• Jaleel McLaughlin poised for an increased role: The Denver Broncos running back has graded well. He played both on third-and-long and at the goal line in the preseason, suggesting he will be on the field more in his second year in the NFL.
• Bucky Irving lands in the perfect spot: Of all the running backs selected in the first four rounds of the NFL draft, Irving landed with a team that needs running back help.
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Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
These five sleepers have an ADP of 120 or higher according to consensus boards, but I've ranked them significantly higher than their ADP. While some of these players may have a sub-120 ADP on platforms where a higher percentage of users are experts, the selection was made to ensure at least some of these players qualify as sleepers on any site.
Last updated: 7:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31
Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos (ADP: 13.04)
McLaughlin was the sixth-highest-graded running back last season with an 86.2 offensive grade. His yards per carry and avoided tackle rate were both top 10 among running backs. He also led all running backs in targets per route, leading to a top-10 yards per route run figure (1.63).
There wasn’t much consistency in how the Broncos used their running backs from one week to another. McLaughlin was sued significantly early in the season, phased out in late November and phased back in by mid-December. Samaje Perine played fewer snaps as the season progressed. There is talk of Javonte Williams having a better season one year further removed from his injuries, but Sean Payton has also praised McLaughlin’s work ethic this offseason. The Broncos also drafted Audric Estime in the fifth round to complicate matters.
McLaughlin didn’t receive any work with the starters in the Broncos’ first preseason game, but he played 11-of-20 snaps with the starters in the second game, including taking a third and long over Perine and taking snaps by the goal line. McLaughlin’s work ethic appears to be manifesting into a larger role with Denver.
Perine was released on cut-down day and landed with the Kansas City Chiefs. This makes McLaughlin the favorite for taking those third-down and two-minute drill snaps.
McLaughlin is on the shorter side for running backs at 5-foot-8, but Sean Payton is no stranger to shorter running backs. Payton’s former team, the New Orleans Saints, has the second-most offensive snaps for running backs 5-foot-9 or shorter over the last 15 seasons, including Mark Ingram II, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles. All three have multiple seasons where they’ve been fantasy starters.
It’s OK to take chances on Williams, McLaughlin and Estime because someone is bound to have fantasy value this season. Payton has a long history of producing successful fantasy running backs. It’s certainly possible McLaughlin carves out a big enough role in the offense to consider starting him in fantasy football.
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP: 15.07)
Irving was selected with the 125th overall pick and had one of the best landing spots for a rookie running back.
Ten running backs were selected in the first four rounds, but some of the landing spots were the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams. All five teams had running backs who ranked in the top 10 in PFF offensive grade last season. The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers added big-name running backs in free agency who were at one point top-three running backs by PFF grade.
This leaves Jonathon Brooks to the Carolina Panthers, Ray Davis to the Buffalo Bills and Irving to the Buccaneers as the only running backs drafted with anywhere close to a good landing spot. Chuba Hubbard and James Cook were among the top 16 in rushing grade last season. This leaves Irving as the running back with the least competition for a potential starting job.
Rachaad White put up plenty of fantasy production last season, but his 68.8 rushing grade was the 11th-lowest among the 53 running backs with at least 300 snaps. Most of the bottom 10 are set for a decline in snaps this season, including two unsigned free agents. The Buccaneers' other backups, Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker, didn’t play much better last season. This means Irving could have the second-best odds outside of Brooks to win his team’s starting job without any injuries among the rookie class.
Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (ADP: 16.08)
Mason was an undrafted rookie for the 49ers in 2022. The 49ers' initial depth chart included Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Tyrion Davis-Price. Mason eventually surpassed the third-round rookie from his class while the 49ers traded away Wilson while trading for Christian McCaffrey.
Despite the presence of both McCaffrey and Mitchell on the roster, Mason has managed 83 career carries over the last two seasons. He’s run for 464 yards and four touchdowns, with an excellent 5.6 yards per carry.
He has played so well that his 92.6 PFF offensive grade over the last two seasons is the best for any running back, regardless of sample size. His grade should decrease on more snaps, but it’s still been impressive what he’s accomplished when given the opportunity.
Kyle Shanahan has hinted that Mason could be the 49ers' No. 2 back this season. Since then, Mitchell has landed on season-ending injured reserve, which confirms that Mason is the No. 2.
Mason will only have fantasy value this season if there is an injury to Christian McCaffrey. If that happens, chances are he will have at least an early-down role like former 49ers running backs. Even without a lot of the receiving work McCaffrey gets, Mason could be a top-10 fantasy running back if McCaffrey is out.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 20.03)
Bigsby was the talk of training camp but a few major errors prevented him from becoming a major part of the offense. He dropped three of his five targets, all three of which flew up into the air after bouncing off his hands. Two of the three resulted in interceptions. He also picked up a fumble after Trevor Lawrence was hit while throwing the ball. He seemed to think it was an incomplete pass, allowing the defense to force a fumble resulting in a defensive touchdown. In the run game, he lost a fumble on one of his 51 attempts.
The one bright spot is he was an effective short-yardage runner when given the opportunity, converting nine of 11 first downs when he needed one or two yards compared to just a 58.3% rate from Travis Etienne Jr.
The good news is that the game is starting to slow down for him, which should help with the ball security issues. Etienne was a feature back for much of the first half of the season, but he was rotated out a lot more in the second half. They intend to reduce his workload again in 2024, which should give Bigsby plenty of opportunities.
It’s unlikely Bigsby will see enough playing time normally to warrant being a fantasy starter, but there is at least a chance if he more consistently takes short-yardage situations, particularly at the goal line. Bigsby is primarily on this list because he could be a feature running back if Etienne were to suffer an injury.
Dylan Laube, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP: N/A)
Laube was a Raiders sixth-round pick out of New Hampshire. While he generally graded well as a runner, he put up excellent numbers as a receiver, particularly in his final season.
The Raiders receiving back last season was Ameer Abdullah, who is now 31 years old. Laube seems to have surpassed Abdullah on the depth chart after playing 13 snaps on the first eight drives of the second preseason game to Abdullah's two.
He still needs to surpass Alexander Mattison to take the full-time receiving role, but the fact that Laube went from a second-half player in the first week of the preseason to a second-quarter player in the second is a positive sign he’s moving up the depth chart. Mattison hasn’t been known for his receiving in the NFL, so it’s reasonable to expect Laube to take the receiving role at some point this season. That includes two-minute drills, as Laube took those snaps at the end of the first half of the second preseason game.
Laube probably won’t be a fantasy starter just in that role, but there is a chance his role can expand beyond just receiving. Laube took 11 snaps on first and second downs outside of two-minute drills in the first game and six in the second game. He was taken out of the second game earlier, so the reduced number of snaps wasn’t as concerning.
The Raiders don’t seem fully sold on Zamir White or Mattison, considering all three played the first drive of the third quarter. This backfield seems fluid and could change depending on who is playing well and who isn’t. If Laube ends up as the best receiver on the team and even the second-best runner, that could be enough to make him a fantasy starter.
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