Running back sleepers for 2026 fantasy football

San Diego, California - August 05: Keaton Mitchell of the Los Angeles Chargers participates in drills during an NFL football training camp at Torero Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images) The 2026 NFL season is knocking on our door and it’s time we reluctantly peeked through the peep-hole to see what is in store for us this year. Injuries! Yep, injuries are the bane of the fake footballer. They are going to happen, but that doesn’t mean the end of your season because you have some backups just champing at the bit to get in there and put up fantasy football points! Running backs are statistically going to miss more time than wide receivers and tight ends, so we need to at least be wary of losing our early round studs at some point in the season. But, we also can’t be so nervous that we only roster the backups to our RB stars. Sure, that may work, but often, those backups are just committee members who don’t compensate all that much for your lost player. That means we need to put a little more thought into grabbing later round running backs. In recent years it’s been a popular draft strategy to forego the top running backs and instead load up on mid to late-round backs. The thinking is that you get less injury prone top receivers, while grabbing a whole stable of running backs you believe have a good shot to be strong plays if and when injuries begin to accumulate. This article will try to give you those running backs whether you implement a “Zero-RB” or not. Keaton Mitchell, Chargers Mitchell is similar in size and speed to De’Von Achane, who Mike McDaniel turned into an offensive juggernaut on a bad Dolphins team the last few years. At points, we saw that offense allow for two fantasy running backs, as Raheem Mostert and Achane could be assets during the same game. This is what we’re hoping for with Omarion Hampton and Mitchell. Yes, Kimani Vidal is there, but so far it looks like he’ll be RB3 and backup both Mitchell and Hampton. There is a real chance that Mitchell can be a flex start as early as Week 1. Jonah Coleman, Broncos The Broncos have a lot of running backs, which isn’t great for playing time, but with no true bell cow, there is a chance for any of these guys to surge ahead of the group. Coleman, as a rookie, has a tough path, as Sean Payton really wants to see rookies prove they can handle all aspects of the offense before giving them a big workload. But, he’s also going to use his best players if they are ready. Coleman is currently RB48 in ADP, so is a true sleeper in that regard. His college metrics show that he has the ability to play all downs as well. Last year he ranked first in yards after contact per attempt and fourth in elusive rating per PFF. He’ll need JK Dobbins to falter in some way, as the veteran will likely hold onto the lead job as long as he’s healthy. But, we know Dobbins is an injury risk. RJ Harvey is his other rival for snaps. Harvey’s rushing efficiency in his rookie year was not good despite finding the end zone 12 times. On 146 attempts he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and showed little explosiveness. If Dobbins were to go down again, I’d expect Harvey to take a good chunk of receiving duties, while Coleman works as the lead back. Chris Rodriguez, Jaguars Bayshul Tuten played well last season and when Travis Etienne was shipped off to New Orleans, the fantasy community rejoiced. Tuten would get the lead role and show what he can do. Unfortunately, the Jags also grabbed Chris Rodriguez from the Commanders, who head coach Liam Coen has history with. Right now, Tuten has a RB24 ADP in half PPR. That’s pretty high for a fourth-round pick who looked good his rookie year, but only touched the ball 93 times and averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Right now, Rodriguez is RB46 in ADP and appears to be in a timeshare with Tuten to start the season. I completely understand betting on Tuten here, but not at his current ADP. Rodriguez could easily win goal line work and the Jaguars could be a good enough offense to get him multiple touchdowns this season. Mike Washington, Raiders Washington has looked good in preseason and showed his speed at the combine when he ran a 4.3 40. His college career is a mess, as he moved around, but what he’s shown at this level so far is enough for me to like what I’ve seen. And after Washington, the Raiders don’t have capable backups behind Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty did have an injury scare recently, but apparently he got out of it without a longterm injury. Washington’s ADP will likely go up a bit, but since Jeanty isn’t going to miss much time, if any, with a “low” ankle sprain, Washington won’t be a priority earlier in drafts. The Raiders aren’t good, but the addition of Super Bowl winning OC Klint Kubiak, the Raiders now have an offensive mind who can actually make a difference. Marshawn Lloyd, Packers Lloyd is a real talent, but injuries have gotten the best of him so far in college and his short NFL career. The team has kept him around despite two lost seasons to injury and he’s getting another chance to stay healthy and work behind Josh Jacobs as the No. 2 RB. Jacobs could miss significant time due to his domestic abuse charges, but at this point we just don’t know. But even if Jacobs only misses a couple games, if Lloyd can stay healthy, he’s got a shot at winning more and more work. Dylan Sampson, Browns Sampson can be a receptions cheat code and with the Browns likely trailing often, with quarterbacks who aren’t all that accurate downfield, I expect plenty of work for Sampson out of the backfield. He’s more of a priority in full PPR, but is worth a stash in half PPR where needed. He’s currently at RB53 in half PPR ADP Emmett Johnson, Chiefs As teams took away the deep ball, Kansas City’s offense just hasn’t been the same.The Chiefs finally got tired of not rostering a running back that can be a difference maker so they signed Kenneth Walker, drafted Emmett Johnson in the 5th round of the 2025 draft, while adding receiving back Emari Demercado from the Cardinals. Walker is of course the no-doubt starter, but we’ve seen him have trouble staying healthy in the past. Johnson might not get an every down role if Walker misses time, but he’s the best chance they have at lead back and he has experience as a receiver. I also expect the Chiefs to bounce back this season, giving their playmakers a better shot at fantasy relevancy.

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