2026 Fantasy Football: Justin Boone's top sleeper picks at RB

Fantasy managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who’s actually being slept on can be difficult.

With that in mind, we’re shifting our focus to late-round targets who could drastically outproduce their ADP in 2026.

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Over the next week, I’ll shine the spotlight on my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we’re taking a look at running backs.

More Sleeper Picks from Boone: QB | RB | WR | TE

Jonathon Brooks, Panthers

Brooks was viewed as the future of Carolina’s backfield when the team selected him as a 21-year-old in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Had it not been for an ACL tear in his final college season, Brooks may have gone in Round 1.

Even though Brooks was recovering from the serious knee injury, the expectation was that he could eventually emerge as a three-down back as early as the stretch run of his rookie season. However, his return only lasted three games before suffering another ACL tear, which has sidelined him ever since.

That brief glimpse of him in NFL action included a nine-touch, 41-yard outing in Week 13 while playing just 21% of the snaps. He also flashed his versatile skillset with 23 of those yards coming on three receptions.

Now, after missing the entire 2025 campaign, Brooks is back at practice and expected to be a significant part of the Panthers’ ground game in 2026 — alongside Chuba Hubbard.

The 27-year-old Hubbard is just one season removed from a 1,366-yard, 11-touchdown season that made him the RB12 in fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to repeat those numbers in 2025. Hubbard battled injuries and tougher competition for touches with Rico Dowdle stealing the starting job halfway through the year.

While Hubbard remains the favorite to open the year as the lead back, it’s easy to envision Brooks eating into his workload and usurping him on the depth chart during the season.

Even baking in the uncertainty around whether Brooks can regain his pre-injury form, there’s almost zero risk involved for fantasy managers who want to draft him this year — with Brooks going off the board outside the top-100 picks as the RB37 in ADP.

I’m valuing Brooks as a high-upside sleeper and potential RB3/flex option, with a chance to emerge as a fantasy RB2 by the end of the season.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Commanders

Expectations for seventh-round picks are normally very low, with their main goal being just to make the team. By that measure, Croskey-Merritt had a strong rookie season last year, though it felt like he didn’t capitalize enough on his opportunities.

Brian Robinson Jr. being traded before Week 1 and Austin Ekeler suffering a season-ending injury, left a three-man committee with JCM, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols — which limited everyone’s fantasy ceiling.

However, Rodriguez only topped 70 scrimmage yards twice and never went over 85 yards in a single game. McNichols was a distant third in terms of touches and production. Meanwhile, Croskey-Merritt went over 70 scrimmage yards four times, including twice during the final month. Fantasy managers will remember his contributions well, since he was the RB10 in fppg during the fantasy playoffs, topping 95 yards on two occasions and scoring four touchdowns over that stretch.

He’ll carry that momentum over to this season as he tries to win the lead back job over pass-catching specialist Rachaad White and sixth-round power back Kaytron Allen. The coaching staff has made it clear that JCM needs to improve his contributions in the passing game if he’s going to consistently earn a larger role in the offense.

While this could be a frustrating fantasy backfield to decipher week-to-week, there’s value to be had with all three Commanders’ RBs being chosen in the 10th round or later. Croskey-Merritt is the one I’m drafting most frequently, since he has the greatest potential to emerge as a difference-maker from this group after flashing that high-end production in December.

Kenneth Gainwell, Buccaneers

Gainwell is fresh off an outstanding year in Pittsburgh, where he caught 73 balls for 486 yards and three touchdowns, while finishing the season with over 1,000 scrimmage yards and eight total TDs.

More importantly, he proved himself capable of handling the starting job when called upon, which could come into play once again if Bucky Irving can’t overcome the durability issues that plagued him last season.

In the four games where Gainwell saw at least 15 touches for the Steelers, he posted 134 yards and two TDs in the first, 105 yards in the second, 122 yards in the third and 126 yards in the fourth. If Irving misses time again, Gainwell will immediately be in the conversation as a top-15 fantasy back, while giving up a small amount of work to Sean Tucker.

Initially, Gainwell will step into White’s former role as an overqualified No. 2 back with weekly RB3/flex potential thanks to his pass-catching prowess. But there’s a much higher ceiling waiting to be unlocked if Irving misses time or falters in any way.

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