Late-Round RB Targets For Early Best Ball Drafts: Jordan Mason Has Hidden Upside For 2026

Few positions in the NFL are more dependent on opportunity than running back.

Depth charts matter. Injuries matter. Coaching tendencies matter.

And, in best ball, that’s exactly why late-round running backs are so appealing.

Hunting For Late-Round RB Targets In Best Ball

There’s no better recent example than the 2024 49ers. Injuries limited superstar Christian McCaffrey to just four games, creating a major opening for Jordan Mason, who responded with nearly 900 scrimmage yards across a dozen contests.

Then Mason got hurt.

Rookie Isaac Guerendo stepped in (for season-long and daily fantasy GMs, anyhow) and immediately became fantasy relevant, producing at least 75 total yards in four games while flashing receiving upside that offered several late-season spike weeks. By the regular season finale, even Patrick Taylor was getting in on the action, erupting for 121 yards and a touchdown.

The takeaway? In the right system, running back production can be highly replaceable.

You’re not replicating prime McCaffrey, of course, but perfection doesn’t exist in best ball. You need usable weeks and occasional ceiling performances from players drafted well outside the early rounds.

With that …

Three Late-Round Running Back Targets for 2026 Best Ball Drafts

Jonathon Brooks | CAR

ADP: RB41 (109.5)

Quick chance for a rare pat on the back.

When we first discussed Brooks as a best ball sleeper back in April, he was going in the Round 12/13 range in early offseason drafts.

Now? Round 10.

Fantasy fans are catching on after Brooks’ productive start to OTAs and glowing reviews from Panthers head coach Dave Canales. And, honestly, they should be.

Teammate Chuba Hubbard is currently being drafted roughly three rounds earlier than Brooks, and it simply doesn’t make sense. Hubbard was excellent two years ago, but Rico Dowdle’s signing last offseason and subsequent showcase proved the veteran is a placeholder.

Yes, the injury history is scary for Brooks. He tore his right ACL twice in a span of 13 months, limiting his NFL career to date to three games and 45 total yards.

But the former second-round pick’s talent is undeniable. At Texas, Brooks piled up more than 1,400 scrimmage yards and 11 TDs as a sophomore. He was one of the most explosive runners in the country and an absolute monster after contact.

Best case? Brooks eventually steals the starting job outright.

Even if he doesn’t, there’s still a realistic path to standalone flex value in a Canales offense that wants to run the football.

Jordan Mason | MIN

ADP: RB38 (124.6)

Hey, weren’t we just talking about Mason?

Mason quietly handled the largest workload of his career during his first season in Minnesota, finishing with personal-bests in carries and targets while also setting a new benchmark with six touchdowns.

And there’s room to believe his role could continue growing.

Aaron Jones turns 32 in December and is coming off the least efficient season of his career. Durability remains an ongoing concern after multiple injury-shortened campaigns. Jones has missed 11 games over the last three years and is entering his 10th season. There’s a lot of tread on those tires.

Meanwhile, Mason was simply more effective.

Across 16 contests, Mason averaged more yards per carry and per game than Jones and consistently earned snaps in the red zone. Kevin O’Connell clearly trusted him near the goal line.

The floor here already feels useful because the Vikings appear committed to a timeshare.

But the ceiling? That’s where things get interesting.

If Jones begins to show further signs of decline or misses time, Mason suddenly becomes attached to a seemingly improved offensive environment with Kyler Murray now under center.

That’s a pretty attractive profile in the middle rounds.

Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL

ADP: RB59 (167.4)

Don’t get confused; this isn’t that B. Robinson in the Atlanta backfield.

Still, Brian Robinson is intriguing.

He flirted with 800 rushing yards each of his first three seasons in Washington, topping 1,100 total yards once, then sprinted for 400 yards on 92 carries last year for San Francisco behind a healthy McCaffrey.

Now he lands in Atlanta as the clear backup to superstar Bijan Robinson.

Normally, that wouldn’t sound especially exciting. But handcuff running backs attached to elite rushing offenses always deserve attention in best ball, especially when they’re available this late.

Even with Bijan dominating touches last season, Tyler Allgeier still handled nearly 150 carries and topped 600 scrimmage yards. The Falcons have consistently shown a willingness to rotate backs and preserve Bijan when possible, and there’s no reason to think new head coach Kevin Stefanski won’t do the same.

That sets up Robinson for much of that secondary role.

You’re not drafting him expecting weekly usability.

You’re drafting him because the spike-week opportunities could become enormous very quickly in the event Bijan were to miss any time.

That’s exactly the type of dart throw I want late in best ball drafts.