League Winning RB Trade Targets for Fantasy Football 2026
By Joe Orrico | @JoeOrrico | @NoExpertFS
Let me be direct with you.
Outside of Jeremiyah Love and maybe Jadarian Price the next wave of stud dynasty running backs is probably not coming from rookie drafts.
That's the reality heading into 2026. If you want to win your league, the path runs through the trade market. Right now, there are proven, high upside running backs sitting on rosters at prices that won't last. The managers who move first are the ones who win.
These are my six league winning RB trade targets for 2026.
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1. Chase Brown : The Most Undervalued RB in Fantasy Football
Chase Brown with a healthy Joe Burrow is a top six running back. Full stop.
In six games with Burrow last season, Brown averaged 21.4 PPR fantasy points per game a RB9 average weekly finish . The only running backs who averaged more fantasy points per game? McCaffrey. Robinson. Taylor. Gibbs.
That's the list. Four players. And Chase Brown is right behind them.
He's not being priced like it. That's the opportunity. A fully healthy Burrow-Brown backfield is one of the most dangerous fantasy combinations in football, and the market hasn't fully priced in what happens when both guys are on the field for 17 weeks.
Buy him at an Early 1st and don't look back.
Dynasty Trade Value:
• 2026: Early 1st
• 2027: Mid 1st
• 2028: Early 1st
2. Bhayshul Tuten: The Talent Is Already There
The numbers in a small sample are hard to ignore.
In three games with 10 or more opportunities, Bhayshul Tuten averaged 12.8 PPR fantasy points per game , 1.1 fantasy points per touch , and 11.7 touches per game . That's elite efficiency. The per touch production alone puts him in rare company.
Here's what I keep coming back to: Tuten is more talented as an all-around back than Chris Rodriguez. He does more. He offers more. And once the opportunity share locks in his favor, the fantasy upside follows.
This is a buy the talent play. You're getting in ahead of the market, before the volume confirms what the efficiency already tells us.
Dynasty Trade Value:
• 2026: Mid 1st
• 2027: Late 1st
• 2028: Mid 1st
3. Javonte Williams: Low End RB1 Already Proven
People keep sleeping on Javonte Williams. I don't understand it.
In 2025, Williams finished RB11 overall , averaging 14.1 fantasy points per game with seven separate top 15 RB weekly performances . That's not a hot streak. That's sustained, workhorse level production across a full season.
And then Dallas brought him back on a three year deal .
A multi year commitment from an NFL front office is a direct signal. The Cowboys believe he's their guy. They've seen every practice rep, every film session, every behind the scenes moment and they handed him a three year contract. That's a vote of confidence you can take to the bank.
Low end RB1 floor. Three year deal. Buy him now while you can still get him at a Mid 1st.
Dynasty Trade Value:
• 2026: Mid 1st
• 2027: Late 1st
• 2028: Mid 1st+
4. Saquon Barkley: Buy the Veteran Discount
Here's what the 2025 numbers actually tell us about Saquon Barkley.
He ranked RB9 in Expected Fantasy PPG . He saw the 7th most RB opportunities in the entire league. The volume was there. The situation was there.
His Fantasy Points Over Expected came in at RB66 . That's the number people are reacting to. That's the discount you're buying.
A new offensive coordinator is coming in. Fresh eyes. A different approach. And Saquon is still one of the most talented backs in the NFL playing in one of the best offenses in football. The opportunities aren't going anywhere. When the efficiency normalizes and it will, the fantasy production follows.
Buy the veteran discount before everyone else stops giving it.
Dynasty Trade Value:
• 2026: Early 1st
• 2027: Late 1st+
• 2028: Early 1st
5. Quinshon Judkins : Workhorse RB in Plain Sight
This one shouldn't even be a debate.
In seven rookie games where Quinshon Judkins played 55% or more of snaps, he averaged 15.0 fantasy points per game , 85+ total yards per game , and 0.7 touchdowns per game . That's the floor output of an RB1. As a rookie. In limited opportunities.
He's a workhorse. He's proven it in every game he's been given a real role. And the situation is set up for him to take over completely.
If there's an injury, a trade, or any kind of discount available, you buy it immediately. No hesitation. This is one of the clearest values on the entire trade market heading into 2026.
Workhorse RB in plain sight. Go get him.
Dynasty Trade Value:
• 2026: Early 1st
• 2027: Mid 1st
• 2028: Early 1st+
6. Cam Skattebo: True RB1 When Healthy
Two things happened in the offseason that changed the entire outlook for Cam Skattebo.
First, the Giants avoided Jeremiyah Love in the draft. Second, New York used the 10th overall pick on offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa . The Giants are building their offensive line around their featured back. That's not a coincidence. That's a blueprint.
And when Skattebo was healthy in 2025, Weeks 2 through 7, he posted 20+ opportunities per game , 15.6 HPPR points per game , and finished as the RB6 overall . He is a true workhorse RB1 when on the field.
The injury discount is real. So is the upside. A healthy Skattebo, in a Giants offense building the trenches around him, is one of the best values at the position.
Buy him at a Mid 1st and let the situation play out.
Dynasty Trade Value:
• 2026: Mid 1st
• 2027: Late 1st+
• 2028: Mid 1st
The Bottom Line
The rookie draft gets all the attention. It always does. But 2026 is a year to be aggressive in the trade market.
Chase Brown. Bhayshul Tuten. Javonte Williams. Saquon Barkley. Quinshon Judkins. Cam Skattebo.
The production is proven. The situations are favorable. The prices won't stay this low for long.
Go get them.
I'm posting fantasy football content every day to help you win. Follow @JoeOrrico and @NoExpertFS