While everyone and their mothers have been falling head over heels to draft Dameon Pierce, Burkheads positioning on the depth chart has gone completely overlooked. This article targets deep sleeper value (players that can be found very late in a fantasy draft). Players Who May Disappoint: Tom Brady, Darius Slayton, Gabe Davis, Leonard Fournette, Najee Harris, High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire for Week 14 Includes Tyler Huntley, Travis Homer, Trey McBride, Chuba Hubbard, 10 Things You Should Know Ahead Of Week 14 - Fantasy Football Outlook for Joe Burrow, Mike Williams, Tyler Huntley, and Jalen Hurts, WR/CB Matchups to Target and Downgrade - Week 14, Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 14: Jerry Jeudy, D.J. As for busts, Ezekiel Elliot and Miles Sanders did not show up to their potential last season. In three starts last season, Herbert averaged 23.3 opportunities per game on an 83% snap share. Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate ofFantasy Football Toolsas you navigate your season. Tevin Coleman looms as the potential RB1 to open the season but has hardly been a picture of health when faced with a meaningful workload in his career. He is simply a more dynamic player than Davis, and although Las Vegas miscast him as a passing down back, he is more than capable of running between the tackles and at the goal line. From Weeks 12-17 Mostert scored 104.5 of his fantasy points which is an average of 17.4 per game. Drake was woefully underutilized by the Raiders last year, but he put up nearly 1,100 total yards and 10 TDs for the Cardinals in 2020, good enough to finish as the RB14 in 0.5 PPR formats. James Conner is the unquestioned RB1 in Arizona, having just signed him to a three-year, $21 million extension. Austin Ekeler is a terrific player in both fantasy and reality, but he is not built to be a true everyone-down workhorse. The best way to avoid having to deal with the waiver . In addition to our staff rankings, below you will also find a summary of. Pierce currently sits at RB30 in Average Draft Position and hell probably be even higher soon so lets set the cutoff at RB40. He will be considered a touchdown vulture. He is a bigger-bodied back compared to Gaskin and Ahmed. Mike Davis -- the definition of journeyman -- was an every-week fantasy starter in McCaffrey's absence. Herbert is well worth the investment this season. Rountree doesn't look like a special talent, and Joshua Kelley was atrocious last year (3.2 yards-per-carry) when asked to serve as the stabilizing complement to Austin Ekeler. If Ollison further tightens his grip on the role, he'll deserve a look as an RB5 on deep benches. One guy gets featured, and the other backs are truly playing a complementary role. Jackson has long battled his own body but has always flashed dynamism (5.6 career yards per touch). By saving salary, it allows them to roster more explosive wideouts. Herbert averaged more points per game as a starter than Aaron Jones, Josh Jacobs, Ezekiel Elliottand you guessed it, David Montgomery, last season. Victoria Geary: The New York backfield remains a huge question mark, and Johnson has a chance to emerge as the early season starter. Chase Edmonds (ARI) ADP: 174 You could argue that a big part of Mosterts rushing success in San Francisco was due to run-game mastermind Kyle Shanahan. George Kittle is banged up and the Cardinals are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game . AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers 2. Stevenson has an upside matchup, but he needs . High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire for Week 14 Includes Tyler Huntley, Travis Homer, Trey McBride, Chuba Hubbard Eleven targets through four games is far from what anyone expected. Maybe we see him in that role this season, which could give him some standalone value in addition to his value as an elite backup. Then theres the fact that the team has openly attempted to trade him trade talks that continue to this day and could still see him moved before Week 1. Chris Carson missed last week's game while dealing with hip and thigh injuries. In L.A., Michel has an excellent opportunity to earn a sizable share of the early-down, between-the-tackles rushing work, including at the goal line. Andrew Seifter is a featured writer at FantasyPros. That leaves plenty of rushing work available to Mostert, one of the fastest players in the NFL. Victoria Geary: Christian McCaffrey played an average of 92% of snaps per game in 2018 and 2019. Chase Edmonds is technically the top back in Miami, and he is a skilled player who should perform well for fantasy managers. David Montgomery. Dion Lewis is the type of sleeper running back I look for in the later rounds. With that being said, though, an abbreviated offseason this time. Akers played 46 offensive snaps and saw 17 touches last week, both easily season highs for the third-year back who . This pick is less about the player and more about the situation. Sermon isn't likely to come on strong at the start of the season. However, Akers has already missed time during his brief career and might struggle . You don't go into the season thinking those guys are going to get hurt. After his injury-riddled 2020 season, it remains to be seen if the coaching staff adjusts their mindset on McCaffrey's workhorse usage. Henry is not a pass catcher . fewer than 3.7 yards per carry over that stretch. EVERYONE knows to draft him! Hes not a sleeper, hes a breakout! Etc, etc. But for the sake of this early running back sleepers article, we're not going to highlight guys like Etienne. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. And now we have an extra game, taking us to 17 total. Though the offense used more running backs in 2020, that resulted primarily from injuries forcing McVay to shift from one ball carrier to the next. So I figure the best way to help you do that is to identify some early-round sleepers, some mid-round sleepers, and yes, some late-round sleepers. Instead, we're going to focus on running backs with ADPs much lower than that. Gallman can probably be taken on the waiver wire, but if he gets action will not disappoint. In the last two years, he managed five touchdowns and was solid as a runner. I expect his floor to be about 15.00 fantasy points. If given a chance, he may lack the upside you would like but will offer bottom-end RB2 production, especially with Barkley possibly missing the start of the season. Hes in the mix for RB3/flex value right out of the gate and could be an RB1 if Mitchell were to go down. Raheem Mostert has trouble staying on the field, and the rookie Trey Sermon is no sure thing. While Newton may not run the ball himself as much as he used to, he at least provides the threat to do so, which typically helps open up lanes for running backs. Jeff Haseley: Is it possible? The Chargers seem to recognize that fact. If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate ofFantasy Football Toolsas you navigate your season. 2 job in Seattle. Even backs with receiving upside like James White and Giovani Bernard have seen their ADPs rise in recent weeks. Note: ADP courtesy of FantasyPros. That means more running lanes and potentially many more scoring opportunities for Conner. His best game (20.10 fantasy points) came at home in Week 3. NFL DFS Lineup Sleepers for DraftKings, FanDuel - Week 14 Value Picks Include Jared Goff, James Cook, Adam Thielen, George Kittle. Everything Season Long and DFS for Week 14, Dynasty, in Theory: Dynasty is a Game of Resource Management. Its gotten to the point where two people can look at the same video and draw opposite conclusions, like a Rorschach test. And, man, this guy is a load to bring down. Someone will soak up time in the Rams backfield this year, and Jones is the top candidate right now. hide 1. It wont cost much at all to find out. Chase Edmonds rushed 8 times for 46 yards against the Vikings last week. The Dolphins prioritized Brown in free agency ahead of investing draft capital in a young running back, and we've seen him spoil the breakout chances of more exciting runners in the past by earning the trust of his coaching staff. Phil Alexander: Brown's usage with the starters in Miami's first preseason game stamped out notions Myles Gaskin will operate as a bell cow this year. He posted 29 carries, 4 receptions, 236 total yards, and 3 touchdowns in those two games. Am I really recommending a 32-year-old backup running back on the Texans? has had a solid start to the season. Sleepers Running Backs Values Overrated Sleepers A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. With Tom Brady in Tompa and Cam Newton now under center, the Patriots will likely go with a run-heavy approach, particularly given the uncertain state of their receiver corps. The Patriots will be down to their third-string quarterback this week, giving Bailey Zappe a window to prove that he can handle an NFL starting job. None of the guys he's competing with are exceptional, so Brown should carve out a role and could even end up as the goal-line specialist. The once and future Dolphins starter reclaimed his spot atop Miami's running back throne last week against San Francisco, playing 60 percent of the snaps. Tevin Coleman is the veteran addition who comes in fully comfortable in Mike LaFleur's system. But that hasn't happened, and it may not. Many times the difference between a winning score and a mediocre play is that almighty touchdown. In Carson's absence, Mike Davis has filled in quite nicely. Etienne sits 41st in running back scoring (30.50 fantasy points) while averaging 10.5 touches. Snell adds no value on special teams, so if he can't beat out Ballage, he could find himself on the outside looking in after final roster cuts. Depth is extremely important when it comes to fantasy football running back sleepers the NFL is no doubt a full contact league. So instead of taking a Devin Singletary or a Miles Sanders around RB28, it makes more sense to take chances on these three running back sleepers in later rounds. Jason Wood: The Patriots always have an elite rushing attack, but Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels don't care how many players it takes to get to their end goal. Round 4 Picks ( Dameon Pierce, Isaiah Spiller, Zamir White, and more) Round 5-7 Picks & UDFAs ( Tyler Allgeier, Snoop Conner, and more) AJ Dillon: RB22 The Green Bay Packers recently traded away. Hunt is a great example of the extreme discount you can get on running backs who are seen as the backup. For the Browns, Hunt is so much more than that. Most of the players that are there now weren't there three weeks ago. A good portion of his usage will come through the passing game. And Williams would slot into at least a two-down role in front of Tarik Cohen, who can safely be considered a specialist rather than a workhorse at this point in his career. Heading into fantasy football drafts, handcuffs with elite upside like Tony Pollard and Alexander Mattison can no longer be considered running back sleepers. Once it does, Drake will have a similar stash appeal to Jeff Wilson as the direct backup to a starter with elevated injury risk in one of the leagues premier rushing offenses. Nyheim. 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Though he only emerged as the teams lead back Week 13, Mostert finished the year as the 26th ranked running back with 165.2 points. If starting running back Joe Mixon continues to sit out this week, Giovani Bernard is a locked and loaded fantasy start. The Lions fell to 31st against running backs (118/662/9 - 5.6 yards per rush plus 18 catches for 120 yards) after Rashaad Penny ran wild last week. He finished with 78 combined yards with a score and two catches. Not only will he have a role on obvious passing downs, but Williams should double as one of the most valuable backups in the NFL considering he finds himself in another high-powered offense. Last season, Williams ranked fourth in yards per reception (9.6), 12th in yards per route run (1.61), and sixth in catch rate (82.5%). It may be in both the team's and Carson's . So without further ado, let's dive in and take. He is a versatile back capable of making plays all over the field. Henderson ultimately lost the starting job to Sony Michel, and then to a returning Cam Akers. Links to similar discussions on other positions: A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Besides, if I was going to hype an RB going in the RB35 range, Id much prefer it to be Rhamondre Stevenson, who I believe has legitimate top-12 RB upside. Running Back Sleepers Projections powered by Sportsline Tyler Allgeier RB Atlanta #25 Age: 22 Experience: Rookie We used to have Dameon Pierce here, but he broke out before the season even. Ingram is another starting running back with RB1 upside who is going outside of the top-40 selections. Burkhead can absolutely eke out some RB3/flex value in PPR formats, and he has as good a shot as anyone to assume early down duties if Pierce were to get injured. Behind him, Khalil Herbert. 6 teams on bye in week 14 got me down bad. Once again the running back position has quite a few potential sleepers for the 2021 season that could make all the difference in your leagues. It is hard to say whether Jackson or Kelley will be the primary beneficiary of all the early-down, between-the-tackles work that Melvin Gordon is leaving behind, but the good news is that theyre both so cheap at draft tables that you can afford to hedge your bets and draft them both. The Footballguys staff digs deep for sleepers at running back. window.PLAYERCARDS_CONFIG={affiliateCode:"fpros_cards"}; Copyright 2010- FantasyPros.com Jordan McNamara: Matt Breida drew first-team work in the first preseason game, with Zack Moss injured. Kareem Hunt (CLE) ADP: 72 Raiders (Sloan Piva). 28% of his opportunities in those six games came in the form of targets, which are worth almost an entire point more than rush attempts in full PPR formats. Hes also been getting plenty of reps with the first-team offense, including on passing downs, where he is sometimes deployed in the slot. Breida offers a more explosive element to the Buffalo offense than either Devin Singletary or Zack Moss, which could be attractive to the Buffalo offense that has struggled to get production from the position the past two seasons. The other runners are either late seventh-rounders or undrafted as well. Ben Cummins: Bernard has dual-threat capabilities, and his strength is as a pass-catcher. Brown is being drafted late like a handcuff, but his fantasy value could be standalone in a committee in Miami. Here are 3 of those running back sleepers to target deeper in redraft leagues (in no particular order): Marlon Mack (Indianapolis Colts) - The Colts 4 th round pick in the 2017 NFL draft could be one of the best running back values in 2021 fantasy drafts. I mean, if you're the Rams, how could not have this guy in the game on third downs? We've seen it before with other backs coming off a severe knee injury. A seventh-round draft pick who didnt put up big numbers in college at Rutgers, Pacheco may not have the resume of a future star, but we should all know by now that running back production often comes from unheralded players. hide 1. If you ask me, Swift has a similar appeal to the Colts Jonathan Taylor, who is (deservedly) going around pick 40. HSAC is here to recommend some running backs who can carry your team to victory. With an ADP of around RB40, Henderson sits right above Raheem Mostert and Chris Carson. Are you looking to contact Customer Support about a subscription or account related question? With some running back handcuffs going as high as the single-digit rounds, Williams is also essentially free. Damien Harris and Miles Sanders). 10 sleeper running backs to target for the fantasy football playoffs. Zack Moss (BUF) ADP: 137 Simply put, the Jaguars appear ready to move on from Fournette, and that should create a big opportunity for Armstead as long as he can make up for the lost time he spent this summer on the reserve/Covid-19 list. And the back-to-back games with 96+ yards that got his career up and running in 2018. Opportunity will be the problem. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. Johnson is a sleeper candidate for significant work early in the season with minimal buzz surrounding this depth chart outside of Carter in dynasty and some redraft circles. If I led off this column by talking about everyones favorite preseason darling, Dameon Pierce, Id be sure to face some blowback. You'll want to take your chances on the guy in a high-powered offense that gets 18 opportunities playing 80% of the snaps. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury the very next week, and then the Cardinals went out and acquired Kenyan Drake, who provided high-end RB1 value in the seasons second half. You get the point. Pat Fitzmaurice: Fantasy managers have fallen in love with Najee Harris, largely because he's a bigger back with pass-catching skills. Related: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Advice for RB/WR in Week 5, Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (DraftKings $5,200/FanDuel $5,600). Jason Wood: Lindsay was unceremoniously cast aside in Denver and landed in Houston -- arguably the league's worst team. Bernard is an accomplished pass catcher who quickly endeared himself to Tom Brady and is likely to play the same role James White played for New England from 2015 to 2019. These RBs could have value off the waiver wire at some point this season as handcuffs. Week 5 offers an opportunity. By: David Latham, Managing Editor | June 5, 2021. Through two games, Edmonds is the only running back for the Cardinals to be targeted as a receiver out of the backfield. Akers' injury paved the way for Henderson to thrive for most of 2021. In what projects to be one of the leagues best offenses, that should be enough of a role to create some RB3/flex appeal, and if Ekeler were to go down, Michels value would shoot up even higher. The odd thing is, the conversation around who might play behind starter Darrell Henderson died rather quickly. My answer absolutely! That's the joy of a late pick. It starts with Fournettes checkered injury history. If you dismissed Wilson as a mediocre talent, you likely missed out on the 119 total yards and a touchdown that he put against the Falcons during the fantasy playoffs last year. But Swift is fully capable of producing RB3/flex value in that role, and he also stands a good chance of gradually taking a bigger and bigger piece of the committee as the season moves along. Bernard has a locked-in role in this backfield. Damien Harris (NE) ADP: 203 Admittedly, making start/sit decisions with White in redraft leagues will be a headache. Stevenson has an upside matchup, but he needs the in-close scoring chances to go his way. The Lions fell to 31st against running backs (118/662/9 5.6 yards per rush plus 18 catches for 120 yards) after Rashaad Penny ran wild last week. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll wants to run the heck out of the football, and he just spent the 41 st overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Walker. Win Big With RotoBaller That could mean a lot of Burkhead playing over Pierce, much to the frustration of fantasy managers across the land. White has caught 364 passes over the past six years, and if Mac Jones takes over for Cam Newton, Whites pass-catching upside should increase since Jones is a pinpoint, accurate passer. With Michel no longer in Los Angeles, at a minimum, Henderson should have the backup job secured. Chark, Tyler Lockett, Chris Godwin, Christian Kirk, Garrett Wilson, Start Em, Sit Em - Week 14 Matchups Analysis, Week 14 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2022 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings, Top DST Pairings for Playoffs: Rest-Of-Season Team Defense Picks, Travis Homer (RB, SEA) - Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14, Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football? Our running back fantasy football rankings are put together by Nick Mariano, Brandon Murchison, and Andersen Pickard. 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