The running back position is one that can provide some elite upside pertaining to late round fantasy football with the ever-evolving way teams are starting to build their rosters around the position.

 

 

 

For the most part, gone are the days of every team giving their running back 300 carries and instead what we see are handcuffs becoming more and more involved in the offense and running backs holding down specific roles in the passing game.

Fantasy Football Late Round Running Backs 2024

Oftentimes, those aforementioned running backs can be found in the later rounds. In this article, we’re going to identify some of the best late round RBs to target in your 2024 fantasy football drafts.

While you’re at it, be sure to check out our running back strategy articles pertaining to Zero RB, Hero RB and Anchor RB draft strategy as well as the Running Back Questionnaire and Dynamic Tier Fantasy RB Rankings to help craft your running back draft strategy this season. 

Firth though, here’s my list for 2024 regarding late round running backs and fantasy sleepers!

2024 Best Late Round RBs & Sleepers

Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders (RB31)

After a very productive career with the Los Angeles Chargers we see Ekeler join the Commanders this offseason, and he leads off our list of best late round running backs. He’ll find himself in a split backfield with Brian Robinson in this new look Commanders offense led by rookie QB Jayden Daniels and new Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. 

Ekeler has been vocal about how he feels he is best utilized and that is not someone that should be given the ball 250x in a season. Instead, he’s recognized he’s an elite change-of-pace back and pass catcher out of the backfield. His utilization in the passing game is where we should see his fantasy value here this season, and as the RB31 coming off the board right now, there is great value here in those PPR league formats.

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns (RB35)

Yes, Chubb suffered a devastating knee injury last season, but he is already out here squatting away more weight than should be humanly possible. Chubb is no stranger to knee injuries, having suffered torn ACLs previously, and yet, he was able to come back and be one of the best running backs in the entire NFL. 

There is no update yet on when he will be ready for contact and it’s probably more than likely he won’t be ready for Week 1 of the NFL season. But as he gets healthy and more reports come out, his fantasy football ADP is only going to go up. So, now is your chance to get one of the best RB sleepers 2024 in Nick Chubb and look to stash him on your roster.

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (RB38)

The hype train is real here for Brown, who had some opportunities to make plays at the end of last season. With Joe Mixon now in Houston, many think he has what it takes to be the leading running back for this Bengals offense this season.

Now that said, the Bengals did sign Zack Moss in the offseason and Moss is going to get the first crack at being the every-down back. But we’ve seen Moss struggle at times over his career, so that window could certainly be open for Brown to cut into the workload.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (RB40)

Give all the dirty looks you want. The fact of the matter is this: Elliott is the lead running back in a Dallas offense that is going to score points this season. Elliott may not be the running back he once was but he is still very effective in the red zone. 

Last season, believe it or not, he was the leading receiver on the New England Patriots after catching 51 passes for 313 yards. As one of the late round running backs, if Elliott finishes this year with 850+ yards rushing, 10+ touchdowns and 40+ receptions, you won’t be laughing, you’ll be cheering.

Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers (RB41)

Replacing Austin Ekeler in Los Angeles is the old Baltimore Ravens duo of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins as they rejoin their former offensive coordinator Greg Roman. We know that Roman wants to play smash-mouth football and early reports from minicamp were that Edwards was the clear top option in this Chargers backfield. 

Last season as the lead back for the Ravens, we saw Edwards finish with 13 rushing touchdowns. Even if he finds himself in a split backfield with Dobbins, when in the red zone, he should be the man getting the ball and eventually solidify himself as one of the best late round RB sleepers of 2024.

Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos (RB52)

How about a deep dive to cap off this year’s late round fantasy sleepers? We saw McLaughlin make some plays for the Broncos last season when given opportunities to be on the field and he is again considered someone that will challenge for playing time, even with Javonte Williams another year removed from his torn ACL. 

At his current fantasy ADP, he won’t cost you much to draft and hold to see if he can get some early work in the Broncos offense. If he doesn’t pan out, he becomes an easy drop for your fantasy football rosters.

Best Late Round Running Back Picks: 2024 Fantasy Football

To recap, here’s an organized, easy-to-read list of my top late round running backs for 2024 fantasy football drafts:

This isn’t necessarily an ordered list of best late round RBs from my favorite to least favorite, but rather structured in terms of fantasy football ADP from highest to lowest.

Good luck with your fantasy football campaigns this year, and if you happen to draft any of my late round RB targets, I hope they lead you to victory!

2024 Fantasy Football: Related Draft Guide Articles

Make sure to check out some of our other 2024 fantasy football draft guide articles and 2024 fantasy football mock draft for extra tips and guidance as you get ready for the upcoming season: