Assuming it happens, the NFL season is about 110 days away and quickly approaching. With free agency mostly finished and the draft behind us, here are 3 Running Back Sleepers that few people are talking about:
1. David Montgomery
David Montgomery had an up and down Rookie season last year, totaling 889 rushing yards, 6 rushing touchdowns, 25 receptions, 1 receiving touchdown, and a 3.7 yards per attempt average. Montgomery did this behind an average offensive line and few offensive play makers. The Bears acquired QB Nick Foles in a trade with the Jaguars which will open up the offense, increasing Montgomery's opportunity. Many believed that Montgomery would be overshadowed by Tarik Cohen but this was not the case last season. Montgomery is a hard nosed runner that has a decent burst and his hard to tackle. He is great at breaking tackles and was 8th in the league in that category. Cohen is completely different. Cohen is a hybrid player that is great in the return game and extremely quick and hard to tackle. Cohen had 64 carries last season, down from 99 the season prior when Montgomery was not on the team.
Montgomery was running very well and had reduced carries throughout the season. He started very strong and showed that he can be the clear starter but Coach Matt Nagy stuck with Cohen, which was not working. Additionally, Montgomery has prioritized improving his top speed and burst during the offseason which greatly helps his chances of breaking out in 2020. I personally drafted Montgomery in the late 3rd and early 4th round when his average draft position was in the 5th round last season. His average draft position is around the 3rd round this year and picking him in the 3rd is a great value. Montgomery has many things going for him and he is certainly a sleeper in 2020 Fantasy Football.
2. David Johnson
3 seasons ago, David Johnson was the #1 ranked RB in fantasy football and he lead the league in fantasy points in both PPR and standard scoring. Unfortunately, Johnson dislocated his wrist in Week 1 of 2017 and missed the entire season. In 2018, he totaled 940 yards but his number have been pretty unimpressive since 2016. After playing the second half of 2019 as a backup to RB Kenyan Drake, Johnson was traded to the Texans for DeAndre Hopkins. Last season, the Texans had a 1,000 yard rusher in Carlos Hyde and Johnson is much more talented then Hyde. I don't normally love Texans running backs but Johnson has a very high ceiling for 2020. After he was traded for Hopkins, the Texans made it clear Johnson would be imperative to the Texans offense and they valued him highly.
Johnson's only competition at RB is Duke Johnson, who is a good receiving back. Duke Johnson was traded to the Texans 2019 but I don't think he provides much competition to David Johnson. While he has struggled staying healthy and picking him may be a bit of a gamble, Johnson's average draft position (ADP) is around the 3rd round which is far too late for a player of his caliber, making him a top sleeper in 2020.
3. Cam Akers
Picking a Rookie Running Back in Fantasy Football is often a boom or but situation but Akers has a good situation. Akers was drafted by the Rams with the 52nd overall pick out of Florida State. Akers has a similar play style to Montgomery, he breaks tackles, played behind subpar offensive lines, and he is strong and compact. He has a nose for the redzone and totaled 1,205 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final year in college. The Rams do have 5 Running Backs on the Roster, which makes Akers' 2020 role a bit uncertain.
His main competition will be Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson. Akers is currently above Brown on the depth chart and behind Henderson but that can obviously change at any time. Henderson was barely used last year and I think the pick of Akers early in the draft may indicate that they are willing to fully commit to Akers as the starter. Akers' ADP is around pick #100 so he could end up being a great value for that position in the draft.
These sleepers all have the potential to breakout in 2020 and could be great RB2 or RB3 options. Akers is the highest risk out of the 3 but they are all in positions to succeed next season.
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