Fantasy Football Sleepers to Draft: Running Backs (2025)

Winning your fantasy draft comes down to selecting the guys who end up returning a positive ROI relative to their draft cost. What’s great is that once you get to the middle and late rounds, you don’t need to hit on every player (or even half of them) to wind up with a league-winning squad. You just need to be right enough so that the value your picks provide is greater than that of your competition. That’s where targeting the right fantasy football sleepers becomes important.

Part of the difficulty built into this game we love is that no two sleepers are created equally. You can’t just nab a bunch of upside players in the late rounds and expect to dominate your draft. You need to know which sleepers are the most undervalued and offer the most upside compared to their price. To help you figure out which mid-to-late rounders stand out from the pack, we have polled 50+ experts on who the best sleepers are at Running Backs in half-PPR heading into the new season. Check out who they chose below.

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Top Consensus Fantasy Football Sleepers: Running Backs

Running Back Sleepers

Jaydon Blue (DAL)

“I have been pounding the table all offseason for Jaydon Blue (RB49 in the rankings), as he is my favorite sleeper target. The former Texas star has limited competition for the starting role. Last year, Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders had an explosive run rate of 2.9% or lower, ranking in the bottom 20 of 68 running backs with at least 55 attempts (per Fantasy Points Data). Meanwhile, Blue is a home run runner, running a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine despite dealing with a groin tear. More importantly, he has massive upside in the passing game. His six receiving touchdowns last season were the most among running backs in college football despite ranking 27th in routes run (229). Blue has been standing out at training camp, earning first-team reps. Don’t be surprised if he is this year’s Bucky Irving and a league winner.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

Jordan Mason (MIN)

“Jordan Mason. Although Aaron Jones has the inside track for the better split of carries for the Vikings, Mason is almost a necessary pairing if you select Jones in your draft. Mason is not just a handcuff in this sense; he’ll be a strongly connected 1B to Jones. There is some matchup dependency here, but overall, Mason is a more than reasonable draft scoop.”
– Richard Savill (Fantasy Six Pack)

“Jordan Mason has big sleeper appeal in 2025. Mason joins the Vikings, who look like they plan on making him the 1B in the offense. Aaron Jones is pushing over 30 years old and has some injury concerns. Maosn could end up seeing weekly flex appeal as an upside-down player or even an RB2 play if something happens to Jones.”
– Steven Pintado (The Fantasy Coaches)

“The Minnesota Vikings demonstrated confidence in Jordan Mason by acquiring him via trade and subsequently extending his contract for two years at $10.5 million. During the initial seven weeks of last season, Mason ranked as the RB9 before Isaac Guerendo assumed a more prominent role, followed by the return of Christian McCaffery. While Aaron Jones is currently the starting running back for Minnesota, his age at 30 and a career-high 306 touches last season suggest potential concerns regarding workload. It is anticipated that Mason will not merely serve as a backup, but rather play a significant role in a shared backfield with Jones, potentially yielding low-end RB2 fantasy value with a higher ceiling if Jones misses time.”
– Rich Piazza (Fantasy Shed)

Jerome Ford (CLE)

“I realize this is going to be a controversial answer, but I’m going deep here. RB Jerome Ford is going to be a surprise fantasy contributor for the Browns in 2025. Now free from the role share with Nick Chubb, Ford should receive 250+ carries and 50+ receptions as the Browns’ lead back. He averaged 5.4 ypc. on 104 carries in 2024, and I think he rushes for 1,200 yards and produces more than 12 total touchdowns in this, his contract season. Given his current ranking, that’s a complete steal.”
– Jeff Haverlack (Dynasty League Football)

Kyle Monangai (CHI)

“I would like to name a few candidates at running back alone (including Jordan Mason, Trey Benson, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt), but I’ll roll with Kyle Monangai on this one. While D’Andre Swift has managed to stay relatively healthy over the last two seasons, he did not do a great job of taking advantage of Philadelphia’s stellar offensive line in 2023 and struggled (along with everyone else) in Chicago in 2024. Even entering his sixth NFL season, Swift still does not run particularly well inside and tries to bounce too many runs. The Bears made their biggest offseason upgrades at center (Drew Dalman) and guard (Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson), which should bode well for a disciplined and powerful inside runner like Monangai. The Rutgers product may not be the new David Montgomery in Ben Johnson‘s offense, but it should come as no shock if he leads the team in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns at the end of the season.”
– Doug Orth (FFToday)

Braelon Allen (NYJ)

“Braelon Allen. The Jets are going with a one-two punch at running back with Allen serving as the thump. He is going to get his weekly carries and likely the goal-line work. And you have to think the Jets are going to be a very run-heavy team with Justin Fields serving as their starting quarterback. This bodes well for Allen to have a breakout season in year two. ”
– Jeff Paur (RTSports)

Keaton Mitchell (BAL)

“I don’t necessarily expect Keaton Mitchell to put up the best numbers of any player drafted outside, say, the fourth or fifth tiers at his position. I just think he fits perfectly what we want from a deep sleeper pick: a clearly talented player in a great situation who just needs an opportunity. One of these years (decades?), Derrick Henry will actually provide such an opportunity, and for this year, Mitchell is essentially free in drafts.”
– Des Bieler (The Washington Post)

Nick Chubb (HOU)

“There’s a lot of speculation that Joe Mixon could not only start the season on the PUP list, but there’s an outside chance he could end up needing ankle surgery and miss the entire season. Enter Nick Chubb, who will turn 30 before this season is over, but who is also still one of the best pure rushers in the NFL. If he is given the chance to carry the mail for the Texans, he could absolutely rush for over 1200 yards and double-digit touchdowns.”
– Bart Wheeler (Hail to Fantasy Football)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS)

“I’m sure he’ll be a very popular answer, but it’s hard to ignore the drumbeat around Jacory Croskey-Merritt, aka “Bill.” The Commanders reportedly like their seventh-round rookie so much that they have been shopping Brian Robinson, their presumed RB1, in trade deals. Of course, the hit rate for seventh-rounders is very low. But JCM missed all but one game in his final college season due to an eligibility issue; he easily could have earned higher draft capital if that were not the case. If he does manage to unseat Robinson, the sky’s the limit for the rookie on what should be an elite offense.”
– Ted Chmyz (Fantasy SP)

“Jacory Croskey-Merritt – Currently free in drafts (RB62), Croskey-Merritt has a real chance to be the lead running back in Washington. He has consistently drawn rave reviews since being selected in the 7th round of the 2024 draft. Recently, it was reported that the Commanders are floating Brian Robinson Jr. in trade talks, perhaps signaling they don’t have the plans for him they previously did. Should Robinson, who is currently not practicing due to the rumors, be dealt, Jacory (who goes by Bill) would presumably be thrust into a full-time role. I believe you should be stashing him on the end of all your benches and letting this situation play out – if it turns out to be nothing, the cost to you is nothing.”
– Charlie Sisian (The Fantasy DC)

“Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The Commanders’ 7th-round pick is about to take the NFL by storm. With Brian Robinson likely on his way out through trade, Croskey-Merritt has an immediate path to touches in the Commanders’ backfield as Kliff Kingsbury’s A-back. Because Bill is hardly your average 7th-round rookie RB who has done nothing but draw rave reviews since being drafted by Washington. Merritt had an unusual finish to his college career, as eligibility limitations allowed him to play just one game for the Arizona Wildcats in 2024. And this was after he came off a monster 2023 season with New Mexico, when he posted a 33% dominator rating. He was PFF’s 4th-highest graded running back in 2023. Bill is better than his 7th-round draft capital suggests. And the Commanders see that a well.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Jaylen Warren (PIT)

“Jaylen Warren heads into the year as the only proven RB in Pittsburgh. He already overtook Najee Harris as a receiver (in Warren’s second NFL season) and ran more efficiently. The draft market just assumes Kaleb Johnson will immediately take over Harris’ touches, but camp reports haven’t indicated he’s ready to do so. That leaves room for the fourth year to likely smash his career high in carries and continue his lead receiving role, while working with at least the smartest QB he’ll have played with to date. Warren’s being drafted short of his healthy floor right now. How high does the ceiling go? We haven’t seen that yet.”
– Matt Schauf (Draft Sharks)

Bhayshul Tuten (JAC)

“It’s a crowded backfield in Jacksonville, but Bhayshul Tuten has a good chance to take over the lion’s share of the workload. While Travis Etienne has speed and Tank Bigsby provides power, Tuten can do both. When accounting for the inside/outside direction of the run and defenders in the box, Tuten gained 30% more yards than expected last season at Virginia Tech, which ranked 13th in the Power Four conferences. If that production quickly translates, he’ll be the leader of the Jaguars’ backfield soon.”
– Ryan McCrystal (Sharp Football Analysis)

Woody Marks (HOU)

“There are a lot of players I like outside of the thresholds provided for this exercise, but I’m going to dive deep into the ADP pool for a sleeper running back that can be drafted outside of the top 60 at his position. Houston traded up in April’s NFL Draft to select Woody Marks at pick 116, giving up a third-round selection in next year’s draft in the process and signaling that the rookie from USC was someone the Texans really wanted. Marks accumulated an incredible 261 receptions over his college career, so there is an immediate path to valuable passing-down touches, but he also showed in 2024 that he can handle a feature load, averaging 5.7 yards per carry across 198 attempts. The vibes on Joe Mixon‘s foot/ankle issue have his availability in serious doubt, potentially leaving Marks to compete with a washed Nick Chubb and lackluster Dameon Pierce for control of the Houston backfield. The rookie has the skillset and opportunity to return RB2/Flex value, and he’s practically free in most drafts.”
– Jason Willan (Gridiron Experts)

Tyrone Tracy (NYG)

“With Tyrone Tracy now getting the majority of the split, his ADP is finally starting to reflect his value. While the Giants’ offense has been a mess and they’ve added another back, people forget how impressive Tracy was last year on one of the league’s worst teams. He outperformed Devin Singletary as a 5th-round rookie and earned his spot. Skattebo might vulture a touchdown or two, but Tracy should see enough volume to remain relevant.”
– Josh Hall (IDP Army)

Trey Benson (ARI)

“Price shot on Trey Benson in ARI. Better defense to create a balanced approach and more groundwork. Benson isn’t unseating Conner, but he’ll carve out a role and create a solid insurance play.”
– Mike Harmon (Swollen Dome)

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