X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

2013 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later Round Running Backs (RB)

If you like this article, check out the rest of our fantasy football analysis: rankingssleepersrunning backswide receivers,  quarterbacks and of course our live fantasy football chat, the best football chatroom on the internwebs.  RotoBaller will be releasing more fantasy football content daily to help you prepare for the 2013 NFL Fantasy Football season so stay tuned!

Drafting Impact Running Backs Late

This article focuses on NFL running backs who are not presently being drafted as fantasy football starters in 2013, i.e. whose average draft position puts them lower than 24th at the position.  But that doesn't mean they can't provide value for you on draft day, and for your fantasy football team in 2013.  Here are some of my favorites to consider on draft day:

 

Running Backs #25 - #36

Rank

Player

ADP

25

Christopher Ivory

4.12

26

Ryan Mathews

5.05

27

Eddie Lacy

5.07

28

Ahmad Bradshaw

5.09

29

Giovani Bernard

6.02

30

Rashard Mendenhall

6.05

31

Shane Vereen

6.06

32

Daryl Richardson

7.04

33

Andre Brown

7.07

34

BenJarvus Green-Ellis

7.08

35

DeAngelo Williams

7.1

36

Ronnie Hillman

8.02

 

Two that stand out from this list are Shane Vereen and Andre Brown. Reports out of Patriots training camp are that Vereen is lining up all over the field, a la Darren Sproles, at RB, slot WR and outside WR. With the losses of Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd and Aaron Hernandez, combined with the perennially dinged-up status of incumbent pass-catchers Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, Vereen has a big opportunity to become a trusted option for Tom Brady, just like Danny Woodhead and Kevin Faulk were in past seasons. Unlike rookie Giovani Bernard from this same tier, Vereen has proven against NFL competition that he can put up big numbers on few opportunities. Caution flags include the fact that Vereen hasn’t been able to play the full 16 games in either of his two seasons thus far, and also Bill Belichick’s game management, which can be known to freeze out players not part of the plan.

David Wilson is being drafted four rounds earlier than Brown, but the Giants plan to split carries between the two backs, and for good reason. Wilson is considered the more explosive of the two runners, but Brown actually averaged 5.3 YPC to Wilson’s 5.0 last year. The fact that Brown has two inches and 18 pounds on Wilson means he’ll be the back to have his number called in goal-to-go situations. The Giants were fifth in rushing touchdowns and sixth in total points last year, so with Brown getting a bigger share of the TD pie, it’s he-- and not Wilson-- who represents the more cost-effective option.

 

Running Backs #37 - #48

Rank

Player

ADP

37

Ben Tate

8.07

38

Mark Ingram

8.09

39

Bryce Brown

9.01

40

Fred Jackson

9.04

41

Vick Ballard

9.07

42

Johnathan Franklin

9.1

43

Bernard Pierce

9.12

44

Danny Woodhead

10.01

45

Jonathan Stewart

10.05

46

Isaiah Pead

11.02

47

Pierre Thomas

11.04

48

Mikel Leshoure

11.05

 

From this group, look for Vick Ballard and Danny Woodhead to emerge as fantasy factors ranging from reliable surprise starter to in-a-pinch plug-in. The biggest factor in favor of Ballard is the fact that he’ll be sharing backfield duties with Ahmad Bradshaw, who has battled injuries his entire career and is already sidelined. Even if Bradshaw takes the lead role, Ballard should still see plenty of work. New Colts Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton called plays at Stanford during Andrew Luck’s tenure, and ran a decisively run-heavy offense, not once passing more often than running in the three seasons Luck started. Even if Hamilton throws more by virtue of the NFL being a passing league, the Colts should still be more run-oriented than they were last year, when they ran 440 times. Since Bradshaw was only able to tote the rock for an average of 215 carries over the last four seasons, Ballard still has 200+ carry upside, putting him in position to match, if not exceed, his RB25 ranking from last season.

Woodhead should warrant consideration not only because Ryan Mathews has done little to inspire owners in his three NFL seasons, but also because he’s taken the reigns of the pass-catching duties after impressing San Diego’s new coaching staff. Woodhead has finished in the top 25 at his position two out of the last three years, by posting 700-900 yards from scrimmage and about a half-dozen total touchdowns. While those numbers were posted as a member of the prolific New England offense, his move to San Diego shouldn't cause too much concern. The last time Philip Rivers had a back with Woodhead’s skillset, Darren Sproles put up numbers in San Diego that matched what Woodhead did in his time with the Patriots. In other words, a Philip Rivers-led offense (and frankly, most offenses in today’s NFL) can support a fantasy-reliable third-down and pass-catching back.

 

Running Backs #49 - #60

Rank

Player

ADP

49

Jacquizz Rodgers

12.01

50

Zachary Stacy

12.03

51

Michael Bush

12.04

52

Joseph Randle

12.1

53

LaMichael James

13.04

54

Marcel Reece

13.07

55

Jonathan Dwyer

13.08

56

Kendall Hunter

13.08

57

Ryan Williams

13.1

58

Knowshon Moreno

13.1

59

Shonn Greene

13.12

60

Denard Robinson

14.02

 

At this stage of the draft, the best strategy is usually to bet on talent and hope that the opportunity lottery ticket will pay off for the player in question. Unfortunately this season, the talent among the pool of backs listed above leaves a lot to be desired. Alternatively, the backs whose talent is not in question are instead trying to bounce back from devastating injuries. Surprisingly, that leaves two bruisers as backs that jump out as having a chance to contribute to fantasy rosters this season.

Jonathan Dwyer hasn't exactly been explosive in his time in the NFL, but last year, despite leading the Steelers in attempts, he outperformed all other Pittsburgh running backs in yards per carry as the only one to top 4.0. The Steelers drafted Le’Veon Bell in the second round this Spring, and hope he earns the starting gig, but Dwyer isn’t going out without a fight. He shed 30 lbs. this offseason in an attempt to compete for his job, showing that he believes in his talent and is willing to do what it takes to keep the rookie at bay. Bell has some question marks surrounding him too, touching the ball over 400 times in his junior season at Michigan State. That kind of wear and tear usually portends an underwhelming season in the following year. Furthermore, Big Ten running backs have a reputation for disappointing upon graduating to the NFL, from Laurence Maroney to Beanie Wells.

Update:  Bell unfortunately came down with a  right foot injury, and is expected to miss up to six weeks with a small ligament tear.  He should be downgraded in fantasy football drafts to a mid-to-late round pick, but still has the upside to contribute when healthy this year.

The last name in this article is truly stunning, as he’s deservedly been ripped over the years as an underwhelming plodder on a bad offense. However, Shonn Greene, believe it or not, has an actual chance to make an impact on fantasy teams this season. Given about 250 carries in each of the last two seasons, Greene finished in the top 20 at his position. He likely won't get that many this year, but should Tennessee go back to the thunder-and-lighting approach it once had with LenDale White spelling Chris Johnson, Greene could approach the 200+ carries that White accrued under that framework, when he finished in the top 20 himself. Even performing half that well would mean Greene outperforms his ADP by about eight rounds.

 

===============

By popular demand, RotoBaller.com has now launched the fantasy football chatroom! Get involved with some real-time NFL talk, ask your fantasy football questions, read other discussions, or feel free to chime in and reply back with your own 2 cents. Remember you can ask the RotoBaller staff any questions, and we’ll reply back to you as quickly as possible.  Make a call to the RotoBaller chatroom and get some live advice.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

MacKenzie Weegar1 hour ago

Notches Three Assists Against Rangers
Macklin Celebrini2 hours ago

Tallies Two Assists In Thursday's Loss
Nikita Kucherov2 hours ago

Comes Up With Three Assists Versus Blue Jackets
Sean Monahan2 hours ago

Finishes Thursday's Win With Four Points
Zach Werenski2 hours ago

Enjoys Career Night With Five Points Against Lightning
Jack Hughes2 hours ago

Posts Three Assists Versus Hurricanes
Joonas Korpisalo2 hours ago

Records 21-Save Shutout Versus Utah
Jerry Jeudy5 hours ago

Leads Browns In Receiving In Week 12 Win
Nick Chubb5 hours ago

Scores Two TDs In TNF Win Over Pittsburgh
NFL9 hours ago

Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry Likely Returning To Browns In 2025
Deshaun Watson10 hours ago

Likely To Remain With Browns, Could Face Competition
Cedric Tillman10 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol
Cedric Tillman11 hours ago

Suffers Head Injury On Thursday Night
Wendell Carter Jr.12 hours ago

Out Against Lakers
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Available Versus Magic On Thursday
Rui Hachimura13 hours ago

Unavailable Thursday
Carlos Ulberg13 hours ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir14 hours ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes14 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
MMA14 hours ago

Cong Wang Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo14 hours ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Macau
Petr Yan14 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Yves Missi14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
CJ McCollum14 hours ago

Not Likely To Play Friday
Alexander Mattison15 hours ago

Zamir White Miss Practice Again
Brandon Ingram15 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Shohei Ohtani15 hours ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge15 hours ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter15 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo15 hours ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley15 hours ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson15 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson15 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins16 hours ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis16 hours ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul16 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy16 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk16 hours ago

Making Progress
George Kittle16 hours ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann16 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges16 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Vince Williams Jr.16 hours ago

Out At Least A Month
Scottie Barnes16 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin16 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Paul George16 hours ago

Out At Least Two Games
Aaron Gordon16 hours ago

Availability In Question For Friday
Zach Hyman16 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson17 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Yaroslav Askarov17 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts17 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Mikael Granlund17 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Alexandar Georgiev17 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
TB17 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
Frederik Andersen17 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson17 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta17 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold18 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco18 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift18 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb18 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey18 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans18 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith19 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
Cody Bellinger20 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks20 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb20 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
20 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chandler Stephenson23 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson24 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist24 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies24 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund24 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Returns To Practice
Chris Sale1 day ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal1 day ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat2 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg2 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy2 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole2 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
3 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri3 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
3 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
3 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
3 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
3 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil4 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes4 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer4 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
4 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
4 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
4 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva4 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop5 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig5 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal5 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic5 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones5 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


NFL DFS: FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks for Week 12 - Top Lineup Plays Include Jayden Daniels, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Puka Nacua

It’s already Week 12, although the end of the 2024-25 campaign can’t come soon enough for teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, and Panthers, to name a few. On the other hand, clubs like the Bills, Chiefs, and Lions are only a few weeks away from officially punching their tickets to the postseason.   In […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best/Worst Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules: Streamers and Starts To Win A Championship (2024)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. However, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 should be a key piece of your strategy if you're in line to make the bracket. Fantasy players still have time to trade for […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The King's Week 12 Lineup Rankings and Analysis (Premium Content)

RotoBaller senior writer Scott "The King" Engel shares his Week 12 fantasy football lineup rankings for PPR, half PPR, and standard scoring league participants. He also provides an analysis of the rankings at every skill position. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some of your must-start players have a good chance of supplying […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 12 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Anthony Richardson, Brian Robinson Jr., Courtland Sutton, and more

How's it going, RotoBallers? Welcome back to our DraftKings Main Slate article. Known around the fantasy football world as "Bye-Mageddon," Week 12 certainly offers up some unique challenges from a DFS perspective. Don't worry, we'll work through those difficulties to find the best plays we can on this slate. These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 12: Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, Will Dissly

Week 12 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Will Dissly. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 12 Lineups Include Tua Tagovailoa, J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey

Week 11 was pretty kind to us in this space. We correctly labeled Justin Herbert as a boom pick. He threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards on the ground. It culminated with a QB8 finish. We also nailed Kirk Cousins and Tony Pollard as busts. Cousins and the Falcons […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint Include Jayden Daniels, D'Andre Swift, Chuba Hubbard, Mark Andrews

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 12 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint for fantasy lineups this week. It's a strange week in the NFL with six teams taking their bye week. That could mean lineups are gridlocked and fantasy managers don't have the luxury of analyzing matchups to decide their starters. Potential […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Week 12 (Sunday Main Slate)

Hello everybody, and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 - Sunday Main Slate! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint, and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 12 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 12! There will be a whopping six teams on bye this week (Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets), so that means fantasy managers might need to look deeper on their benches. This Week 12 matchups […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Week 12 Predictions: Picks and Analysis for Every Game Including Thursday Night Football

After some high-octane matchups over the last couple of Thursday nights, Week 12 kicks off in a more old-school fashion with a classic rivalry game between the Steelers and Browns. There are some fun matchups on this Week 12 slate, however, "Bye-Mageddon" certainly does take a little of the sizzle away, as six teams will […]