Running back remains one of the most important positions in fantasy football, but identifying the right values can make or break a draft. Injuries, changing depth charts and projected workloads create opportunities to find league winners while avoiding players whose ADPs carry more risk than reward. Here are two running backs we're targeting and two we're avoiding entering the 2026 fantasy football season.

Running Backs to Avoid

Jeremiyah Love (Arizona Cardinals)

Jeremiyah Love entered training camp with plenty of excitement surrounding his rookie season, but his fantasy outlook took a hit after suffering a high ankle injury in his preseason debut.

High ankle sprains can linger well beyond a player's return to the field, and Love is now expected to miss valuable practice time as he learns a new offense. Even once healthy enough to suit up, there's a good chance Arizona eases him into action early in the season rather than immediately handing him a full workload.

The Cardinals also acquired veteran Tyler Allgeier during the offseason, and he was already expected to have a meaningful role in the backfield. With Love now missing developmental time, Allgeier is positioned to handle an even larger share of the workload early in the year.

Love still has long-term upside, but his current ADP doesn't properly account for the injury, missed camp reps and crowded backfield.

Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers)

Chuba Hubbard is another running back we're fading at his current draft price.

Hubbard is currently dealing with a hamstring injury and is considered week-to-week entering the season. Even before the injury, Carolina planned to reduce his workload with the return of rookie Jonathan Brooks, who is finally healthy after multiple ACL injuries delayed the start of his NFL career.

Now that Brooks enters the season without restrictions while Hubbard battles a soft-tissue injury, the backfield could quickly shift toward a committee or even Brooks becoming the lead back as the season progresses.

Rather than investing in Hubbard at his current value, we'd rather bet on Brooks reclaiming a significant role in Carolina's offense.

Running Backs to Target

Travis Etienne Jr. (New Orleans Saints)

Travis Etienne was already one of our favorite values before the latest injury news out of New Orleans.

The Saints acquired Etienne to inject explosiveness into their offense, and Alvin Kamara was already expected to transition into more of a third-down and receiving role. Now, with Kamara dealing with a knee injury that is expected to sideline him to begin the season, Etienne has an opportunity to dominate touches immediately.

Etienne has always been at his best when utilized as both a runner and receiver, and New Orleans has every reason to feature him as a true three-down back. With the potential for heavy volume in both phases of the offense, Etienne has legitimate RB1 upside while often being drafted after the elite tier of running backs is gone.

Jadarian Price (Seattle Seahawks)

Jadarian Price is one of the most intriguing rookie sleepers at the running back position.

Kenneth Walker is no longer in Seattle, and Zach Charbonnet continues to recover from a late-season ACL tear that is expected to keep him out at the start of the season. That leaves Price with a tremendous opportunity to carve out a major role immediately.

Behind him on the depth chart are George Holani and veteran Emmanuel Wilson, neither of whom project as major obstacles to playing time if Price performs well early.

As with most rookie running backs, patience may be required during the first few weeks of the season, but the path to a featured workload is clearly there. Opportunity is one of the biggest predictors of fantasy success, and few rookie backs have a better chance to dramatically outperform their draft position than Price.

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