There is a time and a place for drafting “pure handcuff” running backs. But, as we discussed in our 2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Depth Charts article, the days of the bell cow running back are largely over. Which means the days of the pure handcuff RB being the best fantasy football running back sleepers are largely behind us. I mean, we have fond memories of Larry Johnson stepping up behind Priest Holmes and winning us leagues, but when was the last time that actually happened in fantasy football?

We are living in a running back by committee world, whether we like it or not. And that may dilute the elite running backs at the top. But it also opens up a world for new fantasy football RB sleepers late in drafts. There’s still room for some contingent upside if the starter gets hurt, but there is a bigger path for late-round running backs to carve out a role of their own. And, sometimes, even steal the starting running back role. 

What Makes a Fantasy Football RB Sleeper?

So here is what we want with our late-round running back targets these days. If possible, we want a shot at someone who could actually START for their team without an injury - which, we’ll admit, is a tall order. If not, we want players who have standalone value without injury. Maybe we’ll look towards some of the complete unknowns with rookies, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Bonus points if those running backs would get additional work if the other back did go down, though it’s hard to predict when those windows could open and shut during the season. That’s why we focus on value WITHOUT the injury, where possible.

So let’s comb through the running back rankings and ADP to figure out where the best late-round running back ADP values are and who to target. We’ll look at guys going outside the top 100 overall picks in ADP and work our way down to cater to both shallow and deeper leagues. As we mentioned, our main focus will be on standalone upside, but for those who still love a good handcuff or just want to know those names in case of injury, we have a full RB handcuff article for you. Anyway, let’s dive into the 2026 running back sleepers for fantasy football!

 

 

 

League-Winning RB Sleepers

Kenny Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kenneth Gainwell currently goes just outside the top 100 running backs in ADP, though offseason shoulder surgery for Bucky Irving has pushed him up the charts to some degree. Shoulder injuries can be tricky at the running back position, as we’ve seen with guys like Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones. Our policy is not to fade currently healthy backs - we aren’t in the business of playing Dr. FortuneTeller, trying to guess who gets hurt or not. But if a player is actively recovering from or dealing with injury, we take that into account.

Even if Bucky Irving was healthy, the Buccaneers made their intentions clear this offseason. They had been splitting the work between Irving and pass-down back Rachaad White, though they let White walk this offseason. He signed a one-year, $2M deal with Washington. Rather than downgrading, they decided to upgrade and pay Kenneth Gainwell a whopping two years, $12M to step in and play that role White was in. Not only did White lead the RB group in catches, but he also led the team in goal-line carries while Irving dealt with the shoulder. Gainwell is a great pass-catcher coming off a season with 73 receptions, so he should have standalone value but would also benefit from any Irving issues. A classic “handcuff plus”. 

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers

Who doesn’t love a good mystery box? The Carolina Panthers liked Jonathon Brooks so much coming out of college that they made him the first running back off the board in the 2024 draft. That was despite him being injured at the time after suffering an ACL tear in college. He returned in November of his rookie year, where their worst nightmares materialized as Brooks tore his ACL again, which kept him out for all of the 2025 season as well. 

Brooks was such a young prospect that he actually only turns 23 in July before this upcoming season. It’s a big if, but if he can be fully healthy and regain his form in 2026, there’s a real chance he can show everyone why the Panthers made him a priority in the draft. The Panthers let Rico Dowdle walk despite Dowdle putting together some great games last year while Chuba Hubbard was banged up. If Brooks truly is as special as he was touted to be, he could force his way onto the field in 2026 despite Chuba Hubbard still being in town. And he, too, has that handcuff element on top of that. 

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders

We weren’t super in on the back they call “Bill” last year. The hype and the memes had him a little too steamed up for us, given the composition of that backfield. And, despite him showing that he does have some juice, Chris Rodriguez pushed him for that starting job down the stretch, outsnapping him in the last five games when they were both healthy. That’s likely why his ADP is down in 2026.

The good news here is that Chris Rodriguez is gone. We expect Rachaad White could earn the starting job, and he’ll at least contribute on some pass downs, but there’s a real shot that someone else is the starting workhorse for this team. It could be Jacory Croskey-Merritt or maybe a rookie could sneak in to contribute, as we’ll discuss below. 

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Detroit Lions

Dan Campbell has publicly stated that Jahmyr Gibbs is going to be their bell cow. And that, along with his talent and the upside of that offense, has us willing to pick Gibbs with the first overall pick in our drafts. But just because the coach has said it in the off-season doesn’t mean it will be 100% true. And, just because Jahmyr Gibbs is awesome, that doesn’t mean another back on a team like this can’t have some standalone value - and contingent upside.

And that’s where Isiah Pacheco comes in. The Lions have utilized a bruiser back at various times to complement the backfield, whether that be Jamaal Williams or David Montgomery. And, at certain points, those guys were averaging a touchdown a game, even with Jahmyr Gibbs making magic happen. There’s a real world where Isiah Pacheco gets to work in for some short yardage work, which could include a little goal line. The top two backs in fantasy are Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, and their complements last year, David Montgomery and Tyler Allgeier, each scored 8 touchdowns. That’s not bad for a spot start option, plus you have the handcuff upside if anything were to happen to Gibbs. 

George Holani, RB, Seattle Seahawks

This is about as deep as we’re willing to go. But this is also the deepest running back in ADP who has an outright chance of starting Week One for his team. In fact, as of right now, George Holani is the one taking the first team reps. He’s taken the first reps the team drills in all six of the first Seahawks team practices so far. 

Now, rookie Jadarian Price is mixing in with some reps with the starters, some with the second team. Price was a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and is still the favorite to start for this team come Week One. But it is a bit surprising that Holani is operating ahead of both Price and Emanuel Wilson while Zach Charbonnet works his way back from injury. We’ve seen rookies take time to develop, and, with this very Seahawks organization, we once saw a 7th-round Chris Carson beat out first-rounder Rashaad Penny. So you never quite know. 

Best Handcuff RB Sleepers

As I said, there is a time and a place for handcuffs. And, for most of us, that’s in the deeper leagues or dynasty. In best ball, there isn’t enough upside to draft two backs from the same team in most cases. In shallow leagues, you can’t afford the bench spot. In deeper leagues, though, where virtually everyone is held, and the wire is thin, you have to draft these guys at a certain point.

If I’m playing in dynasty, for instance, and I believe in the talent of both players, I will roster both. If my starter goes down, I plug in the next guy. And, sometimes, they both go on to have starting jobs like Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard or Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler. In deep redraft leagues, I still prefer to roster OTHER people’s handcuffs. But if you are worried about injuries for your starting RB, you can still play it safe. Check out our article here with the Fantasy Football Handcuff Rankings to see which are the best backup running backs to roster.  

Rookie RB Sleepers

As I said, there is a time and a place for handcuffs. And, for most of us, that’s in the deeper leagues or dynasty. 

Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos

There are some odd coaches in the NFL. Guys who can be stubborn, put their players in the doghouse, and act a bit irrationally, even at times. And Sean Payton is one of them. We’ve seen him put guys in the dog house, and we’ve seen him bury rookies on the depth chart. But we’ve also seen him roll out the red carpet for rookies as well, like when he traded Adrian Peterson to get more work for rookie Alvin Kamara. 

You never know who will be one of Sean Payton’s guys, so we’re watching this battle unfold. RJ Harvey is likely your pass-down “Joker” back, which should leave JK Dobbins as the early down guy with Coleman mixing in. If Coleman balls out or Dobbins misses time for the fifth consecutive year in five seasons, Coleman could surprise people. 

Kaytron Allen, RB, Washington Commanders

As we mentioned above, we’ll consider grabbing Croskey-Merritt at ADP. But we are also keeping an eye on the rookie sixth-round pick, Kaytron Allen, out of Penn State. He was largely an early down back in college, but he shared a backfield with pass-catcher Nick Singleton, so we don’t know how well he can catch or not. 

We love the attitude for Kaytron Allen as he recently challenged the rest of the Washington backfield, saying that, if you’re around him, you “gotta love football, or if not, it’s going to show.” So, if you are in very deep drafts or best ball leagues and don’t get JCM, Kaytron Allen isn’t a bad late-round stab either. 

Adam Randall, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Adam Randall is a raw talent. But there’s a reason for that. He only converted from WR to RB in his JR year at Clemson - he went from four total carries over three years to 168 as a senior. A lot of times, these WR to RB converts are on the small side, but at 6’3”, 232 pounds, Randall is quite the opposite.

And the landing spot is probably the most intriguing part. Declan Doyle is coming over from the Ben Johnson system, which has not shied away from a multiple-back approach. Derrick Henry has been the early back with Justice Hill as the pass-down back. Randall could be the handcuff for BOTH players as his history as a WR could help him in the Hill role, but his size might allow him to bypass Hill on early downs if Henry were to go down.