Running back can make or break a fantasy football team. Injuries, changing roles and emerging players can quickly reshape the depth chart, making the position important throughout the 2026 fantasy football draft—not just in the early rounds.
Yahoo Fantasy analysts Hayden Winks, Joel Smyth, Josh Norris, Justin Boone, Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski identify their favorite running back sleepers for the 2026 NFL season.
Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers
Mike McDaniel built the most explosive rushing offense of the decade despite an underwhelming offensive line and quarterback play. The Chargers should give him better tackle and quarterback support this season, creating plenty of optimism about Keaton Mitchell’s role in the offense.
McDaniel put Mitchell on a “WANTED” poster during free agency because his elite speed is well suited to the team’s perimeter and misdirection concepts. Since 2023, Mitchell ranks first among running backs with at least 100 carries in rush yards over expected (+47%) and expected points added per carry (+0.12), while ranking second in yards per carry (6.3).
Those efficiency numbers represent the expectation rather than Mitchell’s ceiling. If he takes touches from Omarion Hampton, Mitchell could enter the flex conversation. If Hampton misses time, Mitchell would become an especially appealing fantasy option.
Mitchell has also been used more as a receiver, running wheel routes and catching swing passes throughout training camp and the preseason. His current injury will be worth monitoring.
— Hayden Winks
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson is being drafted around the 78th pick, which makes him less of a traditional young-player sleeper and more of an undervalued veteran capable of producing again.
Although fantasy football ends in Week 17, the most important games come afterward. From Week 18 through the end of the playoffs, Stevenson averaged 16.1 half-PPR fantasy points per game on a struggling offense.
There is little that TreVeyon Henderson has done better than Stevenson. Stevenson has been more efficient, ranks among the NFL’s most efficient runners, provides reliable red-zone production and is one of the position’s best pass blockers. He also has not fumbled in 13 consecutive games.
New England trusts Stevenson too much to remove him from the field in important situations. Henderson’s presence could still make it possible to draft a team’s running back No. 1 on a strong offense in Round 7.
— Joel Smyth
Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders
It may not be probable that Mike Washington Jr. turns the Raiders’ backfield into a 50-50 split, but it is possible—and few analysts are discussing that outcome.
There is still considerable uncertainty surrounding Ashton Jeanty’s ankle sprain. If the injury limits him during the opening games of the season, Washington will have a larger opportunity to display his considerable talent.
Washington’s explosiveness and underrated vision and footwork at the line of scrimmage have been evident during the preseason. If that continues against the Dolphins in Week 1, the Raiders’ easiest opponent during their first seven games, Jeanty’s 84% share of the team’s backfield touches could fall to 65%.
Washington is too talented to remain limited to five touches per game. If Jeanty misses extended time at any point this season, Washington could become a top-18 weekly running back.
— Josh Norris
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Fantasy managers rarely get the chance to select an NFL starting running back in the ninth round or later, but Jacory Croskey-Merritt is still being drafted in that range.
His average draft position was held down earlier in the offseason because of uncertainty surrounding Rachaad White’s role in Washington’s offense. Several beat writers have since made clear that Croskey-Merritt answered the coaching staff’s challenge to improve as a receiver and will get the first opportunity to lead the backfield.
Croskey-Merritt was the RB10 in fantasy points per game during the fantasy playoffs, topping 95 rushing yards twice and scoring four touchdowns during that stretch.
The 25-year-old also fits new offensive coordinator David Blough’s system, which is expected to feature more zone runs. Among 65 qualified running backs last season, Croskey-Merritt ranked eighth in zone yards per carry and 13th in success rate on zone runs, according to Fantasy Points.
Laremy Tunsil’s injury creates uncertainty for Washington’s offensive outlook, but the Commanders’ running backs have the benefit of the league’s sixth-easiest fantasy schedule. Even with White contributing on passing downs, Croskey-Merritt has the explosiveness to deliver week-winning fantasy performances.
— Justin Boone
Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings
The more closely the Minnesota Vikings’ offense is examined, the more convincing the case becomes that the team will commit to its running game in 2026. The Vikings have talked about that approach before, but this season appears different.
Minnesota hired Frank Smith from the Dolphins to rebuild its ground attack, an area that needed significant improvement. The Vikings also added bigger players to the offense, including fullback Max Bredeson and power slot receiver Jauan Jennings. The result is more “in the box” blocking support than the previous version of the offense.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is on a one-year deal, and there has been discussion about using him frequently as a designed runner. That could create additional running lanes for the backs.
Jordan Mason is the best candidate to significantly outperform his average draft position. His main competition includes an aging Aaron Jones Sr. and rookie Demond Claiborne, who weighs less than 190 pounds.
Last season, the Dolphins ranked 12th in zone-rushing rate but second in yards per carry on gap runs as they added more gap concepts to Mike McDaniel’s preferred system to create explosive plays. In 2025, Mason ranked 19th in success rate on zone runs and second on gap runs among players with at least 100 rushing attempts, according to Fantasy Points Data.
There is some “fell for it again” risk with Mason, but he remains a sensible sleeper pick outside the top 100 selections.
— Matt Harmon
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams remains the Rams’ featured running back, but Blake Corum is emerging as a trusted part of the offense.
Corum averaged double-digit carries over the final 11 games of 2025, producing at a full-season pace of 179 carries, 911 rushing yards and 7.7 touchdowns. The Rams could move toward a 60-40 split in the backfield this season, giving Corum standalone fantasy value from the start.
If Williams suffers an injury or enters a slump, Corum could become one of the biggest average draft position values of the season. His fantasy value remains uncertain in the summer market, which is why he is still available just inside Pick 100 in Yahoo leagues.
— Scott Pianowski
What the Fantasy Playbook includes
The Fantasy Playbook combines analysis from Justin Boone, Matt Harmon, Josh Norris, Joel Smyth, Scott Pianowski and Hayden Winks. Its 2026 fantasy football coverage includes:
- Positional targets and fades at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end.
- A sleeper and breakout candidate from all 32 NFL teams.
- Deep sleepers for managers looking for late-round advantages.
- Positional strategies covering Late-Round QB, Zero RB and other draft approaches.
- A detailed plan for every draft-pick range.
- Nearly 150 player profiles with projections, ceiling assessments and risk meters.
- Half-PPR and full-PPR rankings and positional tiers.
- Advice for Superflex and TE Premium formats.
- Team target analysis, the top 10 rookies for 2026, regression candidates, kicker evaluations and D/ST insights.
- Printable draft-day cheat sheets.
The Yahoo Fantasy Ultra Playbook also includes access to tools such as Yahoo’s Draft Strategy Lab, where managers can filter by analyst rankings or draft approaches including Robust RB.
Fantasy Ultra costs $79.99 per year, equivalent to $6.67 per month. Subscriptions are available through eligible paywalls in the Yahoo Fantasy app or through the Fantasy Plus landing page.
