{"id":548183,"date":"2026-03-27T09:24:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T09:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/548183\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T09:24:13","slug":"3-running-backs-to-avoid-2026-fantasy-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/548183\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Running Backs to Avoid (2026 Fantasy Football)"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re still a few months from peak draft season, but with NFL free agency behind us, we can start looking at early fantasy football average draft position<\/a> (ADP) value.<\/p>\n

On this page, we\u2019re going to focus on FantasyPros expert consensus rankings<\/a> (ECR) to find out the running backs to avoid.<\/p>\n

Read on to learn why I\u2019m fading Christian McCaffrey, De\u2019Von Achane, and Javonte Williams for the 2026 fantasy football season.<\/p>\n

\"Practice<\/a><\/p>\n

Running Backs to Avoid (2026 Fantasy Football)<\/p>\n

Each of these three running backs has enough red flags to make you avoid them for the 2026 fantasy football season. This is related to workload, injury history, and team context. I won\u2019t be taking these players in any of my leagues.<\/p>\n

Christian McCaffrey (RB \u2013 SF)<\/a><\/p>\n

The time to buy Christian McCaffrey is when he\u2019s coming off an injury-plagued season. That\u2019s when the draft market is lower on him, so you can secure the value. But now, CMC is priced at his peak, which is concerning because of the extreme workload that he saw last year. This is a player coming off 311 carries and 102 catches. It was a 400+ touch season for a running back who is about to turn 30 years old.<\/p>\n

I know, McCaffrey is one of the best running backs of our generation. But he showed signs of decline as a runner last year, with his yards per carry falling to 3.9, which was his lowest since 2020. The 49ers would be wise to bring in another running back in the draft this year, as giving this many touches to a 30+ year old is a recipe for disaster.<\/p>\n

I would rather roll the dice on a young running back like Ashton Jeanty<\/a> or simply take a wide receiver instead of paying a premium for CMC this year. The risk is too high with him coming off such a heavy workload.<\/p>\n

De\u2019Von Achane (RB \u2013 MIA)<\/a><\/p>\n

De\u2019Von Achane is one of the best running backs in the NFL. This is an explosive runner who can make a major impact in the passing game. However, I\u2019m concerned about his 2026 outlook.<\/p>\n

For one, the Dolphins signed Malik Willis<\/a> to be their new starting quarterback. Rushing quarterbacks tend to scramble first rather than look for the checkdown, which could affect Achane\u2019s receiving production. Additionally, by trading Jaylen Waddle<\/a>, it\u2019s clear that the Dolphins are rebuilding. To that end, this offense could be a complete dumpster fire.<\/p>\n

Going from Mike McDaniel to Bobby Slowik and Kevin Patullo is bad news for Achane. I\u2019m not a fan of what new head coach Jeff Hafley has done with this coaching staff. There\u2019s also a chance that the Dolphins bring in another running back in the draft to ease Achane\u2019s workload. After all, the bellcow usage came with McDaniel, so we can\u2019t assume that will continue with a new coaching staff.<\/p>\n

Javonte Williams (RB \u2013 DAL)<\/a><\/p>\n

Javonte Williams was one of the steals of the draft last year. But like CMC, the time to draft Javonte is when he\u2019s priced at rock-bottom, not at a premium. Why buy high on a player who has consistently dealt with injuries?<\/p>\n

I get it, the Cowboys have a high-powered offense, where Javonte can have chances to score a bunch of touchdowns. But this is a player who finished with 14.1 fantasy points per game last year (RB12). Do we really think that he\u2019s going to be better than that in 2026? You have to take him around RB18, so there\u2019s not as much room for profit at cost as there was last year.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the chance that the Cowboys draft a running back to share some of the workload with Javonte. Perhaps they will even get Jaydon Blue<\/a> more involved than he was last year. I\u2019d rather wait and go with Bhayshul Tuten<\/a> than take Javonte at this price.<\/p>\n

\"Join<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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