Fantasy Football Undrafted Running Back Rookie Sleepers

Last month's NFL Draft saw a number of really good players left on the board after the seven rounds were over. Some of those players are likely going to make it onto NFL rosters in 2024 as undrafted free agents.

Some notable recent running backs who went undrafted include three players who saw extensive playing time in 2023: Emari Demercado (Arizona Cardinals), Keaton Mitchell (Baltimore Ravens), and Jaleel McLaughlin (Denver Broncos).

Here are the top UDFA running backs to monitor for fantasy football leagues. Some of these players have redraft appeal while others are better options in dynasty.

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Frank Gore Jr. - Buffalo Bills

We've got another Frank Gore on our hands. Now, don't expect this one to have a career that lasts as long as his father, but Frank Gore Jr. is a fun running back who could carve out a role in Buffalo.

Just got off the phone with Frank Gore Sr. who was very emotional and happy about his son joining the #Bills as a UDFA:

"We’re good. We're going to Buffalo man to do our thing. Tell them they better be ready-trust me. I know what I’m raising. Folks slept on my son; they slept… pic.twitter.com/DcHZyhPo8k

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 28, 2024

Gore comes in off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for Southern Miss, and in 2023, he had 13 touchdowns, with 10 of those on the ground and the other three in the receiving game. He's not the fastest runner, but he has some deceptive quickness and showed a propensity for breaking tackles during his college career. He's a patient runner.

The Bills are a great landing spot because the running back situation there is cloudy beyond starter James Cook. The team took Ray Davis in the fourth round, but the Kentucky runner has some of the same limitations as Gore and also happens to be significantly older -- Davis was born in 1999, while Gore was born in 2002. There's time for Gore to work through and improve on things, whereas if Davis isn't able to make an impact immediately in the NFL, I don't really trust him to figure it out.

Beyond that, the team has Ty Johnson and Darrynton Evans, who are both nothing more than rotational options. If Gore's impressive in training camp and the preseason, those two players aren't standing in his way.

Blake Watson - Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos signed Blake Watson as an UDFA. He spent the 2023 season at Memphis, where he had 1,152 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns while also catching 53 passes for 480 yards and three scores.

UDFA #Broncos RB Blake Watsonpic.twitter.com/x73k4Ch05R

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) April 27, 2024

Watson's a fast player, running a 4.40 40-yard dash. He has breakaway speed and has shown a lot of versatility due to his pass-catching skills. But football's about more than just speed, and Watson's potentially going to struggle between the numbers. The good news for him is he landed in Denver, where Sean Payton's the head coach. Payton's the kind of coach who can find a role for a guy with these kind of strengths -- just think about how he used Taysom Hill in New Orleans, where he found a way to take advantage of Hill's strengths.

The Broncos have a fairly crowded running back room, but Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine are both free agents after this season. Fifth-round pick Audric Estime should get snaps, but he and Watson's skill set doesn't really overlap a ton.

Emani Bailey - Kansas City Chiefs

Isiah Pacheco is a really hard-nosed runner, someone who can smash through defenders and get big yardage. But beyond Pacheco, the Chiefs have a lot of question marks in the backfield. Clyde Edwards-Helaire headlines a pretty underwhelming group of backup runners, which also includes Keaontay Ingram and La'Mical Perine.

It's a perfect situation for someone like former TCU back Emani Bailey to make an impact. Bailey was a bit of a late bloomer in college, but he posted impressive numbers in his final year with the Horned Frogs, running for 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns while also catching 25 passes for 184 yards.

Emani Bailey is signing an UDFA deal with the Kansas City Chiefs!
pic.twitter.com/wFjm4OgmbG

— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) April 27, 2024

Bailey isn't the biggest player, sitting at 5-foot-7 and just 202 pounds. However, he makes up for that by being a quick-footed runner who navigates traffic well. He's at his best when he gets room to work, and considering defenses can't really stack the box against Patrick Mahomes, K.C. was a great landing spot.

Cody Schrader - San Francisco 49ers

Cody Schrader was a breakout star in 2023 for Missouri, running 276 times for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 191 yards. After starting his college career at Division II Truman State, Schrader adjusted well to the speed of the SEC.

Love Cody Schrader with the 49ers

- a ton of OZ experience
- could give them a nice physical switch up from CMC
- haven't had a thumper type since Jeff Wilson Jr. pic.twitter.com/qc1rbns47G

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) April 29, 2024

Schrader lacks some things when it comes to speed, but he made up for that in college with his patient running and his ability to pound the ball up the middle. He's a tough player who can run through contact.

The 49ers have a top two at running back that's going to be impossible to break through without an injury, as Christian McCaffrey is arguably the league's best running back and Elijah Mitchell is a great No. 2. Beyond that, Schrader is fighting for a spot with fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo. Schrader was more productive in college and if anything happens to Mitchell, he'd be a great between-the-tackles complement to McCaffrey.

Dillon Johnson - Tennessee Titans

For the first time in a long, long time, there's a changing of the guard at running back in Tennessee. Gone is Derrick Henry, who is off to Baltimore to tear things up as a Raven. Tennessee signed Tony Pollard to start with Tyjae Spears as the main backup, but I think this is a backfield that Dillon Johnson could find room in.

If there is any UDFA I think has a great shot to make the #Titans roster, it’s RB Dillon Johnson.

What he lacks in speed and athleticism, he makes up for in toughness and vision. I think he’s got a real shot to be the 3rd RB on this roster behind Spears and Pollard. pic.twitter.com/P5x8LGAHQq

— JT Ruhnke (@jt_ruhnke) May 2, 2024

And as counterintuitive as it sounds, the Pollard signing is part of my confidence in that. The team wouldn't have signed Pollard if it thought Spears could be the lead back, but Pollard is already entering his sixth NFL season. He doesn't have a ton of wear on his tires, but he's still a guy with 79 career games at a position that isn't known for longevity.

Washington's Dillon Johnson had 1,195 yards and 16 rushing scores last year. He's not super fast, but he can run through contact and hits holes effectively. He won't wow anyone, but he has solid upside as a goal-line option.

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