2026 Fantasy Football RB Rankings & Tiers with Scott Pianowski | Best of the Fest (Ep. 2159)

August 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the 2026 FantasyPros RB rankings episode, Scott Pianowski and Pat Fitzmaurice join the host to break down the running back landscape with a focus on where the consensus expert rankings (ECR) get it right, where they get it wrong, and which backs offer the best value. The conversation is built around three tiers: RB1s (top 12), RB2s (13–24), and RB3s (25–36), plus a look at one sleeper outside the top 36. The key tension throughout is between proven production and speculative upside, with the panel favoring "proof of concept" over draft capital or offseason buzz.

The RB1 Debate: O'Marrian Hampton as a Reach

The first major disagreement centers on Chargers running back O'Marrian Hampton, ranked RB9 in ECR. Fitzmaurice argues Hampton is ranked too high, and Pianowski agrees. The reasoning is layered. First, the Chargers backfield is not a one-man show—Mike McDaniel has been upfront about using a committee featuring Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kamani Vidal, both of whom are talented. Second, Hampton’s rookie sample is thin: nine games, a broken ankle in Week 5, and only one 100-yard rushing game. Third, Pianowski and Fitzmaurice both emphasize that what Devon Achane did in Miami with McDaniel does not transfer to Hampton, who has a completely different body type and skill set. The panel’s broader point: at RB9, you are drafting a player with no "proof of concept" over ve

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What you'll learn

1 (00:56) **RB Positional Value & Top 12 Overview** - The crew introduces the RB rankings episode and runs through the ECR top 12 running backs for 2026.
2 (03:47) **Too High in the Top 12: O’Marion Hampton (RB9)** - Pat Fitzmaurice flags O’Marion Hampton as ranked too high in the top tier, citing a lack of proven workload.
3 (06:33) **Scott Pianowski Agrees on Hampton & Endorses RB-RB Start** - Scott backs Pat’s critique and explains his preference for a running back-heavy draft strategy.
4 (08:03) **RB2 Tier (13-24) Overview** - The crew lists the RB2 tier and sets up the “mis-tiered” debate with one positive and one negative pick.
5 (08:45) **Positive Mis-Tier: Kyren Williams (Too Low)** - Pat argues Kyren Williams is undervalued and should be ranked higher than his RB13 spot.
6 (10:29) **Negative Mis-Tier: Quinchon Judkins (Too High)** - Pat identifies Quinchon Judkins as overvalued due to the Browns’ bleak offensive outlook.
7 (14:00) **Scott’s Take: Agrees on Judkins, Targets DeAndre Swift** - Scott agrees with both of Pat’s picks and adds his own target from the RB2 tier.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Pat Fitzmaurice

Show Notes

This segment was taken from the 2026 FantasyPros Fantasy Fest, our 4-hour marathon livestream to help you be fully prepared for all of your upcoming fantasy football drafts! Click here to watch the whole thing on the FantasyPros YouTube channel at youtube.com/fantasypros

Chris Welsh and Pat Fitzmaurice were joined by special guest Scott Pianowski to break down the FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) for the top 36 fantasy football running backs, identifying the biggest values, potential busts and breakout candidates at RB.

Is Omarion Hampton being drafted too high? Can Kyren Williams deliver another RB1 season? Should fantasy managers fade Quinshon Judkins at his current price? And is TreVeyon Henderson becoming one of the best values in fantasy drafts as his ADP falls?

Use these RB rankings, tiers and draft-day debates to find value and avoid costly mistakes before your 2026 fantasy football drafts!

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00

RB1s - 0:02:29

Omarion Hampton - 0:03:22

RB2s - 0:07:27

Kyren Williams - 0:08:12

Quinshon Judkins - 0:09:55

FantasyPros Draft Intel - 0:14:12

RB3s - 0:14:48

TreVeyon Henderson - 0:15:33

Jonah Coleman - 0:19:31

FantasyPros Draft Simulator - 0:20:41

Chat Q&A - 0:21:21

Outro - 0:26:55

Helpful Links:

2026 FantasyPros Fantasy Fest - We were joined by some of the industry's BEST experts for our 4-hour-long FantasyPros Fantasy Fest 2026 livestream, the biggest fantasy football event of the year! Missed the stream or didn't have the time? No problem! Click Here to watch the whole thing on the FantasyPros YouTube channel at youtube.com/fantasypros. Don't forget to subscribe and drop a like if you love what we do and want more content just like this!

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