Which Runngbacks and Wide Receivers should you go after in fantasy football drafts in 2026? Our FantasyPros experts have all the answers for who they are targeting when looking for depth in the middle rounds.
Mid-Round RB & WR Targets
Which RB with a half-PPR ADP between RB25-48 are you targeting the most in your drafts and why?
Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)
“Jonathon Brooks is one of my favorite picks in fantasy drafts this season. He was widely viewed as arguably the best running back in his draft class, and the only thing that has kept him from showcasing that talent has been injuries. His injury risk is already baked into his ADP, but if he can stay on the field, he has legitimate league-winning upside.”
– Nick Penticoff (Fantasy Football Astronauts)
“It’s Jonathon Brooks by a nose over Kyle Monangai and Blake Corum. The latter two play in much better offenses, but unlike Monangai and Corum, Brooks has a chance to become his team’s lead back on the merits. Obviously, it’s hard to feel completely confident investing in a player who’s torn the same ACL twice, but the reports about Brooks’ recovery have been overwhelmingly positive, and no one is losing their fantasy league because their ninth-round pick didn’t pan out. The Panthers spent a second-round pick on Brooks. I suspect they’d like to see him surpass Chuba Hubbard at some point. Brooks had an exciting prospect profile. Hubbard had a nice year in 2024 but has otherwise been a replacement-level RB. I’m betting Brooks has the lead RB job in Carolina before Halloween.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
“Jonathan Brooks is the running back I’m betting on because I want exposure to ambiguous backfields, where talent can rise to the top. Last season we already watched Rico Dowdle overtake Chuba Hubbard for the lead role last season, finishing with 1,000+ rushing yards while averaging 4.6 yards per carry compared to Hubbard’s 3.8, showing that Dave Canales isn’t afraid to ride the more productive back. Brooks entered the league as an intriguing rookie, and now another year removed from his ACL injury, the path to a three-down workload is there. At an RB36 price tag, I’m happy to bet on talent winning out over uncertainty.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (The Armchair Sports Corner)
“Jonathon Brooks, Panthers: Two ACL tears and just three games across the past two years make Brooks seem like a risky pick. But the price is much easier to stomach when he’s joining your roster as an RB3 or RB4. He’ll likely begin in a complementary role alongside Chuba Hubbard, but there’s room to displace the veteran if Brooks can recapture the form that made him a Round 2 pick in 2024.”
– Kevin English (Draft Sharks)
Blake Corum (RB – LAR)
“Blake Corum is on one of the top offenses in the league and has stand alone value at RB34 in ADP. We saw his opportunities increase and fantasy points followed. Starting Week 7 Corum averaged 10 carries and 53 rushing yards per game and he had standalone value. The Rams had a 49.7% success rate on designed runs. Corum is one of the top handcuffs in the league and has league winning upside if anything were to happen to Kyren Williams. If you are drafting a back this late, you are looking for a home run and Corum could be it.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)
“Chuba Hubbard was quietly the biggest winner winner of the off-season at the running back position by losing his competition and gaining a ton of help in the off-season. His only competition now has had single digit rushes in the last 2 years for 2.2 YPC and is recovering from the 2nd ACL tear in his right knee alone. Hubbard had a top-8 offensive line in run blocking last year and now adds a 1st round OT, the Packers left tackle, the 17th ranked center (PFF), and several key defensive pieces which should create many run-heavy game scripts. Hubbard suffered a calf injury after the 4th game last year but was on pace for over 1300 yards in that small sample size. This follows up the 1300+ yard season he had the year before which shows he can produce when given the opportunity. ”
– Justin Weigal (FantasySharks)
Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAC)
” Travis Etienne‘s departure on free agency opens up the lead RB role in Jacksonville, and I think that Tuten could win that competition. When it comes to Bhayshul “Rootin’” Tuten, his talent is obvious. He’s the fastest RB north, south, east, and west of the Pecos, according to Yosemite Sam Ringo. And while I’ll admit I’m not the biggest Carolina Panthers’ fan out there, there are fantasy points to be had if we can pick the right RB. Brooks has more pedigree coming out of college than teammate, Chuba Hubbard. Knee injuries derailed his promising career so far, but he appears healthy now. If Brooks can stay healthy, he has the ability to be a bell cow RB. Brooks’ current ADP on FantasyPros is at RB 41 which makes him a major sleeper and a potential league winner if he hits!”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Jordan Mason (RB – MIN)
“Jordan Mason only has to beat out Aaron Jones who is on his last legs in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings didn’t add any depth to the position this offseason and after last years issues at quarterback, the offense will want to take pressure off either option to allow for maximum success. ”
– Joe Pepe (Beyond The Gridiron)
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
“If I draft Jahmyr Gibbs, I am drafting Isiah Pacheco no matter what. Quickest way you will lose your Fantasy Football league if you do not go out of your way to draft the obvious handcuff to your most prized player. This is the first season Gibbs has the ‘bellcow’ label, and while it is exciting, and he is the obvious #1 pick, something we have not had in a number of years, you better be insured because if you are not, your season is over.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)
“I’ll be drafting Tony Pollard a TON this year. Pollard remains the clear leadback for the Titans entering the 2026 season. Last year, he ranked 15th in snap share, 17th in opportunity share, and 16th in weighted opportunities, but because of the putrid offensive situation he found himself in, he was only the RB29 in fantasy points per game. This can be traced to his five total touchdowns, which were a result of an offense that was 30th in points per game and 32nd in red zone scoring attempts per game, so it makes sense that he also ranked 49th in red zone touches. Pollard was still solid on a per-touch basis. Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked 25th in explosive run rate and 22nd in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Brian Daboll, his new offensive coordinator, has historically ridden one running back in his offenses, and Pollard looks to be that guy this season. Pollard should find running room in 2026 with Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson added to the passing game, improved play from Cam Ward, and an offensive line that last year was quietly 13th-best in yards before contact per attempt. Pollard will be lingering in the RB3 range in plenty of drafts, but I think he returns strong RB2 value and production this season.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
“Drafting Tony Pollard offers rare, workhorse volume at a discount, as he is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season where he racked up 275 touches (242 carries for 1,082 yards and 33 receptions) in Tennessee. He did this despite a bottom-five offensive line on a team that scored the 3rd fewest total points in 2025. Even so, he ranked as the 15th best RB in yards after contact per attempt in 2025 (3.2) and 9th best in explosive runs of 10+ yards (27). Furthermore, he is a prime candidate for touchdown regression; despite seeing 18 red-zone carries, he converted just five into scores, a rate that will surely rise under Brian Callahan’s improving offense. Tethering this high-floor, three-down workload and explosive after-contact ability to such a cheap draft cost makes Pollard a safe weekly floor with a premier option to deliver matchup-winning spike weeks.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)
Rachaad White (RB – WAS)
“One of my favorite targets at his current ADP (RB38) is Rachaad White. Although he’s currently listed second on the Commanders’ depth chart, his elite third-down ability gives him a clear path to earning more snaps. White has played at least 16 games in each of his four NFL seasons and has finished as the RB36 or better every year. His receiving ability provides a reliable PPR floor, and a fresh opportunity in Washington gives him intriguing upside at his cost.”
– Brady Auer (BA Sports Podcast)
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)
“Personally, I find it hard not to gravitate towards RJ Harvey at his RB29 APD. Although he is sharing work with J.K. Dobbins at least initially, Harvey would see a greatly increased role in the case of a Dobbins injury, which has been all too common since Dobbins came into the league. After the bye week following Dobbins’ injury in 2025, Harvey operated as the clear lead back, finishing no worse than RB24 weekly through weeks 13-17. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is given more opportunity in 2026 just based on this production alone; not to mention that Harvey is a much more dynamic pass-catcher and red zone threat than Dobbins in this offense, which should give him standalone value even if Dobbins does play the whole slate of games. The only thing that would make me more hesitant to draft Harvey is if his value keeps inflating up into RB2 range, as there are definitely other strong backs in around that ADP. ”
– Jacob Piccolo (TrueRGM)
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)
“I was out on Jaylen Warren last year, but I won’t make that same mistake again for 2026. Even losing a majority of the passing-down work and splitting touches with Kenneth Gainwell, Warren still averaged 12.3 fantasy points per game in half-PPR formats, good for RB18. Gainwell is gone, and Rico Dowdle now joins Warren in the backfield. The 5’8″ Warren has Aaron Rodgers‘ trust, and because of that, he should see most of the snaps on passing downs, which is where he excels. Last season, he ranked second in catch rate (88.9%), fourth in yards per route run (1.81), and seventh in yards per reception (8.3) among all running backs. Coming off the board somewhere near the Round 6/Round 7 turn, Warren makes for a fine RB2 or FLEX option in your lineups without breaking the bank. “
– Wolf Trelles-Heard (FantasyPros)
Rico Dowdle (RB – PIT)
“The former Carolina Panther turned Pittsburgh Steeler, Rico Dowdle will be a steal at his current RB32 price. Dowdle is coming off of two straight 1,000 yard seasons, one of which in 2024 came with the Dallas Cowboys. You may ask, who was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 that gave Dowdle his first real crack in a featured role? Well, if you said Mike McCarthy go get yourself a gold star because, you are correct. The Jaylen Warren roadblock could be a problem, but if Dowdle can prove to be the more efficient runner of the two while securing high-leverage touches in Pittsburgh, Dowdle could win this job and be the Steelers running back to roster in 2026. ”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Kenny Gainwell (RB – TB)
“Kenny Gainwell finally came on last year as a trusted dump-off running back for Aaron Rodgers. During the off-season, he signed a 2-year/ $14 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That size investment in a running back guarantees that he will have a big role in an offense that was supposed to feature Bucky Irving until injuries slowed his ascension in the 2025 season. Word out of mini-camp is that Gainwell and Irving will be at a near 50/50 split this season, and owners can anticipate Gainwell getting a majority of the pass-catching work. As the RB37 that makes Gainwell a player that all owners should target in the mid-rounds, especially owners who begin the draft wide receiver heavy.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Which WR with a half-PPR ADP between WR25-55 are you targeting the most in your drafts and why?
Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB)
“Everyone is talking about Emeka Egbuka with Mike Evans no longer in the fold, but Egbuka’s production took a significant dip across the board when Chris Godwin was on the field last season. In the nine games Godwin played, Egbuka averaged 9.9 fantasy points per game. In the eight games without Godwin, that number jumped to 13.0 FPPG. I believe Godwin will be the WR1 in this offense, and I’ll gladly take the discount.”
– Nick Penticoff (Fantasy Football Astronauts)
Jordyn Tyson (WR – NO)
“Jordyn Tyson is a perfect fit with Kellen Moore. Chris Olave is still the top target, but there is plenty go around. Olave primarily plays outside and draws attention from the teams top cornerback. Moore’s offenses historically have funneled targets to the slot, where Tyson should play primarily. Tyson will be a great value where he is currently being drafted.”
– David Heilman (Dynasty Trade Calculator)
Rome Odunze (WR – CHI)
“Rome Odunze is the value Chicago Bear to own this year and will outproduce Luther Burden entirely. Odunze was off to an insane start in 2025 before his foot injury with an average of 1 touchdown per game and a pace of 1200+ yards. In their 10 healthy games together before injury, Burden had 28 targets to Odunze’s 84. In terms of film, Odunze just meshes better with the wild, rocket arm of Caleb Williams and is the better receiver for this offense. It’s hard to see how Burden is going so far ahead of him and how Odunze is not going as a top-30 receiver. ”
– Justin Weigal (FantasySharks)
“Rome Odunze is shaping up to be one of the best value selections in drafts this summer. The WR29 off the board, it seems people forgot just how good Odunze was at the start of last season where he ripped off five scores in his first four contests while gathering 35 targets in that stretch. DJ Moore has departed for Buffalo, freeing up 85 targets to go around in this high-powered Chicago offense. Expect Odunze to push for 1,000 receiving yards in his third pro season, with a real shot of coming down with double digit scores as well in 2026.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI)
“A lot of fantasy analysts are writing Marvin Harrison Jr. off as a bust. I think that’s a mistake. Arizona has a new head coach this season, Mike LaFleur. LaFleur comes over from Los Angeles under the tutelage of offensive wiz, Sean McVay. McVay’s offense features a pass-oriented attack, the same one where a fantasy star WR named Puka plays. In addition, the Cardinals added more juice to the offense with RB Jeremiyah Love and bolstered their line with Guard Chase Bisontis. With a current ADP at WR 32, Harrison seems cheap given his talent and the potential of an improved Cardinals’ offense in 2026.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Christian Watson (WR – GB)
“Christian Watson has the chance to take over as the alpha in Green Bay. His size and speed is second to none and his ability to dominate without Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks there is finally emerging. I would expect a high route percentage which means we have a chance at a WR1 season from Watson. ”
– Joe Pepe (Beyond The Gridiron)
“The Packers let Romeo Doubs depart in free agency, then signed Watson to a four-year, $110.5 million extension. He earned it with an explosive 35-611-6 line in 10 games, plus a yards per route run that ranked fifth in a sample of 76 WRs with 50+ targets. He produced despite coming off a torn ACL in Week 18 of 2024. Now, with good health, Watson should cruise to career highs in 2026.”
– Kevin English (Draft Sharks)
Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF)
“Ricky Pearsall, sitting at WR45, is free money this season. Last year was another injury-marred campaign, as he was limited to nine games played with a PCL sprain that plagued him all year, essentially. Pearsall still flashed when he was on the field, with four top-24 weekly finishes in those nine games (WR20, WR11, WR21, WR22). Last year, Pearsall only drew a 17.4% target share, but he averaged 58.7 receiving yards with 2.02 yards per route run and 0.103 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Last year, among 109 qualifying receivers, Pearsall ranked 23rd in yards per route run and 22nd in first downs per route run. On a per-route basis, Pearsall was excellent. Yes, Mike Evans was added to this offense along with Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling. I don’t see Kirk or Stribling impacting Pearsall’s role and volume in this offense if he can stay healthy. If Pearsall can finally put together a full, healthy 17-game season, this could be his breakout year. I’ll be heavily overweight in Pearsall exposure this year across my leagues. ”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
“Ricky Pearsall has a 10th-round ADP at WR45, and there’s a good chance he proves to be a bargain at that price. He’s a hyper-athletic former first-round pick who’s battled injuries but has shown intriguing flashes. Pearsall’s rookie season was thwarted when he was shot in a robbery attempt in late August, but he had 14 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers’ last two regular-season games. In 2025, Pearsall topped 100 yards in two of his first three games. Then he injured his PCL in Week 4, didn’t come back until Week 11, and wasn’t himself upon his return. But once again, Pearsall flashed at the end of the season, with 11 catches for 181 yards in the last two regular-season games he played. Mike Evans and George Kittle are heading into their age-33 seasons and have injury concerns of their own. Pearsall should have opportunities to pop in his third NFL season.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Josh Downs (WR – IND)
“My favorite wide receivers to target at his current ADP (WR47) is Josh Downs. With Michael Pittman Jr.‘s departure, Downs enters the season as the Colts’ WR2 behind Alec Pierce and has the opportunity to capitalize on 110 vacated targets. He ranked among the top 20 wide receivers in separation score, according to PFF, highlighting his ability to consistently create space. The Colts also showed confidence in Downs by moving on from their top receiver from last season, setting him up for an expanded role in 2026.”
– Brady Auer (BA Sports Podcast)
“Josh Downs is my favorite breakout receiver because the role is finally catching up to the talent. Michael Pittman’s departure leaves behind 111 vacated targets, and Indianapolis has been vocal about expanding Downs’ usage beyond being primarily a slot receiver, giving him more opportunities to stay on the field in two-WR personnel while still creating mismatches inside. The efficiency has already been there; his 0.25 career Targets Per Route Run ranks alongside some of the NFL’s best young receivers, and he has consistently earned targets despite playing one of the league’s most difficult roles. If he gets the target share increase I expect, Downs has a legitimate chance to lead the Colts in targets and make WR47 look like a MASSIVE pricing mistake.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (The Armchair Sports Corner)
Alec Pierce (WR – IND)
“I think Alec Pierce could smash his WR36 ADP, for a number of factors. Firstly, seeing as how his current ADP is back end WR3, that alone should allow him to greatly outperform his current value. Coming off of a season where Pierce finished as the WR24, it would take an injury or a performance drop off to finish at his current ADP or worse. Given Michael Pittman Jr’s departure from the Colts and the 111 vacated targets, I find it hard to believe the Pierce won’t at least match his 2025 output, even if he only receives a small percentage of those extra targets. Yes, I know Pierce is a boom or bust type receiver and there will be down weeks, but when the season is all said and done, I would be shocked if he finished as the WR36 or worse. ”
– Jacob Piccolo (TrueRGM)
Mike Evans (WR – TB)
“Does Mike Evans have one more elite season left in him? With a move to San Francisco hopefully rejuvenating and motivating him, I’m willing to bet he does. Remember, he left Tampa Bay after 12 seasons and chose the 49ers for a reason. He’ll step in as the X receiver in Kyle Shanahan’s offense and should thrive catching passes from Brock Purdy, who ranked sixth in catchable pass rate (75.7%) and first in deep ball catchable pass rate (62.9%) in 2025. Even at 33 years old, Evans remains a dangerous vertical threat, and he’s one of the greatest touchdown scorers in NFL history. There’s high-end WR2 upside here if he can stay healthy, and you can draft him at WR27 prices. ”
– Wolf Trelles-Heard (FantasyPros)
Michael Wilson (WR – ARI)
“From week 11 to 18 last year, Michael Wilson was on fire! He took over the WR1 for the Arizona Cardinals offense, which was one of the highest volume pass attacks in the NFL. This was the role many owners expected Marvin Harrison, Jr. to have with the Cardinals, and according to rankings, many still believe he will. Wilson is currently the WR38, which is a bargain for a team’s best wide receiver. Adding fuel to that excitement is the news from head coach/play-caller Mike LaFleur, who said that he will be using Wilson as the Z-receiver in a role modeled after how Lafleur used Puka Nacua. If this comes to fruition, Wilson will be a steal in the 7th round of drafts this summer!”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
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