11 Running Back Sleepers to Target Late in Drafts

Whether you’re employing a zero-RB strategy or simply looking for depth pieces, hitting on a late-round running back can provide a huge boost for our fantasy teams. Running back is the most scarce position in fantasy football, and with the unpredictability of the sport, we sometimes need to look for lottery tickets to hit and provide value to our teams.

Here is a list of guys who I think can beat their current ADP value, and could prove to be massive hits if things fall their way. Some are in ambiguous backfields where we aren’t sure who will have the most touches, others are behind entrenched starters but could beat them out due to age concerns or injury, and others are recovering from injuries themselves — but we look for value where we can.

All current average draft positions are according to FantasyPros.

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Current ADP: RB29

After watching the past two seasons, you could say that Warren has been the most talented running back for the Steelers. He is coming off a season as the RB22 in full-PPR formats and is currently being taken as the RB29. He is likely to continue splitting carries with Najee Harris, but if he can start to take the lion’s share of touches on a marginally better offense, we could see him creep up into top-15 RB territory.

If Harris were to miss some time or get traded during the season — who is in the final year of his rookie deal and had his 5th-year option declined — Warren could take a huge leap in the RB rankings. He is not far from becoming the full-time starter over Harris.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

Current ADP: RB35

Spears was RB39 to end last season while Derrick Henry was on the team but is still being ranked in that range even with Tony Pollard replacing Henry. Spears showed massive upside both as a rusher and receiver, so he should easily be able to beat this ADP. If he wins the RB1 job in Tennessee or if Pollard gets injured, then Spears has some serious RB1 potential.

Head coach Brian Callahan said during training camp that he sees Pollard and Spears as equals, saying he feels that he has "two starters" at running back. Yet, on average, Pollard is getting drafted a full two rounds before his teammate.

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Current ADP: RB36

With Joe Mixon out of the picture in Cincinnati, there are a lot of backfield opportunities up for grabs. While the Bengals did sign Zach Moss, Brown should still be able to carve out enough opportunities to beat out this ADP. He only had 58 touches last season, but he showed great playmaking ability, having only one fewer run of 20 yards or more than Mixon, despite having over 200 fewer carries. We don’t know the split he will have with Moss, but if he gets more than people are expecting, he’ll easily outpace RB36.

JK Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens

Current ADP: RB42

This is probably the most speculative, as we have no clue if he can come back from multiple career-threatening injuries. What we do know is that Greg Roman is running this offense, and he has never had an offense finish outside the top 10 in rushing yards and attempts. Gus Edwards is the most likely culprit to lead the team in carries, but if Dobbins can recover and take some of that work then he has the opportunity to beat out his current RB42 ADP.

During the last two seasons they played together in Baltimore, Dobbins was listed ahead of Edwards on the depth chart before succumbing to injuries. Edwards is not without his injury concerns either and is four years older than the 25-year-old Dobbins.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle

Current ADP: RB43

Charbonnet comes into year two still behind Kenneth Walker, but we can see glimpses of how he can beat his RB43 ADP. Last season he caught 33 passes, which is always a great way to up fantasy value. He has a bigger body and was decent in short-yardage situations, so there is a possibility he will take over goal-line opportunities for Seattle. Charbonnet has standalone value, but if Walker were to go down then Charbonnet would immediately become a viable top 15 running back option. 

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Current ADP: RB44

Hubbard is not the most exciting option but at RB44, he’s an extreme value. At some point, rookie Jonathan Brooks is lurking to take his job, but until then Hubbard has this backfield to himself. Hubbard finished last season at RB26 after taking the job from Miles Sanders. He should at least keep a solid backfield share for the first half of the season with Brooks still recovering from his torn ACL. Also, the offense should be significantly better with Dave Canales at the helm, so Hubbard’s stock should be higher than what it currently is.

Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos

Current ADP: RB52

McLaughlin was an undrafted free agent signing with the Broncos last season and carved out a role in the new Sean Payton era in Denver. He was shifty and explosive with high upside as a receiver out of the backfield. If McLaughlin can start to take some of the red zone work from Javonte Williams, then he could easily be in the RB2 range for the season. He finished as the RB46 last season and there is no reason he should have less work than last year, McLaughlin will easily beat his current RB52 ADP.

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears

Current ADP: RB57

Count me among those skeptical that D’Andre Swift is a full-time back in the NFL. Herbert has shown the ability to handle a full workload, including two 100-yard games in the final three games of the 2023 season. He’ll be splitting touches with Swift and Roschon Johnson, but Herbert is the most complete back of the three, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up leading the team in touches, especially if Swift misses time like he did his first three seasons in the league.

Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

Current ADP: RB63

Davis is the only rookie on this list, as there really are only a few viable rookie backs this year. Davis finds himself behind James Cook on the Bills' depth chart, but we could see him carve out a role early on, especially as a short-yardage and goal-line back as a 220-pound bruiser compared to Cook being only 190 pounds. While Josh Allen is at the helm the Bills will always be a pass-first offense, but we could see them lean on the run game a bit more than in previous seasons after they traded Stefon Diggs in the offseason. Davis could easily find touchdown opportunities, and if Cook continues with his fumbling issues, Davis might have more of a role than we expect.

Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens

Current ADP: RB64

If Mitchell hadn’t torn his ACL near the end of last season we would be talking about him in the same breath as De’Von Achane. He only played in seven games but had seven rushes of over 20 yards, tied for sixth in the league. The Ravens now have Derrick Henry, so they won’t need to rush Mitchell back. While he’s a candidate for the PUP list and may miss the first part of the season, he is so electric that he’s one of the few players who are worth the wait. There are a few situations where Mitchell comes back and has a significant role toward the end of the season, including Henry just not being the player he was in Tennessee or the Ravens locking up a playoff spot and saving Henry for more important games.

Mitchell probably isn’t built for a feature-back role, but playing Robin to Henry’s Batman could be the best thing for him. Consider him one of the best handcuffs in 2024 with RB1 potential.

Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

Current ADP: RB66

We had high hopes for Pierce entering last season, but he never really took off at the beginning of the season and was out when CJ Stroud took the offense to a whole new level. Pierce has been receiving praise from his coaches this offseason, especially while new addition Joe Mixon nurses a quad injury. He should be more acclimated to the new blocking scheme and might be able to provide a rushing spark, as Pierce has more rushes of over 20 yards in the past two seasons than Mixon despite having over 100 fewer carries during that time.

Mixon also turned 28 in July, the typical point of decline for most NFL running backs.