Late-Round RBs
All of these guys are going in the later rounds of your fantasy drafts… and all of them could pay off in big ways in 2026.
Keaton Mitchell (LAC)
Mitchell signed a two-year, $9.3M deal with the Chargers this spring, landing him squarely behind Omarion Hampton in a backfield built perfectly for his skill set.
New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel is running the exact system that turned De'Von Achane into the NFL's most explosive back… and Mitchell's 4.37 speed profile is nearly identical to Achane's.
Even in a suppressed, rotational role behind Derrick Henry last year, Mitchell posted a 5.2 true yards per carry mark (3rd-best in the league) on just 59 carries.
Hampton is the clear starter (and I’m all in on him), but he's also a real injury risk after missing 9 games in 2025 with ankle issues. any absence makes Mitchell an instant RB2 with RB1 ceiling.
Elite efficiency, a dream scheme fit, and an injury-prone starter above him make Mitchell one of the single best value plays anywhere in this year's draft.
Rachaad White (WAS)
White's move to Washington reunites him with college quarterback Jayden Daniels and hands him a real shot at a true receiving-back role.
His calling card is pass-catching: 45 targets, 40 receptions, and 273 routes run (12th among backs) even while stuck in a timeshare in Tampa.
He's expected to lead the Commanders' backfield in snaps by a wide margin. His top competition, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, is viewed as a "zero" in the passing game.
The Daniels connection matters: the two played together at Arizona State, and Washington's offense is built around Daniels' legs and quick-passing game.
If Daniels stays healthy, White's receiving role gives him one of the safest, cheapest PPR floors on the board.
Isiah Pacheco (DET)
Pacheco landed in Detroit on a prove-it deal, slotting in as the direct backup to Jahmyr Gibbs in one of the league's best offenses.
He faces almost no internal competition for the backup job in Detroit, giving him unique contingent value.
The offensive environment is elite (Detroit finished 4th in scoring with 28.3 points per game in 2025) and his RB schedule jumps to 3rd-easiest in 2026.
If Gibbs goes down under his increased workload, Pacheco would immediately step in as the feature back for a top-5 offense.
The per-touch efficiency numbers are rough, but the sheer size of the opportunity if Gibbs misses time makes Pacheco a smart, low-cost handcuff.
Kenneth Gainwell (TB)
Gainwell cashed in with a two-year, $14M deal in Tampa Bay after a genuine breakout campaign in Pittsburgh last season.
He set career highs across the board in 2025: 187 touches, 1,023 scrimmage yards, and 8 total touchdowns.
Among all running backs, he ranked 5th in targets (85) and 4th in receptions (73), backed by elite efficiency metrics (4th in yards created per touch).
His ceiling is real: filling in for an injured Jaylen Warren in Week 4, he exploded for 31.4 PPR points (RB3 overall) on 134 total yards and two scores.
Tampa Bay views him as a clear upgrade over Rachaad White, and that target share alone gives Gainwell one of the highest weekly floors of any back on this list.
Jonathon Brooks (CAR)
Brooks is the definition of a buy-low sleeper: fully healthy heading into 2026 after tearing his ACL in the same knee twice.
He's been cleared for the full offseason program and has already reportedly hit top speeds of 21 mph in on-field work.
His path to a real role is opening up, with Rico Dowdle hitting free agency and Chuba Hubbard reported to have "lost some prominence" in Carolina.
His pedigree still matters. A second-round pick with the talent, per outside evaluators, to eventually take the starting job outright from Hubbard.
The injury history is a legitimate red flag, but a fully healthy Brooks with a clear path to touches makes him one of the highest-upside dart throws in this entire draft class.
That’s the list…take these guys late and reap the benefits all season.
-Joe