6 Late-Round Running Backs to Draft (2026 Fantasy Football)

Running back is the position where late-round value swings fantasy football seasons. Below are our favorite late-round targets, backs whose current ADP is running behind their expert consensus rank, meaning the field is letting them fall further than the rankings say they should. That gap is where you find value in fantasy football drafts.

2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Our Favorite Late-Round RBs to Targets

Let’s dive into a few of our favorite late-round fantasy football draft picks to target among running backs.

Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) — ECR: RB29 | ECR vs. ADP: +1 | Bye: 11

Rhamondre Stevenson was the Pats’ lead back last year as the RB21 in fantasy points per game, and I don’t see that changing in 2026. Stevenson was amazing on a per-touch basis, and he bested TreVeyon Henderson in EVERY discernible metric that I care about. Last year, Stevenson was fifth in explosive run rate, missed tackle rate, and yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Stevenson also surpassed Henderson in yards per route run (1.41 vs. 0.98) and pass protection. Unless Stevenson falls off in 2026, he should remain the lead back for New England after playing at least 57% of the snaps in nine of his 14 games played in 2025. Stevenson should be a nice value for fantasy managers again this season.

Rico Dowdle (PIT) — ECR: RB31 | ECR vs. ADP: +1 | Bye: 9

Rico Dowdle did it again last season. Dowdle fought to get to the top of the Carolina running back depth chart as he wrestled the starting job away from Chuba Hubbard. In Weeks 5-18, Dowdle averaged 18.6 touches and 87.7 total yards as the RB10 in fantasy points per game. Dowdle also excelled last season on the ground and in the receiving game. He ranked 23rd in explosive run rate, 17th in missed tackle rate, tenth in yards after contact per attempt, 17th in yards per route run, and 16th in first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). After that strong season, Dowdle now finds himself reunited with Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh as a backfield complement to Jaylen Warren. The division of the Steelers’ running back workload is up in the air for the 2026 season, but I won’t count against Dowdle’s ability to rise to the competition for RB1 duties. We’ll likely see a committee approach for Pittsburgh this season, but Dowdle could easily return RB2 value if not strong flex value this season.

J.K. Dobbins (DEN) — ECR: RB34 | ECR vs. ADP: +1 | Bye: 10

J.K. Dobbins returns to Denver this season as their early down hammer. It’s tough to count on him for a full season at this point, but while he’s out there, he should be a nice RB2/flex play this season. Last year, Dobbins did see his season cut short with a foot injury. In Weeks 1-10, he was the RB24 in fantasy points per game, averaging 16.4 touches and 80.6 total yards. The bulk of that work was in the rushing department as he averaged only 1.4 targets and 3.7 receiving yards per game. He had only four games in which he saw more than one target, and he never saw more than two targets in any game. Dobbins was on pace for 260 carries and 1,313 rushing yards before his injury, so his value on early downs is quite nice. Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked third in explosive run rate and eighth in missed tackle rate (per Fantasy Points Data). Dobbins should return RB2/touchdown-dependent flex value this season.

Kenny Gainwell (TB) — ECR: RB36 | ECR vs. ADP: +2 | Bye: 10

Kenneth Gainwell was an integral part of the Pittsburgh backfield last year for the entire season, but he really hit his stride in Weeks 11-18 as the RB7 in fantasy points per game with 13.3 touches and 85 total yards per game. His passing game was robust during this stretch as he was third in target share (17.5%), second in receiving yards per game (45.4), fourth in yards per route run (2.10), and first in first downs per route run (0.116, per Fantasy Points Data). That also isn’t to say that he wasn’t also fantastic on early downs, ranking 14th in explosive run rate and missed tackle rate overall for the season among backs. Gainwell will play a prominent role for his new team (Tampa Bay) this season as a complement to Bucky Irving. Irving has had a substantial list of injuries that he has dealt with during his short career, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Gainwell is leading the backfield some weeks in 2026 with a solid standalone role when Irving is active. Gainwell could easily return RB2 value in 2026 if everything falls in his favor. He definitely carries more fantasy appeal in PPR formats, though.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. (JAC) — ECR: RB43 | ECR vs. ADP: +2 | Bye: 7

Chris Rodriguez reunited with Liam Coen this offseason as he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rodriguez and Coen spent time together during Coen’s one-year tenure as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator during the 2021 collegiate season. In that season, Rodriguez ran for 1,379 yards with 6.1 yards per carry and 12 total touchdowns. Rodriguez will look to build upon his brief run as Washington’s starter last season. In Weeks 10-18, he drew six starts while averaging 12.7 touches and 57.7 total yards as the RB31 in fantasy points per game. Rodriguez could be an early down and short yardage option for the Jags this year, as he won’t be contributing much in the passing game. Last season, he had only four targets and 30 receiving yards with Washington. He was quite good as a rusher, though ranking 12th in missed tackle rate and second in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). We’ll see how much Rodriguez can eat into Bhayshul Tuten‘s workload this season, but he’s a nice late-round pick in all formats.

Tank Bigsby (PHI) — ECR: RB52 | ECR vs. ADP: +2 | Bye: 10

Tank Bigsby is one of the best handcuffs in the NFL, and he won’t get mentioned at the top of the conversation many times. Last year, among 65 qualifying backs, he ranked fourth in explosive run rate, second in missed tackle rate, and first in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). In the one game that he played more than 40% of the snaps (Week 18), we got to see what his fantasy value could be if Saquon Barkley missed any time. He logged 17 touches with 106 total yards as the RB9 for the week in PPR scoring. If you’re looking for handcuffs to stash, Bigsby is one of the best.

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