Fantasy Football: 4 Late-Round Running Backs to Target

Early-round selections in fantasy football drafts carry lofty expectations and are projected to be weekly contributors in our lineups. Pairing early-round consistency with late-round production can be a recipe for success in fantasy football.

Whether you are deploying a zero-RB strategy or just wanting to find late-round gems at running back, there are a handful of backs who are worth considering with an average draft position (ADP) of 96 or later on FantasyPros' consensus ADP for half-PPR leagues.

Here are four late-round backs to mull over.

Fantasy Football: Late-Round Running Backs to Target

Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders

ADP: RB32 (96th Overall)

It is going to be a new-look offense for the Washington Commanders this season with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels taking over under center while Kliff Kingsbury will be calling the plays. Even though the Commanders signed veteran Austin Ekeler in free agency, Brian Robinson is a screaming value at his ADP.

After being limited to 12 games as a rookie in 2022 due to being shot in the leg in the offseason, Robinson totaled 1,101 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. Robinson produced a solid 0.21 rushing yards over expected per attempt and a 29.6% red-zone opportunity rate a season ago, per NextGenStats.

Besides Robinson proving he can be an every-down back with 36 receptions, 368 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns last year, Ekeler showed signs of decline in 2023. Ekeler -- who is entering his age-29 season -- logged a forgettable 36.3% rushing success rate and -0.27 rushing yards over expected per attempt last campaign.

While the Commanders will want Daniels using his legs in the running game, they likely don't want him taking too many unnecessary hits. Upon finishing as the overall RB22 -- RB21 in fantasy points per game (12) -- last season, Robinson should get the majority of the goal-line work for Washington this year, and he is capable of contributing in the aerial attack.

Trey Benson, Cardinals

ADP: RB36 (108th Overall)

Many view Jonathon Brooks as the top rookie running back to have in fantasy football this year as he possesses an ADP of 91 (RB29). Despite Brooks being the first back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he is recovering from a torn ACL, and the Carolina Panthers have already placed him on the non-football injury list to begin training camp.

The second running back to hear his name called in this year's draft was Trey Benson, and he'll look to carve out a role with the Arizona Cardinals. Benson is currently listed as the backup to veteran James Conner, but he has the skill set to handle an expanded role as the season progresses.

Among the college backs with 150-plus attempts last season, Benson posted the 20th-most yards per attempt (5.8) and second-highest breakaway rate (53.9%), via PFF. Benson also supplied 20 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown in 2023 while he concluded his three-year collegiate career with zero fumbles.

Entering the upcoming season, Benson is one of my favorite rookie handcuffs due to the upside he possesses if Conner misses time or receives a decrease in his workload at any point. Besides Benson potentially seeing an increased role down the stretch this season, the Cardinals are expected to have a better offense with a healthy Kyler Murray and the addition of rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.

Chase Brown, Bengals

ADP: RB40 (120th Overall)

The Cincinnati Bengals elected to trade Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans this offseason, ending his seven-year tenure with the organization. Along with signing Zack Moss in free agency, the Bengals are placing confidence in Chase Brown to handle a larger share of the backfield touches.

Brown didn't get much work as a rookie a season ago, finishing with 335 scrimmage yards and one touchdown on 58 total touches. Despite the lack of playing time for Brown, head coach Zac Taylor said that he believes the second-year back has "earned" a bigger role in Cincinnati's offense.

While Brown isn't the same size as Mixon, Mixon handled 270-plus touches in five of his seven years with the Bengals. In each of the last three seasons, Mixon didn't finish any worse than RB12 in half-PPR formats taking handoffs and catching passes from Joe Burrow.

At the moment, Brown appears to be headed toward a split backfield with Moss to begin the upcoming campaign. It's one of the most important running back positional battles to watch.

If Brown can generate more big plays than Moss -- who has a career mark of 4.6 yards per touch -- then he could be an extremely valuable back to roster in a talented offense.

Gus Edwards, Chargers

ADP: RB41 (117th Overall)

Even with Justin Herbert signing a lucrative extension and being the franchise quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers, the arrivals of Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman could mean a more physical rushing attack in LA. The losses of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at wide receiver could also lead to more of a run-heavy offense for the Chargers.

In response to Ekeler departing for the Commanders, the Chargers replaced him with a combination of Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, and rookie Kimani Vidal. Of the three new faces, Edwards is the only one who has proven he can be the No. 1 back in an NFL offense for the entirety of a season.

Aside from earning career-best marks in rushing attempts (198), rushing yards (810), and rushing touchdowns (13) last season, Edwards produced a 45.0% rushing success rate and 0.26 rushing yards over expected per attempt for the Baltimore Ravens.

What makes Edwards even more intriguing -- besides his short-yardage ability -- is the fact Dobbins has missed 25 games in the last two seasons and is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. Unless Dobbins can overcome the dreaded post-Achilles output for running backs or Vidal emerges early as a sixth-round rookie, Edwards is primed for a bigger workload than many expect.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.