Fantasy Football 2026 Sleeper Running Backs to Target in Late Rounds

Barring injuries, fantasy football managers should generally expect to see positive returns on their early-round draft investments.

So, the latter rounds often serve as separators in league standings.

Once the NFL's best and brightest stars are dispersed, a fantasy draft begins to boil down to a glorified guessing game. By turning those late-round fliers into educated guesses, you have a real chance to get a leg up on the opposition.

Let's get that educational process going, then, by highlighting a few of our favorite sleeper running backs for the 2026 season.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

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The injury bug has seemingly had a frustrating fixation on Jonathon Brooks, as he tore the ACL in his right knee in November 2023 and again in December 2024. But if those issues are finally behind him, the highest-picked running back of the 2024 draft has an awesome opportunity to become a fantasy asset.

His talent is undeniable. He was a second-round pick and the first player taken at his position while sidelined by that first ACL tear. That shows how much this league values what he can do on the field.

And what he can do is basically everything: burst through tight windows, race around the edge, ditch defenders in space and make plays as a pass-catcher. He has clear three-down potential, to the point he could challenge Chuba Hubbard for control of a backfield no longer featuring Rico Dowdle.

A healthy version of Brooks has a legitimate shot at working his way into RB1 usage, but fantasy managers won't have to pay anything close to an RB1 price.

Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The hype train for Kenny Gainwell should be motoring along much faster than it is.

For starters, he spent last season making the leap from useful fantasy depth to a solid standalone asset. He set a slew of career-highs along the way, ultimately delivering his best rushing work to date (4.7 yards per carry, five touchdowns) while proving invaluable as a pass-catcher (73 receptions on 85 targets for 486 yards and three touchdowns).

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers clearly took note, as they added Gainwell on a two-year deal in free agency. They also overhauled their offense with Mike Evans and Rachaad White moving on in free agency, and Zac Robinson being brought in as the new offensive coordinator.

All of these changes could be good news for Gainwell, since there are plenty of vacated targets, and a system that should support multiple running backs (and feature them in the passing game). Throw in the fact that Tampa's starting running back Bucky Irving is coming off foot and shoulder injuries, and Gainwell's fantasy stock has a real chance to skyrocket.

Isiah Pacheco, Detroit Lions

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After trading away David Montgomery, the Detroit Lions might need a reliable running back to support Jahmy Gibbs and keep his workload manageable.

That might be the perfect setup for Isiah Pacheco, who flashed really explosive ability before enountering injury trouble. Over his first two NFL seasons, he totaled 2,139 scrimmage yards with 14 touchdowns in 31 games (24 starts).

His best version brings both burst and brawn, meaning he can effectively bring both thunder and lightning. Granted, it's been a while since he supplied either with real consistency, but that ability is present, and he sounds as healthy as he has been in a while.

There are, potentially at least, really interesting outcomes within reach, and fantasy managers don't have to spend much to see whether they'll come true.