Our 7 Favorite Fantasy Football RB Sleepers

Fell off a cliff last year on 150 touches with extremely poor underlying metrics. Showed signs of slowing down last season, and the Vikings will be careful to limit his touches this season. Liam Cohen ranked Jordan Mason ahead of Aaron Jones before the Collar report and is now completely doubling down on that ranking. Cohen views Aaron Jones as one of his fades and felt good after writing him up. He believes the team knows Jones has hit his cliff, evidenced by Jones returning on a much smaller contract than previously.

Not a real running back but rather an RB3 hybrid/fullback player. Was a lead blocker for Josh Jacobs for much of last season. The Raiders want Marshawn Lloyd to be the RB2, not Brooks, limiting his fantasy relevance.

Rodriguez has a history with Jaguars OC Liam Cohen, who has been excellent for fantasy running backs; Cohen describes Rodriguez as a thumper who picks up hard yards. Rodriguez is more trusted than committee mate Basial Tootin right now and is likely to get goal-line touches. At 5'11", 224 lbs, he won't get many receptions, but if he captures 80% of Travis Etienne's RB10 production from last year, he'll be valuable as a flex starter or RB4. He had a left foot procedure following an early offseason injury but is expected to be a full go at training camp. Rodriguez's EPA per carry metrics on short yardage (5 or fewer yards to go) and in the red zone are elite; he posted +0.2 EPA per carry in the red zone last season, significantly better than committee mates Basial Tootin and Travis Etienne. His upside case includes a Javante Williams-type range of outcomes, with potential to handle goal-line carries and churn yardage in short-yardage situations.

Hubbard is not expected to completely go away if Jonathan Brooks emerges as the lead back; he's a fine enough back but won't prevent Brooks from reclaiming a lead role if Brooks returns to his early second-round profile. There's a chance Brooks and Hubbard split work early in the season, with a toss-up of who's actually the starter by Halloween and Thanksgiving. Hubbard's presence doesn't significantly diminish Brooks' upside.

Brooks is a running back two drafted in the 11th round on Yahoo (9th on Underdog) with more talent than all other running backs drafted around him; he can catch passes, has lateral shiftiness, finishes through contact, and has the size coveted at the position. Despite two ACL tears—one during his final year at Texas and another in his third game of his rookie season after not playing until week 12—he didn't play all of last year. The Panthers are taking a slow approach with him in training camp, and he hasn't reached his top speed yet. There's very little tape to evaluate since the first ACL tear, though he had some nice flashes in a Tampa Bay game when he returned. The Panthers are clearly relying on him based on their offseason moves, going from Rico Datto (RB1 in multiple weeks last year) to only adding A.J. Dillon. Brooks has the highest upside and league-winning potential among running backs drafted after him if he claims his backfield. He's climbed 21 spots during the offseason and has a chance to be the Panthers' most talented back. Hubbard is not expected to completely go away if Brooks emerges as the lead back; he's a fine enough back but won't prevent Brooks from reclaiming a lead role if Brooks returns to his early second-round profile. There's a chance Brooks and Hubbard split work early in the season, with a toss-up of who's actually the starter by Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Being selected in the 11th round on Underdog and 13th round on Yahoo, six to eight picks after Aaron Jones. The Vikings backfield is the cheapest in drafts with no starting running back going later than Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason. Liam Cohen projects a pathway for Mason to post 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Vikings RB1 for early-down work. Aaron Jones fell off a cliff last year on 150 touches with extremely poor underlying metrics, while Mason averaged the 12th most yards per carry and 10th most yards after contact per rush. During the four games without Aaron Jones last year (weeks 3-7), the Vikings offense was not cooking, and Mason was RB16-RB24 on usage in half-PPR, but Cohen likes him more in half-PPR than full PPR. The Vikings are leaning more into outside zone, which plays into Mason's strengths as a runner. If the Vikings' injury-plagued offensive line stays healthy (they only played together 25% of snaps last season), the running game could improve significantly. Cohen views him as having a pathway similar to the Jamal Williams season where he gobbles up goal-line touchdowns; at the very high end, he could be a Javante Williams-type outcome. Even eight goal-line touchdowns would be enough for him to be a flex play in half-PPR.

Currently under investigation by the district attorney's office regarding potential domestic violence charges. While cleared to practice now, new evidence could emerge at any point, triggering a commissioner's exemption. Typical suspension for domestic violence-related issues is around six games. This legal uncertainty creates opportunity for Marshawn Lloyd to potentially become the starter not due to injury but due to off-field issues.

Mike McDaniel hung wanted posters around the GM's office wanting Keaton Mitchell and the fullback they signed, signaling strong organizational commitment. However, Liam Cohen notes that if Amari Hampton misses half the season, it's unclear if Mitchell will get 15 touches or just 10-12 with Kamani Vidal also involved. Cohen prefers Mitchell in best-ball format because it's impossible to predict when he'll have his 50-yard touchdown games, but he should be drafted in every format to see what happens in week one. When the Dolphins had the number-two scoring offense in the NFL a few years ago, they got two top-five scoring seasons from Keaton Mitchell and Raheem Mostert, plus the number-one scoring wide receiver in Tyreek Hill. Now with Justin Herbert replacing Tua, there's potential for a similar outcome. Cohen believes Mitchell's ADP will only get higher as training camp buzz builds. He's not a pure handcuff because Kamani Vidal will play, but he has flex appeal.

Lloyd has dealt with recurring hamstring injuries but is currently on the practice field looking good. He underwent full body imaging and discovered he was overcompensating at his ankles and hips due to a prior torn ACL, leading to soft tissue injuries. He's worked with doctors and medical advancements to address these issues. Currently the RB1 or RB2 in drills depending on Josh Jacobs' availability. Lloyd is being priced as if he won't play this year, but Liam Cohen believes his injury risk is not materially higher than other backs given he's healthy today. The team wants him to be the RB2; Chris Brooks is more of an RB3 hybrid/fullback player. Josh Jacobs is older and injury-prone, creating a pathway for Lloyd to get significant touches. His ADP has fluctuated based on injury news and practice participation, but the clearest pathway for him to be the number two runner is if he stays healthy. Lloyd caught a bunch of passes in college and has the size to handle the rock and goal-line work. He was a third-round pick (88 overall) for the Packers. Third-round fantasy running backs going into year three have historically been exciting. If he stays on the field through Labor Day, he should be ranked right next to Tank Bigsby as one of the best handcuffs in fantasy.

Bigsby was traded to the Eagles in week two for fifth and sixth round picks and posted elite efficiency metrics last year: RB1 overall in EPA per carry, RB2 in yards per carry, and RB6 in success rate among 60 qualifying running backs—all better than Saquon Barkley. He's the clear handcuff to Barkley and would immediately enter the top-15 fantasy running back conversation if Barkley misses time. His efficiency metrics suggest he might be the best handcuff on the board, ahead of Isaiah Pacheco. Bigsby is the fifth handcuff off the board but should be ranked higher; there's a legitimate case for him to be the number-one handcuff in fantasy football this season. The Eagles offense is superior to other backup situations, and Bigsby has evidence of being pretty good, unlike Isaiah Pacheco. He's a best-ball play rather than a redraft staple, but grabbing him as your RB5 alongside an RB4 like Chris Rodriguez or Bill Krosky Merritt allows you to play both sides of the sleeper profile.