Late-Round Running Back Sleepers For 2026 Fantasy Football: Jonathon Brooks Is A Screaming Value
Tipp Major identifies a trio of his favorite late-round sleepers at the RB position for fantasy football and best ball drafts for 2026.
It's funny how quickly the running back position has made a comeback. Just a few years ago, fantasy managers were fading the position and stockpiling wide receivers. Now the pendulum has swung back in the other direction. It helps that more NFL teams are committed to the ground game, with 12 teams averaging at least 28 rushing attempts per game last season. And here's a prediction for 2026: more than 10 teams will average 30 rushing attempts per game.
Last season, TreVeyon Henderson answered plenty of questions about whether he was ready for the NFL. The rookie rewarded best ball managers with 9 touchdowns and several week-winning performances. His production wasn't always predictable, but that's exactly what made him valuable in best ball. Managers didn't have to guess when the spike weeks were coming; they simply benefited when they arrived.
Henderson will be long gone by the time these running backs come off the board, but each has a realistic path to returning value and helping fantasy managers win leagues.
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Late-Round RB Sleepers For 2026 Fantasy Football
Jonathon Brooks | CAR
First, get AJ Dillon and Trevor Etienne out of your thought process. The only running back standing between Jonathon Brooks and a featured role is Chuba Hubbard.
Some fantasy managers expect Brooks to open the season in a secondary role, but NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe sees it differently. According to Wolfe, if Brooks is healthy, he's the back Carolina wants leading the offense.
The blueprint already exists. Last season, Rico Dowdle handled more than 275 touches in Dave Canales' offense. With Dowdle gone and Brooks healthy, Carolina has every reason to give him a significant workload.
Canales recently said Brooks will get every chance to compete for the starting job. He then added, "He's flying around. He's big. He's beautiful-looking."
That doesn't sound like a coach preparing a player for a limited role.
Currently RB41 on Underdog, Brooks offers one of the best risk-reward profiles in fantasy football. At that price, you're drafting a player with a realistic path to lead-back volume and league-winning upside.
Tyrone Tracy | RB | NYG
Tyrone Tracy is waiting for your call. You betta calllll him! (Erykah Badu reference).
The double-digit rounds are where leagues are won, and Tracy is just sitting there waiting to be drafted. What's stopping you? Cam Skattebo working his way back in time for Week 1?
Fantasy football is about opportunity, and Tracy proved last season he can capitalize when given one. After taking over the starting role, he averaged 13.56 fantasy points per game from Weeks 9-17, delivering reliable RB production during the most important stretch of the fantasy season. More importantly, he showed he could handle a meaningful workload and remain productive.
Skattebo could carve out a role, but Tracy isn't going away. The Giants coaches want multiple backs, and the volume should be there for both. Since 2008, John Harbaugh-led teams have finished outside the top 10 in rushing attempts only five times.
That rushing volume creates opportunity, and opportunity creates fantasy value. In the double-digit rounds, Tracy offers a stable floor with enough upside to dramatically outperform his draft cost and become one of the better running back values in fantasy football.
Kenneth Gainwell | RB | TB
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Buccaneers' backfield heading into training camp, but one thing seems unlikely: Bucky Irving completely monopolizing touches.
With Rachaad White now in Washington, Tampa Bay added Kenneth Gainwell, a running back whose skill set fits perfectly in offensive coordinator Zach Robinson's scheme. Robinson has already drawn comparisons between Gainwell and Irving, which should immediately get the attention of fantasy managers.
The comparison alone suggests Gainwell is expected to have a meaningful role. Robinson prefers a balanced rushing attack built around wide-zone, gap, and duo concepts, all areas where Gainwell has proven effective.
Gainwell also brings more scoring upside than many realize. He recorded 40 red-zone touches last season and turned them into eight touchdowns, continuing a trend of earning valuable goal-line opportunities throughout his career.
Don't be surprised if Gainwell becomes one of the better late-round values in best ball drafts. His path to outperforming his draft cost is too good to ignore.
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