Top 5 Fantasy Football Running Back Sleepers: TreVeyon Henderson Leads The Way
Fantasy drafts are already starting to take place, and no position is more important to hit on than running backs. If you're going to have a successful season, you are going to have to hit on a few sleeper running backs. These are five of the top sleeper running backs for the 2026 fantasy football season.
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
Henderson has seen his value slip since being drafted, despite an impressive stretch last season when he flashed his massive upside. The issue is that Rhamondre Stevenson returned after missing time to take back over as the RB1 in New England, and we have no reason to expect he's going to fade away in 2026.
However, we have seen a similar situation with Mike Vrabel in the past that gives us hope. Despite having massive upside, Derrick Henry didn't come on strong until the back half of his rookie season when Vrabel coached him on the Titans, before making significant jumps in years 2, 3, 4, and 5. We could see something similar play out in New England because eventually, like Henry, Henderson will become undeniable.
Chris Rodriguez Jr, Jacksonville Jaguars
Travis Etienne Jr left Jacksonville for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, and all the fantasy hype has been centered around second-year back Bhayshul Tuten. However, fantasy owners shouldn't forget about Rodriguez, who could carve out a major role in the Jags offense, or even outright win the starting job.
On a much better offense than Rodriguez in 2025, Tuten averaged 3.7 yards per carry, while Rodriguez averaged a career low 4.5 yards per carry. Rodriguez could turn out to be the best running back in this backfield and isn't a player that fantasy owners should overlook. If you miss out on Tuten, you could get Rodriguez at a much lower cost, and he could end up being the more valuable fantasy back.
Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos
Coleman will be the best running back Sean Payton has had in Denver, and he will take over as the Broncos' starting running back at some point this season. JK Dobbins is expected to begin the season as the starter, but he has proven to be injury-prone, and we don't expect him to last anywhere close to 17 games in that role.
RJ Harvey will hold a pass-catching role, but he's not an every-down back, and we graded him as a significantly worse prospect than Coleman. Coleman projects as a potential true bell-cow option. That is a job he will eventually take over, with Harvey mixing in on some passing downs. He could push Jadarian Price this fantasy season as the best rookie back not named Jeremiyah Love.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Brooks was the best running back prospect in the 2024 draft class. He fell in the draft due to a torn ACL. Unfortunately, he re-tore that same ACL after just nine carries in the NFL, which cost him the rest of his rookie season and all of 2025. Due to all the injuries, he has become a fantasy afterthought.
He may never get back on track after all the injury issues, but if he does return even close to his college form after having a full season off to recover, he could be an exceptionally valuable fantasy asset. We saw Rico Dowdle carve out a significant role in Carolina last year despite Chuba Hubbard having recently signed an extension. If healthy, Brooks is more than capable of doing the same.
Nicholas Singleton, Tennessee Titans
Singleton is a talented rookie whom we have projected as a top-4 running back in this draft class. His upside is easy to see on film, and he lands in a backfield where he can push for both carries and targets.
Tony Pollard is fine, but not great, and Tyjae Spears just hasn't worked out like the Titans hoped he would. If Singleton gets an opportunity, whether it be due to his play or an injury to Pollard, he could become a league-winner this fantasy season.
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Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites, including Sports Illustrated, FullTime Fantasy, FantasySP, and more.
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