Getting late-round value in a fantasy football draft is a key to winning a league, and these are five running backs who could provide that.
As the NFL Preseason continues, fantasy football managers are starting to put together their draft boards. Players such as Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are being drafted early, while Ashton Jeanty of the Las Vegas Raiders is rising on draft boards. Currently, in a 12-team PPR league, six different running backs are being taken in the first round, according to data from Fantasy Pros.
Robinson, Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, and Saquon Barkley are the top running backs coming off the board. If you are not lucky enough to get one of those top six running backs, getting a running back in a later round who could break out could be a massive advantage. There are running backs that are primed to break out that could be snagged as early as the second round and give first-round value. Some backs can be taken much later in the draft and also be a starting option in many leagues.
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Omarion Hampton started his rookie campaign slow, but that did not last long. In standard leagues, he was outside the top 30 each of the first two weeks, but then broke out in Week 3 and Week 4. He was RB5 in Week 3 and RB7 in Week 4 in standard leagues, while sitting RB4 in Week 3 and RB 7 in Week 4 in PPR leagues. Through the first five weeks, Hampton was RB15 in standard leagues and RB10 in PPR Leagues. That places him as a second-round pick for most fantasy football leagues. He got hurt in Week 5 and would not return until Week 14. He was also not the same player in the four games he played after returning from injury.
Hampton enters the season as the top running back for the Chargers. He took over half the snaps in the final four games he played, despite still dealing with an injury. Add in the normal run-first of Jim Harbaugh, plus the offense of Mike McDaniel, which should see him bring in more receptions, and he could be an RB1. The way McDaniel used De’Von Achane should give fantasy owners hope when snagging Hampton.
Hampton is being drafted 18th overall in PPR leagues currently, and 17th in standard leagues. That places him as a second-round pick in all leagues. Regardless, for a team that misses out on one of the first-round backs, Hampton is a perfect pick.
Blake Corum is still the backup for the Los Angeles Rams and is being drafted as a handcuff in case Kyren Williams goes down. Corum saw his usage climb throughout his second season, and he ranked near the top of the league in explosive runs. When he had high usage, Corum was a beast last year. In standard leagues he was RB12 in Week 13, RB3 in Week 14, and RB14 in Week 15. In PPR Leagues, he was RB3 in Week 14.
Sharing the backfield does cap Corum’s ceiling, but he has the profile to break out. If an injury occurs, he could be one of the top five running backs in the league. Meanwhile, with his size and speed, Corum, with a split of carries, could be a solid flex option in most leagues.
Corum is currently coming off the board at the 95th pick in standard leagues and 101st in PPR Leagues. This puts him between the eighth and tenth round depending on the league and scoring. If Williams goes down, this is a steal, but regardless, taking him as more of a handcuff could be massive.
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There is every reason to not draft Quinshon Judkins. He had contract issues last year and is playing for a Cleveland Browns offense that could sputter. Regardless of the baggage, Judkins is set to break out in 2026. Last year, Judkins had some weeks that showed promise. He was a top 15 running back in standard leagues five times, and four times in PPR leagues. He will be the primary running option in Cleveland this year, and should see 15 or more carries per game.
Meanwhile, he could see more action in the passing game. In his rookie campaign, Judkins did not see a ton of action in the passing game, but his work in college shows he can be a threat in PPR leagues. Dylan Sampson will still likely get a bulk of third-down work, but that should not detract from targets for Judkins this year.
Judkins is being drafted as the 23rd running back currently in PPR leagues, and 21st in standard leagues. In both standard and PPR leagues, he is being drafted in the late fourth or early fifth round of leagues, depending on the size of the league. To get a running back who will be taking the bulk of the carries, and snagging him as the 21st back, it could be a steal.
In 2025, Travis Etienne was RB10 in PPR leagues and RB9 in standard leagues. He was dominant, running for over 1,00o yards and scoring seven times. Now the Jacksonville Jaguars need to replace that production. Bhayshul Tuten is competing with Chris Rodriguez to be the lead back. Regardless, in normal situations, Tuten has shown he is the better back. Tuten flashed on a pre-carry basis and could continue to do so.
Among the top 55 running backs in carries, he was fifth in success rate, 11th in missed tackles rate, and 17th in yards after first contact. The biggest concern is Rodriguez, who could be taking red-zone carries and take away from the scoring ability of Tuten. Moreover, he has all the ability to be a top running back in fantasy this year.
Tuten is currently the 25th running back going off the board, and 55th overall in standard leagues. He is going 61st overall in PPR leagues. Taking a running back who could get the bulk of the carries in the fifth round could be a steal.
5. Kyle Monangai | Chicago Bears
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Kyle Monangai has a ton of upside and should be selected in all leagues this year. Not only could he be a third running back or flex player every week, but he could be a top ten running back in fantasy if D’Andre Swift is out. When Monangai got a bulk of the carries, he was a beast. In Week 13, he was the 5th-ranked RB in the NFL. Monangai also saw his carries in the red zone tick up in 2025. The biggest upside of Monangai lies in its offense.
Ben Johnson ran the offense for the Detroit Lions from 2022 through 2024 and used a two-running-back scheme. In 2024, Jahmyr Gibbs was RB3 in standard leagues and RB2 in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, David Montgomery was RB15 in standard leagues and RB17 in PPR leagues. In the three years he was the offensive coordinator in Detroit, both running backs he employed were top 25 in both standard and PPR leagues.
If Johnson returns to that, stealing Monangai as the 99th overall pick, which could be a tenth-round pick in ten-team leagues, is a blessing. Add in the fact he could become the top running back in the system, and he is worth snagging as a breakout candidate.
As the NFL Preseason continues, fantasy football managers are starting to put together their draft boards. Players such as Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are being drafted early, while Ashton Jeanty of the Las Vegas Raiders is rising on draft boards. Currently, in a 12-team PPR league, six different running backs are being taken in the first round, according to data from Fantasy Pros.
