Identifying RB2 Fantasy Football Breakouts: Build-A-Breakout Workshop (2026)

August 14, 2026

John's running back fantasy football breakouts. RB2 draft sleepers with upside for 2026. His deeper fantasy football running back values, including Blake Corum.

Training camp's begun and there's definitely electricity in the air. Can you feel it? We're just a few weeks away from NFL football that counts -- and the start of the best fantasy game on the planet. Are you jacked up or what? Lock in.

Back by popular demand, we're running back our RotoBaller Build-A-Breakout workshop for my favorite offseason exercise. Using a combination of volume/production, rush efficiency, and receiving metrics, we'll whittle down the back end of the RB player pool until we find the very best draft-day RB2 values by the numbers. NOTE: For this exercise, I defined a fantasy RB2 as a tailback handling between 35 and 150 touches last season.

Without so much as looking at ADP, I create a wish list of ideal statistical parameters -- then go back and try to find matches for fantasy bargains. It's all about those diamonds in the rough.

Identifying Late Fantasy Football Breakout RB2s: Volume and Overall Production

Of all 43 running backs who logged between 30 and 150 touches in 2025, just a small portion will stand out from the pack when compared under the microscope. Remember, nothing's more predictive of future production than fantasy scoring in the past -- so let's start with workload and production leaderboards.

Only Nine RB2s Earned 9.0+ Touches Per Game:

• James Conner, ARI — 13.3 Touches Per Game
• Jawhar Jordan, HOU — 12.5 Touches Per Game
• Trey Benson, ARI — 10.5 Touches Per Game
• Isiah Pacheco, DET — 10.5 Touches Per Game
• Michael Carter, TEN — 9.6 Touches Per Game
• Tyjae Spears, TEN — 9.0 Touches Per Game
• Blake Corum, LAR — 9.0 Touches Per Game
• Nick Chubb, NFL — 9.0 Touches Per Game
• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX — 8.8 Touches Per Game

Only 12 RB2s Averaged 40.0%+ Touch Per Snap Rate:

• Jawhar Jordan, HOU — 65.8% Touch/Snap
• Jaylen Wright, MIA — 59.5% Touch/Snap
• Raheim Sanders, CLE — 52.6% Touch/Snap
• James Conner, ARI — 48.2% Touch/Snap
• Jaydon Blue, DAL — 45.3% Touch/Snap
• Nick Chubb, NFL — 45.2% Touch/Snap
• Devin Singletary, NYG — 43.5% Touch/Snap
• Emanuel Wilson, SEA — 41.8% Touch/Snap
• Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN — 41.8% Touch/Snap
• Brian Robinson Jr., ATL — 41.5% Touch/Snap
• Blake Corum, LAR — 40.1% Touch/Snap

Every self-respecting gamer knows volume is king. Can't score fantasy points without handling the rock, right? However, raw totals aren't the only way to skin the fantasy cat. So, to add some perspective to how we view utilization, I also added touches per snap this time around.

In short, a certain player can touch the ball at a relatively high frequency without enough snaps to move the needle -- but that use could be indicative of a potentially prominent role in case of injury.

First name that pops out to me is Dallas' Jaydon Blue. The Cowboys' primary RB represents a valuable piece of fantasy real estate. Look no further for proof than Javonte Williams' top-36 ADP despite a lack of explosivity and deficiencies in his receiving game.

Worth noting that Blue's prevalence came as an afterthought on the Dallas depth chart -- and if the camp buzz building this summer is legit, we could be looking at a premium handcuff in the 14th round.

1st career touchdown for Cowboys rookie RB Jaydon Blue

DALvsNYG on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/RdNV2uyULK

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026

Only Eight RB2s Scored 7.0+ Fantasy Points Per Game:

• James Conner, ARI — 11.1 Pt/Game
• Trey Benson, ARI — 8.9 Pt/Game
• Tyjae Spears, TEN — 8.6 Pt/Game
• Bam Knight, ARI — 7.7 Pt/Game
• Michael Carter, TEN — 7.6 Pt/Game
• Jawhar Jordan, HOU — 7.4 Pt/Game
• Blake Corum, LAR — 7.2 Pt/Game
• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX — 7.1 Pt/Game

Only Nine RB2s Scored 0.40+ Fantasy Points Per Snap:

• Sean Tucker, TB — 0.54 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• Keaton Mitchell, LAC — 0.44 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• Tank Bigsby, PHI — 0.43 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• Ameer Abdullah, NFL — 0.42 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• James Conner, ARI — 0.40 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• Jaylen Wright, MIA — 0.40 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• Ray Davis, BUF — 0.40 Fantasy Points Per Snap
• Blake Corum, LAR — 0.40 Fantasy Points Per Snap

Same point above holds for raw production, so I broke outputs down to a per-snap basis to emphasize any outlying impact occurring without a full complement of snaps. Surprise, surprise. The name that pops up is a blast from the past, James Conner.

And while his workhorse days reside firmly in the rearview mirror, the 31-year-old veteran remains widely undrafted, even in the deepest formats. Now, Arizona's coaches can't stop mentioning him during pressers -- and I can't help but wonder if it's trade bait, and if there's a valuable last-rounder buried in there somewhere.

Where would you draft Conner if he wound up in Cincinnati? Precisely my point.

Shovel pass to James Conner to give Arizona the lead

AZvsNO on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/MBUBpo7lQv

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

Only Six RB2s Handled 9+ Goal-To-Go Attempts:

• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX — 16 Goal-To-Go Attempts
• Blake Corum, LAR — 14 Goal-To-Go Attempts
• Devin Singletary, NYG — 14 Goal-To-Go Attempts
• Sean Tucker, TB — 13 Goal-To-Go Attempts
• Bam Knight, ARI — 10 Goal-To-Go Attempts
• Ollie Gordon II, MIA — 9 Goal-To-Go Attempts

Chris Rodriguez Jr. led all RB2s in goal-to-go attempts on a significantly worse team than he'll be suiting up for come kickoff. Time to get excited. Why? Not only has he dropped outside of ADP 135, but Rodriguez's 16 tries close to the paint ranked 14th in the NFL overall, ahead of Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Chase Brown.

Now, Rodriguez is residing in sunny Jacksonville to play under Liam Coen, whose offense just logged a top-5 season in terms of plays run and point differential. Standalone value is hard to find this late in drafts.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. finds pay dirt for the @Commanders

WASvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/HexsplG9T2

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026

Identifying Fantasy Football Breakout RB2s: Rushing Efficiency

Unlike target volume, which undisputedly must be earned, backfield touches are awarded, usually translating directly into points. However, we've seen plenty of RBs fail to provide weekly viability despite heavy workloads.

Having access to all sorts of fancy per-snap data opens the door to a slew of new efficiency stats. Since backup running backs need to shine in small samples, knowing how they measure up in more nuanced per-touch metrics adds an invaluable layer of context to the position.

Only Nine RB2s Eclipsed 5.0+ Yards Per Carry:

• Emari Demercado, KC — 7.1 Yards Per Carry
• Tank Bigsby, PHI —5.9 Yards Per Carry
• Keaton Mitchell, LAC —5.8 Yards Per Carry
• Isaiah Davis, NYJ —5.5 Yards Per Carry
• Trey Benson, ARI —5.5 Yards Per Carry
• Justice Hill, BAL —5.2 Yards Per Carry
• Blake Corum, LAR — 5.1 Yards Per Carry
• Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN — 5.1 Yards Per Carry
• Jeremy McNichols, WAS — 5.0 Yards Per Carry

Justice Hill punches it in for the Ravens 👊

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/iM33HTysgD

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 9, 2025

Only 12 RB2s Achieved 3.5+ Yards After Contact Per Attempt:

• Emari Demercado, KC — 5.5 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Justice Hill, BAL — 4.9 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Jeremy McNichols, WAS — 4.2 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Tank Bigsby, PHI — 4.0 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Isaiah Davis, NYJ — 3.7 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Jawhar Jordan, HOU — 3.6 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Kendre Miller, NO — 3.6 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Trey Benson, ARI — 3.6 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Raheem Mostert, LV — 3.6 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Ameer Abdullah, NFL — 3.5 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX — 3.5 Yards After Contact Per Attempt
• Jaylen Wright, MIA — 3.4 Yards After Contact Per Attempt

"Demercado GOES THE DISTANCE." - Ian Eagle

📺 CBS | @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/CEQFyocnrL

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 3, 2024

Only 13 RB2s Exceeded 50.0%+ Success Rate:

• Samaje Perine, CIN — 60.0% Success Rate
• Ameer Abdullah, NFL — 57.0% Success Rate
• Raheim Sanders, CLE — 56.0% Success Rate
• Ty Johnson, BUF — 56.0% Success Rate
• Ray Davis, BUF — 55.0% Success Rate
• Blake Corum, LAR — 53.0% Success Rate
• Bhayshul Tuten, JAX — 52.0% Success Rate
• Jaylen Wright, MIA — 51.0% Success Rate
• Brian Robinson Jr., ATL — 51.0% Success Rate
• Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN — 51.0% Success Rate
• Tank Bigsby, PHI — 50.0% Success Rate
• Emanuel Wilson, SEA — 50.0% Success Rate
• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX — 50.0% Success Rate

RAY DAVIS. 63-yard TD for the lead!

📺: #MIAvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/N5btgphjZ2

— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

Only Seven RB2s Topped 10.0%+ Explosive Rush Rate:

• Tank Bigsby, PHI, 17.2%
• Ray Davis, BUF, 13.8%
• Keaton Mitchell, LAC, 13.6%
• Emari Demercado, KC, 13.6%
• Blake Corum, LAR, 11.7%
• Isaiah Davis, NYJ, 11.6%
• Trey Benson, ARI, 10.3%

Tank Bigsby picks up the first down on 2nd & 31

NYGvsPHI on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/dhfL54Zxoa

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Only Six RB2s Earned 0.04+ Expected Points Added Per Rush:

• Ameer Abdullah, NFL — 0.09 EPA/Rush
• Audric Estime, NO — 0.09 EPA/Rush
• Blake Corum, LAR — 0.08 EPA/Rush
• Tank Bigsby, PHI — 0.07 EPA/Rush
• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX — 0.06 EPA/Rush
• Jaret Patterson, LAC — 0.04 EPA/Rush

Blake Corum into the end zone and the @RamsNFL extend their lead! 🙌

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jTh2DNCkeo

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 14, 2025

Not to bury the lede too far, but all my most preferred handcuffs live on these lists (we'll get into specific ranks at the end). Firstly, coaches obsess over success rate and expected points added.

And while they're more real-life stats than fantasy-related, elevated success rates and EPA earn playing time. Furthermore, I'm always seeking out the weekly ceiling associated with tackle-breaking, explosivity, and big-play ability. Sometimes one big one is all it takes to take down your weekly matchup.

Identifying Fantasy Football Breakout RB2s: Receiving Upside

While I've consistently complained that running back receptions get weighed disproportionately, you can either be right, or you can win. Like it or not, RBs who produce in the pass game provide a simultaneous fantasy ceiling and floor, especially on bad teams that constantly find themselves down late.

A lot's been made of target depth being a skeleton key for RB production lately, so, of course, I made sure to grab that for reference as well. Ignore dual-threat tailbacks at your own risk.

Only Nine RB2s Earned 6.0%+ Team Target Share:

• Tyjae Spears, TEN — 9.4% Team Target
• Dylan Sampson, CLE — 7.7% Team Target
• Michael Carter, TEN — 7.3% Team Target
• Jeremy McNichols, WAS — 7.2% Team Target
• Ty Johnson, BUF — 6.9% Team Target
• Justice Hill, BAL — 6.6% Team Target
• Brashard Smith, KC — 6.4% Team Target
• Jerome Ford, CLE — 6.1% Team Target
• Isaiah Davis, NYJ — 5.9% Team Target

Only Eight RB2s With 10+ Targets Averaged A Positive Average Target Depth:

• Michael Carter, TEN — 1.7 ADoT
• Bam Knight, ARI — 1.2 ADoT
• Zavier Scott, MIN — 1.1 ADoT
• Isaiah Davis, NYJ — 1.1 ADoT
• Nick Chubb, NFL — 0.8 ADoT
• Emari Demercado, KC — 0.6 ADoT
• Chris Brooks, GB — 0.4 ADoT

Conclusion: Ranking Fantasy Football Breakout RB2s

There's a lot to unpack in the RB2 discussion -- though perhaps simpler to boil down than RB1 due to the great reduction in opportunity cost. In order of draft cost, oversimplifying this wide array of statistics down to my crystal-clear backup values would look something like this...

• Blake Corum, LAR, ADP 101 — Littered throughout our analysis, Corum possesses standalone value in one of the NFL's most prolific offenses. Consolidated utilization, explosive runs, and sustained efficiency down the stretch give Corum an outside track at leading the Rams backfield in fantasy scoring without an injury to Kyren Williams. And if something happens to the starter? Easy top-5 weekly projection.
• Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAX, ADP 138 — Aside from my short pitch for Chris Rodriguez Jr. above (Bhayshul Tuten drafters, plug your ears), we could be talking about the monopolization of goal-line work for one of the most exciting outfits in the league. Rodriguez goes all the way back to his college days with Liam Coen, who can't go one news conference without talking up his old friend. Not prioritizing the Jaguars backup per se, but whenever the RB position gets away from me, I know where my RB2 bread's getting buttered.
• Tank Bigsby, PHI, ADP 163 — Still underpriced by several rounds in my opinion, Philadelphia's Tank Bigsby led all RBs with 50+ attempts in yards per carry (5.9) and finished behind only De'Von Achane in yards after contact per attempt (3.97). If something happens to Saquon Barkley, Bigsby's immediately headlining every waiver article coast-to-coast.
• Justice Hill, BAL, ADP 211 — Despite displaying dual-threat traits for a prolific offense and appearing to hold the fast track to the Ravens backfield in case of emergency, Justice Hill still ranks as the consensus RB68. Only one other runner who we'll get to in a minute popped up on both rushing and receiving lists. Eventually, Derrick Henry will age -- and we shouldn't be pricing immortality too heavily into draft cost.
• Emari Demercado, KC, ADP N/A — Emari Demercado may not have an ADP, but he does have one thing fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson doesn't ... NFL experience. He's also coming off an incredibly efficient stint as a two-way back with Arizona, averaging over seven yards per touch (!). I'm not saying Demercado is the clear No. 2 behind Kenneth Walker III. I am saying, however, that's where he's listed on the depth chart below -- and there's a very long list of Day 3 disappointments on Kansas City's ledger.

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