Third-String Running Backs - Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers for Deeper Leagues

Which third-string running backs can emerge into reliable fantasy football assets in 2024? Andrew Ball identifies running backs that can produce in deeper fantasy football leagues.

Injuries will thrust a third-string running back into a starting role this season. That's all but guaranteed.

However, injuries themselves are impossible to predict. We can't say with certainty which rarely-used runner will become a flex-worthy fantasy football asset during the season. There are third-string backs that can ascend to second or first-string without a new injury to the men ahead of them on the depth chart.

Below, we discuss five running backs worthy of a look in deep fantasy football leagues.

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs secured the bag this offseason, upgraded to a superior offense, and is two years removed from a rushing title crown. So, why is he such a terrifying selection for fantasy football managers?

Recency bias plays a large part. Jacobs was an efficiency disaster in his final year in Las Vegas, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, almost a yard below his 4.4-yard average entering the 2023-2024 season. Also, head coach Matt LaFleur has shown a tendency to rely on two running backs, even before the arrival of A.J. Dillon. Aaron Jones' highest snap share since 2019 is 62.6%. That was in 2019. It's declined in every subsequent season.

Dillon remains on the roster and could be the immediate backup to Jacobs, but there's also just as good of a chance he's not on the roster when the regular season begins. Dillon signed a four-year qualifying contract and only a fraction of the $2.575 million he's owed is counted against the cap. Structuring a contract like that allows the Packers to release Dillon during training camp with little penalty.

That contract was signed before April's 2024 NFL Draft. In the third round, the Packers selected MarShawn Lloyd out of USC. Should Lloyd usurp Dillon in training camp, the veteran could be looking for work elsewhere and Lloyd would play second fiddle to Jacobs. Lloyd was one of the more explosive runners in college football last season and averaged 7.1 yards per attempt.

#Packers OC Adam Stenavich on whether MarShawn Lloyd will see limited action his rookie season, ala AJ Dillon:

“No, I would like to get him out there as much as possible. He’s got a skill set that’s a little bit different than AJ’s, as far as his speed… It’ll be nice to get him… pic.twitter.com/PSWW3CbCOZ

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) May 6, 2024

Lloyd is being drafted ahead of Dillon as fantasy managers anticipate a changing of the guard. Expect his ADP to rise if he pulls ahead of Dillon in the training camp battle.

D'Onta Foreman, Cleveland Browns

D'Onta Foreman's prospects hinge on the health of Nick Chubb. The Browns' star running back suffered a torn MCL and damaged ACL in September. His season ended on that hit and the injury was believed to be bad enough to keep him on the sidelines into the new season.

There's been good news regarding his recovery this offseason. He's running at full speed in a straight line and is now working on cutting laterally. There's optimism that Chubb will be ready to play Week 1. If he's active, he'll split touches with Jerome Ford.

If he's not, Foreman takes the 150 touches that Kareem Hunt vacated from 2023. He scored nine times on his 135 carries. Foreman brings a similar bruising style near the goal line. The 28-year-old is established as a reliable commodity, producing as a spot starter in his last three stops (Tennessee, Carolina, and Chicago).

D’Onta Foreman had 5 total TDs for the bears last year, all of which came in the redzone

The #Browns now have a short yardage RB to replace Kareem Hunt’s role from last year
pic.twitter.com/Gr3wkpzHlK https://t.co/260Wwn4XOW

— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) March 20, 2024

Ford struggled with efficiency on his touches in 2023. For a head coach who loves to establish the run, Stefanski may be looking for more out of his "starter" while Chubb is brought along slowly. That's how Foreman can become fantasy-relevant in 2024.

Dylan Laube, Las Vegas Raiders

Entering the 2023 season, Alexander Mattison was a polarizing fantasy football prospect. He was taking over as the backfield starter on a strong Minnesota offense and the opportunities would be plentiful. However, the metrics showed that Mattison could not efficiently lead a running game. That became apparent very early in the season. Cam Akers was acquired and cut into Mattison's workload before an injury ended his season. Ty Chandler ended the regular season as the starting running back.

A similar case is playing out in Las Vegas, coincidentally Mattison's new team. Zamir White spent the better part of two seasons behind Josh Jacobs. Like Mattison in Minnesota, White cobbled together a few 100-yard efforts in his opportunity as the starter. Outside of those games, White did very little.

Can White repeat his last-season heroics as the new full-time starter in Sin City? Absolutely, but there's also the chance that he can't carry the weight of being a full-time starter. Mattison, as has already been proven, can't do it either. Enter Dylan Laube.

The rookie out of the University of New Hampshire led the nation with 209.5 all-purpose yards per game. His receiving skills are further along than what he can do on the ground. He isn't the most athletic prospect and played against small-school competition, leading to a sixth-round NFL Draft selection.

PlayerProfiler Stat of the Day🤖

Dylan Laube finished last season with 68 receptions as a RB🤯

That is the same amount or more than these NCAAF WRs had last year⤵️
Brian Thomas Jr (68)
Marvin Harrison Jr (67)
Ricky Pearsall (65)

Are YOU targeting him?📢#PlayerProfilerStats pic.twitter.com/Qc3TPa6BtZ

— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) May 25, 2024

We know that head coach Antonio Pierce plans to win games on the backs of his defense and rushing attack. That's how the Raiders won three of their last four games and Pierce shed the interim label. Aidan O'Connell or Gardner Minshew II are viewed as game managers, not quarterbacks who will deliver in the final two minutes of a close contest.

Laube won't be an immediate, day-one contributor. He'll enter the equation if the running backs ahead of him on the depth chart can't deliver what Pierce is searching for. He's a stash in deep redraft leagues with the hope that he'll begin to earn touches as the season progresses.

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers

Like Laube, Kimani Vidal was a sixth-round selection in the NFL Draft. There's a lengthy history of running backs with that draft capital not working out in the big league.

Vidal and Laube get some fantasy football hype because of the situation surrounding them, not their draft capital. Again like Laube, Vidal is on a run-first team. That's been the m.o. of Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman throughout their careers. The roster construction reaffirms their commitment to running the football. Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and rookie Ladd McConkey are the wide receivers atop the depth chart.

Former Baltimore backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are above Vidal on the depth chart. Dobbins is on a one-year, stopgap contract and can be let go for minimal financial damage if he doesn't show the same skills that he flashed before his Achilles tear.

Vidal was a workhorse running back in his final two seasons as Troy, racking up 1,661 yards on the ground on 5.6 yards per carry as a senior. He also caught over 20 passes every year except for his senior season.

Troy RB Kimani Vidal is my RB4
- power back with breakaway speed
- 94 forced missed tackles in 2023 (2nd)
- 213 lbs, excellent contact balance
- automatic 3-4 extra yards through the tackle
- best pass pro tape in this class
- 0 drops last season pic.twitter.com/d1TsgSdXmx

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) April 1, 2024

There's no need to reach for Vidal in redraft formats. There's no guarantee he even beats Isaiah Spiller in training camp. If the rookie wins the battle and Dobbins isn't returning to form, Vidal could quickly shoot up draft boards or become a waiver-wire darling. Until then, just keep an eye on the developments in Los Angeles.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Pittsburgh Steelers

With the new NFL kickoff return rules in place, the Steelers wasted no time bringing in the league's all-time leader in kickoff return touchdowns. Cordarrelle Patterson will have that job locked down. What other responsibilities will the do-it-all 33-year-old be given on his new team?

The rushing opportunities may be scarce. Playing under new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in Atlanta, Patterson tallied 50 rush attempts for 181 yards and zero scores on the ground in 2023. It was a steep decline from back-to-back seasons of at least 144 carries. Bijan Robinson's arrival pushed Patterson to third on the running back depth chart behind the rookie and Tyler Allgeier.

Patterson enters a similar situation in Pittsburgh. Like Atlanta, the Steelers roster two very capable running backs. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both saw at least 210 touches last season. Playing all 17 games, they were the only two running backs to carry the football in Pittsburgh.

What about receiving opportunities for Patterson? He is, after all, a former wideout and the Steelers' wide receiver room is thin. George Pickens will be the undisputed top option in the passing game. Rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson, second-year speedster Calvin Austin III, and veteran castoff Van Jefferson round out the group. There are murmurs of Patterson being more involved than just returning kicks. Playing as a receiver seems to be the clearer path to touches than lining up in the backfield.

Cordarrelle Patterson is willing to do whatever the #Steelers ask of him.

“I’m not coming in here to step on anyone’s toes. I know my role and I know what I can bring to the team. So whatever they need me to do, man, I’m that guy.” pic.twitter.com/cSb0M4l4Lh

— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) June 6, 2024

Will Patterson be a weekly contributor? No, but there will be weeks where Patterson takes a kickoff to the house and makes a splash with his limited offensive touches. That's more than most third-string running backs in the league can say.

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