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Fantasy Football: Offensive Line Rankings To Help You Draft Running Backs In 2026

For a fantasy football running back, not much is more important than their offensive line play. It can make or break a season and so many factors go into it. Analyst Joel Smyth breaks down all those components to help predict RB values and fades.

Key for Rankings Chart below:

2025 OL Avg Rank of 2025: Run Block Grade + Run Block Win Rate
↑↓: Better or Worse in NFL Draft, Free Agency, Injury Returns
Cohesion: # of starting OL returning
'26 Rank: My best prediction /5 on a team's run blocking
QB Runs: Usage of designed runs that open up running game

The Scary Offensive Lines

Last season, RBs such as Ashton Jeanty, Quinshon Judkins, Bucky Irving and Woody Marks were heavily affected by struggling offensive lines up front. It limits explosive plays, lowers TD odds at the goal line and disrupts the run game as a whole. A poor offensive line is just as important to note as a great one.

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The following have an uphill battle to climb in 2026.

Commanders

The left side of Washington's offensive line in particular looks scary, and not in a good way. After star LT Laremy Tunsil's injury knocked him out for at least most of the 2026 season, the Commanders are thin, and not much improved compared to a 2025 season, when they ranked bottom-10 in run blocking. This heavily affects Jacory Croskey-Merritt in particular as he had next to zero passing-game work in 2025, and doesn't project for a huge receiving role in 2026. His value relies on the ground attack, and the Tunsil injury is big enough where losing one offensive lineman genuinely hurts Washington's projected touchdown drives.

Packers

Green Bay is choosing to play a risky game in 2026 with its O-line. After losing two starters this offseason, it is replacing the former starters with in-house offensive linemen rather than bulking up in free agency or the NFL Draft. Of the bottom half OLs from 2025, it is the only team to do this. This can work for, say, a Bills team that was top-five and is losing one piece, but for a bottom-half unit losing two, the risk is increased for Josh Jacobs and Co.

Browns

Opposite of Green Bay, Cleveland tore it all down. The talent is still in question, but all five offensive lineman are new starters, as the Browns at least are trying to retool up front. They traded for and drafted their starting two offensive tackles, both promising improvements, and added multiple interior offensive linemen in free agency, although the group as a whole is better in pass blocking. It is scary once more for Judkins, but there is a lot of upside for the group as well if they can gel fast and live up to their potential.

Panthers

Carolina had a brutal blow in the NFL Playoffs last season when LT Ikem Ekwonu suffered a torn patellar tendon, knocking him out for most of 2026. That was then followed up by RT Taylor Moton being diagnosed with blood clots, removing him from the lineup for the beginning of 2026. Add in a new center that isn't the most reliable in the run game and Carolina has some worries. The guards can carry the unit but there is high risk until its tackles return.

Safest Offensive Lines

Broncos

You can't ask for much more if you're a J.K. Dobbins truther or RJ Harvey believer. Denver's top offensive line returns all five pieces, the only unit to do so in the top five. It earned my only five star rating as a result.

Rams/Bills/Bears

The three teams above the Broncos ~technically~ got worse, but they're still elite offensive lines that didn't lose much. Rams lose a good RT, Buffalo a good OG and Chicago took the biggest blow with Drew Dalman's surprise retirement at center and an open competition at LT.

Jaguars/Cowboys

Right behind them is a group that helped Javonte Williams and Travis Etienne Jr. to top fantasy numbers in 2025 and, like Denver, aren't changing at all. The Cowboys interior is one of the strongest in the league and Liam Coen turned around the run game in Year 1 with Jacksonville.

Rising Offensive Lines

Buccaneers

Tampa Bay isn't leading off this list because of a free agency splash or first-round draft pick, but purely on the hope that its talented offensive line doesn't get drilled with injuries as they did in 2025. They have the same group of starting offensive lineman as last season, as Cody Mauch returns after missing nearly the entire season, and the tackle duo of Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke return to full health. Add in Bucky Irving's own injuries alongside his QB, and hopefully there's a much better scenario for him in 2026.

Falcons

After the Falcons' top-two right tackles went down to injury before the season, the weak link was hard to overcome. The Falcons have a really strong four and are counting on Jawaan Taylor to be reliable in run blocking, which has not always been his forte. Bill Callahan takes over as the offensive line coach and with a strong core, the Falcons have a chance to bounce back closer to when this group ranked top-five in 2024.

Raiders/Chargers

Everything went wrong for the Chargers and Raiders in 2025. They had limited talent and that talent seemingly all got injured. For Los Angeles, both dominant tackles were out the majority of the season. The interior isn't a guaranteed fix, but it is completely different from the 2025 unit that was abysmal. Mike McDaniel's rushing scheme doesn't hurt, either. Similar with Klint Kubiak. LT Kolton Miller and OG Jackson Powers-Johnson both suffered injuries in 2025, leaving Jeanty with one of the worst yards before contact rates in football. Adding in All-Pro Tyler Linderbaum at center gives them a big time improvement from last season.

The rookie running backs looked great given their situations in 2025, and now could have offensive lines closer to the average.