RD2 is LOADED with RB talent this year

How unfathomable does it sound for De'Von Achane to average 72 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards, and less than 1 combined touchdown per game in 2026? That's where I have him projected (down in every statistical category from 2025), and he's still grading out as my RB6 at 16.2 half-PPR PPG. I'm already pricing in the Miami offense having a down year - there's simply going to be enough touches and garbage time for him still payoff for fantasy.

I'm surprised at how much higher I am than consensus on Omarion Hampton right now - it's possible some of the offseason Mike McDaniel comments about splitting work scared drafters into other options, but I'll believe it when I see it. Hampton has probably the best situation of almost any RB in your drafts. I'm willing to take him as a borderline 1st round pick and want to pair him with another elite RB at the turn.

I'm slightly lower than consensus on Jeanty, and it's not because I don't believe in the talent. I think Omarion Hampton is a slightly better pick on a better offense, and for 2 guys who are going to be playing from behind a ton (Achane and Jeanty), I slightly prefer Achane given the consistency he's delivered for multiple years now and reality of him being the only show in town. Still, Jeanty at the turn is a good anchor RB; I usually just want to pair him with a guy like Chase Brown or Omarion Hampton on a better offense.

I'm right at consensus on Chase Brown this year and am very excited to draft him whenever I get the chance. The Bengals are due for a bounce back year and should be throwing the ball a ton in close games - usually that's bad for the RB, but Brown has been heavily involved in the receiving game in Cincinnati and should be on the field all the time. I'm comfortable drafting Brown in the early 2nd round, and if he manages to slip to the middle, he's a sure-fire pick.

Kenneth Walker sits cleanly in the Omarion Hampton tier / archetype for me as a guy with an easy path to an RB1 overall finish - he has the offense, the expected workload, the pass-catching, and the goal-line capabilities. You're really splitting hairs in this range, so taking Walker 1 or 2 spots higher will never get a complaint out of me. I expect he'll get off to a hot start as the Chiefs look to ease Mahomes back into shape on the field.

I'm a little lower on Saquon this year because I don't think the floor is as high as some of the other guys here. Jalen Hurts is coming off 8 rushing TDs, the lowest in his career since he was a rookie. I think there's some progression to the mean coming there, and Barkley is 30 years old, coming off an RB14 season and now being drafted as the RB8. I'm not saying I'm out on him, but I'm a bit more excited about the potential of the guys higher on my list.

As a guy who's finished as the RB8 or better for 4 straight seasons, it's easy to see how drafting Derrick Henry RB12 could look dumb come January. The only knocks on him continue to be his age and pass-catching, both of which he inexplicably overcomes with dominant rushing success and elite goal-line usage. Is this the year Henry slows down? I'm not betting on it. If he's available in the middle of the 2nd, grab him every single time.