Welcome back, football!
The 2024 NFL season will kick off on Thursday night, which also marks the start of the fantasy football season. To help you win your league, we’ve put together a list of 10 sleeper running backs to target in your fantasy football drafts.
Keep in mind that we’re using the term “sleeper” to mean a player we expect to outperform their average draft position this fall. That doesn’t mean these players are necessarily unknown, just drafted lower than they should be. That represents great value for managers who pick them at the right spot.
So, keep an eye on these ten sleeper running backs as they approach their ADP places in your fantasy football drafts this summer.
1. RB Alvin Kamara (ADP 46): He’s not the fantasy monster he once was, but Kamara could prove to be a big steal at RB17 after finishing as RB3 in PPR points per game (17.9) last year.
2. RB Javonte Williams (ADP 77): Getting a clear-cut starter at RB27 is a steal. Williams lost 11 pounds this offseason and coach Sean Payton has said he looks like “a completely different player.” Now another year removed from his 2022 knee injury, Williams is healthy and the clear RB1 in Denver.
3. RB Jonathon Brooks (APD 93): Understand that Brooks will miss at least the first four games of the season on the PUP list as he continues to recover from his ACL injury. He might not pay dividends until the second half of the season, but he would be the perfect use of an IR spot early in the season. Brooks is being drafted as RB34.
4. RB Jerome Ford (ADP 105): He will start at least the first four games of the season while Nick Chubb is on the PUP list. Chubb is recovering from a serious knee injury, but he’s being drafted as RB30 while Ford is going off the board as RB35. That should be flipped. Ford averaged 12.4 PPG last season, a serviceable number for RB3/flex, and depending on your roster, perhaps even an RB2. Getting him at RB35 should be a good value.
5. RB Chase Brown (ADP 104): Following the Joe Mixon departure, Brown might be the next man up in Cincinnati’s backfield. Zack Moss hurts his value, but a potential starter being drafted as RB37 is an intriguing option.
6. RB Trey Benson (ADP 113): If James Conner is ever sidelined, Benson will be the next man up. Conner has never played a full 16- or 17-game season and Arizona just used a third-round pick on Benson. He’s being drafted as RB39.
7. RB Blake Corum (ADP 111): Corum is arguably the most important sleeper and handcuff running back in fantasy football this year. He should have standalone value in L.A.’s offense and if Kyren Williams misses time like he did in each of his first two seasons, Corum’s stock will skyrocket. He’s currently being drafted as RB40.
8. RB J.K. Dobbins (ADP 120): Dobbins will likely be the lead running back for the Chargers this fall and if he stays healthy, Dobbins should easily finish higher than his RB41 ADP.
9. RB Tyler Allgeier (ADP 141): Similar to Corum, Allgeier already has standalone value, and if anything happens to Bijan Robinson, Allgeier’s stock will skyrocket. He’s a value at RB48 even as a rotational option.
10. RB Jaylen Wright (ADP 139): He’s currently behind De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert on the depth chart, but Wright’s speed should lead to him getting opportunities sooner than later. And once again, if there are injuries ahead of him, Wright’s stock will increase. He’s a flyer at RB48 with big upside.
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