-2026 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2026 Draft Kit
While Christian McCaffrey is the entrenched starter, Black's third-round draft capital by the San Francisco 49ers gives him a clear path to rotational touches and immediate league-winning potential if McCaffrey misses time. His physical running style and vision are an excellent fit for the Kyle Shanahan offense. Black is actively competing with Jordan James for the primary backup role. If he wins the job, he slots in as a premier handcuff. McCaffrey turns 30 in June and is coming off a staggering 450+ total touches. History shows McCaffrey often misses significant time the year following massive workloads. View Black as a late-round injury-away stash in standard re-draft leagues. Note that Black is an older rookie (turning 25), which suppresses his early rookie draft ADP into the late third or fourth rounds. However, day-two draft capital makes him a valuable target. Regardless, we like Black as a high-upside handcuff and late-round rookie stash for 2026.
A former college linebacker, Herman was signed by the Miami Dolphins and is actively trying to transition to fullback. He is primarily viewed as a potential special teams contributor and blocker rather than a heavy-volume offensive weapon. Because he was an undrafted addition, his statistical profile offers no meaningful fantasy value.
Selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders, he faces a wide-open backfield competition, making him a high-reward asset who requires patience. The Washington Commanders lack an established lead RB option, with the current depth chart consisting of Rachaad White, Jerome Ford, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Both White and Ford are playing on one-year deals. Allen is a physical, one-cut, downhill runner ideally suited to handle short-yardage and early-down work. He is expected to take over the goal-line and grind-it-out role previously held by Chris Rodriguez. Allen ha prototypical NFL size (5'11", 216 lbs) and excellent contact balance. He excels at bouncing off arm tackles, falling forward, and scoring near the goal line. He lacks elite breakaway speed and does not generate a ton of extra yards by making defenders miss in space. His pass-blocking grades were inconsistent, which may initially limit his snaps on third downs. His weekly volume could be erratic early in the season while he fights for touches in a crowded committee, but he possesses inherent value as a possible goal-line vulture. We like Allen as an early Round 2 rookie pick in dynasty. While sixth-round draft capital brings a lower statistical hit rate, the weak depth chart ahead of him provides a clear path to become the primary early-down back for the Commanders as soon as 2027. Overall, Kaytron Allen profiles as a touchdown-dependent early-down back with immediate flex appeal and mid-to-late round redraft value.
The fourth-round pick walks into a crowded Denver Broncos backfield but offers immediate utility as a high-end handcuff, third-down blocker, and goal-line back. Coleman is slotted to compete with veterans JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey for touches. Dobbins carries significant injury risk, and Harvey struggled with pass protection during his rookie season. Coach Sean Payton historically rewards running backs who can stay on the field, giving Coleman a clear, multi-path trajectory to workload share. At 5'9" and roughly 228 lbs, Coleman is an incredibly physical back who excels at breaking tackles and generating yards after contact. His elite pass-blocking ability (boasting a career pressure rate allowed around 5%) will help him earn snaps on passing downs early in his rookie year. He is exceptionally reliable with the football, boasting a low collegiate fumble rate and reliable hands in the passing game. Because of the crowded depth chart, Coleman does not need to be heavily drafted as an RB1/RB2, but he is worth stashing in the later rounds as a high-value handcuff. Meanwhile, his analytical profile and potential for a three-down workload once the backfield clears up make him a highly coveted asset, and he projects as an early-to-mid second-round pick in rookie-only dynasty drafts.
Rookie Adam Randall was Selected 174th overall (Round 5) by the Baltimore Ravens and will sit behind workhorse Derrick Henry in 2026. However, his elite size and pass-catching upside make him an intriguing late-round stash in dynasty rookie drafts. At 6-foot-3 and over 230 pounds, he boasts 95th-percentile size-adjusted athleticism; he ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash. He transitioned from wide receiver to running back late in college. Because of his green status at the position, he will take time to adapt to the nuances of blocking and vision inside the tackles. Henry will dominate early-down and goal-line work, while Justice Hill will act as the primary change-of-pace back. Randall's major path to fantasy relevance hinges on an injury to Henry. If Henry misses time, Randall's receiving abilities and frame give him immense sleeper upside.
Drafted in the seventh round out of Kentucky, Seth McGowan projects as a physical short-yardage grinder and the primary handcuff to workhorse Jonathan Taylor. McGowan will compete with second-year back D.J. Giddens for the primary RB2 backup role behind Taylor. While his redraft value is minimal, he is a valuable taxi-squad stash. McGowan is a physical 223-pound back who scored 12 rushing touchdowns in his final collegiate season. He posted a strong 4.49-second 40-yard dash and an impressive 42.5-inch vertical at the NFL Scouting Combine, giving him above-average burst. He logged a high drop rate and fumble rate in college, which he must improve upon to earn the coaching staff's trust. As a 7th-round pick, he is not guaranteed a roster spot, and his high age (turning 25 during the season) dampens his long-term dynasty appeal. Keep an eye on training camp reports. If insiders suggest that he has the inside track as Turner's backup, that would make him a prime candidate to steal short-yardage and goal-line work if Indianapolis scales back Taylor’s heavy workload. In that case he would have standalone flex potential during bye weeks even if Taylor stays healthy, and elite upside as an injury replacement. All said, we see McGowan as a late-round dynasty flier and high-upside backup for the Indianapolis Colts.
Demond Claiborne, selected in the 6th round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, is a highly explosive, late-round sleeper for 2026. At 5'9" and 188 lbs -- and running a 4.37 40-yard dash, Clairborne is often compared to Raheem Mostert or De'Von Achane due to blazing speed and play-making upside. He sits behind starter Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Jones is entering his age-32 season and has struggled with durability over the last three years. If Jones misses time, Claiborne is positioned to step in as a dynamic, change-of-pace pass-catcher, while Mason handles the heavier, early-down work. We'd steer clear of him in standard 10- or 12-team leagues, but he is a strong waiver wire target in deep formats and holds appeal in best-ball leagues if his big-play ability leads to standalone spike weeks. He is generally being selected in the late rounds (often around the 3rd or 4th rounds, or roughly Tier 5) of dynasty rookie drafts. Jones is on a heavily restructured contract, making Claiborne the heir apparent to his role in the Vikings offense. Stashing him in dynasty allows you to monitor if he can add NFL play strength to his undeniable acceleration.
Well, it happened. Jeremiyah Love went top five in the NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals, who already have Tyler Allgeier and James Conner on the depth chart. With that type of draft capital investment, I think Love will be Arizona's lead back in 2026, but he could have his workload eaten into by Allgeier and/or Conner. Love's talent isn't in question. Over the last two years in college, he ranked inside the top 15 backs in each season in yards after contact per attempt, breakaway rate, and elusive rating (per PFF). He's also a stellar pass catcher, as evidenced by sitting at 17th in yards per route run among FBS backs last year and drawing a 10.9% target share. The Cards look like one of the worst teams in the NFL with concerning quarterback play. The cluttered backfield and worrisome scoring environment could hinder Love in 2026, keeping him as a strong RB2, but locking him out of RB1 status. If he does get the lion's share of the work, and their grouping of quarterbacks can produce something close to league-average passing production, Love could be a top 12 back.
Drafted in the fifth round, Singleton boasts an excellent size-speed combo and above-average pass-catching abilities, giving him a clear path to earn immediate third-down or passing-down work. The Tennessee Titans plan to rely on Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears early on, but Brian Daboll’s offensive scheme could open the door for a growing workload as the season progresses. Singleton will operate primarily in a rotational backup role as a rookie, acting as a "boom-bust" RB4 with RB2/RB3 upside if an injury occurs. He holds an early-to-mid second-round ADP in rookie drafts, ranking alongside players like Antonio Williams. Both Pollard and Spears are on expiring contracts, making it highly probable that Singleton inherits a significant portion of the backfield touches by 2027 with an ideal path to future opportunities. That's why we like his long-term dynasty outlook.
Eli Heidenreich was selected No. 230 by the Pittsburgh Steelers and enters a crowded backfield led by Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Heidenreich is a versatile, multipurpose offensive weapon who broke records as a receiver at Navy. He caught 51 passes for 941 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season, averaging an impressive 18.3 yards per reception. His agility is elite, posting a Pro Day 3-cone drill of 6.55 seconds drawing comparisons to Christian McCaffrey. Because he was a late-round selection and has limited experience running between the tackles, his early usage will likely be restricted to special teams and gadget plays. Heidenreich will need to prove himself in pass protection and could eventually carve out a role as a third-down, pass-catching specialist. He makes for an upside target at the very end of rookie drafts, though managers will need to be patient for him to earn a consistent on-field snap share.
Drafted in the seventh round (No. 245 overall) by the New England Patriots, Jam Miller is buried on a depth chart behind established veteran Rhamondre Stevenson and 2nd-year TreVeyon Henderson. Scouts project Miller as a physical, north-south, one-cut runner, but he lacks elite breakaway speed and needs development in pass-protection. Miller will battle for a roster spot or the RB3/4 duties. His primary early-career value projects to be on special teams rather than offensive volume. Barring multiple injuries in the backfield, Miller is not expected to see meaningful touches this season. While Stevenson's contract allows New England flexibility in the coming seasons, TreVeyon Henderson profiles as the eventual heir-apparent, leaving Miller with a narrow path to ever becoming a lead back. He is going undrafted or only being selected in the very late rounds of deep rookie-only drafts.
Selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft following a massive college season at Nebraska, Emmett Johnson proved to be an elite, instinctive receiver at the college level and can run routes out of the slot. However, he lacks elite top-end speed and needs to improve his blitz pickup to secure long-term passing-down snaps. His immediate fantasy value is tied to the health of lead back Kenneth Walker III. Johnson will compete with Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith for the primary backup role. While Demercado may see third-down work early on, Johnson's well-rounded, three-down skill set makes him the most logical handcuff to Walker. He is practically unusable in standard weekly lineups unless Walker misses time. However, if Walker is sidelined, Johnson possesses the high-end volume and pass-catching traits to step into an immediate RB2/flex role. In standard leagues, he is a late-round flier or waiver-wire stash, best drafted by managers who also roster Kenneth Walker III. He is a valuable mid-to-late round target (often a second-round pick) in dynasty rookie drafts.
Selected 32nd overall by the Seattle Seahawks, Jadarian Price is primed for immediate, heavy volume early in the season. With Kenneth Walker departing for the Kansas City Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet sidelined until later in the fall, Price is walking into a backfield with tremendous vacated touch potential. While the Seahawks are expected to incorporate veterans like Emanuel Wilson and George Holani to help share the early-down load, Price projects as the most dynamic and explosive rusher of the group. He excels at breaking tackles and generating yards after contact. He has a stellar collegiate elusive rating and elite speed metrics. In fact we project Price to rush for nearly 1,000 yards and score 7 to 8 touchdowns. The primary concerns heading into his rookie year are his lack of collegiate target share (only 15 career receptions in 41 games) and his current inexperience in pass protection. Price is currently being drafted in the RB25 to RB30 range (typically Rounds 6–9 in early drafts). He offers massive boom-or-bust upside right out of the gate, making him an excellent target if you employ a Zero-RB or Hero-RB strategy. In Dynasty drafts, his first-round draft capital makes him an early pick, especially if you are comfortable taking on the variance of an early-down runner.
Mike Washington Jr. is a high-ceiling, athletic prospect who landed with the Las Vegas Raiders as a fourth-round pick. Washington passes the eyeball test at 6'1", 223 lbs with blistering 4.3 speed. Washington had a breakout 2025 season at Arkansas, rushing for 1,070 yards (89.0 ypg) and eight touchdowns. However, he is considered a developmental runner who sometimes struggles with ball security and blitz pickup. Because of his build and athletic testing, he has the size to immediately slot into an every-down, high-volume role -- the problem, of course, is the presence of Ashton Jeanty, whom the Raiders selected with a top 10 pick last season and figures to be a star in the league for years to come. Under the guidance of new Raiders offensive coach Klint Kubiak, there is hope for a multi-back committee system. However, until Washington carves out a clear, standalone role, he remains purely a bench depth piece designed to capitalize on potential volume in the event of an injury to Jeanty. We suggest targeting him late in redraft leagues. In Dynasty formats, he is generally being selected in the second to third rounds of rookie drafts.