Dave Richard's ultimate step-by-step guide for drafting running backs in your 2026 Fantasy Football leagues
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- NFL passing trends have shifted against receivers: league-wide pass attempts fell from 34.4 per game per team in 2021 to 32.1 in 2025, while WR targets dropped from 12.4 to 11 over the same span.
- Running back usage has held remarkably steady, with rush attempts between 21.6 and 21.8 per game per team across the past five seasons, and the count of backs averaging 15-plus touches per game climbing from 15 in 2021 to at least 20 in each of the past four years.
- The Zero-RB strategy is explicitly ruled out for 2026, per the guide, because running backs taken after Round 6 carry headaches that mid-round receivers don't, and the receiving depth runs deeper through the middle and late rounds.
- Boom-week production tilted heavily to RBs in 2025, with 39 backs posting 30-plus PPR point games compared to 25 wide receivers — the kind of ceiling that anchors RB-heavy draft plans.
- The 2026 RB talent pool runs deeper than 2025, with six of the top 10 expected fantasy draft picks at the position having entered the NFL within the past three seasons, including multiple rookies and second-year backs.
- The guide lays out four draft approaches: two elite RBs in Rounds 1-2, the "Hero RB" plan with one early back, waiting until Round 3 to start drafting RBs, or a Zero-RB punt until Round 4.
- League format and size dictate RB strategy — non-PPR and 14-plus team formats demand RB-heavy drafting, while 8-team and full-PPR leagues offer the most flexibility to wait on the position.
Why it matters: Fantasy managers face a strategic reset in 2026: falling pass attempts and a more spread WR target share have made RB-heavy early-round drafting the highest-upside path, while Zero-RB is explicitly called a "death sentence" in non-PPR leagues. The cost of waiting on RBs has risen materially compared to recent seasons, and league format now matters more than ever.
