Running back depth dries up quickly in fantasy football drafts, which makes identifying the right late-round options especially important. By the time most managers begin filling out their benches, the remaining backs usually fall into one of two categories: players who need an injury ahead of them to matter or players with a realistic chance to earn a larger role on their own. The second group is where the real value can be found.
This year’s late-round running back pool features several players with standalone appeal and legitimate paths to larger workloads. Jonathon Brooks, Rachaad White, Kenneth Gainwell, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Keaton Mitchell all carry some level of uncertainty, but each offers enough talent, opportunity, or receiving upside to significantly outperform his current draft cost.
Check out the updated consensus fantasy football rankings here!
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Jonathon Brooks finally enters a season healthy after spending much of last year working his way back from a torn ACL, and the opportunity sitting in front of him makes him one of the most intriguing running back sleepers in fantasy football. Carolina lost Rico Dowdle this offseason, leaving behind more than 250 touches that now have to be redistributed throughout the backfield. While Chuba Hubbard is expected to open the season as the starter, there are legitimate questions about whether he can hold onto that role for an entire year. Among all qualified running backs last season, Hubbard was the only player who failed to record a single explosive run, while also finishing near the bottom of the league in missed tackle rate and yards after contact per attempt. Brooks, meanwhile, entered the NFL as one of the most talented backs in his draft class and offers considerably more explosiveness both as a runner and receiver.
Perhaps the biggest reason to target Brooks is Dave Canales’ coaching history. Canales has consistently shown a willingness to feature one running back once that player earns his trust. Rachaad White finished fourth among running backs in snap share while playing under Canales in Tampa Bay before Hubbard handled nearly 80% of Carolina’s snaps the following season. When Canales identifies his lead back, he has no problem giving that player workhorse-level volume. Brooks has a realistic path to becoming that option if his talent quickly separates him from Hubbard during training camp or early in the season. In a year with a relatively thin late-round running back class, Brooks is worth the investment. If he claims the featured role at any point, he has the upside to emerge as one of the biggest steals at the position.
Rachaad White, RB, Washington Commanders
Rachaad White enters 2026 with a fresh opportunity in Washington after losing the starting job to Bucky Irving during his final season in Tampa Bay. White has never been an especially efficient runner, averaging 3.9 yards per carry throughout his career, but his receiving ability has consistently preserved his fantasy value. He has caught at least 40 passes in every NFL season while averaging more than 50 receptions and 350 receiving yards per year. That passing-game production helped carry him to an RB4 finish in PPR formats in 2023, showing that he does not need elite rushing efficiency to become a valuable fantasy option. White has also been remarkably durable, missing only one game across four seasons, which gives him another advantage over many of the backs being drafted in the same range.
Washington’s backfield is crowded, but it is far from settled. Jacory Croskey-Merritt flashed as a runner last season but caught only nine passes, while Kaytron Allen and Jerome Ford also remain unproven within this offense. White is the most reliable three-down option in the group and has already earned praise from Dan Quinn throughout the offseason program. His receiving profile should be especially valuable for a Commanders team that targeted its running backs only 55 times last season, the fewest in the NFL. Reuniting with former college quarterback Jayden Daniels also gives White a chance to immediately establish himself as a trusted option in the passing game. Add in the sixth-easiest projected schedule for running backs, and White has multiple paths to outperforming his RB38 price. At worst, he should carry standalone PPR value as Washington’s primary receiving back. At best, he could earn the lead role and become one of the biggest late-round values of the season.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kenneth Gainwell quietly put together the best season of his career in 2025, and Tampa Bay rewarded him with a two-year, $14 million contract that suggests he will play a meaningful role. Gainwell set career highs in carries, rushing yards, targets, receiving yards, and snap share while proving capable of producing whenever his workload increased. From Weeks 11-18, he finished as the RB7 in fantasy points per game while averaging 13.3 touches and 85 total yards. His receiving production was especially impressive during that stretch, as he ranked second among running backs in receiving yards per game, third in target share, fourth in yards per route run, and first in first downs per route run. Gainwell was not simply compiling production through checkdowns, either, as he also finished 14th among running backs in both explosive run rate and missed tackle rate.
Bucky Irving should still open the season as Tampa Bay’s lead back, but the workload is unlikely to be as clean as fantasy managers may expect. Todd Bowles has already referred to the situation as a 1A, 1B backfield, and Gainwell’s contract supports the idea that he will be more than a traditional backup. Irving has also dealt with a growing list of injuries across his first two seasons and is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Gainwell should maintain a consistent role as Tampa Bay’s primary receiving back while also handling enough early-down work to carry standalone value in PPR formats. If Irving misses time, Gainwell would immediately have a path to RB1-level volume. Even with both backs healthy, his versatility and recent production make him one of the strongest late-round targets available.
Chris Rodriguez Jr, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Rodriguez Jr. is not the most exciting player in Jacksonville’s backfield, but his role could be more valuable than his current ADP suggests. Rodriguez played well when given opportunities in Washington last season, averaging 12.7 touches and 57.7 total yards from Weeks 10-18 while finishing as the RB31 in fantasy points per game. He offered very little as a receiver, drawing only four targets all year, but his rushing efficiency was excellent. Rodriguez ranked second among qualifying running backs in yards after contact per attempt and 12th in missed tackle rate, showing that he consistently created additional yardage despite operating in a struggling offense. At 224 pounds, he also brings a physical running style that Jacksonville’s other backs do not fully replicate.
His reunion with Liam Coen makes the fit especially interesting. Rodriguez played under Coen at Kentucky and rushed for 1,379 yards, averaged 6.1 yards per carry, and scored 12 total touchdowns during their season together. Jacksonville signed him to a two-year, $10 million contract shortly after free agency opened, which strongly suggests the team has a defined role in mind. Bhayshul Tuten remains the more explosive option, while LeQuint Allen Jr. should handle much of the passing-game work, but Rodriguez could quickly emerge as the team’s primary early-down and goal-line back. Travis Etienne’s departure leaves a meaningful number of touches available, and Tuten failed to fully seize the backfield last season. Rodriguez’s lack of receiving upside limits his ceiling, but he has a realistic chance to lead Jacksonville in carries and touchdowns. At his late-round price, that makes him a worthwhile target in all formats.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Keaton Mitchell has never lacked explosiveness, and his move to Los Angeles places him in one of the best possible systems for his skill set. Through three NFL seasons, Mitchell has averaged more than six yards per carry and 6.8 yards per touch, consistently producing chunk plays whenever he has been on the field. His 14.49 MPH average run speed per carry led all players with at least 50 attempts last season and was more than a full mile per hour faster than the next closest running back. That type of speed is extremely rare, but injuries and his 5-foot-8, 191-pound frame have prevented him from handling more than 60 carries in any season. Mitchell is not going to become a traditional workhorse, but he does not need a massive workload to create fantasy value.
Mike McDaniel’s arrival gives Mitchell a legitimate chance to carve out the largest role of his career. McDaniel has consistently prioritized speed in his backfields, previously helping Raheem Mostert produce an RB2 season and turning De’Von Achane into one of the most explosive players in fantasy football. Omarion Hampton will remain the centerpiece of the Chargers’ rushing attack, but Mitchell is an ideal change-of-pace complement who can be used on outside runs, motion concepts, and designed touches in space. Now more than two years removed from the ACL injury that ended his rookie season, Mitchell enters 2026 healthy and still only 24 years old. His weekly workload may be difficult to project, but his efficiency gives him a chance to provide standalone flex value even without an injury ahead of him. At his current price, he is exactly the type of late-round upside swing fantasy managers should be making.
Draft with me this Monday at 4:30 PM: https://sleeper.com/draft/nfl/1383570036119064576
