These undervalued RBs could be fantasy football draft-day steals
Fantasy football expert Jacob Camenker breaks down the RB sleepers you should target before your 2026 fantasy draft.
Fantasy football season is kicking into full swing, and many managers will soon be drafting their respective fantasy squads for the 2026 campaign.
Naturally, all fantasy managers will be looking for quality value picks to fill out their rosters. These players don’t have to be sleepers in the traditional sense. Sometimes, it’s as simple as looking at where and when players are being selected and finding a handful who should go a round or two earlier than they currently do.
Who are some of the best value picks to target in 2026? Here’s a breakdown of 10 players who are being undervalued and could easily outplay their average draft position (ADP).
All ADP figures courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy.
- ADP: 18.3
- Position rank: RB11
Henry’s ADP has continued to sag year by year because of concerns about his age and career workload. That’s understandable, as the 32-year-old is the NFL’s active leader in career touches with 2,851, but still, he has shown no signs of slowing down.
In each of the last two seasons, Henry has logged over 300 carries and 16 touchdowns for the Ravens. He has averaged 5.9 and 5.2 yards per carry, respectively, across those two campaigns and should continue to be one of the league’s more consistently productive running backs.
Despite this, Henry is going in the second round of fantasy drafts, on average. That should make him a rare, early-round bargain, as he has finished as a top-six fantasy running back in six of the last seven seasons.
- ADP: 53.1
- Position rank: RB21
Henry isn’t the only undervalued AFC North running back. Judkins has the potential to outplay his RB21 label thanks to Cleveland’s new-look offensive line.
Last season, Judkins averaged just 1.4 yards before contact per carry, which ranked last among 49 qualified running backs. The Browns revamped their blocking unit because of those struggles, and four new starters will join Teven Jenkins up front.
If that unit can quickly jell and find success, Judkins could be poised for a breakout season. Todd Monken has expressed a desire to operate as a run-heavy team, so the 22-year-old running back will be a high-usage fantasy option with the potential of a high-end RB2. One could easily justify selecting him a full round earlier than his ADP indicates.
- ADP: 68.9
- Position rank: WR29
Luther Burden III got a lot of offseason fanfare, which has allowed Odunze to fly under the radar.
Odunze, a 2024 first-round pick, led Chicago in targets last season despite missing five games due to a foot injury. He should be first in line for targets in 2026 as well, as DJ Moore is now playing for the Buffalo Bills while Burden has been slowed by a preseason groin injury.
Odunze needs to improve upon his 48.9% catch rate to reach his full potential, but he should improve his performance as he and Caleb Williams spend their third season together and second in Ben Johnson’s offense. That makes him the Bears receiver to roster and a strong value given his mid-round ADP.
RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
- ADP: 86.8
- Position rank: RB31
Dowdle has posted back-to-back rock-solid seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He had near-identical numbers in each stint, garnering 235 carries for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns with the Cowboys before posting 236 carries for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns with the Panthers.
Now on his third team in as many seasons, there is uncertainty about whether Dowdle or Jaylen Warren will be Pittsburgh’s lead back. But regardless of how the rotation shakes out, Dowdle should be a productive part of a tandem, especially after he enjoyed strong rushing success from inside the 5-yard line.
Last season, Dowdle turned four of his six carries inside the 5-yard line into touchdowns. By comparison, Warren had four touchdowns on 11 carries. Dowdle is slightly larger than his counterpart, so that may make him the preferred goal-line option. If so, Dowdle should be a solid RB2 despite currently being selected in the flex range of most fantasy drafts.
- ADP: 100.8
- Position rank: WR38
Sutton is in a similar boat to Odunze. He is being overshadowed by another member of his receiving corps, as Jaylen Waddle is expected to be Denver’s new No. 1 receiver in 2026.
That said, Waddle’s presence shouldn’t hurt Sutton as much as some are forecasting. If anything, Waddle’s speed will make defenses focus more on containment on him, opening up more space for Sutton to operate.
Sutton has averaged 129.5 targets and 77.5 receptions, 1,049 receiving yards and 7.5 touchdowns across his two seasons working with Bo Nix. His high floor should make him a solid WR2 for fantasy purposes, even if the 30-year-old doesn’t have the same ceiling as some of his younger counterparts.
- ADP: 104.8
- Position rank: WR39
Wilson enjoyed a breakout year during his third NFL season, especially from Week 11 on. Over his final eight games, Wilson posted a whopping 56 catches for 775 yards and six touchdowns. That pace would translate roughly to 119 catches, 1,647 yards and 13 touchdowns over a full, 17-game season.
Is Wilson likely to repeat that elite-level production? Maybe not, but he is still partnered with Jacoby Brissett, with whom he has great chemistry. That could help Wilson in his quest to carry over his breakout to the 2026 season.
Also, Marvin Harrison Jr. is being selected, on average, 25 picks ahead of Wilson. So, compared to his higher-upside teammate, Wilson is looking like a bargain.
- ADP: 114.4
- Position rank: TE15
Just three tight ends have logged 100-plus targets in at least two of the last three seasons. They are Travis Kelce, Trey McBride and Ferguson.
Despite this, Ferguson isn’t even being drafted as a TE1 this season. Many are anticipating CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will hoover up most of the targets from Dak Prescott, but Ferguson can still be productive if that happens. The 27-year-old ranked fifth league-wide in red-zone targets last season, so his touchdown upside should make him a safe bet to be a top-10 fantasy tight end in 2026.
- ADP: 114.7
- Position rank: QB17
Goff has been one of the more consistent NFL quarterbacks over the last few seasons. He has posted at least 4,500 yards and 30 passing touchdowns in three consecutive campaigns, finishing as a top 10 fantasy quarterback in each season.
Goff should be in line for another strong season in Dan Campbell’s offense. The Lions will face the NFL’s weakest schedule in 2026 and the team has a plethora of weapons for Goff to target, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
That should help Goff to once again vastly outperform his fantasy draft slot.
- ADP: 125.0
- Position rank: QB23
Willis lacks starting experience, but he more than makes up for it in fantasy upside. Willis has made just six career starts, but he flashed his skill set across three starts for the Packers.
Willis threw for 612 yards and three touchdowns while adding 174 yards and three scores on the ground across his starts for the Packers. Extrapolated over a 17-game season, that would put Willis on track to throw for 3,468 yards and 17 touchdowns while running for 986 yards and an additional 17 scores.
Willis’ dual-threat abilities should make him a quality streamer, especially playing for a Dolphins team that figures to be trailing frequently. He will have plenty of garbage-time opportunities to pad his stats, so don’t be surprised if he ends the season as a top-15 fantasy quarterback – provided he can stay healthy.
- ADP: 128.8
- Position rank: WR56
Stribling has been a steady riser throughout training camp and the preseason. The second-round rookie is facing a big-time opportunity to earn targets, as Ricky Pearsall will miss the season with a knee problem while Mike Evans has been sidelined by a minor quad issue.
Veterans Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk could help replace the 49ers’ injured wide-outs, but the more likely option is that Stribling will take on a majority of the voided targets. The Ole Miss product showed what he can do in his preseason debut, when he generated 63 yards on an impressive seven catches, so don’t be surprised if he goes from a late-round sleeper to a solid part of a good fantasy lineup.