The issue comes when you're unable to land those seemingly guaranteed studs. Or perhaps you simply want to also target marquee wide receivers or even an elite tight end. Before you know it, your running back room is pretty thin, or you're knee-deep in Zero RB territory.

Regardless of what your 2026 fantasy football draft strategy is, there's still value in the middle rounds when looking at running backs. Whether you're looking for your very first RB or trying to pair one with a stud already on your roster, I'd be looking to get the following players in Rounds 6-10.

D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears (RB22)

This one may have an expiration date, as people are starting to wise up when it comes to D'Andre Swift's solid floor. The other key factor is running mate Kyle Monangai, who is missing vital practice time with a soft-tissue ailment.

Bears HC Ben Johnson told reporters that RB Kyle Monangai is dealing with a soft tissue injury. “We're taking it day-by-day,” Johnson said. “It should be on the shorter side.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 3, 2026

That could lead to more volume for Swift, who has already been returning solid value in this Chicago Bears offense, finishing as RB19 and RB15 over the last two seasons.

Chicago is going to run a two-back system regardless of what happens with Monangai, and Swift holds value no matter what. The Bears run the ball a lot, while last year's stellar efficiency (4.8 YPC) and Swift's usual pass-catching role (34+ catches every year he's been in the league) equate to a rock-solid floor.

The Bears have a loaded offense, but we've seen running backs thrive in Ben Johnson's offensive system. Heck, we've literally seen Swift get it done despite being in a timeshare.

I suspect his ADP will rise as we get closer to the regular season, but right now he's being drafted as the RB22, and he's shown he can crack the top 15. We should be taking advantage of that kind of value in Round 6 or 7.

Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (RB25)

While I have interest in Swift, I am even more excited to roster Bhayshul Tuten. The Jaguars could be an admitted mess on offense when it comes to predicting roles, but Tuten is a big part of what they're doing on the ground.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. was brought in to help carry the load, but Tuten is the RB1 at the moment, and it could stay that way. He also displayed solid red-zone chops as a rookie (7 total TDs) and offers elite explosiveness.

C-Rod will cut into his overall upside, but nobody knows to what extent, and any amount of risk is baked into Tuten's soft RB25 price. This is noteworthy when we consider the role Travis Etienne (RB10) left behind when he departed for New Orleans in free agency.

Etienne saw over 300 total touches last year and scored 13 touchdowns. If Tuten can come anywhere close to that, he's going to be a smash at his Round 6/7 price tag.

Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks (RB27)

As you can see, once we get to the middle rounds of fantasy drafts, you're not dealing with many clear-cut starters. These guys are all part of 1A/1B situations, but in the event of an injury, any of them could be an absolute smash.

One of them is Price, who the Seahawks invested a first-round draft pick in during this year's draft. That aligned with the departure of longtime running back Kenneth Walker, who left to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Enter Price, who was kept hidden behind Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame but is already slated to be Seattle's top rusher.

Good to see SEA isn't doing the veteran deference nonsense. Jadarian Price the first-string RB for the first scrimmage, after working behind George Holani in offseason.

Also, FWIW: "In addition to running the ball in full pads for the first time as a Seahawk, Price continued his…

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) July 31, 2026

A big piece to the puzzle is the health of teammate Zach Charbonnet (ACL), but Price is in the driver's seat to dominate touches in the Seahawks' backfield.

Price wasn't featured for the Fighting Irish, but he's an explosive athlete who was extremely productive and efficient when called upon. The only negative is his perceived lack of pass-catching chops, but that concern has been mitigated by how well he's performed in that area during training camp.

Ultimately, Price was drafted to succeed Walker, who was always somewhat held back by Seattle but still managed to crack the top 25 in three of four seasons with the team.

A healthy Charbonnet complicates matters, but Price is going to have value thanks to his ADP. If Charbonnet is slow to return to form or struggles to stay on the field, this could easily be a league-winning pick in Rounds 7 or 8.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers (RB39)

Now we're talking. The guys above are the early frontrunners in some timeshares, but you kind of have to pay for them despite some risk. Brooks, on the other hand, is still pretty cheap despite being in a very similar spot.

There's some admitted downside here. First, Brooks is riskier than the above middle-round RB picks. He sat out all of last season recovering from a torn ACL, after all, and hasn't been able to stay healthy since he played in college at Texas.

On top of that, we don't know for sure how the Panthers plan to deploy him. Carolina did let Rico Dowdle walk, of course, but they're still paying Chuba Hubbard the type of money that suggests he's the guy who will be leading this backfield.

All of that is negative, but it's also why we can get a dynamic athlete at such a cheap price. Brooks' ADP has him going off the board in Rounds 9 or 10 typically, even though this guy has strong draft capital (second round) and was regarded as an elite athlete coming out of college.

Despite the health issues, Brooks appears to be back to full strength, and Carolina may end up using him as both a change-of-pace back and a receiver throughout the formation. His initial value is on the lower end of the spectrum, but this is an upside pick in the event Hubbard goes down or Brooks ultimately sees much more work than drafters are anticipating.

Honorable Mentions

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WAS (RB40)
  
• Alvin Kamara, NO (RB47)
  
• Keaton Mitchell, LAC (RB52)

Washington's running back room is a mess, but the leading candidate to dominate touches is easily "Bill." Croskey-Merritt got an absurd amount of hype as a sleeper pick going into last year, and he ultimately made good on that love, finishing as RB33 overall.

Croskey-Merritt was inconsistent last year, but his only real competition is pass-catching specialist Rachaad White and sixth-round draft pick Kaytron Allen. The Commanders could be getting an upgraded offensive system, and if the team is willing to put its trust in the second-year back, he could be a killer value yet again.

Kamara is a backup who may have standalone value. He restructured his contract to stay in New Orleans, and the Saints have a brilliant system that should still look to take advantage of his elite pass-catching chops.

The top-10 upside is gone, but Kamara is a pretty strong middle-round pick who can still be had in Round 10.

Mitchell may be closer to a handcuff pick, but he's another guy who may have standalone value with Mike McDaniel coming over to inject new life into the Los Angeles Chargers offense. The real draw is Omarion Hampton, but few can forget what McDaniel did for De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert.

Is it lazy to just assume he can duplicate that and Mitchell will benefit? Maybe, but there's no getting around Mitchell's absurd efficiency or explosiveness.

He only saw 66 carries last year, but he turned them into 341 rushing yards. Unsurprisingly, he ranked third in explosive rate among backs who ran the ball 50-plus times, while also pacing the league in yards per carry.

The actual touch count is worth worrying about here, but if McDaniel puts him in position to succeed and Mitchell responds with the same ability he's displayed in the past, it could equate to fireworks -- and considerable value.

Finding Value RBs in the Middle Rounds

Pretty much every running back in the middle rounds has a red flag or two. Whether it's injury history, metrics, or role, there's a reason to turn away from any of them.

However, backs in timeshares can sometimes offer standalone Flex value, while being a key part of a successful committee approach can put you just one injury away from a monster campaign.

The guys I detailed above are presently rock-solid additions to your fantasy squad. Drafting them in the middle rounds won't hurt you in terms of value, and they all have a considerable ceiling if they're handed the keys to their offensive backfield.

Just make sure you adjust expectations based on league settings, and also consider the picks you've made prior to the middle rounds before assessing who makes sense for your team.