Fantasy Football Dynasty Sleepers - 7 Undervalued Running Backs For 2026

March 19, 2026

Dave breaks down his biggest dynasty fantasy football sleepers at running back for the 2026 season. Which RBs are sleepers who you should make moves for?

The 2026 NFL Draft is a little over a month away. That means dynasty gamers are grinding film and crunching the numbers to learn as much as they can about the incoming rookie class. While scouting and preparing for rookie drafts is usually fun, this year feels a bit underwhelming. The 2026 rookie class is widely considered a disappointing one for dynasty fantasy football purposes.

That seems particularly true for the incoming rookie running backs. This will surely be disappointing for dynasty managers who desperately need running backs. If you fall into this category, don't worry. While the rookie running back class does not look great, there are plenty of potential sleepers who could be available in a trade. Some of these players may not look appealing on the surface. But if they hit, they could prove to be real bargains and emerge as difference-makers for your team.

Make sure you're following RotoBaller on X and download the RotoBaller app for all your fantasy football needs. Here are seven running back sleepers to target in your 2026 dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. - RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million contract in free agency. He'll now join sophomore Bhayshul Tuten in the Jaguars backfield. While Tuten is getting all the buzz, gamers should not overlook Rodriguez.

Another long @Commanders drive ends with 6️⃣! Rodriguez takes it in for the lead!

📺: #ATLvsWAS on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/HwnfZ9vseF

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024

Rodriguez fared quite well in several advanced metrics last year. Among 49 backs with 100+ carries, Rodriguez finished:

• Second in yards after contract per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data Suite
• Fourth in rushing success rate, per Fantasy Points Data Suite
• 10th in PFF's elusive rating
• 12th in missed tackles forced per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data Suite

Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone has spoken multiple times about Rodriguez being an ideal fit for Liam Coen's system, as well as his ability to wear defenders down late in games. Rodriguez may have a larger role in this offense than some gamers think.

Tuten is a fine buy candidate right now, but Rodriguez is cheaper and is arguably the better buy candidate. Rodriguez might even be sitting on waivers in some leagues, so he could be yours for the taking.

Either way, it's worth exploring a trade to get Rodriguez on your team. This is an extremely weak rookie running back class, so it could certainly be worth moving a mid-late-round pick to land Rodriguez.

Keaton Mitchell - RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Mitchell was one of the more under-the-radar signings in free agency and signed a two-year, $9.25 million deal with the Chargers. He turned heads in limited action as a rookie in 2023, rushing for 396 yards on just 47 carries while averaging an astounding 8.4 yards per attempt.

Undrafted rookie RB Keaton Mitchell goes 40 yards for the TD!

📺: #SEAvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/d4RDZpcMkc pic.twitter.com/HlueqI7aeJ

— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023

An unfortunate knee injury would derail his rookie season in 2023, and Mitchell did not really work his way back into the fold in Baltimore until last season. Fortunately, he looked just as explosive as before his injury and averaged a robust 5.8 yards per carry in 2025.

Mitchell's pairing with Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is an intriguing one. McDaniel helped turn De'Von Achane into a household name in Miami. Mitchell is not the same caliber of player as Achane, but he does have a similar skill set.

While Omarion Hampton is poised to lead this backfield, he struggled with injuries as a rookie. Hampton is supremely talented, but he tends to run toward contact a bit too much. That could be a problem again in 2026 and could lead to Hampton missing more time.

If that's the case, Mitchell could emerge as a fantastic boom/bust flex play. If he were given a larger role in Hampton's absence, Mitchell's big-play ability could single-handedly win managers their matchups. Mitchell could also emerge as a pass-catching back, and that would give him some standalone value in PPR leagues.

If you're looking for a cheap running back, you could do a lot worse than taking a flyer on Mitchell.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt - RB, Washington Commanders

Despite losing playing time to Rodriguez last year, Croskey-Merritt closed the 2025 season on a high note. Over his final four games, he totaled 255 rushing yards and scored four rushing touchdowns.

BILL TAKES IT 72 YARDS TO THE HOUSE

DALvsWAS on @Netflix pic.twitter.com/5I9On67tbI

— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2025

Washington let Rodriguez walk in free agency and only added Rachaad White and Jerome Ford in free agency. White is a solid pass-catching back, but he has been one of the worst rushers in the NFL since he entered the league and has struggled mightily with efficiency. Ford has some big-play ability but has never been a particularly effective rusher, either.

While we'll likely see White occupy a pass-catching role, the reality is that Croskey-Merritt has already proved to be a better runner than White and Ford at the NFL level. With the Commanders reportedly wanting to utilize more under-center looks in 2026, Croskey-Merritt seems like a good fit for this philosophy shift.

Washington is still in the mix to take Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft. Such an event would obviously tank Croskey-Merritt's dynasty value. However, there's a decent chance that Love will be taken before Washington picks, and that would put Croskey-Merritt in the driver's seat to lead this backfield.

If that's the case, then Croskey-Merritt will, once again, be a viable sleeper in all leagues. With all the uncertainty surrounding Washington's backfield, this could be a great opportunity to buy low on a player who flashed some upside as a rookie.

Rico Dowdle - RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

After falling out of favor in Carolina, Dowdle latched on with Pittsburgh and signed a two-year, $12.25 million deal with the club. This move reunites Dowdle with his former head coach, Mike McCarthy. McCarthy made Dowdle his featured back in Dallas back in 2024. Dowdle was quite effective in that role and ran for 1,079 rushing yards and averaged 4.6 yards per attempt.

Dowdle will likely form a tandem with Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh's backfield. However, it's unclear how this situation will turn out. Warren had a very good year in 2025, but the fact McCarthy brought in a back he's very familiar with should raise eyebrows.

We could see Warren slide back into a change-of-pace/pass-catching role with Dowdle operating as an early down hammer. Such an event would mean Warren will retain some value in PPR leagues and also make Dowdle a viable flex play, particularly in deeper leagues.

If Aaron Rodgers does return to Pittsburgh, Dowdle could also have some hidden upside as a pass-catcher, as Rodgers had the seventh-highest checkdown rate in the league last year, per Fantasy Points Data Suite.

If you're a contender and think you're a running back away from winning a title, Dowdle is a good, cheap option to pursue in a trade.

J.K. Dobbins - RB, Denver Broncos

After briefly flirting with David Montgomery and Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency, Denver ultimately re-signed Dobbins to a two-year, $16 million deal.

The #Broncos are re-signing RB JK Dobbins. pic.twitter.com/SvQcO1KZM8

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 9, 2026

Dobbins played very well during his first season in Denver last year and led the team in rushing yards and yards per carry. He also scored well in several advanced metrics. Among 49 backs with 100+ attempts, Dobbins ranked:

• Third in explosive rushing rate, per Fantasy Points Data Suite
• Eighth in missed tackles forced per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data Suite
• 15th in rushing success rate, per Fantasy Points Data Suite
• 15th in yards after contact per attempt, per PFF
• 17th in PFF's elusive rating
• 18th in PFF's rushing grade

While Dobbins will still be splitting work with sophomore RJ Harvey, the fact that Denver aggressively pursued both Montgomery and Etienne tells us quite a bit about how the team views Harvey.

He really struggled as a rusher last year and was clearly behind Dobbins in the pecking order before the latter suffered an injury. This means that we'll likely see the same usage in 2026, and that will make Dobbins a viable RB2 play.

The big asterisk with Dobbins, though, is his health/durability. He just cannot stay on the field, and he will likely miss time due to some ailment. Still, he has played very well the last two years. While Dobbins may not be the same explosive athlete following his Achilles/knee injuries, he has proved he is still capable of producing big weeks for fantasy football.

Due to his injury history, Dobbins likely won't be too expensive to acquire in a trade. RotoBaller's dynasty trade chart estimates his current value is a mid 2026 second-round pick. Given this is a weaker incoming rookie class, it's not the worst idea to move a pick for Dobbins if you need a back.

Kenneth Gainwell - RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Gainwell had a career year for the Steelers in 2025. He set new career highs in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and yards per carry. He also set new career highs in receptions and receiving yards, and actually led all Pittsburgh pass-catchers with 73 receptions.

Kenneth Gainwell's acrobatic catch shifted momentum before halftime 🔥 @Steelers | @Accenture pic.twitter.com/EUO4qjF1nX

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2025

He now joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after signing a two-year, $14 million deal with the team. He will be competing for touches with incumbent starter Bucky Irving, but Gainwell can easily carve out his own role in Tampa Bay's offense.

Irving really struggled in 2025 and lost touches to Rachaad White. Gainwell is a better rusher and arguably a better receiver than White, so this addition could spell bad news for Irving's fantasy prospects.

Tampa Bay made it a point to sign Gainwell in free agency and even gave him $10 million in guaranteed money. This shows us that it values his skill set and likely has a specific role in mind for him.

This backfield will be a situation to monitor as we inch closer to the season. For now, fantasy gamers should consider Gainwell a flex play in PPR leagues who can sneak into RB2 territory if he can secure the majority of touches in this offense.

Jordan James/Isaac Guerendo - RBs, San Francisco 49ers

Ok, we're sneaking two names in for the price of one here. This one is pretty simple. Christian McCaffrey turns 30 in June and is coming off a 2025 season that saw him touch the football a ridiculous 450 times.

Given McCaffrey's age, injury history, and the drop in production we typically see from running backs following a 400+ touch season, there is a good possibility that one of James/Guerendo emerges as an RB2 or flex play during the 2026 season.

San Francisco is reportedly still high on James, so he could become the team's RB2. However, we have seen Guerendo produce while filling in for McCaffrey in the past, so he is also a name to monitor here as well.

Targeting these players in a trade is solely banking on a McCaffrey injury. That's never a fun thing, but when you consider everything, the odds of a McCaffrey injury seem very high.

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