Fantasy Football RB Sleepers for Week 10: Five Running Backs to Consider

Finding the right fantasy football RB sleepers can make a huge impact in Week 10, 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 10

Here are five fantasy football RB sleepers to consider for Week 10. Quick analysis for each running back is below.

1. Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,700)
2. Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals ($4,700)
3. Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay Packers ($4,600)
4. Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints ($4,500)
5. Emari Demercado, Houston Texans ($4,200)

Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,700)

Why he’s a Week 10 fantasy football sleeper: Johnson could be one of the most popular plays of the week since he’ll be carrying the load for the Chiefs with Kenneth Walker III (groin) ruled out on Saturday. Johnson had a huge game in Week 8 against the Broncos, posting 28.3 FPTS with one carry for 15 rushing yards and five catches for 128 receiving yards and a touchdown. He had 34 rushing yards on six carries in Week 9 and will have a chance to have a breakout game against the Falcons, who have allowed the third-most FPTS to running backs this season.

Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals ($4,700)

Why he’s a Week 10 fantasy football sleeper: The Cardinals are hosting the Rams in a divisional contest, and Knight does have upside as an alternative to Johnson, who will likely have much lower ownership. The Cardinals will be without rookie Jeremiyah Love (ankle) again, leaving Knight and Tyler Allgeier ($5,200) to carry the workload. While Allgeier has been getting most of the work, Knight has upside as well after posting 11.8 and 9.3 FPTS in Weeks 6 and 7 before missing time with a concussion.

Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay Packers ($4,600)

Why he’s a Week 10 fantasy football sleeper: Kaleb Johnson is another running back with a great chance to step up this week. With Josh Jacobs (finger) out, Johnson ran for 68 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Even in a tough matchup, Johnson makes sense as a value play and brings a good upside, as I broke down earlier this week. He will have MarShawn Lloyd ($4,800) in the mix after he was out last week and Chris Brooks ($4,000) is also questionable coming off IR, so his workload may be a little uncertain, even though he does bring nice upside.

Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints ($4,500)

Why he’s a Week 10 fantasy football sleeper: The Saints are expected to activate Travis Etienne Jr. ($5,500) before Sunday’s game against the Panthers, who have allowed the second-most FPTS to running backs this season. Estime returned to the Saints before last week’s game against the Browns and had 15 carries for 72 yards and 14.7 FPTS, and he could still be in a complementary role this week, depending on how much work Etienne is ready for.

Emari Demercado, Houston Texans ($4,200)

Why he’s a Week 10 fantasy football sleeper: The Texans downgraded David Montgomery (groin) to out on Saturday, leaving Demercado as the primary backup behind Woody Marks ($5,700). In his Texans debut last week, he had six carries for 16 yards and an eight-yard reception for 3.4 FPTS. He probably won’t get a ton of work with Marks in a clear workhorse role, but Demercado should get enough touches to be a flier play at this salary just over the minimum.

Last Week’s Fantasy Football RB Sleeper Results

Here’s how our five fantasy football RB sleeper picks performed last week:

• Devin Singletary, New York Giants: 5.9 FPTS
• Elijah Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles: 5.6 FPTS
• Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: 5.4 FPTS
• D.J. Giddens, Indianapolis Colts: 0.0 FPTS
• Corey Kiner, New England Patriots: 11.5 FPTS

Fantasy Football RB Sleepers FAQ

Who are the best fantasy football RB sleepers for Week 10?

Emmett Johnson, Bam Knight, Kaleb Johnson, Audric Estime and Emari Demercado are five running backs to consider as fantasy football sleepers for Week 10.

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.