Finding the right fantasy football RB sleepers can make a huge impact in Week 8, especially for managers dealing with injuries, bye weeks, difficult matchups or tough start-sit decisions. Aside from the obvious weekly starters, several running back sleepers could be positioned for increased opportunities this week.
Each week, we highlight five running backs who have a path to outperform expectations because of their role, matchup, recent usage or opportunities in their offense. These picks can help season-long fantasy football managers looking for a sleeper or FLEX option, while DraftKings salaries are included for players who are also in good spots to provide DFS value.
Best Fantasy Football RB Sleepers for Week 8
Here are five fantasy football RB sleepers to consider for Week 8. Quick analysis for each running back is below.
- Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals ($4,800)
- Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers ($4,600)
- Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos ($4,300)
- Seth McGowan, Indianapolis Colts ($4,300)
- Corey Kiner, New England Patriots ($4,000)
Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals ($4,800)
Why he’s a Week 8 fantasy football sleeper: Perine is splitting time with Chase Brown ($6,300) and has been able to find the end zone in each of the last two games. He had 15.8 FPTS in Week 5 before the team’s bye week, taking 14 carries for 68 yards and scoring a receiving touchdown. In Week 7, he had a short rushing score but was not targeted. He’s touchdown-dependent, but has enough upside to be a fantasy football sleeper under $5,000.
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers ($4,600)
Why he’s a Week 8 fantasy football sleeper: The Chargers come back from their bye week and will take on the Rams in a Los Angeles rivalry game on Sunday. Vidal has been sharing time with Keaton Mitchell ($4,100) and Omarion Hampton ($5,100), giving all three backs upside but also high risk. He was in a growing role before the bye week, posting 11.6, 12.6 and 7.0 FPTS in his last three games. Vidal usually gets involved on passing downs, so his upside as a receiver makes him a good option as a bargain play.
Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos ($4,300)
Why he’s a Week 8 fantasy football sleeper: The Broncos got Coleman back from IR last week, and he rotated in with J.K. Dobbins ($5,300) and RJ Harvey. Coleman got most of the work in the second half against the Cardinals in Week 7 with the Broncos playing from ahead, finishing with nine carries for 54 rushing yards and two catches for 15 receiving yards. With Harvey picking up a knee injury in practice this week which will sideline him for this matchup with the Chiefs, Coleman and Dobbins should carry more of the work, and Coleman could be a solid bargain play even in a tough matchup.
Seth McGowan, Indianapolis Colts ($4,300)
Why he’s a Week 8 fantasy football sleeper: McGowan is another rookie running back who could get more work this week. Jonathan Taylor ($7,800) could be on the verge of being traded, with reports on Saturday that talks are “active and ongoing,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team could choose to manage his workload, giving more work to his backup, McGowan. Last week, McGowan had a season-high 11 carries for 46 rushing yards and added a two-yard catch to get to 5.8 FPTS. He’s in a very difficult matchup against the Jaguars, but his increased workload makes him interesting at this value salary
Corey Kiner, New England Patriots ($4,000)
Why he’s a Week 8 fantasy football sleeper: With TreVeyon Henderson (illness) ruled out, Corey Kiner ($4,000) could be in a much larger role for the Patriots against the Dolphins. Kiner had 5.9 FPTS in Week 5 and 5.7 FPTS in Week 6. In the past, the Patriots have leaned on Kiner to grind out the clock, and he could be asked to fill that role if the Patriots can get out to a lead against Miami this week.
Last Week’s Fantasy Football RB Sleeper Results
Here’s how our five fantasy football RB sleeper picks performed last week:
- Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants: 8.7 FPTS
- Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals: 7.6 FPTS
- Sione Vaki, Detroit Lions: 0.5 FPTS
- Pierre Strong Jr., Green Bay Packers: 0.0 FPTS
- Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals: 9.3 FPTS
Fantasy Football RB Sleepers FAQ
Who are the best fantasy football RB sleepers for Week 8?
Samaje Prine, Kimani Vidal, Jonah Coleman, Seth McGowan and Corey Kiner are five running backs to consider as fantasy football sleepers for Week 8.
What is a fantasy football RB sleeper?
A fantasy football RB sleeper is a running back outside the most obvious weekly starters who has an opportunity to outperform expectations because of factors such as an expanded role, increased targets, injuries, recent usage or a favorable matchup.
Can these RB sleepers also be used in DraftKings DFS lineups?
Some fantasy football RB sleepers can also provide DFS value when their DraftKings salary does not fully reflect their projected role or upside. DraftKings salaries are included above to help identify players who may be useful in both season-long fantasy football and DFS contests.
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