There’s a long history of afterthoughts getting an opportunity and becoming league winners at running back. It can happen because of an injury to the guy in front of them. Other times, an offense needs a spark. Whatever the case, rostering those players before they become valuable can be the difference between winning a title and falling short.
Below, I highlight 10 backup running backs worth targeting late in seasonal drafts. If things break their way, there is a path for each guy to become a weekly difference-maker in 2026.
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Blake Corum | Los Angeles Rams
If the offseason reports are to be believed, then Blake Corum might be more than your average backup in 2026. Last season, the former Wolverine played 28.9% of the snaps. That could jump to 40-45% this season, as rumors of a near-even carry split between Corum and starter Kyren Williams continue to persist like clockwork.
If that happens, Corum would have a weekly FLEX appeal. In 2025, while rushing for 746 yards and six touchdowns, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry (YPC). Corum also ranked second among all ballcarriers in Explosive Play Rating (122.9), fifth in EPA (+20), and 14th in juke rate (24.8%). Give him the ball, and good things happen.
Blake Corum‘s 2025 EPX
Outside of his standalone value, Corum carries immense contingent upside if Williams misses any time. He’d be ranked as an RB1 any week he was projected to get the bulk of the work. You never want to forecast injuries, but that’s just one more reason Corum is an intriguing target once you get outside the top 30 running backs.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. | New York Giants
Fun fact: Tyrone Tracy Jr. has averaged 10.7 fantasy points per game in each of his first two NFL seasons. He’s been consistent, averaging 790 rushing yards, 37 receptions, 286 receiving yards, and five touchdowns per season as a pro.
Tyrone Tracy’s Seasonal Stats
Those are solid RB3 or FLEX numbers in their own right. But Tracy could play a larger role in 2026 as the Giants ease Cam Skattebo back from a broken tibia and fractured ankle. Should the second-year back suffer any setbacks — or miss any other time, which is a very real possibility, given his reckless play style — Tracy would be the featured back.
Tracy is a player no one seems to be talking about, yet he has the potential to put up big-time numbers should anything happen to Skattebo, who plays the position like an enraged bighorn sheep. Because of that, fantasy managers would be wise to take a swing on Tracy in the double-digit rounds.
Jonathon Brooks | Carolina Panthers
Apparently, this is the summer of Jonathon Brooks. Even though he hasn’t played a snap in nearly two years because of back-to-back ACL tears, Brooks is already being drafted ahead of teammate Chuba Hubbard in some big-money leagues. I understand wanting to find an edge against the competition, but this feels a wee bit aggressive.
Brooks is a complete mystery box at this point. He has just 12 touches as a pro under his belt and essentially only 10 games of collegiate production, which came during his junior year at Texas.
That said, Hubbard was among the least efficient and least explosive backs in football last year. If Brooks looks like the same player we saw in 2023 — when he amassed over 1,400 total yards — then it might not take much for him to overtake Hubbard and seize the RB1 role.
just traded the 2.02 for 2.10 + jonathon brooks pic.twitter.com/f59lW5prga
— The Podfather (@Fantasy_Mansion) April 5, 2026
If he does that, that’s certainly a scenario where Brooks could smash down the stretch. But with so much being unknown, be wary of his price in drafts. He’s a fun click to gamble on, but only if the cost stays relatively cheap.
Dylan Sampson | Cleveland Browns
Like Tracy Jr., Dylan Sampson is backing up a teammate who’s coming back from a brutal lower-leg injury. Quinshon Judkins broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle in Week 16 last year. He looked spry in minicamp, but what if he suffers any setbacks?
Dylan Sampson‘s Advanced Metrics
Enter Sampson. The 21-year-old only rushed for 175 yards as a rookie, but he showed he can be a dangerous weapon in the passing game. Among all running backs with at least 200 snaps last year, Sampson ranked first in both yards per route run (2.02) and yards created per touch (4.87).
Cleveland’s defense will no doubt take a step back due to the departures of future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. It’s not hard to imagine them in a ton of negative game scripts, trying to play catch-up. Sampson could be a vital piece of the offense if that’s the case. If you’re playing in full-PPR formats, you should be trying to add him as much as possible.
Keaton Mitchell | Los Angeles Chargers
“I am speed.” Lightning McQueen’s famous mantra. But I’m sure Mike McDaniel mutters that to himself when he’s drawing up plays. In Miami, McDaniel built an explosive offense around players who were just faster than everyone else. He helped turn De’Von Achane into a fantasy star, and now in Los Angeles, he has another burner in Keaton Mitchell, who ran a 4.37 40-yard dash.
“Mitchell was almost lab-built to operate within a Mike McDaniel offense”@andybehrens is hoping to end up with a TON of Keaton Mitchell pic.twitter.com/YouxzCgENh
— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) May 30, 2026
Last season in Baltimore, Mitchell averaged a ridiculous 5.8 yards per carry. He had only 59 carries, so it was a small sample size, but Mitchell made the most of his opportunities.
There’s no doubt that Omarion Hampton will be the lead dog in this Chargers’ backfield; he has the draft capital and size to be a workhorse. But Mitchell possesses game-changing quickness, and McDaniel will find some creative ways to get his speedster the rock in space.
At RB44 pricing, Mitchell is a fascinating late-round pick with crazy upside in this offense. If McDaniel can turn him into the West Coast version of Achane, the fantasy points will come in bunches.
Jonah Coleman | Denver Broncos
It may take an injury to J.K. Dobbins or RJ Harvey for Jonah Coleman to really break through, but he’s talented enough to earn a role from the get-go. A fourth-round pick out of Washington, Coleman is a 5’8” wrecking ball on the football field. Per PFF, he averaged 3.3 yards after contact in 2025, the best mark among all running backs. He was also a standout receiver out of the backfield, catching 31 passes for 354 yards while averaging 1.73 yards per route run.
Jonah Coleman‘s College Stats
Dobbins has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, and Harvey was ineffective on the ground as a rookie. If Coleman can leapfrog either guy for playing time, his all-purpose skill set could shine through and keep him on the field.
If you want a piece of this Denver backfield, Coleman is the most cost-effective bet in drafts. He’s currently the cheapest of the trio, with an ADP of RB47.
Tank Bigsby | Philadelphia Eagles
Two thousand, three hundred and forty-two. That’s how many career touches 29-year-old Saquon Barkley has if you include his playoff games. That’s a lot of mileage. Not only that, but Barkley has also played a full slate for two consecutive seasons (he did sit out Week 18 both years) and has a ton of recent wear and tear. We all hope he stays healthy, but if not, Tank Bigsby would be set up to smash.
In 2024 with the Jaguars, Bigsby rushed for 766 yards and seven scores on 168 carries. In his first season with the Eagles, he averaged a robust 5.7 yards per carry, rushing for 356 yards on only 63 totes. His +7.7 EPA ranked 17th among all running backs, while his 7.9% breakaway run rate ranked near the top.
Tank Bigsby eclipses the 100 yard rushing mark after this run
He’s really living up to his name today 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/wCkmCl1DYd
— 𝐃𝐈𝐄-𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 🦅 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 (@Eaglesfans9) October 26, 2025
The Eagles have one of the easiest schedules for running backs in 2026. If Barkley misses any time, Bigsby would get the lion’s share of carries and provide RB2 output behind one of the league’s best offensive lines. He’s an upside dart throw, one that everyone — especially Barkley managers — should be considering late in drafts.
Nicholas Singleton | Tennessee Titans
In the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Titans took Penn State’s all-time leader in scrimmage yards and touchdowns: Nicholas Singleton. The Day 3 draft capital isn’t ideal, but some of that can be attributed to a broken foot suffered during Senior Bowl practices.
Nicholas Singleton‘s Advanced Metrics
Singleton is a downhill, home-run hitter packed into a 6-foot, 219-pound frame. He doesn’t have much wiggle to his game, but he has the athleticism and burst needed to take one to the house if he gets space.
For now, he’s stuck behind veterans Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears on the depth chart. But Singleton could get a chance to showcase his skills later in the year if the Titans are out of contention. Both Pollard and Spears are scheduled to be free agents after the season, so those final few weeks could serve as an audition for Singleton to show he can be Tennessee’s back of the future.
Sean Tucker | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Legend has it Sean Tucker climbs out from the abyss of Tampa Bay’s depth chart once a season and delivers a ridiculous fantasy performance before going back into hibernation. He did that against the Saints in 2024 and again against the Bills in 2025.
Kidding aside, Tucker set career highs in carries (86), rushing yards (320), and touchdowns (eight) last season. The Buccaneers made him their primary goal-line back, giving him nine carries inside the five-yard line. Those high-value touches helped him average 0.94 fantasy points per opportunity, good for 13th among all running backs.
This is a Sean Tucker posthttps://t.co/lTjJ6TNC4Q
— Dynasty FF Wolf (@DynastyFFWolf) July 8, 2026
It’s a crowded running back room in Tampa Bay, no doubt. But Bucky Irving broke down with injuries after a big workload early on, and Kenneth Gainwell has only one season of legit production. If either player misses time or just struggles in general, Tucker has shown he can put up massive numbers when leaned on. With an ADP of 191, there’s literally no risk in drafting him.
Jaydon Blue | Dallas Cowboys
This speedster from Texas barely saw the field as a rookie until handling 16 carries in the Week 18 finale. There’s a bit of projection with this call because we don’t even know if Jaydon Blue will be the Cowboys’ RB2, but I’m willing to bet he wins the job. (Ed. Note: ditto)
Blue probably won’t have any standalone value, but my goodness, if anything happened to Javonte Williams, Blue would be the top waiver wire pickup that week. He doesn’t have an athletic profile, but he has 4.43 speed and would have a clear path to touches in a high-powered offense. Sometimes it’s that simple.
Jaydon Blue‘s Athletic Score
Keep an eye on Blue in training camp to see if he locks down the backup job. At the very least, you can select him with your final pick and stash him on your bench as a potential lottery ticket.
Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football analyst for PlayerProfiler.
Follow @DynastyFFWolf
