Fantasy Football Sleeper: 11 RBs to Consider Late in Drafts

note: ADP mentioned for players in this piece is for all drafts on Yahoowhich began in late May. Some of the running backs were undrafted in most leagues, but have shown an upward trend in the last week.

Davis scored 20 touchdowns in 12 games at Kentucky last season and is expected to take over the big back role in Buffalo. The Bills gave 33-year-old Latavius ​​Murray the 12th-most RB runs inside the five last season, although Josh Allen stole 14 of them. Starter James Cook, on the other hand, got just two runs inside the five after Week 4.

Murray, Damien Harris, Ty Johnson and Leonard Fournette combined for 48 red zone opportunities last season (more than Cook), and three of them were wasted. Davis impressed in the preseason, and Buffalo became by far the league’s most run-heavy team after Joe Brady took over as OC.

Davis has double-digit TD potential as a rookie and also has a good chance in fantasy football leagues on a top-five offensive line if Cook gets hurt. Fantasy drafters are starting to take notice, Davis has an ADP of 128.1 in the last week after going undrafted for most of August.

Brooks performed as well or better than Bijan Robinson in most rushing/receiving categories as Texas’ starting RB in 2023. He’s a three-down back who was easily the best RB prospect in this year’s draft (and would have been drafted much higher without the ACL surgery). Dave Canales projects to run a lot, and top-50 picks have performed well in fantasy in the past.

Chuba Hubbard was the No. 9 fantasy RB for the final seven weeks last year, and Canales should be a huge boost to the improved Carolina offense, which also signed Diontae Johnson in the offseason. Brooks will require some patience from fantasy managers, as he will miss at least the first four games of the season on the PUP list, but Hubbard and Miles Sanders will not be hurdles if Brooks is healthy.

Brooks should be a workhorse in a Canales scheme in the second half of the season, when it matters most in fantasy.

Herbert has averaged 95.5 rushing yards (5.1 YPC) and 0.6 rushing touchdowns in 11 career games with 12+ carries. He was a top-10 fantasy RB in all three games in which he touched the ball 20 times last year. Herbert was also one of only eight backs to force 25 or more missed tackles on fewer than 175 rushing attempts, trailing only De’Von Achane in rush yards above expectations.

D’Andre Swift’s contract makes him the clear favorite to be Chicago’s starter, but he has missed more than three games in every season he’s been in the league prior to last year. Herbert dominated work with Chicago’s first-team offense during the Bears’ second and third preseason games (while Roschon Johnson didn’t play for mysterious reasons). Swift wasn’t very good last year despite favorable conditions, so a change in the expected lineup isn’t out of the question either.

Justin Fields had more than 150 rushing attempts when he left, and Caleb Williams could lead a highly productive Chicago offense with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze on an improved offensive line.

Herbert has real potential to be a top 12 running back should he take over the lead back role for the Bears, and he goes undrafted in over 90% of Yahoo leagues.

Brown is expected to share work with Zack Moss in a Bengals backfield that allowed 18 touches per game after the departure of Joe Mixon. Brown has weaknesses – he barely played third downs last season and ranked last in success rate among 77 qualified backs. But he also posted the fastest ball-carrying speed among RBs and the 12th-most fantasy points per opportunity as a rookie.

Moss dropped off sharply after a brief streak of success in the home stretch, and Brown totaled 1,843 yards and 13 TDs on 355 touches in his final college season, so he’s proven he can handle a heavier workload. Mixon had the third-most touches in the red zone as Cincinnati’s lead back last season, and the Bengals’ offense has the potential to be the best in the league when healthy. Brown has real fantasy potential if given the chance.

We’re all rooting for Nick Chubb, but he’s coming off a torn meniscus and a multiple ligament tear in the same knee he severely injured in 2015. Chubb was placed on the PUP list earlier this year, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season. Meanwhile, the Browns have a top-notch offensive line and one of the best rosters in football (except for the QB). Ford was a top-25 fantasy RB last season when Chubb was out and is available on Yahoo after the 10th round of 12-team leagues.

Wright had the second-highest YPC (7.6) of any college RB last season. He’s a super-athletic back who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and joins a Miami backfield that just scored 50+ more fantasy points than any other RB group since 2020. Raheem Mostert is 32 years old and has a long injury history, while De’Von Achane is 5’9″ and 185 pounds and also has plenty of durability concerns.

The Dolphins traded up to recruit Wright, who sat out Miami’s second preseason game with a minor injury. In Mike McDaniel’s system and with two injury-prone backs ahead of him, Wright could be “a Fantasy Football League winner” as a rookie.

Tracy is a former WR turned RB who forced a missed tackle on 39% of his attempts in college last season. He impressed in his preseason debut, even playing on third downs. Tracy’s initially scary-looking injury in mid-August practice wasn’t as bad as it seemed; he has returned to practice and should be ready for Week 1. Devin Singletary enters as the clear starter for New York, but he’s 27 years old and last season’s 216 carries marked a career high. Tracy is just one injury away from being at the top of the priority list on waiver wires.

Allen scored 35 touchdowns in 35 games in college, where he performed strongly as a 17-year-old freshman at Wisconsin. He had the second-highest dominator rating of his career in this year’s running back class and has seemingly earned the role of New York’s backup RB. Depth was thin behind Breece Hall, and Allen had the league’s most explosive run rate in the first weekend of the preseason.

The Jets have massively rebuilt their offensive line in the offseason and Aaron Rodgers is an even bigger addition at quarterback. According to Mike Clay’s predictions, New York will start 2024 with the No. 1 squad in the NFL.

Allen is one injury away from being a difference-maker in the fantasy world, but he’s just starting to get noticed by fantasy managers, with an ADP of 130.9 last week on Yahoo.

Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (Yahoo ADP: Undrafted)

Mason flew completely under the fantasy radar, despite reports over the summer that he would fill San Francisco’s backup RB role. He’s averaged 5.6 YPC in his first two years in the league, and Mason has worked hard in the offseason on his pass-receiving and pass-protection skills. Kyle Shanahan is a fan of Mason, and veteran Elijah Mitchell was just placed on the injured list, meaning season-ending. Meanwhile, rookie Isaac Guerendo is irrelevant after suffering a severe hamstring strain.

Mason is no longer a dark horse after dominating the 49ers’ first preseason series, which he closed with a touchdown run. Christian McCaffrey is expected to be ready for Week 1; he says he could play in a game today if needed. But CMC was suspended for the preseason with a calf strain, battled injuries in 2020-2021 and had more than 400 touches last year, so he’s a risk.

Mason would certainly make a huge difference if he became the lead back in the NFL’s best offensive system. After going undrafted in most leagues, his ADP last week is 122.9 and should continue to rise after the Mitchell news.

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Yahoo ADP: Undrafted)

Irving is the favorite to be Tampa Bay’s RB2 in 2024 after a strong performance throughout the preseason. Starter Rachaad White is a good receiver but one of the worst runners in the league; White finished last in rush yards above expectations, yards after contact per run and missed forced tackles per run. Irving totaled 1,458 and 12 touchdowns in 13 games as a 21-year-old at Oregon last season, so he’s a fantasy dark horse. Yahoo managers are also starting to take notice, as his ADP is 129.5 in the final week on Yahoo after going undrafted in most leagues for most of August.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (Yahoo ADP: 106.0)

Spears was the only running back to force 25 or more missed tackles on fewer than 100 carries last season, and he was the third-leading running back in first-read targets as a rookie. Spears had the fourth-most scrimmage yards (1,837) in his final year of college, where he excelled as a shotgun player; Brian Callahan’s Bengals had the third-best shotgun rating last season.

Meanwhile, his competition for touches has shifted from Derrick Henry to Tony Pollard. Pollard has admitted he didn’t feel fully healthy until midway through last season following his TightRope surgery, and there’s no doubt he’s improved down the stretch. Still, his second-half numbers remained disappointing, and Pollard somehow finished only 22nd (11.5 FPPG) despite having the second-most red zone touches (72) in the league behind a strong offensive line. Spears had more targets and 24% more receiving yards while running 75 fewer routes than Pollard last year.

Spears may not have a long NFL career ahead of him, but he’s a much better bet than Pollard in 2024. Their ADPs should be flipped.