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Five fantasy football running back draft sleepers and value picks to target in the middle rounds. These RBs are undervalued and are fantasy football studs.
Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft high-upside players that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to take some risks on a variety of different players, including forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even skilled players with potential playing time concerns.
It's essential to have at least a handful of these players at each position heading into your fantasy football drafts, no matter the format. Here are more mid-round running backs for you to consider drafting this season.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific NFL players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2022 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 300+ of our 2022 player outlooks, along with many other premium articles and tools available exclusively in our 2021 Draft Kit.
Editor's Note: Discover RotoBaller’s top Fantasy Football Sleepers to gain an edge in your drafts. Our free who to draft tool and expert picks spotlight undervalued players, breakout candidates, and late-round gems for all league formats.
Antonio Gibson, Commanders, Fantasy Football Outlook
Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson dealt with hip and toe injuries in 2021, yet he was able to play 16 games and ended the season as the RB10 in 0.5 PPR scoring. He rushed for 1,037 yards on 258 attempts and seven touchdowns, adding 42 catches for 294 yards and three scores over 16 games in 2022.
However, the 24-year-old's situation has drastically changed over the past nine months. At one point in the offseason, Gibson was on his way to a featured role in 2022. However, the Washington Commanders re-signed J.D. McKissic and spent a third-round pick on Brian Robinson, pushing Gibson into a potential running back by committee.
Robinson reportedly would handle the red zone and goal-line situations, leaving Gibson the early downs work. Unfortunately for Gibson, his role as the lead back is now in jeopardy. After fumbling in the team's first preseason game, Gibson has spent time in practice with the third-string and special teams units.
If Robinson continues to shine in the preseason, fantasy players would be wise to avoid Gibson at his current ADP of 38.3. RotoBaller is on board with avoiding Gibson at his current ADP and has the former third-round pick as 24th in the latest running back rankings.
Editor's Note: Since this post was published, Robinson sustained two gunshot wounds in an armed robbery attempt. Fortunately, he was released from the hospital on Monday. However, he will miss some time to begin the regular season, opening the door for Gibson to be the primary ball-carrier until Robinson has fully recovered.
Cam Akers, Rams, Fantasy Football Outlook
After Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers tore his Achilles tendon in July last offseason, he was expected to miss the entire 2021 campaign. However, he managed to make a superhuman comeback, returning to the field in the regular-season finale and contributing to L.A.'s Super Bowl run.
Sure, his stats were unimpressive; he totaled just 172 yards on 2.6 yards per carry in the playoffs. That means little though considering the nature of the injury he had suffered just six months prior. More importantly than the yardage, Akers received 67 of the 99 carries by Rams running backs in the playoffs. Most of the others were claimed by Sony Michel, who left the Rams for the Dolphins this offseason.
With the Rams not adding a notable RB in free agency and waiting until the fifth round to draft one in this year's draft, Akers is slated to be the team's clear-cut number one back for 2022. We've already seen flashes of what he can do in such a role, as he had a game with 31 touches and 194 scrimmage yards toward the end of the 2020 season.
With the Rams having a potent offense, Akers should be a sure bet in fantasy barring another injury. Akers has been drafted as the RB15 in fantasy drafts lately, offering a lot of value at that spot given his role on a high-powered offensive unit.
Elijah Mitchell, 49ers, Fantasy Football Outlook
San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell had a stunningly productive season as a rookie in 2021. As a sixth-round draft choice, few expected Mitchell to become a fantasy starter, yet he finished as the RB23 in standard leagues despite playing just 11 games. This came after Week 1 starter Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending injury in the opener.
The 24-year-old is expected to miss the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury but is expected to return in time for Week 1. He had been limited during training camp while he recovers from knee surgery. With Mostert now in Miami, Mitchell seemingly has a clear path to remaining the top dog in San Francisco's backfield. However, there will be some competition for this role, and head coach Kyle Shanahan is notorious for his unpredictable handling of backfields. Teammate Trey Sermon was a third-round selection last season, yet his role was relatively small as a rookie.
Should Mitchell struggle early in the season, or if Sermon impresses in camp, Sermon may cut into Mitchell's volume. The 49ers also drafted Tyrion Davis-Price, an RB out of LSU, in the third round this spring. The team must have a plan for Davis-Price, which would likely come at the expense of Mitchell. That said, Mitchell is being drafted as merely the RB24 in fantasy drafts this offseason.
Considering he finished higher than this last year despite missing six games due to injury, this is a fair spot for him when factoring in these concerns regarding Sermon and Davis-Price.
Melvin Gordon III, Broncos, Fantasy Football Outlook
After two productive seasons in Denver, Melvin Gordon III signed a one-year, $4 million deal to remain with the Broncos in 2022. The difference between this season and the two previous ones is that Gordon is likely to play more of a 1B role.
It'll be Javonte Williams likely commanding more than 50% of the opportunities if even just due to Gordon's age (29). Williams was selected 35th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to be the heir apparent to MGIII, but the Broncos clearly believe the veteran still has some juice left in the tank. His opportunities went down slightly from 2020 (17.3) to 2021 (15.1) due to the presence of Williams, but he still managed to churn out 1,131 total yards and 10 touchdowns.
In fact, Gordon hasn't scored fewer than nine total touchdowns. The chances of him fading away completely in an offense led by Russell Wilson, even at age 29, is highly unlikely. The opportunities per game could decrease yet again, but it's unlikely they fall below 10-12 per game.
Gordon has finished as an RB2 each of the past two seasons, which may not be the case in 2022 if the opportunities regress. Consider him a standalone RB3 with top-15 upside should Williams be forced to miss any time in 2022.
Chase Edmonds, Dolphins, Fantasy Football Outlook
Note: Since this post was published, Michel was cut from the roster. While the backfield in Miami is still crowded, Edmonds has the most fantasy upside.
The new Miami Dolphins regime got their guy in free agency, former Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds. They paid him $12.6 million over two years despite having two decent, extremely affordable options in Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed already on the roster.
That right there speaks volumes to Edmonds' potential role this season, especially since his dead cap is $6.1 million this season before the Dolphins have a possible out prior to the 2023 season. He will be used quite often despite the Dolphins also bringing in veterans Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel.
Michel might have the inside track on early-down work this season since Mostert seemingly can't stay healthy, having missed 25 games the past two seasons. Even though Edmonds was never a feature back with the Cardinals, he still averaged nearly 12 opportunities per game (7.6 rush attempts + 4.3 targets) the past two seasons.
Being that targets are worth much more than rush attempts, especially in PPR formats, Edmonds' value comes from his ability as a pass-catcher. And he was awesome on third downs last season, averaging an impressive 12.9 yards per rush attempt. He's also incredibly explosive and an underrated pass-protector, having not allowed a sack in three years, while 15.5% of his runs went for 10+ yards in 2021.
As a result, it's highly likely he gets the nod on third downs this season, which is a great role if you pair it with either first or second downs as well. Ultimately, it wouldn't be shocking to see Edmonds take on a 60% snap share this season.
In 2021, Edmonds saw a 60% snap share in seven games while sharing backfield responsibilities with James Conner. In those seven games, he averaged 12.8 PPR points per game. That would have been good for RB23 on a per-game basis. Now in Miami with offensive mastermind Mike McDaniel at the helm and one of the best wide receiver duos in the game in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Edmonds should find a lot of open holes to run through. Consider him a top-30 option with top-20 upside in 2022.
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