Consider These No. 2 Rbs Before Starters In 2026 Fantasy Football

The Seahawks and Patriots backfields were both mentioned in last year’s version of this article, in which the goal is to identify backfields with a significant gap in average draft position among players, presenting value in waiting for the presumed No. 2 running back on certain teams. While the backup or “1B” running back in these situations may not be a league winner, there’s just as much of a benefit in fading the suspected lead back at cost.

No. 2 Running Backs to Target in 2026 Fantasy Drafts

Los Angeles Rams

ADP: Kyren Williams, RB15 – Blake Corum, RB35

After averaging just shy of 20 touches per game in both 2023 and 2024, Kyren Williams logged just 15.2 touches per game last season. Meanwhile, Blake Corum saw an increase in carries from 58 as a rookie to 145 in 2025. Additionally, in 2024, Williams logged 70 red zone and 20 goal line carries. Corum (8) and Ronnie Rivers (4) combined for just 12 others among Rams running backs. Last season, Williams carried the ball 53 times in the red zone with 18 carries at the goal line. Corum recorded just 27 red zone carries, but 13 at the goal line.

Williams finished as the RB11 in points per game last season, though he sits just outside the top-12 running backs in 2026 ADP. By no means is Williams unfairly priced, but if the Rams’ backfield does trend toward more of an even split, Corum is absolutely the better value of the two.

Consider, too, that the Rams defense added cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end Myles Garrett this offseason. If they maintain leads for a majority of their games, Los Angeles may be a run-heavy team especially in the second half of games. Among 49 qualified running backs in 2025, Corum ranked 10^th in avoided tackle rate (25.5%), fourth in yards per carry (5.1) and second in explosive run rate (15.9%).

New York Giants

ADP: Cam Skattebo, RB19 – Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB43

Though he played in just eight games as a rookie, Cam Skattebo was a pleasure to watch play football. Sometimes, that’s all it comes down to when you’re on the clock deciding between certain players. After totaling just nine yards on four touches in Week 1, Skattebo scored a touchdown and/or logged 90 total yards in his next seven games played.

The biggest concern for most with Skattebo is his return from a season-ending ankle dislocation and broken leg. While it does appear he will be ready for training camp, there are other concerns that give me pause with his top-20 running back ADP. Skattebo’s lack of breakaway speed was a concern entering the league. Among 49 qualified running backs last season, he ranked 28^th in explosive run rate (9.9%). Skattebo was also 24^th in avoided tackle rate (22.8%) and 17^th in juke rate (2.0%).

None of the above criticisms come with drastically different numbers for Tyrone Tracy Jr. He did have a higher explosive run rate (10.8%, 19^th) and avoided tackle rate (19.9%, 19^th), but nothing that jumps off the page. It is fair to question, though, how effective Skattebo will be in return from injury and, more importantly, what sort of volume he will handle. In nine games without Skattebo last season, Tracy averaged 89.0 total yards and 13.8 PPR points on 17.4 touches per game.

The Giants did not add a running back to the roster this offseason with the arrival of a new coaching staff. While that may bode well for Skattebo’s return from injury, it may also allude to a quiet confidence in Tracy, especially in a receiving role on a team in need of pass catchers.

Chicago Bears

ADP: D’Andre Swift, RB22 – Kyle Monangai, RB34

In his second season with the Bears, D’Andre Swift averaged 4.9 yards per carry and 67.9 rush yards per game compared to 3.8 and 56.4, respectively, the season prior. Chicago did rebuild their offensive line last season which benefitted the offensive in its entirety. That includes rookie Kyle Monangai, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 46.1 rush yards of his own as a rookie.

Before the Bears’ early Week 5 bye, Monangai averaged just 4.3 rush attempts, 1.3 targets and 2.9 PPR points per game. From Week 6 onward, through the playoffs, the rookie was far more involved averaging 11.5 carries, 2.1 targets, and 9.9 PPR points per game. Monangai even led the way in a 47-42 overtime win over the Bengals in Week 9 with a 26/176/0 rushing line and an added three receptions for 22 scoreless yards on five targets. D’Andre Swift was notably absent for that game.

Chicago did not shake up their backfield this offseason. They have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, especially if they can finish atop the NFC North again this season. Similarly to the aforementioned Rams backfield, the Bears could have more of a balanced approach in 2026, as well. There was already a balance in red zone rush attempts last season with a 40-36 split in red zone carries, slightly in favor of Swift.

This is an offense worth investing in wherever you can. Simply put, the cheaper of the two running backs is a bit more appealing especially since we saw what Monangai is capable of sans Swift. It’s worth noting Swift is 27 and entering the final year of his contract.

Denver Broncos

ADP: RJ Harvey, RB30 – J.K. Dobbins, RB36 – Jonah Coleman, RB49

The Denver Broncos are a bit of an honorable mention for this article as they have one of a few ambiguous backfields entering the 2026 season. In 10 games played together in 2025, Dobbins handled the majority of the workload with an average of 16.4 touches per game to 7.5 from rookie RJ Harvey. However, in Dobbins’ absence, Harvey’s role more than doubled in usage to 15.9 touches per game.

During the 2026 offseason, the Broncos signed Dobbins to a two-year, $16 million extension, though with just $8 million in guarantees alluding to the likelihood of him playing just one more season in Denver. This concept became more evident when Denver selected Jonah Coleman in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Dobbins has played in 23 of a possible 34 regular season games for two different teams over the last two seasons. In the event he misses time in 2026, Harvey should see the majority of the workload, but Coleman could be very much in the mix, especially given Denver’s softer schedule in the second half of the season.

Harvey provides the most pass-catching upside among the three of them, but if you’d rather another running back or player of another position over Dobbins in the mid-to-late rounds, then keep Coleman in mind with one of your last picks later on. He could be a weekly RB2 option with touchdown upside specifically if Dobbins were to miss time.