Three Fantasy Football Running Backs With Late-Season Value

Building a dominant fantasy football team during the regular season is great and all, but does it really matter if it all crumbles in the playoffs? It may only be July, but with draft season just around the corner, it is imperative to be looking toward fantasy’s home stretch.

It is no secret that rookie production is typically backloaded as the league’s newbies get accustomed to their new life in the NFL. A number of rookies emerge as league winners every season, and that will again be the case in 2024.

These three rookie running backs may not offer you much help at the beginning of the fantasy season, but if you hold on long enough, they could be just what your team needs to push you over the hump in the playoffs.

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Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers

Kimani Vidal took the dynasty community by storm this summer after an impressive collegiate career that included 4,710 yards and 34 touchdowns over four seasons, great combine testing numbers, and the dreamiest landing spot available for a running back after the Chargers let Austin Ekeler walk.

Q3 11:35 | 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤🚂

The Kimani Vidal train keeps on going as he puts six more on the board.

🔴: 7
⚔️: 17#RiseToBuild | #OneTROY ⚔️🏈 pic.twitter.com/XGGQy2TtXY

— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) September 23, 2023

Early reports are saying that Vidal is currently behind Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, and Isaiah Spiller on the depth chart. As we all know, rookie depth chart positions should be taken with a grain of salt. It is likely that Vidal enters the season third behind Edwards and Dobbins, but Dobbins’ injury history suggests that Vidal will be seeing time on the field sooner rather than later.

Edwards has never been a lead-back in his career and if Vidal proves that he can carry an NFL workload, it is very possible that he is a key fantasy contributor down the stretch of the season.

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins

The newest addition to the Miami Dolphins backfield slots is behind incumbent fantasy superstars Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane. Jaylen Wright, a fourth-round selection out of Tennessee, will not likely factor into the backfield early with both running backs ahead of him healthy. However, Mostert has only played 15 or more games in three of his nine seasons in the league. Achane missed six games as a rookie and has a concerningly small stature that could lead to injury risk.

Jaylen Wright. 52 yards. Touchdown. pic.twitter.com/TjRXf1jGq0

— gmannVOLS (@gmannVOLS) October 28, 2023

If just one of the two goes down, which feels inevitable, Wright will earn a chance to get onto the field. His blistering speed is built for Mike McDaniel’s offense, which has proven to be capable of supporting two RB1s. Wright is worth holding on to your roster even if he has little to no early production due to his high ceiling in the event of an injury to Mostert or Achane.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

The highest-drafted running back in the 2024 class, Jonathon Brooks, will likely face a delay to the beginning of his NFL career after tearing his ACL in November. It is possible that he doesn’t make his debut until late into the season, at which point he may be floating around on waiver wires.

Being drafted in the second round, Brooks is a shoo-in to shoulder Carolina’s workload once fully healthy. Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders should see early season run in this offense, but by fantasy playoff time, most of the carries may go Brooks’ way. The Texas product is worth a late flier, especially in leagues with IR slots, and should see an uptick in his usage down the stretch of the season.

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