5 Fantasy Football Running Back Sleepers: Undervalued Draft Targets (2026)

May 12, 2026

Joey highlights five running back sleepers for the 2026 fantasy football season. His undervalued RBs for 2026 fantasy football drafts with expert outlooks.

It's never too early to start researching for your fantasy football drafts this summer. Although most leagues won't draft for another three months, seeing where certain players are going and which players might be value picks could allow you to get a leg up over your league mates.

With the 2026 NFL Draft officially complete, now is a great time to look at the current running back landscape in fantasy football. This article will look at five running backs who are currently undervalued draft targets at the position. All five of these running backs are going outside the top-70 picks in NFFC leagues currently and have the potential to outperform their ADP this year.

So, who are the five biggest sleepers at the running back position for 2026 fantasy football drafts? Let's dive in and find out.

Bhayshul Tuten - Jacksonville Jaguars

NFFC ADP: 71.8 Overall

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten had more of a reserve role in his rookie campaign while backing up starter Travis Etienne Jr. The Virginia Tech product only totaled 83 carries for 307 yards and five touchdowns on the ground and 10 catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Those numbers resulted in Tuten averaging just 5.9 PPR fantasy points per game last year.

Bhayshul Tuten adds to the @Jaguars' lead!

NYJvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/j3R2nfNbsN

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

However, the sky is the limit for the 23-year-old running back in his second NFL season. Tuten is expected to lead the Jacksonville backfield throughout the 2026 season after Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency.

The second-year running back doesn't face much competition for touches in this backfield, with his biggest competition being 26-year-old Chris Rodriguez Jr., who has just 920 career rushing yards.

That all signals a potential breakout campaign for Tuten. He will see a much larger workload than last season, and he showed some nice things when he got the opportunities in 2025. The Jaguars running back had a 15-carry, 74-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11.

Considering Tuten also ranked 16th among all running backs in fantasy points per opportunity (0.91) in his rookie season, he could be in for a strong fantasy campaign. He's a fantastic selection at his current 71.8 ADP in NFFC leagues and has the upside to be a solid RB2 on a good Jaguars offense.

Chuba Hubbard- Carolina Panthers

NFFC ADP: 73.1 Overall

There are a lot of fantasy managers who will have Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard off their draft boards completely this summer. The 26-year-old is coming off a disastrous 2025 season in which he totaled just 511 rush yards and eventually lost his job to Rico Dowdle in the second half. That resulted in him averaging only 8.4 PPR fantasy points per game.

It was no doubt a poor year all around for Hubbard. He lost his starting job, averaged just 3.81 yards per carry, ranked 51st among all running backs in fantasy points per opportunity (0.72), and ranked 40th in yards per touch. The Panthers running back also averaged a mere 5.8 PPR fantasy points per game in the final nine weeks of the season.

But Hubbard is one of the best value picks in fantasy drafts this year. He is one of the biggest winners at the running back position this offseason. Dowdle left in free agency after signing a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Panthers didn't replace him in free agency or the draft. So, the 26-year-old should return to being the lead back in this Carolina offense.

While the team will welcome Jonathon Brooks back from injury, it's hard to imagine the Panthers giving him a full workload after two consecutive ACL tears in 2023 and 2024. That points to Hubbard once again seeing a substantial role in this offense. The last time he was the top running back in this Carolina offense, he finished as the RB14 in PPR formats behind a 1,195-yard rushing campaign.

Jadarian Price- Seattle Seahawks

NFFC ADP: 101.2 Overall

The Seattle Seahawks were in desperate need of a running back in the 2026 NFL Draft. Kenneth Walker III left in free agency, Zach Charbonnett will miss the majority of the 2026 season due to a torn ACL, and the Seahawks only added one notable running back in free agency (Emanuel Wilson). Seattle couldn't possibly start the season with Wilson and George Holani as its top two running backs.

That led to the Seahawks selecting Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry with 11 rushing touchdowns in his final college season with the Fighting Irish, and Seattle was the perfect landing spot for Price's fantasy value. The 22-year-old will now compete with Wilson for the RB1 job in Year 1.

New RB1 for the @Seahawks? 👀

(via @gbellseattle, @CorbinSmithNFL) pic.twitter.com/Ts3RtYOkzK

— NFL (@NFL) May 1, 2026

Therefore, Price is such a value pick at his current 101.2 ADP in NFFC leagues. He is expected to have a role right away in this Seattle offense and is one of the few running backs going outside the top 100 who could be a starter in Week 1. While there are reports that the rookie won't have a "bell-cow" role to start the season, he's a smash selection at this spot. He has real fantasy upside on a top offense.

Jordan Mason - Minnesota Vikings

NFFC ADP: 130.5 Overall

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason wasn't exactly a solid fantasy option in his first season with the team. He finished as the RB36 in PPR formats while averaging 8.1 PPR fantasy points per game. Mason was also a non-factor down the stretch, as he played under 40% of the team's snaps in seven straight games from Week 10 to Week 16.

However, the 26-year-old is a sneaky running back target in the middle-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts this year. Mason will likely be splitting touches with Aaron Jones Sr. for most of the year, but there's a world where he eventually overtakes the veteran for that RB1 role.

Jones will turn 32 years old in December, and he is coming off the least efficient season of his career (career-low 4.2 yards per carry and 548 rush yards).

Meanwhile, Mason actually ran the ball well in his first season in Minnesota. He led the team with 758 rush yards, averaged 4.7 yards per carry, rushed for six touchdowns, and ranked top 25 among all running backs in true yards per carry (4.6), juke rate (24.9%), explosive rating (111.3), and breakaway runs (nine).

Jordan Mason makes it a one-score game (wait for the celly)

CHIvsMIN on FOX/FOX One+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/zRAAcA0Fde

— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025

That's more than enough reason to draft Mason at his current 130.5 ADP in NFFC leagues. Jones is definitely past his prime, and the veteran has missed at least five games in two of the past three seasons. That positions Mason well to eventually be the RB1 on a Vikings offense that should be much better with Kyler Murray.

Rachaad White- Washington Commanders

NFFC ADP: 144.6 Overall

There are a lot of question marks about this Washington Commanders backfield right now. The biggest question is whether veteran Rachaad White, second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, or rookie Kaytron Allen will see the majority of the backfield opportunities.

While it's still too early to fully say which running back will, White is the running back who could run away with that RB1 role.

For one, he is the veteran of this group. He has more experience playing in the NFL than both Croskey-Merritt and Allen, and White has shown the capability of being a dual threat out of the backfield. Back in 2024, the Arizona State product ran for 990 yards and six touchdowns while also catching 64 passes for 549 yards and three touchdowns.

Even if the Commanders decide to split carries between White and Croskey-Merritt, White's receiving work will make him a must-roster fantasy player. Croskey-Merritt wasn't really used in the receiving game last year, and White has caught at least 40 passes in each of his four NFL seasons. In PPR leagues, fantasy managers are going to want to roster the player who will catch passes.

That makes White the best Commanders running back to draft. He is playing with his former college teammate, Jayden Daniels, and his receiving potential makes him a nice RB3/flex target in all PPR formats.

More Fantasy Football Analysis