Heading into the 2026 season, there is a group of RBs in fantasy football going in rounds 8-11 of drafts that have complicated outlooks, as they are set to be in a shared backfield to start the season. Two of these RBs are Denver Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins and Washington Commanders RB Rachaad White. Here is a breakdown of who is the better fantasy draft pick between the two.
Rachaad White
In his first season with the Commanders, Rachaad White, who is currently listed as the RB2 behind second-year RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, has a real chance to win the RB1 job when the season is all said and done.
Croskey-Merritt saw his playtime fluctuate throughout 2025. He had a breakout performance in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers, logging 14 carries for 111 yards and two TDs. In the remaining 12 games he played, he had over 40 rushing yards only three times. In his struggles, the Commanders in some contests opted to use career-reserve RBs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols over him. White is a clear upgrade over those two RBs.
Last season, with the Buccaneers, White had 572 rushing yards (career low), 218 receiving yards (career low), and four TDs. White at the worst in fantasy in 2025 is a premier RB handcuff. With his pass-catching upside, had 549 receiving yards in 2023 and 393 in 2024, he has good value in PPR formats.
White’s ADP in PPR for ESPN fantasy leagues is currently RB39; for Sleeper leagues it is RB41.
J.K Dobbins
Dobbins, in the 2025 season, although he only played in 10 games after a season-ending foot injury, was on pace for the best statistical season of his career. Dobbins had 772 rushing yards and four TDs. Before he went out, he was RB18 in fantasy football from Week 1 to Week 10.
Going into 2026, Dobbins has recovered from the foot injury that kept him out for the rest of 2025. He is, however, currently dealing with a soft tissue injury, but Broncos head coach Sean Payton expects him to be ready for Week 1.
Despite RB2 RJ Harvey having promising moments in the 2025 season, Dobbins still looks set to be the lead back at the start of 2026 for Denver. Fantasy managers should not be surprised, though, to see Harvey get a boost in his role from a season ago.
Dobbins’ ADP in PPR for ESPN fantasy leagues is currently RB32, and in Sleeper leagues it is RB33.
Final Verdict
When it comes to who is the better fantasy pick between White and Dobbins, White is.
There are real injury concerns with Dobbins. He has yet to play a complete season in his five years in the NFL, and in three of those seasons he has played 10 or fewer games. Dobbins does have a clearer outlook to be his team’s starting RB for the bulk of 2026 than White does, but White can overcome that with his mentioned pass-catching upside. Combining that feat of White’s game with the fact that there is still a chance he could become the RB1 in Washington, there is more fantasy upside with him than Dobbins. And with him being taken later in fantasy drafts than Dobbins currently, that increases his value, making this debate a no-brainer.
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