Best Ball Behemoths (RB)

The Top Sleeper Running Back Options in a Best Ball Fantasy Format at Their Current Price. 

ADP via DraftKings Best Ball Daily Fantasy Football rankings.

Kaleb Johnson (RB) Pick 78

There isn’t really a rookie running back to have more confidence in than Kaleb Johnson at the pick he is being taken with. He projects to be one of the top options in an offense that is lacking firepower across the board. With Arthur Smith as his offensive coordinator it isn’t hard to envision he immediately assumes a large workload. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell behind him are no real threat to Johnson’s usage. Warren may be a fan favorite that churns his legs through several tacklers, but he just simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a threat to Johnson’s status as the team’s top back. With a fossilized Aaron Rodgers limited in his mobility, Kaleb is a guy who will feast as a pass catching option. In PPR fantasy it isn’t unreasonable to say Johnson has top five to ten RB upside. Remember when Najee Harris finished as a top five back in 2021 in Big Ben’s last season? If Harris could finish as the fourth best fantasy running back in his rookie season in a floundering offense then what should we expect with Johnson who is a far more explosive player?

Some interesting things to note with Johnson are that he played with one of the worst offenses in college football throughout his time at Iowa. His QB play was dreadful his whole collegiate career as Iowa’s RB room was asked to carry the offense. This last season he delivered each week with a stellar 1,700 all purpose yards on 6.4 yards per carry. Efficient, young (21 years old), explosive, and versatile. Seems like a supreme value at 78 to me. The 25th RB selected in drafts with one of the best recipes for success in fantasy football. Make it make sense. Almost forgot to mention that Warren has dealt with nagging injuries as well the past few seasons. In best ball, Kaleb Johnson is a league winner.

Jordan Mason (RB) Pick 110 (now he’s pick 97)

This player is easily the most drafted running back across the board on every best ball team I have drafted so far. Why is that so? Well for one, he is a consistently efficient runner fighting off tackles in the open field. You pair that with the significant investments Minnesota made into their offensive line this offseason, especially for their run blocking, and Mason becomes a David Montgomery type of asset. Mason is set to at least be the Vikings’ goal line back as his running mate Aaron Jones has made finding the endzone look nearly impossible inside the five yard line. The amount of times I’d flip the channel to NFL RedZone and watch Aaron Jones get stacked up for a loss behind the line of scrimmage when Minnesota was on the doorstep was mind boggling. The thing with Mason is that people really overestimate Aaron Jones. Yes, Jones is an incredibly explosive player with significant pass catching value, but the guy is injury prone. Tape on his knees, lingering hamstring issues, and risk associated with him running between the tackles in the box is what skyrockets Mason’s value. 

Last season when Mason was called upon behind an uncharacteristically battered offensive line in San Francisco he provided a spark. His two year $10.5 million contract is eerily similar to the one my Detroit Lions gave David Montgomery, which was two years for $12 million. This mold of having a speedster alongside a bruiser has taken the league by storm. This year Mason should eclipse eight touchdowns in a career year for the back. You heard it here first. Him going with the 110th pick is ludicrous. He may even have a chance to be the team’s lead back. At the very least he’ll be premium RB depth in best ball which is imperative for the format.

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB) Pick 128

Now this is the point in the article where readers may throw up in their mouths as the Patriots just drafted arguably the most explosive home run hitting running back in the draft (not to me). The issue with the Patriots selecting Henderson is that the guy simply cannot stay healthy and NEEDS a backfield timeshare for his preservation. This is where Stevenson enters the picture. The Patriots overhauled nearly every position this offseason on the offensive side of the ball with the offensive line getting SIGNIFICANTLY better than the pathetic unit they deployed in 2024. Every time Stevenson touched the football last year he was swarmed by three to five guys in the box for minimal gains. Despite having a staggering career high of six fumbles, a career low of 3.9 yards per carry, and being injured in 2024 Stevenson still had four 20+ point fantasy games. Not too shabby for a guy who vastly underperformed last year. His value is at an all time low routinely falling 10-20 picks further from his projected ADP of 128. 

Getting an RB who just put up four 20 point fantasy games in his worst year yet this late in drafts is quite a draw. He’s playing on the best offense he has had in his career, has a knack for finding the endzone, and should be a force between the tackles with the Patriots selecting Jared Wilson at Center in this year’s draft. Jared Wilson is a specimen. A freak athlete who can reach the next level in run blocking with ease. All signs are positive for Rhamondre to eclipse his current draft value this year in best ball fantasy. And if Treveyon Henderson goes down, which is a serious possibility, then there’s no other competition in the Patriots RB room. An elite handicap with immense touchdown upside even when Henderson is healthy. The kind of mouth watering value that one can circle on their draft boards. He has potential to be a better Brian Robinson. He very well could end up going 40 to 50 picks after Robinson is off draft boards. Why not buy into the Patriots discount?

Tyjae Spears (RB) Pick 135 (Now 121)

You’re at the point in the draft where you look to extract the most value out of each pick you make. Spears might just be the best value in this range at the running back position. Last season he ended the year on a tear after dealing with injury throughout 2024. For fantasy he put up 27.2, 21.6, and then 13.3 points to wrap up the Titans season. He primarily did damage as a pass catcher, but showed in his last game that he could shoulder a workload on the ground with 20 carries and 95 yards. He may be a backup to Tony Pollard, but it’s not hard to foresee a jump in the Titans offensive production that could give Spears some more opportunity. Especially catching passes. Spears is shifty, Pollard could go down at any moment, and Spears could give you at least 3-5 games in best ball which could be crucial for your team’s success. 

Running back might be THE most valuable position in this format of fantasy. When looking at the division Spears plays in there will be multiple games against the Jaguars and Colts for him to potentially shine. Pollard has been an overlooked bell cow running back, but he hasn’t quite had that home run speed he had in Dallas after a brutal hip drop tackle in the playoffs against the Niners a few seasons ago. Spears is an elite stash with little tread on his tires. 184 career carries over two seasons in the NFL. It would be wise in these early best ball drafts to buy him low now after a down year with injuries keeping him off the field. This offense projects to be significantly better with the addition of Cam Ward at quarterback. Just a thought.

Devin Neal (RB) Pick 230

Is Devin Neal a glamorous pick in fantasy? No. But in college the man produced in an offense that was him just putting the whole Kansas Jayhawk team on his back. He seems to hit a different gear every time he reaches the next level on runs. Sifting through defenders, never missing the crease, and extracting every yard possible after contact. These are traits that should bode well for him at the next level. It’s unbelievable he fell to the sixth round of the draft to the New Orleans Saints. He is by far the best handicap in drafts with no other competition for him in the Saints backfield if Alvin Kamara goes down at any point in 2025. 

Even if Kamara stays healthy he could easily carve out a role in the Saints offense to create a one two punch with AK47. He was one of the best pure runners in the draft with traces of Nick Chubb in his game. Elite vision, contact balance, and deceiving shiftiness. He can make tacklers miss one on one and always takes a path on long runs that yields the most amount of yards possible. Man do I hope Neal succeeds at the next level. He was electric in college and at pick 206 he is in the range of throw away selections in best ball. The very end of best ball drafts is where people need to look for hidden gems. This guy is your hidden gem. Last year my top dog in 2024’s rookie class was none other than Bucky Irving. Selected him in every league. Don’t sleep on this young man, especially when his price tag is less than a bag of chips.