With so many players to choose from in drafts and so many to rank, some underrated gems are bound to fall through the cracks. But here, fantasy football analyst Sal Vetri wants to help you make sure you don’t miss the players possessing great value, and those with potentially league-winning upside. Here are five running backs to consider late in drafts.
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Brown’s stock has risen all offseason, and it started when Joe Mixon was traded to the Texans. This opened the door for Brown to earn a larger role in Year 2. The Bengals only added veteran Zack Moss to replace Mixon. Moss is a solid pass-protector who can get you four yards per carry but won’t be a threat as a receiver or a threat to create explosive plays. Moss ranked just 32nd in explosive run rate last season.
As for Brown, he’s been the talk of Bengals camp as someone who looks the part and has been improving as a pass-blocker. The pass-protection piece is most important because that’s what the Bengals coaches care about. We already know Brown is athletic and explosive, but the coaches need to see that he can protect Joe Burrow.
If Brown can do this, he has a chance to break out as a 10th-round pick in fantasy drafts right now.
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys
It’s rare you can draft a team’s starting RB in Round 12, but this seems to be the case for Dowdle. According to camp reports from Jon Machota, Dowdle has been the face of the Cowboys backfield. But does this mean he’ll earn a large role or just 45-50% of the snaps?
Last season Dowdle was solid while playing next to Tony Pollard, averaging 4.8 yards per touch. Now Pollard is gone, and the NFL Draft came and went without the Cowboys spending a single pick on the RB position.
But right after the draft, they brought back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott is 28 years old and had some flashes with the Patriots last year but was ultimately inefficient and looked slow. Right now, Dowdle is likely the more explosive back, but Elliott may be trusted more in pass protection and the red zone. This would hurt Dowdle’s upside.
But Dowdle should be in line for a bigger role and if he continues to earn nearly five yards per touch it’ll be hard to keep him off the field.
Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders
Robinson enters 2024 as a potential workhorse back for the Commanders. He’s being selected in Round 9 of drafts despite ranking top 10 in yards created per touch last season.
One reason for this may be the presence of his new teammate, Austin Ekeler.
Ekeler replaces Antonio Gibson in this backfield, and he’s coming off his worst season in the NFL, ranking 62nd in rushing efficiency. Ekeler now enters his age-29 season on a brand-new offense. This still appears to be Robinson’s backfield according to camp reports, and there’s even excitement around his pass-catching abilities entering 2024.
I still have concerns about the Commanders’ offensive line, but they did make a few moves this offseason to strengthen the unit. They signed center Tyler Biadasz and two guards, Michael Deiter and Nick Allegretti. If this line can just be average, then Robinson should be a great value in Round 9.
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
Ford is entering his third season in the NFL and is preparing to be the Browns’ starting RB to open the year. Nick Chubb is not expected to be ready to start the season due to a knee injury. The Browns have stated they are hoping to have Chubb back at some point this season.
There’s a good chance Ford is the starter for the bulk of 2024, especially since his backfield competitor D’Onta Foreman suffered a neck injury in training camp. Foreman has been able to return to practice for individual drills, but we haven’t been given a timeline for his return to play.
Ford filled in for Chubb last season and was a top 25 fantasy option while producing over 1,100 total yards across 17 games. Ford should benefit from running behind the Browns’ top five offensive line that’ll see the return of a few key pieces from injury this year. Ford is worth considering in Round 10 as someone you can start right away in Week 1.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
Spears has been rising in my fantasy rankings all offseason. It started when the Titans decided to not re-sign Derrick Henry. Instead, the team replaced Henry by signing former Cowboy Tony Pollard to a three-year deal.
The Titans coaches have said that Spears and Pollard are viewed as ‘interchangeable’ multiple times this offseason. The coach-speak has been backed up by both backs being listed as RB1 on the team’s first depth chart.
If you’re not familiar, Spears is a second-year player from Tulane. He posted over 1,800 yards & 21 TDs in his final year of college. This success continued into his rookie year when he forced a split backfield with Derrick Henry and ranked top 10 in broken tackle rate, explosive run rate and yards per touch.
Spears currently goes 22 picks later than Pollard in drafts as a ninth-round pick.
