Two decades ago, the running back ran the sport. 10 different backs carried the ball 300 times in 2006, and the top of every fantasy leaderboard was a wall of ball-carriers. That world is gone, and its absence is exactly why the old formula suddenly matters again.
Start RB-RB unless you are picking third through sixth. PFN’s Kyle Soppe framed his middle-of-the-draft build as a chance to “party like it’s 2006,” and the instinct is right. The scarcity that killed the bellcow is the same scarcity that rewards grabbing two of them before anyone else can.
Why RB-RB Is the Right Start in 2026 Fantasy Drafts
Look at how far the position has fallen. 10 backs hit 300 carries in 2006, and the five highest-scoring non-quarterbacks on a per-game basis were all running backs. Last season, just four backs reached 300 carries, and the No. 2 scorer in points per game was a wide receiver with Puka Nacua putting up 23.4 per game. The workhorse is now the exception, not the rule.
That is the case for pouncing early. The top two picks land Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson, and the next four turn into the elite receivers, Ja’Marr Chase, Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Pick anywhere from seventh on, and the smart move is to double up at the position. Wait on your second back, and you invite the game of chicken Soppe warns about, where every team picking between your selections drains the last of the backs worth starting.
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James Cook is the archetype you build around. He led the NFL in rushing last season, piling up 1,621 yards and 12 scores on 309 carries, one of the few true 300-carry workloads left in the league. Buffalo added nobody to threaten that role, and there have been talks of him being more involved as a receiver this season. When a back like Cook still gets fed like it is 2006, you take him, and you do not look back.
How Starting RB-RB Unlocks the Rest of Your Draft
Here is the edge the top of the draft cannot copy. The manager holding the first or second pick gets an elite anchor, but their second pick does not come around until the turn, by which point the room has stripped the position bare. Pick in the middle and you can pair two backs with real upside instead of one. That is where the advantage is earned.
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The rest takes care of itself. The receivers sitting in the third and fourth rounds are far more appealing than the backs available at the same cost. After an RB-RB open you simply flip to WR-WR. Land two receivers there and you reach Round 5 with a balanced core, two backs and two wideouts, and the entire board in front of you.
Draft the two workhorses, let the committees spook everyone else, and walk into the middle rounds with nothing forcing your hand. That is how you build a winner from the middle, and it starts by partying like it is 2006.
