drafted outside the established elite who possess the ceiling to finish as fantasy football's top-scoring running back if everything breaks their way in 2026.
To keep the focus on true breakout candidates, recent top-five finishers such as De'Von Achane, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Breece Hall and Travis Etienne were excluded from consideration.
Last updated: Friday, July 31
Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP: 2.01)
Jeanty was selected sixth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, a draft slot that typically supports immediate top-10 fantasy production. However, several factors outside of his control limited his rookie output.
The Raiders scored just 241 offensive points last season, the fewest in the NFL, and ranked third-lowest in PFF run-blocking grade (53.0). As a result, Jeanty averaged just 0.6 yards before contact per attempt, the second-lowest mark among running backs with at least 100 carries.
Despite those conditions, Jeanty forced 61 missed tackles on the ground, ranking fifth among running backs. He also ranked fourth in PFF rushing grade (92.3) on carries with positive yards before contact, highlighting his ability to capitalize when given space and suggesting significant upside in an improved environment.
Las Vegas has a new head coach this season, and all indications point to the team having selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. The Raiders also entered the offseason with significant cap space and invested in the offensive line by adding center Tyler Linderbaum, which should help improve Jeanty's efficiency.
The primary remaining concern is the backfield behind him. The Raiders added fourth-round rookie Mike Washington Jr., a new big backup. Kubiak, who came over from the Seattle Seahawks, consistently deployed a two-back approach there, with Zach Charbonnet (220 pounds) regularly stealing goal-line touches from Kenneth Walker III (211). Now he has a back heavier than Charbonnet in Washington (223) and a back lighter than Walker in Jeanty (208). While Jeanty still has an opportunity to be among the league leaders in touches, a lack of goal-line work will hurt his chances of finishing among the top-5 fantasy running backs this season.
Kenneth Walker, Kansas City Chiefs (ADP: 2.06)
Walker has been one of the NFL's most efficient running backs on a per-play basis over the past three seasons. He is tied for first among running backs in PFF rushing grade (93.7) over that span, matching De'Von Achane, while his 77.3 PFF receiving grade ranks 11th among running backs with at least 1,000 snaps. Overall, he ranks second in PFF overall grade (93.2), trailing only Derrick Henry.
That efficiency has not fully translated to fantasy success, particularly this past season. Walker split backfield work with Zach Charbonnet, who ranks 12th among running backs in PFF overall grade over the same three-year span. Charbonnet handled a significant share of goal-line work, limiting Walker's touchdown production, while Seattle's offense reduced running back involvement in the passing game, cutting into both players' reception totals.
Walker now joins a Chiefs backfield that moved on from Isiah Pacheco and has not re-signed Kareem Hunt. Kansas City added third-down specialist Emari Demercado in free agency and selected Emmett Johnson in the fifth round, giving the rookie a chance to compete with Brashard Smith for rotational snaps.
The Chiefs were the NFL's second-most pass-heavy offense last season, throwing on roughly two-thirds of their offensive plays, and have ranked among the league's most pass-oriented teams in five of the past six seasons, consistently favoring the pass near the goal line as well.
At minimum, Walker projects as a weekly fantasy starter. He has shown promise as a receiver in limited opportunities, and Kansas City has historically targeted running backs at a higher rate than most offenses. While Demercado or Johnson could siphon some third-down snaps, Walker's experience in two-minute situations may help him carve out a larger overall role. If his usage expands in the passing game or Andy Reid leans more heavily on the run than in recent seasons, Walker has the upside to finish as a top-five fantasy running back.
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (ADP: 2.04)
Hampton posted one excellent game in his rookie season, running 12 times for 128 yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 37 yards against the New York Giants. He averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in four of his other five games before an ankle fracture cost him half the season. He returned for the final four games of the regular season but struggled more often than not, then played just two offensive snaps in the Chargers' playoff loss.
Like many rookies, Hampton wasn't as efficient as fantasy managers had hoped, in part because of the line blocking for him. He averaged a below-average 1.1 yards before contact per attempt, but his 3.4 yards after contact per attempt ranked 10th among running backs.
The Chargers' offensive line looks completely different this year. Rashawn Slater missed all of 2025 but was a top-five run-blocking tackle in 2024, and Joe Alt was the team's highest-graded run blocker last season despite missing most of the year with injury. They also added center Tyler Biadasz, whose 71.2 run-block grade towers over the 51.1 mark from former center Bradley Bozeman. A similar gap exists between new right guard Cole Strange and his predecessor, Mekhi Becton. There will be a competition at left guard, but that spot should ideally be an upgrade as well.
The major concern is his competition for touches. Kimani Vidal played well in Hampton's absence and was notably the better pass protector. Los Angeles also added Keaton Mitchell in free agency, the running back most similar to De'Von Achane. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who helped Achane become a top-five fantasy back in Miami, heavily campaigned for general manager Joe Hortiz to add Mitchell.
If McDaniel elevates the Chargers‘ offense into one of the league's best and Hampton handles the clear majority of backfield touches, he could be in for a special season. But plenty could go wrong, from how the carries are divided to the several key players coming off injuries who may not return to form.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.