Fantasy Football RB Sleepers: Later-Round Running Back Draft Targets for 2024

Even with camps clearing up NFL team depth charts, there are still many running back draft values and fantasy football draft sleepers that can be found. In this article, I have selected four running backs who are currently being drafted outside of the top 32 at the position, and are later-round draft values to target.

Best ball has become one of the most played fantasy football formats and keeps growing. These drafts have been going on for months and continue to ramp up heading into the season.

I’m a massive best ball fan and I have completed nearly 200 drafts this offseason on Underdog. Over that time, I have witnessed players' average draft positions (ADP) rise and fall with the trends. These running back value picks have best ball in mind, but can apply to any fantasy football league type and draft format.

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Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

ADP: RB33

Tyjae Spears is a perfect best ball running back. Despite not having an ACL in one knee, he is an explosive playmaker and hard runner. That makes him an excellent best ball selection.

The Titans might be one of the first teams to try this new backfield strategy. It has been common knowledge that teams like the Rams use one back to not show their hand on passing or running plays. The Titans are taking that thought process to another level, listing two co-starters who can both run and catch the ball prolifically.

This split backfield makes Tony Pollard and Spears difficult to predict in redraft, but great in best ball. Without having to set a lineup, it won’t matter which of these two will get the goal-line touches on any given week. Currently, Spears is behind backs like Chase Brown, who is also in a split backfield; however, he will not have the goal-line role.

I’d rather take the shot on Spears as a great RB3-4 in your drafts.

95 seconds of Tyjae Spears making dudes miss pic.twitter.com/qw26A2eyG1

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 15, 2024

Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers

ADP: RB37

Even though I have been progressively cooling off on this Chargers offense, Edwards is still a great value. Most of my concerns are from this offense taking a step back and the potential of Justin Herbert’s injury lingering into the season.

Edwards has quietly been one of the most efficient backs over the last two years. Despite not being flashy, he has managed an impressive 4.9 career yards per carry. This new coaching staff is probably salivating over the thought of a downhill runner with that average yards per carry.

One thing we know about Jim Harbaugh is that he wants to run the ball. What’s interesting is that this backfield is made up of two RBs who were coached by his brother, John Harbaugh, in Baltimore.

Although J.K. Dobbins has been receiving a lot of praise this offseason, it’s hard to believe an RB coming off two major knee injuries with only $50,000 guaranteed will carry the majority of the work.

Even if this offense is not what we want it to be, getting a lead back at RB37 is a great value. Without catching passes, his ceiling is limited; however, he could have spike touchdown weeks in the right matchup.

Sometimes it just means more.

Gus Edwards of the @chargers takes a moment during training camp to interact with some young fans. Minutes after they are still talking about it and deciding who gets his gloves after practice. #Chargers pic.twitter.com/0mKokjfh6n

— Marissa Kraus (@mkkrunnr) July 31, 2024

Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys

ADP: RB42

I don’t think the Rico Dowdle story gets enough attention. Joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Dowdle fought injury issues to start his career. Despite having only seven carries for 27 yards over his first three years, the Cowboys kept bringing him back on the roster each year.

Additionally, after they lost Ezekiel Elliott last offseason, they re-signed him on a one-year deal. For an undrafted free agent, this team has given him a lot of leash.

Last year, working in tandem with Tony Pollard, Dowdle showcased some hard-nosed running and at times looked like a better all-around back than Pollard. Again, free agency came and the Cowboys lost their lead back in Pollard, electing to re-sign Dowdle again on a one-year deal before Elliott returned.

Everything out of camp so far indicates that Elliott is not the back he used to be. We’ve even had camp reporters discussing that Zeke needs to be played in the preseason to see if he should even be on the roster. 

In camp, Zeke looks slow and fails to take advantage of space. Although on a worse offense, this lines up with the 2023 version of Elliott. Last season, Zeke was unable to have a rush of 20+ yards on 184 attempts (technically he had one but it was called back on a holding penalty), whereas Dowdle had more total runs of 10+ yards on 100 fewer attempts.

To me, it’s Dowdle’s backfield to lose, not the other way around. If Dowdle dominates the backfield’s touches, this could be the best pick of the draft. Grabbing a high-powered offense’s top RB at RB42 is the kind of pick that wins tournaments.

RB Rico Dowdle, Cowboys

Remains to be seen whether Rico Dowdle can usurp Ezekiel Elliott as the Dallas RB1, but the early training camp reports have been glowing about the 5th-year RB.

He's looked explosive and the team knows that he can offer more juice than Zeke. Dowdle was…

— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 8, 2024

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

ADP: RB45

The RB out of Sherwood Park, Alberta is going to start the season as the Panthers’ lead rusher. Although Jonathon Brooks is a great prospect for the future, he is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in college. 

Brooks has been brought along slowly by this team, and will not see any preseason work. The Panthers are in a heavy rebuild and there is no reason to rush their future RB1 onto the field. As a result, we have Hubbard leading the charge.

Currently, Hubbard is being drafted as if he is only the starter for a few weeks to start the season. However, Brooks’ recovery is completely up in the air, and it still may take him some time to command the touches expected from a second-round pick.

If this is the case, we could have Hubbard as the lead back for most of the season. When he took over the backfield last season he had six of seven games with double-digit fantasy points (the other had nine). Since this entire team has taken a step forward, this could be a valuable role for fantasy.

Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (Knee) is fine after a scare Thursday and should practice this week. pic.twitter.com/jpZy3gKgYp

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 18, 2024

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