We know that running backs like Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, and Christian McCaffrey are going to be some of the top picks in Fantasy Football drafts everywhere in the coming year, but what about the sleepers? What about the halfbacks that people might overlook?
Here is a list of five sleeper running backs for fantasy players heading into 2019.
5. Mike Davis, Chicago Bears
The Bears signed Mike Davis at the onset of free agency, and later in the month of March, they traded Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles, opening the door for Davis to get some carries.
While Tarik Cohen is the main star in the Bears' offense right now, Davis will likely step into Howard's role, which was a big one in Chicago. The former Seattle Seahawks running back is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he rushed for 514 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry as the No. 2 back behind Chris Carson. In addition, he hauled in 34 receptions for 214 yards and a score, so he has some potential as a pass-catcher.
While Cohen is pretty much universally recognized as a Swiss army knife type of player, Davis is flying under the radar and could be in for a big year with the Bears in 2019.
4. Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos
The word on the street is that Royce Freeman's workload will increase quite a bit in 2019, with reports stating that he will get even more carries than Phillip Lindsay, who is coming off of a Pro Bowl season.
The Broncos drafted Freeman in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft while Lindsay went undrafted, so Denver sees potential in Freeman, who rushed for 521 yards and five scores while registering four yards per attempt this past year.
Freeman also had some flashes as a pass catcher at Oregon, particularly during his sophomore campaign when he caught 26 passes for 348 yards.
Look for him to have a bigger role in Denver's offense in 2019.
3. Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions
Kerryon Johnson only played in 10 games due to injury during his rookie campaign, but he still managed to total 641 yards and three touchdowns while posting 5.4 yards per carry. Plus, he caught 32 passes for 213 yards and a score.
Now, in a new offense that seems geared to focus on him, Johnson could be primed for a breakout season.
Johnson doesn't have breakaway speed, but he is a workhorse with great field vision and an efficient style of running.
He will be competing with carries with C.J. Anderson, but if anything, the two should complement one another well, with Anderson helping keep Johnson fresh for all 16 games.
2. Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers
Perhaps one of the least-talked about NFL players who should be discussed more is 49ers running back Matt Breida, who is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he totaled 814 yards and three scores in 14 games, logging 5.3 yards per attempt.
In addition, Breida showed some promise as a receiver, snaring 27 balls for 261 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
In a San Francisco offense that should be better overall in 2019 with the return of Jimmy Garoppolo, Breida could have a big year and is a reason why some are considering the Niners a sleeper team in the NFC West.
An undrafted back out of Georgia Southern, Breida could end up making all 31 other teams in the NFL pay for missing out on him through seven rounds of drafting in 2017.
1. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Yes, the Browns signed Kareem Hunt, but due to his suspension, Hunt will not be eligible to return to the field until the season is halfway over.
That means Chubb will get the bulk of the carries for Cleveland throughout the year, and based on how terrific he was this past season, that is big news for Fantasy Football owners.
Chubb racked up 996 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018, posting 5.2 yards per carry. He wasn't much of a receiver, catching just 20 passes for 149 yards and a pair of scores, but this is a guy who could end up being among the league leaders in rushing in 2019.
Remember: defenses will have to spend a ton of time worrying about the Browns' lethal passing attack, which should open Chubb up for some big gains with the safeties playing back.
Fantasy Football is going to be fun this year and these five running backs are guys you should target.
Follow Us
Subscribe