Running backs are arguably the most important players when it comes to fantasy football. Different options at the position will pop up all throughout the season, but finding consistent options can occasionally be a struggle for fantasy owners. That's why it's so important to identify the top fantasy football running backs sleepers to take towards the backend of drafts.

Once all the top players are off the board, it's important to maximize the value of your picks at the end of your drafts. It may not seem important right away, but these players are probably going to contribute to your team at one point or another throughout the season.

For part 2 of our fantasy football primer including top sleepers, listen below:

We've already looked at the top 15 running backs for you to take at the beginning of your fantasy drafts, but who should you take in the middle and later rounds? Let's take a look at the top 10 fantasy football running back sleepers heading into the 2022 season that could help you win your leagues.

Top 10 Fantasy Football Running Back Sleepers 2022

10. Kenneth Walker III

Kenneth Walker III was the 41st overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he figures to play an important role in the Seattle Seahawks backfield right out of the gate. Walker should be the Seahawks top pass catching back to start the season, and if he plays well early on, chances are he will earn a larger volume of touches as the season progresses, making him one of the top fantasy football running back sleepers to take late in drafts.

9. Chase Edmonds

Chase Edmonds is part of a crowded Miami Dolphins backfield, but it seems like he's in line to be the starter heading into the 2022 season. The options behind him (Raheem Mostert, Sony Michel, and Myles Gaskin) all struggle with consistency, so there's a chance Edmonds is the last man standing among the group. He will have a chance to succeed early, and could be a sneaky FLEX option towards the later rounds.

8. Tony Pollard

The Dallas Cowboys have had a love-hate relationship with Ezekial Elliot, and his future with the team has been thrown in doubt because of the emergence of Tony Pollard. Pollard proved to be a dangerous dual-threat running back behind Elliot, and his yards per carry last season put Elliot to shame (5.5 compared to 4.2). If Pollard continues to outproduce Elliot, he will get more touches throughout the season.

7. Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Clyde Edwards-Helaire hasn't always been very consistent for fantasy owners, but that could change in 2022. Patrick Mahomes doesn't have as many targets in the passing game, and the Kansas City Chiefs may lean more on their ground game as a result. Edwards-Helaire doesn't have a lot of competition in the backfield, meaning he could be a sneaky breakout candidate this season.

6. Miles Sanders

Miles Sanders had a down year in fantasy, largely due to his inability to find the end zone. He averaged a healthy 5.5 yards per carry, proving he's still effective, but fantasy owners are seeming to forget that. Sanders is still more effective than Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell behind him, and he's looking like a solid bounce back candidate in 2022.

5. Dameon Pierce

The Houston Texans backfield doesn't have a true leader, and Dameon Pierce could emerge as the de facto starter before you know it. The 2022 fourth-round pick has a ton of potential, and has put together a strong training camp from the sounds of it. He is already among the top fantasy football running back sleepers, and he could be the steal of the draft if he earns the Texans starting job.

4. Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson was one of the best running backs in the league on a per carry basis as a rookie last season, and he figures to get a more consistent workload behind Damien Harris in 2022. Trade rumors have been swirling around Harris, and there's a chance that Stevenson could take over the lead running back role if Harris struggles early on, making Stevenson the ideal low-risk/high-reward pick.

3. Rashaad Penny

Rashaad Penny's frantic finish to the 2021 season seems to have been forgotten by most, and now he's set to be the Seahawks top running back heading into the 2022 season. Penny isn't much of a threat as a pass catcher, but he displayed his tremendous upside with Seattle last season, and he could become a top 10 running back if he can stay healthy for a full season.

2. Travis Etienne Jr.

Travis Etienne Jr. missed the entire 2021 season with a foot injury, but he figures to take over as the Jacksonville Jaguars top running back now that he's set to return in 2022. Etienne has a ton of upside as both a runner and receiver, and assuming James Robinson doesn't take too many touches from him, he could be an RB2 option right out of the gate.

1. AJ Dillon

Despite playing behind Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon was productive enough to be a RB2 for most of the 2021 campaign. He's proven to be a starting caliber running back, and he appears poised to have an even touch split with Jones in Green Bay's backfield. He probably won't fully take over for Jones, but Dillon's floor is the highest among the rest of the top fantasy football running back sleepers here despite his status as an underrated backup.