5 MUST DRAFT RBs For 2026 Fantasy Football!
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
10 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Jul 16, 2026
Published
Thu, July 16, 2026
13
Player insights
13
Players mentioned
Topics
Bijan RobinsonBrian RobinsonChase BrownChristian McCaffreyDavid MontgomeryDe'Von AchaneIsiah PachecoJames CookJavonte WilliamsJeremiyah LoveJonathan TaylorJosh AllenRay Davis
Player analysis
Player insights
Bijan Robinson
PositiveProjection0:02
Robinson is described as a guaranteed volume monster with no committee concerns, durable, and playing for a contract—everything is lining up for a pinnacle season. The analyst considers him untouchable and as safe as you can get at running back.
Insight pageBrian Robinson
PositiveRole0:03
The analyst is not concerned about Brian Robinson Jr. as competition for Bijan Robinson, indicating he will not significantly cut into Robinson's volume.
Insight pageChase Brown
PositiveProjection0:07
Chase Brown could be safe, but the analyst doesn't consider him elite enough, lacking the ultra-league talent of the top running backs mentioned.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
NegativeBust0:01
The analyst lists McCaffrey as someone to avoid, citing that he's over 30, coming off a pinnacle year that's historically hard to duplicate, and has multiple reasons to fade him.
Insight pageDavid Montgomery
PositiveRole0:03
Montgomery is no longer with the team, which opens up volume for Jameer Gibbs. The analyst felt Montgomery was being force-fed volume previously.
Insight pageDe'Von Achane
NegativeBust0:01
The analyst mentions Achane as someone people think is a lock but isn't, citing that he plays for a terrible offense.
Insight pageIsiah Pacheco
NegativeRole0:04
Pacheco is described as a significant downgrade from David Montgomery, though the analyst expects him to be more of a pest than Brian Robinson Jr. will be with Bijan Robinson. There is already talk of him being a goal-line guy.
Insight pageJames Cook
PositiveProjection0:06
Cook is described as safe as they get with zero committee concerns. He's the alpha dog with no one taking volume away, though Josh Allen will steal some goal-line work. The analyst emphasizes he's untouchable and offers volume, catching, and elite talent.
Insight pageJavonte Williams
PositiveSleeper0:08
Williams is a third to fourth round pick with awesome value and no competition. The analyst believes his breakout year is sustainable because the team paid him, didn't draft a replacement, and he's on a good offense with quality receivers.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeRole0:07
The analyst expresses concern about Jeremiah Love due to committee concerns, contrasting him unfavorably with James Cook who has zero committee issues.
Insight pageJonathan Taylor
NegativeBust0:01
The analyst mentions Taylor as someone people think is a lock but isn't, grouping him with other overrated running backs.
Insight pageJosh Allen
PositiveRole0:07
Josh Allen will steal some goal-line work from James Cook, but the analyst indicates this is acceptable and doesn't diminish Cook's value.
Insight pageRay Davis
PositiveRole0:06
Ray Davis is mentioned as James Cook's only competition, but the analyst downplays this concern, indicating Cook remains the clear alpha.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00There are no guarantees in fantasy football. Or is there?
0:03I'm going to give you guys 5 running back locks.
0:06Meaning they're guaranteed volume, guaranteed production, and guaranteed fantasy points.
0:08You need these running backs on your list. We're going to count them down from the most obvious to a sleeper.
0:14Kind of a fair 3rd to 4th round sleeper that's locked.
0:17Guaranteed. Lock them in. So you don't want to miss this episode.
0:21We're talking running back volume monsters and locks. I'm excited to dive in.
0:24If you're new to the channel, hit the subscribe button.
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0:41It really helps the channel. I appreciate it. And if you've not gotten 16 Rounds, you will lose your league.
0:47I'm telling you right now. You'll be light years ahead of everybody in your league if you get 16 rounds.
0:53Because I do this for a living. I've been doing it for 10 years.
0:56I know what I'm talking about. I want to give you a bulletproof roster.
1:00Grab 16 rounds. I've linked it below. Pin, comment, or thefantasyfootballcounselor.com.
1:03Grab 16 rounds. Secure the solution. Secure the championship.
1:06Get all the answers to all my picks. Everything.
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1:11Dive in. You guys will be light years ahead of the sheep.
1:15All right? Now, let's talk about these locks. Counting them down from the most obvious to the not so obvious.
1:20All right? And a lot of people will think, oh, Christian McCaffrey's a lock.
1:24Oh, Devon Adshade's a lock. Oh, Jonathan Taylor's a lock.
1:27Well, I'll tell you right now. Go back and listen to the episode.
1:30Go back right now. That's why you guys got to turn on the bell.
1:34Hit the thumbs up. We did a top 10 bust list.
1:37And go back. We talk about some of these guys.
1:40Why to avoid a chain? Well, he's got a terrible offense.
1:43Why do avoid CMC? There's like 10 reasons. I go over a lot of them in some of my videos.
1:49Christian McCaffrey, over 30, right? We're talking, coming off a pinnacle year.
1:52Very hard to duplicate that historically. On and off multiple years.
1:55Like, there's so many reasons. So, some of the guys that you think are a lock are not.
2:00But that's why I selected these five. All right?
2:03So, let's dive into it. The first one. And drop a lock below.
2:06Drop it. Lock it in. Lock in your comment.
2:09Let me know below who you think is a lock.
2:12I'd love to get your feedback. All right? So, the first lock is by Bijan Robinson.
2:16Yes, I pronounce it by Jan. By as in Ran.
2:19By as in by. Ran as in Jan. Get it?
2:22Like, Jan Ran man. By Jan. Now, it's funny.
2:24I was talking to my realtor. She calls me up.
2:27She's like, why do you keep saying by Jan?
2:29I'm like, because that's how you pronounce it. She's like, I have a son.
2:33We call him Bajan. And blah, blah. I'm like, yeah, you know.
2:37But sometimes I make jokes and stuff too. But that's why.
2:40By as in bi-weekly. Jan is in Ran. Okay?
2:42Anyways. By Jan is as guaranteed as they come.
2:45Why? Well, let me tell you something. The guy is durable.
2:48The guy is a volume monster. The guy is playing for a contract.
2:51Like, everything is lining up for this guy having a pinnacle season.
2:55Barring any injury. He's untouchable. Like, he's as safe as you can get when it comes to running back.
3:00No committee. They brought in Brian Robinson Jr. Not concerned the least about Brian Robinson Jr.
3:04So, if you're sitting on the clock. You've got 1.01 or 1.02, right?
3:08You're sitting there. You've got to consider this guy.
3:11You've got to consider running back. And I've seen some people actually go Jamar Chase over this guy.
3:16Listen. There's a ton of depth at wide receiver.
3:18But there's only a handful of running backs. I'm such an adamant guy about drafting a running back.
3:23I think it's so crucial to the success of your fantasy football league and winning.
3:27Because it's such a scarce position in regards to a handful of running backs having the volume.
3:32And By Jan is a volume monster. You've got to draft him.
3:35Okay? Number two is Jameer Gibbs. And you can draft either one of these two in that order.
3:40Like, one or two. Like, it doesn't matter. It's definitely a preference thing.
3:44Now, Jameer Gibbs is in a situation where he could absolutely take off.
3:48You know, the reins are off. David Montgomery's gone.
3:50And I felt that when David Montgomery was there, they felt obligated to give him volume or something.
3:55Like, it's like Sonic and Knuckles were obligated. We've got to feed this guy.
3:59I don't think that's the same thing with Pacheco.
4:01Now, there's already talk about Pacheco being a goal line guy.
4:04And he runs pretty hard when he wants to.
4:07But I think he's a significant downgrade from David Montgomery.
4:10That being said, I think Pacheco will be a pest more than Brian Robinson Jr.
4:14will be a pest with By Jan. So, you know, at the end of the day, you've got to make a decision.
4:20Think, who's a bigger pest? Who do you think is more explosive?
4:23I think Gibbs is the better back. I think Gibbs is more explosive back.
4:27I think Gibbs has more ceiling. Because, again, this guy was a top 3-4 running back with David Montgomery taking over 100-some-odd attempts.
4:34And a ton of goal line work. Yet this guy continued to perform on a high level.
4:38I've said this, and I've said this, and I'm going to continue to say it in every video.
4:43If Gibbs did not have Montgomery there, Gibbs would have broken every single running back record.
4:48From rushing yards to receiving yards to rushing touchdowns.
4:50Would have broken every single running back record if Montgomery wasn't there.
4:54And now Montgomery's gone. So, obviously, they need a backup.
4:56They need somebody else here. That's why they brought in Pacheco.
5:00But, man, oh, man, you've got to consider Jameer Gibbs if you've got the 1.01.
5:04This season. Alright? Number 3. Now, I'm high on this guy a lot.
5:07Because I did 4 drafts. And I ended up drafting after round 8.
5:11After pick 8. So, I couldn't get Jameer Gibbs and Bajit.
5:14Now, that's the thing. You might not get Bajit.
5:17And you might not get Gibbs if you don't go 1.
5:20If you don't get the top 3 pick, you're not getting those guys.
5:23Because I think everybody's on that train. So, I'm going to give you guys some less obvious picks.
5:28If I'm still going 1.01, or what I would still consider this guy that I'm going to mention next.
5:33Because I believe he's a lock. Is Omari and Hampton.
5:36Now, I ended up drafting, I think, I said 8th, 11th was the latest one I drafted.
5:41I got him in all my leagues. So, I'm in on him.
5:44So, maybe I'm a little biased here on him.
5:47Because that's the guy I went with. That's my conviction.
5:50You guys have your convictions. Remember, he was a first-round pick.
5:53Last year, played relatively well when he came off the injury.
5:56You know, he got a little banged up last year.
5:59I get it. But there's no competition. Some people say Mitchell's there.
6:02Some people say Vidal. They're going to get their work to give Hampton some rest.
6:06Remember, Hampton can catch the ball really well. It's not like you have to take him off the field and bring in a pass catcher back.
6:13It's not like he's Derrick Henry, right? He's got, like, Derrick Henry strength.
6:17He's got potential, right? He could carry people on his back if he needs to.
6:21He runs hard after contact. But the thing is, like, he could do it all.
6:25And he's on an offense where they're going to have a better O-line than they did last year.
6:30They were banged up last year. Bad O-line. They got Mike McDaniel.
6:34They got a new offensive coordinator. Dude, I am so excited about Omari and Hampton.
6:38Like, I'm giddy. Like, he is a lock. Every single week, he gave me 20 points.
6:42I'm all in. And I think he could easily outperform Robinson and Gibbs.
6:46I believe in him. That's my conviction. Do your own research.
6:49Grab 16 rounds. And you guys will understand my theory, okay?
6:52So, I've got him as a lock. Number four.
6:54All right? Here's the deal. James Cook is the guy.
6:57As safe as they get. His competition, if you call it competition, is Ray Davis.
7:01He's on a high-octane offense. His offense is going to produce.
7:04His offense is going to continue to do well.
7:07He's got Josh Allen. Josh Allen is going to steal us some goal-line work.
7:11But that's okay. James Cook, as long as he stays healthy, is the alpha dog.
7:15He's untouchable. There's nobody else taking that volume away.
7:17There's no concern about Algier coming in. Like Jeremiah Love, there's concern that Algier is going to come in.
7:23As much as I love Jeremiah Love, I think there's concern, obviously, with the committee.
7:27With James Cook, there's like zero committee. You literally have nothing to worry about.
7:31It's James Cook to the moon. It's volume. It's catching.
7:34It's everything. And he's really good. He's a good player.
7:36And he's as safe as they come. So, look no further than James Cook.
7:40If you're drafting at the end of the first round and you're stacking him, if you get a second round running back,
7:46if he falls in second, you stack him with like a Hampton, you're locked and loaded.
7:51Locked and loaded. Right? And again, there's other running backs that are coming out.
7:55Like, Chase Brown could be safe. Right? But he doesn't have the ultra-league talent of the guys I mentioned.
8:00I'm looking for the top dogs, top frees, the best of the best.
8:04Right? And Chase Brown's not it. All right? So, that's it.
8:07Those are four. I'm going to give you the last one here.
8:10Again, make sure you guys do grab 16 rounds.
8:13I've linked it below. You'll dust your league mates.
8:15They'll be in the dust. All right? Very simple.
8:18All right? The last one here, not as elite as the guys I mentioned.
8:21Because these are the cream of the crop, top dogs, ultra-elite, explosive and all that.
8:26This guy is really good. But the situation is good and the value is awesome.
8:30Okay? He's a third to fourth round pick. And he feels like a lock because he's got no competition.
8:35Another Davis behind him in jade and blue. Like, are you kidding me?
8:39We're talking about Javante Williams. Now, Javante Williams had his little breakout year last year.
8:43The big question is, is it sustainable? Because we see so many players have had years to wow us.
8:48They have an anomaly year and they fall off.
8:51I believe Javante is sustainable because they paid him.
8:53Because they didn't draft anybody else. Because he's on a good offense with good wide receivers, with pickings.
8:58I'm not as crazy on pickings. But pickings and CD Lamb spreading things out.
9:02And I think he's going to get a ton of opportunity.
9:05So, when you're looking at a guy in the fourth round, right?
9:08Third, probably most likely third round. A guy that's going to get the volume.
9:12A guy that's going to get a ton of volume.
9:15Honestly, look no further than Javante Williams. A guy that's going to get a ton of volume.
9:20All right? So, by Jan Robinson, Jameer Gibbs, Omar Ian Hampton, James Cook, and Javante Williams.
9:24I mean, that's as safe as you're going to get at running back.
9:28And there's a ton of other guys. There's sleepers.
9:30There's guys that are going to break out later.
9:33I mentioned all this in the 16-round drafts. That's why you guys have to turn on the bell.
9:38We also do a lot of sleeper episodes here with the daily content.
9:42You don't want to miss these golden gems. All right?
9:44I'm also, announcement here. If you guys want to draft with me, DM me the word draft on Instagram.
9:50We've got a big announcement coming in August. August 1st, to be exact.
9:53Massive news. You're going to want to draft with the counselor.
9:56We're going to be going live. Turn on the bell.
9:59Drafting with the counselor. And I've got a big announcement attached to that.
10:03And also, guys, grab 16 rounds. Okay? Drop a lock below.
10:06Again, I'm super excited. Fantasy Football is back. We're going full flow.
10:09That's why you don't want to miss a thing.
10:12And those are my locks. Let me know. Drop a lock below.
10:15And we will talk soon. Have a great day.
10:17Lion Mentality.
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