As the 2023 fantasy football season inches closer, there’s no shortage of talent to review across draft boards. Managers can almost guarantee that they’ll end up with at least one superstar asset in the first three rounds. However, the same cannot be said for the deeper stages of drafts, which is why we’re here to shed some light on the players that might be getting overlooked in preseason rankings. Let’s take a look at five running backs that are undervalued for 2023.
Looking for sleepers for fantasy football isn’t about finding players nobody has heard about, because that isn’t happening. When we refer to sleepers, we’re highlighting players who should outplay their average draft position. Instead of the term “sleeper,” we can replace it with “value” and still be on the right track.
Here’s a look at some of our favorite deep sleepers that could help you win your fantasy football leagues.
Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Johnson is another rookie that, while unnaturally gifted as a ball carrier, might fall deep in fantasy drafts because of his current situation in Chicago. David Montgomery’s now playing for the Lions, but the Bears have also acquired D’Onta Foreman, Travis Homer and still have Khalil Herbert. At the moment, Johnson gives us most to be excited about as a fourth-round pick in 2023. He was deemed one of the most overlooked running backs in college football last year, and he ranks 18th on Texas’ all-time rushing list with 2,190 yards, despite seeing limited usage behind Bijan Robinson. Johnson has breakout potential in this current Bears backfield.
Rashaad Penny, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles acquired D’Andre Swift this offseason, but Penny was first on their list of free agent acquisitions. Playing on a one-year contract, the former Seattle Seahawks running back is poised to make an impact whenever he’s called upon in 2023. Swift is certainly No. 1 on the team depth chart, but Penny has an equal amount of skill as a runner, and could potentially start some games as the season moves along. He’s currently listed as the 40th-ranked RB in fantasy football heading into drafts.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars
You know those backup RBs that get a lot of hype and someone steals them when its your handcuff? Bigsby is going to be that RB for a lot of people in fantasy drafts this season. The Jags took Bigsby in the third round in 2023 out of Auburn to spell Travis Etienne Jr. We know Etienne has some injury history. Bigsby could see snaps and playing time even if Etienne is healthy and producing. Jacksonville’s offense should be very dynamic with Etienne, Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk. Bigsby is a good potential handcuff to steal away from an Etienne manager. All it would take for Bigsby to morph into an RB1 is an injury to Etienne. Even if that isn’t the case, Bigsby could have some deep PPR FLEX appeal.