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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
David Dorey

Sleepers and Value Plays: Running Backs

A sleeper running back is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him.  Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com  using only recent drafts.

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.

Average Draft order – Value plays

Sleepers and over-valued players

Best of the rest

Chris Thompson (JAC) – Worth noting that Jay Gruden is the offensive coordinator and he brought along Thompson with him from the Redskins Football Team where he had as many as 49 catches in a season.

Lynn Bowden Jr. (LV) – One of those “what to do with him” players that played as a quarterback, running back and wide receiver at Kentucky. Listed as a wideout in the NFL draft, the Raiders intend on using him as a running back. But also as a receiver. And maybe a bit of quarterback. All those fantasy points count. Great end-of-draft grab to see what happens.

Carlos Hyde (SEA) – Hyde finally lasted all 16 games in 2019 and turned in 1,070 rushing yards. This is his seventh year and fourth NFL team but Seattle loves to run the ball and Rashard Penny blew his knee last year and starts out on the PUP list. Hyde is a great handcuff pick for the Chris Carson owner and may end up with some stand-alone value.

Adrian Peterson (WAS) – Yes, he is 35 years old. And there are plenty of other backs on the Football Team like Derrius Guice, Antonio Gibson, Peyton Barber, and J.D. McKissic. But two years in Washington and he’s offered over 1,000 total yards both times despite being the guy I always pick up at the end of drafts.

 

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