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Quincy Milton III's fantasy football running back sleepers for 2026. His undervalued dark horse running backs in 2026. Read the expert draft analysis.
Running backs are perhaps the most important position to nail in fantasy drafts. Elite options are scarce, and the best backs are very consistent, providing your fantasy team with much less volatility than wide receivers. A strong running back stable can make or break your season.
Given the scarcity of solid options at the position, you often need to find a sleeper or two to fill out your roster. You can always find a startable wide receiver or a streamable tight end on the waiver wire, but you'll want to find your running back sleepers in the draft. These guys don't make it to waivers, and when they do, they are usually scooped up quickly by any league that is paying attention.
On the flip side, many late-round running backs don't pan out, either. However, there are always a handful of these guys who ascend during training camp or take over midway through the season and can win you championships. Running backs receive so much consistent volume that they are always one player away from temporary fantasy stardom. Let's dive into this year's sleepers.
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Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The vibes surrounding starter Bucky Irving aren't great. Is he healthy or not? That question has not seemingly been answered this offseason. Irving had offseason shoulder surgery that should presumably allow him to return to the lineup at full strength this coming season.
However, injuries already cost Irving seven games in 2025 and pieces of games in 2024, suggesting that it would behoove the Buccaneers to have a second option in the offense. Gainwell fits the bill perfectly as a back who can take a large workload in this offense and succeed at a high-level.
Gainwell signed a two-year, $14 million deal to join the Buccaneers this offseason. That is real money for a team with an already established starter. The contract came on the heels of a 1,023-yard and eight-touchdown season for Gainwell in Pittsburgh. His production resulted in an RB16 finish, in large part due to his 73 receptions.
38-yard GAIN by Gainwell 🙌 @KENNETHGAINWEL
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/szceXBjRdr pic.twitter.com/lr0mFZjpJN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 16, 2025
Gainwell is not going to catch 73 passes once again in 2026, but he could feasibly reach 50 receptions. It would also not be unheard of for him to sniff 1,000 yards in total again. He is going to be a huge piece of what the Buccaneers want to do.
Gainwell's value lies in his draft position in the ninth round. He has a realistic chance of finishing as a low-end RB2, but he will certainly deliver flex value at minimum. Additionally, if Irving is forced to miss any time in 2026, Gainwell would jump into the high-end RB2 range. He is a great blend of insurance back with standalone value.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears
I have been high on Kyle Monangai all offseason. He is a talented player who demonstrated great ability on the field in 2025. Heading into Year 2, Monangai could take a step forward and improve upon his 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He will continue to play second fiddle to D'Andre Swift, but there should be enough work to go around in this offense.
You never want to assume a coach will use players similarly regardless of what team they are coaching for, but Bears head coach Ben Johnson used Monangai and Swift similarly to how he used Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit. Once Monangai got up to speed after the team's Week 5 bye, these two were splitting snaps at about a 55/45 split.
KYLE. MONANGAI. 💪
LARvsCHI on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/Ol2XOfdhMq— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2026
If a 55/45 split continues or even inches closer to 50/50, Monangai will be a flex option at worst and an RB2 at best. He was already the RB30 in 2025 despite needing several weeks to get integrated into the offense. There is no reason why he should be drafted as low as he is at RB36 heading into 2026.
Swift and Monangai should have no issues coexisting in this offense. Both players are efficient runners, having averaged at least 4.63 yards per carry last season. Additionally, both players are quality pass-catchers and should not poach each other in that department, either.
If the Bears offense continues its own ascension, Monangai will have plenty of goal-line opportunities at 5-foot-8 and 207 lbs. He is an absolute steal where he is currently being drafted, and I would be comfortable "reaching" for him a round early to draft him near his likely floor.
Rachaad White, Washington Commanders
What if Rachaad White became the latest running back to sign a prove-it deal and ultimately deliver? He is set up to potentially do so in 2026. The Commanders offense is devoid of quality running back options, opening the door for a career revival for White.
Washington currently boasts a running back room consisting of White, second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, rookie Kaytron Allen, and veteran Jerome Ford. Croskey-Merritt is a sleeper in his own right as a 2025 seventh-round pick who ran for 805 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. However, Croskey-Merritt's complete lack of involvement in the receiving game is going to hold him back.
White's superpower is as a pass-catcher. He was relatively phased out of the Buccaneers offense over the last couple of years with the emergence of Irving, but he actually became a more efficient player during that time. He is also adept at scoring touchdowns. He has 13 touchdowns to his name over the last two seasons to go along with at least 40 receptions in both seasons.
In Washington, White is the leading candidate to soak up targets out of the backfield. The question is whether he will receive enough carries to supplement that work. If 2025 is any indication, the Commanders may spread the wealth in this backfield. Chris Rodriguez Jr. has vacated 112 attempts and six touchdowns.
With a likely move toward a more run-centric offense post-Kliff Kingsbury, there should be room for multiple runners. White is being drafted in the 10th round of fantasy drafts just ahead of Monangai.
He is almost an afterthought in redraft. White was the RB4 in 2023 and the RB22 in 2024 before losing his job to Irving heading into 2025. He has the ability, and now he has the opportunity. If the touchdown opportunities flow, White will beat his ADP by a mile even if he is a boring selection.
Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
While he does not seem likely to deliver as an RB2, Dylan Sampson could be a surprise flex option this season. He profiles as the main pass-catcher in this backfield with Quinshon Judkins soaking up the majority of the rushing work.
Sampson recorded more receiving yards (271) than rushing yards (175) in 2025, but that split could even out as he becomes more integrated into this offense. His snap share was relatively low throughout the season, but he still managed to catch 33 passes.
The Browns offense was abysmal in 2025, which led to limited opportunities for all the skill players. With a new regime entering the fold, this offense should be markedly better in 2026.
Most importantly, Sampson looked explosive with his opportunities last season. If he can break off decent runs with increased opportunities in 2026, he will certainly have flex value in fantasy. The door is also open for those opportunities with Ford headed to Washington this offseason.
Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos
This is a Sleeping Beauty-level deep sleeper, but Jonah Coleman is an interesting prospect to keep an eye on for the second half of the season. Coleman is joining a Broncos backfield consisting of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Harvey proved himself not to be the real deal as a rookie in 2025, while Dobbins continues his long streak of struggling to stay on the field.
When Dobbins is healthy, he is quite good. He consistently hovers around five yards per carry, and he can be a touchdown machine. He simply has not been able to do it over an entire season to this point in his career. In fact, Dobbins has not played in more than 13 games since he played in 15 as a rookie in 2020.
Jonah Coleman opens the scoring for the Dawgs!
📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/EgWsSIDZKf
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) September 7, 2025
Coleman enters the fold as a big, bruising back. At 5-foot-8 and 220 lbs, Coleman profiles as an early down machine. He is not going to steal those opportunities from Dobbins immediately, but the Broncos may look to give Coleman more work as the season wears on to help preserve Dobbins, or if Dobbins misses time.
Offseason reports have also suggested that Coleman is already earning short-yardage opportunities. Those types of opportunities often translate to touchdowns. Should he receive more touches beyond short-yardage work, he will become an intriguing prospect for fantasy.
Coleman is essentially free in fantasy drafts, going undrafted on many platforms. He is worth a late-round dart throw to see how the work shakes out over the first few weeks of the season. He is the perfect mold of a player who may start slow, very slow, but who could be a league winner in the end.
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