With so much talent at wide receiver going early in drafts, combined with the benefits of drafting an elite quarterback or tight end, finding running back value later in drafts can unlock a championship-level roster. Let’s take a look at five running backs currently undervalued by the market based on their fantasy football average draft position (ADP).
Undervalued Running Backs
I’ve written a lot about Kenneth Walker this offseason, both as a must-have running back and a breakout player, so I’ll keep this short and simple. Health is an obvious question with Walker, but if he can clear that hurdle, he will post his best season while operating in Klint Kubiak’s system.
With so much talent at wide receiver going early in drafts, combined with the benefits of drafting an elite quarterback or tight end, finding running back value later in drafts can unlock a championship-level roster. Let’s take a look at five running backs currently undervalued by the market based on their fantasy football average draft position (ADP).
Undervalued Running Backs
I’ve written a lot about Kenneth Walker this offseason, both as a must-have running back and a breakout player, so I’ll keep this short and simple. Health is an obvious question with Walker, but if he can clear that hurdle, he will post his best season while operating in Klint Kubiak’s system.
Walker has been most successful on outside zone runs, a staple of the Kubiak system, and proved he can be a prolific pass-catcher last season. The Seahawks are built to pound the rock, giving Walker RB1 and league-winning upside. That’s a risk/reward decision built for the second or third round, but one that we are gifted late in the fourth round.
On the surface, a 56 overall ADP (RB22) feels about right for TreVeyon Henderson. A rookie running back who will likely share the workload with Rhamondre Stevenson ought to be valued as an RB2/RB3. Then again, this type of profile is one that offers some of the most upside in fantasy football, as we aren’t yet certain how good the player is and if they can truly unseat the veteran, keeping their ADP in check. A second-round selection, however, is an indication of a team’s plan for that player.
Henderson is an elite pass-catcher who not only nets a safe floor but adds a layer of upside. With Josh McDaniels’ history, Henderson can eat as a receiver out of the backfield. If he can take on a sizeable share of early-down work, a case he has made for himself in the preseason, his ceiling jumps from a few stories high to a full-blown skyscraper. Known for his efficiency, Henderson averaged 6.4 yards per carry (YPC) at Ohio State and has been electric in the preseason — a perfect addition for an up-and-coming offense in search of playmakers.
The Giants drafted Cam Skattebo in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft following a sensational rookie season from former fifth-round draft pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. Following the draft, Skattebo and Tracy were drafted right next to one another. Skattebo’s hamstring injury has created some separation, as he’s now being drafted as the RB37, but the gap should be greater than it is.
Upon taking over the backfield in Week 5, Tracy was the RB26 for the rest of the season in the second-lowest scoring offense in the NFL, including four weeks of RB1 production. The loss of Daniel Jones took the Giants’ offense from bad to putrid, but in his six games with Jones, Tracy tallied 516 rushing yards on 95 carries, good for nearly 5.5 yards per carry. He struggled to maintain that efficiency with Tommy DeVito behind center, but he looked the part, and the former receiver continued to excel as a pass-catcher with 284 receiving yards on the season.
As much as the fantasy community wanted to view this as a running back competition, reports out of New York suggest it was never a competition. Tracy has stood as the No. 1 RB all summer. In an improved offense, Tracy should build on a strong rookie season.
The Vikings are turning their offense over to J.J. McCarthy, a young quarterback who missed his entire rookie season last year. The best way to support a young quarterback is a strong ground game, and Minnesota has signaled its commitment to provide McCarthy with just that. Not only did the team sign Aaron Jones to a two-year extension worth $20 million, but they also acquired Jordan Mason and handed him a $7 million contract, worth up to $12 million, for two years. That would be a sizeable investment for a backup running back, but Mason is more than that. Kevin O’Connell refers to the two running backs as a 1A-1B situation, calling Mason a “massive part of their plan.”
Jones tallied a career-high 206 touches last season, and the Vikings likely learned what the Packers already knew: Jones is highly efficient on less work, but benefits from a complementary option in the backfield to take on short-yardage and between-the-tackles work. Enter Mason, who was RB9 in Weeks 1-7 as the 49ers’ primary running back last season. His 4.8 true yards per carry and 5.4 yards per touch were seventh- and ninth-best among running backs, respectively, while his explosive rating of 120.2 was fourth-best. Mason can handle the short-yardage work, which comes with the benefit of scoring touchdowns, but also provides explosiveness.
With Jones closing in on age 31, he’s nearing the age cliff and has a lengthy injury history. While he should remain the preferred option on passing downs, there’s potential for Mason to lead the team in carries and touchdowns. On top of that, he carries immense contingent upside if Jones misses time. The two running backs should be going much closer to one another in drafts, making Mason a value.
The excitement level following the Browns’ selection of Quinshon Judkins had fantasy managers tripping over themselves to draft him at the top of the sixth round in June. Although Judkins’ legal case has been dropped, the NFL will conduct its own investigation to levy a suspension while he remains unsigned and unable to join the team.
Many analysts preferred fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson over Judkins as an NFL prospect before the NFL Draft. With Judkins absent from training camp, Sampson has seen the bulk of first-team work and has a head start on solidifying his spot atop the depth chart. Judkins will almost certainly join the team at some point, and Jerome Ford remains in the mix, but there’s a conceivable scenario where Sampson is simply the better player and runs away with the job before Judkins gets his opportunity.
Largely projected to be a second- or third-round pick, Sampson is an instinctive runner with multiple speeds and tempos. He excels at pressing the line with patience before finding a hole to cut through and explode into the second and third levels of a defense. He has the speed to run past defenders, the moves to juke around them and the contact balance to bounce off would-be tacklers. The Browns’ offense is unlikely to produce a ton of points this season, but Sampson looks like a key player and potential every-down back who is being drafted behind Ford and other second and third-string running backs.
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