AFC North Backfields: Fantasy Football Outlook for Every Team

Let's start a new fantasy football series today. We will look into the backfields for every NFL team, broken down by division, and starting with the AFC North today.

Check back in the days to come for the other backfield breakdowns, plus more fantasy football coverage!

Fantasy football average draft position data can be found on FantasySP in the leadup to the 2026 NFL season! Conduct your fantasy football mock drafts through FantasySP too - you can now customize the scoring settings to tailor to your fantasy leagues!

Steelers

We'll begin with the Steelers, who won the division crown a year ago. 

Jaylen Warren is back for another year in Pittsburgh. He's joined by free agent signee Rico Dowdle, 2025 draft disappointment Kaleb Johnson and rookie Eli Heidenreich and others.

Warren led the Steelers' backfield last year with 958 rushing yards and six scores across 16 games. He also had 333 yards and two scores across 40 receptions and 45 targets.

Dowdle was in Carolina last season, and he eventually won the starting job. Over 17 games (11 starts), Dowdle had 1,076 yards and six touchdowns across 236 rushing attempts. He added 297 yards and a score over 39 grabs and 50 targets.

Johnson was a third-round pick last season, and was expected by many to eventually win the starting role. He only played in 10 games, rushing for 69 yards across 28 attempts. Johnson caught one of his two targets for nine yards.

Heidenreich was a seventh-round pick this season, so he's not expected to be a major part of the offense. He was just a so-so back while in college at Navy.

The Steelers' backfield should belong to Warren and Dowdle, with Johnson or Heidenreich only helping out in blowout games or after injuries.

Warren is the first Pittsburgh taken in fantasy drafts so far, going at pick 61.75 on average. Dowdle is at pick 70.5, so it's a close decision between those two. 

I expect a pretty split backfield in Pittsburgh in 2026, so I prefer Dowdle, as his ADP is later. Really, I'd feel best if both Steelers' backs dropped in my fantasy drafts, as it'd be easier to justify picking them then. Look to them as flex-level options, not every-week starters, especially if they stick in a split backfield in 2026.

Ravens

Things are pretty easy in Baltimore, where Derrick Henry will power the backfield.

Baltimore has Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali as backups, and now rookie Adam Randall is joining the mix.

The Ravens attempted 507 rushing attempts in 2025, and Henry got 307 of them. Henry had 1,595 rushing yards and 16 scores, so he was a stellar fantasy asset. He added 150 receiving yards on 15 catches and 21 targets.

Hill only played in 10 games. He tallied 262 total yards and three scores over 39 touches - 21 of those touches came as a pass catcher.

Ali got in 15 games, but had just 92 total yards and a score across 16 touches. With Keaton Mitchell gone, Ali should be a bigger part of the offense.

Randall was a fifth-round pick this year. He played all four collegiate seasons with Clemson, but only was a big-time rusher as a senior - maybe that means there's less tread on him and he can do a little damage in the NFL, but that might be wishful thinking.

Henry is going to power the Ravens' running game. He's going at pick 12.25 on average, and if he delivers like last year, he could be a bit of a draft steal, even from that early draft slot. Be confident in Henry again, as he's shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Hill is in the 300s on the ADP list right now. He's a pass-catching option, but only likely to be a deep-league asset, unless other injuries plague the Ravens' offense. Ali or Randall could eventually take over as the backup as well, but unless Henry is out, I don't see any other Ravens' back being more than a deep-league fantasy asset.

Bengals

Chase Brown is the top dog in the Bengals' backfield. The Bengals also have Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks, who seem like the next most likely guys to factor into the backfield.

Brown led the Bengals' backs in 2025, appearing in all 17 games. He got 232 of the 381 total rushing attempts, and went for 1,019 yards and six scores. He caught 69 of his 88 targets in the receiving game for 437 yards and five touchdowns.

Perine was the other back Cincy used a bit last season. He played in 15 games, getting 101 total touches. He tallied 469 total yards and three touchdowns, doing most of that work as a ball carrier.

Brooks appeared in 16 games, but only had 16 rushing attempts and 17 touches in total. He had 54 total yards and no scores.

Brown should dominate the backfield again in 2026, with Perine getting most of the leftover work. There's a chance Brooks takes on more, but he seems like RB3 pretty clearly for now.

Brown is going at pick 16.75 on average, so he's viewed as a high-end fantasy back for 2026. I like getting him as an RB1, and he'd be a stellar RB2 if you also got a back in round 1, or he falls into round 3. 

Perine isn't a big-time draft asset, but I think he could be a deep-league option if he stays healthy and factors in consistently enough. He's a name to keep tabs on, and at least stash in really deep leagues, as he'd likely be the feature back if Brown was ever hurt.

Brooks is just a deep, deep league option, and more so just a stashable body in case Brown or Perine gets hurt. Don't expect much out of Brooks otherwise.

Browns

Cleveland has second-year back Quinshon Judkins to lead the backfield. Dylan Sampson, another second-year back, is the top backup, with Raheim Sanders as another option.

Judkins got 230 of the 421 rushing attempts for Cleveland in 2025, and that was while only playing 14 games. He rushed for 827 yards and seven scores, while adding in 171 receiving yards on 26 grabs and 36 targets.

Sampson was part of 15 games in his rookie year. He rushed for only 175 yards across 65 attempts, and he failed to score a touchdown. Sampson had 271 receiving yards and two scores across 33 receptions and 40 targets.

Sanders was in only four games. He tallied 113 total yards and a score across 30 touches.

Judkins should power the Browns' backfield in 2026, but the offenses' limitations are likely to hold him back as a fantasy asset. He's a better RB3, or maybe even RB4, and is going at pick 44.25 on average. Look to him as a flex-level option, not an every-week starting option.

Sampson is going near pick 156, so he's undrafted in a lot of fantasy leagues. He could quickly become valuable if Judkins is ever hurt or out, so be ready to pounce this coming year. I see him as a deep-league asset only otherwise.

Sanders is a stash option in really deep leagues. I don't see him accomplishing much, unless Judkins or Sampson ever miss time.