For dynasty teams that are surefire title contenders, it sometimes makes sense to fill out bench spots with boring veterans like Tony Pollard who can plug a hole when injuries strike. For any other type of team — and I'm not just talking about rebuilders — the ideal dynasty league strategy often includes a couple of young players who are neither blue-chip prospects nor surefire fantasy starters.
If not the bench, we often have practice-squad spots that can be devoted to post-hype sleepers our league-mates have mostly forgotten about (if they ever cared in the first place). It may seem like there's not much difference between available options outside the top 100 or so of most dynasty football rankings, but I'll make the case below that some of these overlooked young players still have ceilings worth pursuing.
I'm focusing on running backs below, after covering the QBs, WRs and TEs last week.
Affordable Trade Target
Widely rostered in dynasty leagues but might be available for less than a second-round pick.
RB Jordan Mason (97% rostered)
The argument for Mason hasn't changed much, except that Aaron Jones is a year older and the Vikings signed Kyler Murray to replace J.J. McCarthy. While still a non-factor in the passing game, Mason put up a 159-758-6 rushing line (4.8 YPC) in a miserable offense last year. He's proven himself time and again as a capable runner, and the Vikings still haven't invested much in their other backups (though there does seem to be fantasy interest in sixth-round pick Demond Claiborne).
I'm not sold on Claiborne, by any means, but if he does contribute it might be at Jones' expense rather than Mason's. In any case, the hope when acquiring Mason is that Jones will either be injured or washed up by mid-season. There's still a window here for RB2 fantasy value.
Available in Shallow Leagues
Freely available in some shallow leagues, and most can be had for a third- or fourth-round pick (or even just FAAB) in deeper leagues.
RB Kaleb Johnson (91% rostered)
The Rico Dowdle signing ended most enthusiasm about Johnson faring better under a new coaching staff after he spent his rookie year in Mike Tomlin's doghouse. The front office presumably wouldn't have signed Dowdle if they had confidence in Johnson developing into an effective runner, though it's the same front office that drafted Johnson in the third round (No. 83 overall) just a year ago. He's 22 years old and played fewer than 60 snaps as a rookie, so it's a little early for definitive conclusions on his career. If nothing else, Johnson is a decent player to squat on this summer in case of trade interest from a team that doesn't have a clear Top 2 for its backfield already.
RB Tank Bigsby (86% rostered)
This is purely an injury contingency play, with Bigsby unlikely to take Saquon Barkley's starting job even if Barkley's 2026 looks more like his 2025 than his 2024. In the event of a Barkley injury, however, Bigsby looks like one of the better backups to have on hand. Will Shipley never seemed to develop as the team hoped, leaving Bigsby as one of the more valuable handcuffs for redraft leagues. Bigsby turns 25 shortly before Week 1, and he's scheduled for free agency after the season.
Frankly, Bigsby should be rostered pretty much everywhere. I'd easily take him over Trey Benson and Braelon Allen, for example.
RB Ollie Gordon (85% rostered)
Gordon, a 2025 sixth-round pick, split backup work with Jaylen Wright last year. Neither made a great impression, but the Dolphins didn't add help this offseason and aren't likely to task De'Von Achane with the entire RB rushing workload in a rebuilding year. The new coaching staff could make a clear decision on Gordon vs. Wright for the RB2 role, after Mike McDaniel never quite seemed to trust either of them.
RB Jaydon Blue (84% rostered)
Blue, a 2025 fifth-round pick, became a popular sleeper pick last summer due to his 4.38 speed and the Cowboys' uncertain depth chart at running back. The depth chart is solid now, but only at the top, with Blue again set to compete against Malik Davis and Phil Mafah. Am I buying hype from OTAs on Blue? Not really. But he nonetheless checks most of the boxes for a perfect lottery ticket on fantasy benches.
- RB Jaylen Wright (79% rostered)
Wright turned 23 this spring, making him one of the youngest third-year pros this side of Braelon Allen. It's also been a similar story in terms of career arc, with Wright splitting limited backup work and never quite emerging as the clear No. 2 RB on the roster. He now gets another chance, competing with Ollie Gordon and a few undrafted players for a role behind De'Von Achane.
The Dolphins are obviously way better with Achane on the field, but there's no need to overwork him in a clear rebuilding season, especially when the team has a dual-threat QB whose presence can help open up rushing lanes for a lesser RB. Either Wright or Gordon should have a decent-sized role.
Available in Medium-Depth Leagues
Freely available in a lot of dynasty leagues and may otherwise be available in exchange for something like a 2028 third-round pick or a 2027 fourth-rounder.
RB Ray Davis (74% rostered)
Davis makes sense as an end-of-the-bench guy for every roster build (win-now, tanking, etc.) and arguably for every fantasy format. Some of his 2024 workload went to starter James Cook in 2025, but the Bills haven't done anything to bring in a superior rusher in case Cook goes down with an injury. The backup plan again seems to revolve around Davis and speedy pass-catching specialist Ty Johnson, who has one instance of double-digit carries in 49 appearances (including playoffs) for Buffalo. Cook stayed healthy all of last year, but in 2024 it was Davis (not Johnson) who dominated the rushing workload when Cook missed an October game with a foot injury.
RB Isaiah Davis (55% rostered)
Davis is the lightning to Allen's thunder among backup Jets RBs (quite a distinction), but Davis offers plenty of size in his own right, listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds. He's done well with his limited carries, averaging 5.6 YPC on 73 career attempts while also proving competent as both a pass-blocker and pass-catcher. Davis doesn't have any one captivating trait like Allen's borderline-cartoonish size, but it's Davis who has shown superior skills in the NFL so far.
Available in Deep Leagues
Freely available in most fantasy leagues, including the majority of deeper formats where well over 250 players are rostered.
RB Damien Martinez (26% rostered)
I'm deep in my bag here, looking at a 2025 seventh-round pick who is available in three of my five leagues. Josh Jacobs' legal issues have led to a resurgence of interest in MarShawn Lloyd, a 2024 third-round pick, but I actually thought Martinez had a slightly stronger prospect profile entering the NFL. The Seahawks didn't want him last year after drafting him, and Martinez eventually latched on with Green Bay's practice squad late in the season. There's now an opportunity to compete for a roster spot on a team with no clear RB2, not to mention the RB1 who was banged up for much of last season and now comes with legal/suspension risk.
RB George Holani (21% rostered)
Holani never had enough hype in the first place to be considered a post-hype sleeper, but he's still worth mentioning as one of the top options available on waivers in a lot of deep leagues. Reports out of the Seattle offseason program had Holani getting the most first-team reps, ahead of Jadarian Price. That may not last into the regular season, but it does seem Holani is well-positioned for a roster spot and some kind of Week 1 role. Just keep in mind that he's 26 years old and went undrafted in 2024, so we're probably just looking for a short-term spike in value, not someone to invest in beyond the next few months.
