The hot commodity in fantasy football will always be a late-round sleeper at the running back position. Whether you’re someone who subscribes to zero RB theory or you’re just bracing for the inevitability of injury, you can never find enough value at the position late in drafts. As such, allow me to introduce you to Ollie Gordon II.
Who is Ollie Gordon II?
Gordon was a sixth-round pick of the Dolphins in the 2025 NFL Draft and he entered camp as a rookie back with a lot of traffic ahead of him on the depth chart. I don’t want to say Gordon was a complete afterthought even in dynasty formats, but he really wasn’t on the general public’s radar. That’s despite some pretty notable success at Oklahoma State, too.
Gordon’s numbers tapered off in his junior season in 2024, but the now 21-year-old was truly one of the best running backs in the country in 2023. That season, Gordon led the FBS with 1,732 rushing yards and 324 touches as the absolute workhorse in the Cowboys’ offense. Gordon would also add 22 touchdowns (21 on the ground) on his way to All-American honors and a seventh-place finish in Heisman voting.
What Makes Ollie Gordon II a Sleeper?
The simple answer here is opportunity. As I mentioned above, Ollie Gordon entered training camp with the Dolphins behind some pretty notable names on the team’s depth chart. The starter, De’Von Achane, is a consensus top 10 pick in most fantasy formats, while Miami spent real draft capital on Jaylen Wright in 2024. Add in the offseason addition of established veteran Alexander Mattison, and there seemed like no real path to consistent playing time for Gordon. But that’s why most fantasy leagues don’t hold their drafts in late July, right?
Though Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel has stated it will not impact his availability for Week 1, Achane is currently dealing with a calf issue and he hasn’t practiced in over a week. This bit of injury news popped up after Miami already announced that the aforementioned Mattison would miss the entire campaign after suffering a neck ailment in the Dolphins’ first preseason contest against the Bears. Now, it’s Wright’s turn to get dinged up.
We’re slightly over two weeks away from Miami’s opening game versus the Colts, yet the team’s running back room is already looking incredibly thin. Still, it’s worth noting that Gordon had been turning some heads even before this tsunami of injuries. Gordon has been the Dolphins’ leading rusher in both preseason contests, registering 33 yards and a touchdown against Chicago and 50 yards on 10 carries last weekend in a matchup in Detroit. Gordon also added a 39-yard reception in that August 10 meeting with the Bears, showing he can be a weapon out of the backfield. I’m not lying when I say that there had been some buzz that Gordon could usurp Wright’s RB2 role before the calendar flipped to September.
It’s also not as if Ollie Gordon needs injury to have a significant role for Miami. He’s more than simply De’Von Achane’s handcuff — though there’s a lot of fantasy value in just that. The Dolphins have long struggled in short-yardage situations under Mike McDaniel and, last season, that bled over into goal line scenarios. Miami finished 2024 with only 12 rushing touchdowns, and two of those were Snoop Huntley QB sneaks. In fact, a whopping 64.7% of the Dolphins’ offensive touchdowns were through the air — the eighth-highest mark in the NFL. Achane isn’t exactly a prototypical between-the-tackles runner. Just ask Tyreek Hill.
He mentioned Wright in that clip, yet I’m sure he’d feel the same way about the 6’1, 225-pound Gordon, who drew comparisons to the likes of Brian Robinson Jr. during the draft process.
Ollie Gordon II is a goal line threat. Ollie Gordon II has produced throughout the preseason. Ollie Gordon II has shown the ability to catch the football throughout his time in college. Not bad for a guy who isn’t even being drafted in most fantasy football formats according to his gargantuan ADP. Keep an eye on this one.
