2026 Fantasy Football Running Back Sleepers: Target Kyle Monangai, Blake Corum

The 2025 fantasy football season didn’t bring with it a glut of sleeper running backs. While there were some players who came out of nowhere to produce starter-worthy totals, the number of runners who were able to establish and maintain surprising statistical success was low.

To me, a sleeper is a player who has never before been a reliable fantasy starter but is on the verge of statistical improvement. However, his final fantasy rank doesn’t project him to finish as a top-10 player (that characterises a “breakout” player) at his respective offensive position.

Kenneth Gainwell was easily the best running back sleeper last season. Heck, he wasn’t even on most football radars last draft season. After all, the Steelers still had Jaylen Warren as an incumbent and drafted Kaleb Johnson as a potential replacement for Najee Harris. Ultimately, Johnson was a dud, and Gainwell went on to catch 73 passes and finish as the RB16.

That’s the epitome of a sleeper.

With that said, here are 10 running backs who you can get in the middle to late rounds of your 2026 drafts who could bring back plenty of fantasy value as the regular season wears on.

All Positions: QBs | WRs | TEs

RUNNING BACK SLEEPERS

J.K. Dobbins, Broncos

Dobbins isn’t your traditional “sleeper,” but he can still be had at a good price in drafts. In fact, RJ Harvey has a higher ADP at this point. That’s despite Dobbins was the starter and averaged nearly 12 points per game in 10 games before an injury knocked him out of action. Dobbins is the poster child for injury-prone backs, which is part of the reason he falls in drafts, but he can still be a useful asset when he’s active.

Kyle Monangai, Bears

Monangai has the tools to be the Bears’ top running back for years to come. While he might have to wait another year before he takes the top spot on the depth chart from D’Andre Swift, it wouldn’t be crazy to see Monangai’s touch share (22.3% last year) creep a bit closer to Swift’s 30.6%. He could push for standalone flex value in Year 2.

Rico Dowdle, Steelers

Dowdle isn't a traditional sleeper, as he's already had that label in the past and made good on his expectations. However, he can be described as a potential draft bargain based on his ADP and the fact that he's the second Steelers running back bring picked, behind Jaylen Warren. Dowdle, who has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in two straight seasons, knows the offense of new coach Mike McCarthy from their time in Dallas. As a result, he could lead this team in carries in 2026.

Blake Corum, Rams

I don’t see Corum as a threat to Kyren Williams, who is one of the more underrated running backs in fantasy football, but he could still bring back flex appeal in 2026. The Michigan product averaged 5.1 yards per rush a season ago, and he rushed for six scores despite only 145 carries. Corum’s stock would also soar if Williams went down with an injury. At this point, he’s not coming off the board until the mid-30s among backs.

Jordan Mason, Vikings

Mason has been mostly a disappointment since joining the Vikings, as he's rarely been startable in fantasy leagues. The good news is that with Aaron Jones Sr. coming off an injury-riddled season and entering his age-31 season (he'll be 32 in December), this could be the year Mason takes over the lead back in a commitee. I'm not saying he';; morph into a superstar, but Mason's ADP does make him a potential draft bargain.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Commanders

I think Rashaad White will be the most valuable PPR back in Washington, but I don’t think he’ll be featured. Instead, I’d project a committee that has White, Croskey-Merritt and, to a lesser degree, Jerome Ford. (I’m not looking past Kaytron Allen, either, but he’s fourth on the depth chart at this point). Remember, JCM finished with 805 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and he should see enough work this season to become a viable, standalone flex starter in this Washington backfield rotation.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jaguars

Potential breakout player Bhayshul Tuten will be the target out of the backfield for a lot of fantasy managers, and with good reason, but don’t look past Rodriguez. Remember, he played under coach Liam Coen for one season (2021) at Kentucky, and that familiarity could be enough for Rodriguez to earn more touches than we might project. He’ll be well worth a late-round flier in drafts as a No. 5 back or Tuten handcuff.

Jonathon Brooks, Panthers

You remember Brooks, right? He was a second-round pick by the Panthers who sustained back-to-back ACL tears between his final collegiate year and his first pro campaign. With Rico Dowdle now in Pittsburgh, Brooks (when healthy enough) will likely be the No. 2 back behind Chuba Hubbard. A one-time superstar who was a Heisman hopeful before getting hurt at Texas, he’s a worthwhile late-round pick based on his ADP (RB44).

Nicholas Singleton, Titans

Singleton slipped to Day 3 (Round 5) of the NFL draft due a fractured foot that he suffered before the NFL Scouting Combine. His college stats didn't pop either, as he shared the workload at Penn State with Kaytron Allen. Still, he is a proven playmaker who could make a fantasy impact in Year 1 if injuries occur. Tony Pollard is 29 and in the final year of his deal, so the Titans could give Singleton a look (even if Pollard stays healthy) down the stretch to see if he can be their new lead runner in 2027.

Kaelon Black, 49ers

The 49ers used a third-round pick to take Black, so the team obviously likes what he showed in his final collegiate season at Indiana. If he can pass Jordan James on the depth chart, Black would be a viable handcuff for Christian McCaffrey. He was a superstar a year ago, but CMC will be 30 and is coming off a season with 450 combined touches. He has also played healthy, back-to-back campaigns just once since 2020, which is a concern. If that trend re-emerges, Black would be in for a potential lead role in a committee scenario.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

Add us as a preferred source on Google