When talking about NFL fantasy football, no position is more important and more debated than the running back. With such scarcity, getting great depth at running back typically requires some smart drafting in the later rounds.
There are some concerns about the top wave of backs, which is going to make the ‘sleeper rounds’ more competitive. Do you want to own Le’Veon Bell when he’s missed chunks of the offseason program and has yet to report? Is Melvin Gordon really the fourth-best back in drafts? Do you trust DeMarco Murray with Derrick Henry lurking? And guys like Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette have boom-or-bust written all over them.
That’s why we’re taking a look at the later round picks with high ceilings and top-24 potential. Here are five good sleepers at the running back position.
Bilal Powell
New York Jets
With him likely taking over starting duties from Matt Forte, or at a minimum seeing his total touches increase, Bilal Powell is a great option in Fantasy this season. In the final four games of 2016, when he was the lead back in New York, Powell averaged 138 yards per game from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns. Powell ranked fourth in receptions among all running backs last season. The Jets have almost no passing threats on offence, making Powell a strong candidate to lead the Jets in receptions and possibly even in receiving yardage.
Paul Perkins
New York Giants
Paul Perkins is slotted in to be the Giants number one back in 2017 and will look to improve on his lackluster rookie statistics. Perkins did show improvement near the end of 2016, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 75.3 rushing yards over the last three games of the season. Perkins was the lead back for two seconds at UCLA and has the ability to carry the load. If the Giants offensive line can improve and he takes a positive step forward, his ceiling is much higher than his current draft rankings.
Jamaal Williams
Green Bay Packers
With the Packers looking to be more balanced on offence this year, Jamaal Williams has a great chance of being a valuable fantasy running back. With Lacy leaving, Starks getting older and Montgomery being a wide receiver converted to running back, the Packers lack a pure running back to eat up carries and provide consistency to the rushing attack. This is where Williams comes in. The Packers will use Williams to replace the 80 by Lacy in 2016, plus the 75 or so carries they lacked in 2016. With the possibility of getting close to 180 touches in 2017, Jamaal Williams is worth drafting this year.
Dalvin Cook
Minnesota Vikings
What Dalvin Cook brings to the Vikings in 2017 is the ability to be an every down back. Although it is expected he will split duties with Latavius Murray in the early part of the season, Cook is likely to take over the full-time job later in the year. Davin recorded over 2200 total yards from scrimmage in his final season at Florida State and scored 40 touchdowns in his last two seasons. The heavy workload coming into the NFL is a reason to expect him to ease into the role of an every-down back but by the midpoint of the season, he should start to show top-12 potential.
Eddie Lacy/Chris Carson
Seattle Seahawks
Early in his career, people were comparing Eddie Lacy to former Seattle running back, Marshawn Lynch. While Lacy is not likely to reach Lynch numbers in 2017, there are multiple reasons to believe in Lacy this season. First is his commitment to losing weight and getting in playing shapes, second is how much better Seattle has been with a power run game, and third is Lacy averaged 5.1 yards per rush last season. Combining these three things makes Eddie Lacy an attractive candidate to have a bounce back season and challenge Thomas Rawls for the lead back position in Seattle.
Add in the fact that Rawls is again dealing with ankle problems – even if they are minor – and it appears there is an opening. If you’re looking for an even deeper cut, take a look at rookie Chris Carson. He’s been getting rave reviews in Seattle and has been mixing in with the starters. He offers more speed than Rawls and Lacy, and could get carries sooner than later.
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