One of the trickiest dynamics in early best ball drafts is how to approach the late-round picks.

On the one hand, we know that we want to take upside swings on rookies with those picks in the hopes that we land on the next league winner like Puka Nacua or Bucky Irving.

On the other hand, we know that late-round rookie selections at RB/WR often have very little job security, and we also know that the biggest risk to the success of our early teams is dead roster spots. For a quick explainer on the importance of avoiding dead roster spots, check out this video (starts at 8:02).

This becomes far less of an issue the later we get in the summer because we get actionable information about these rookies and their place on the depth chart via training camp and preseason.

But until then, we are left to play a dangerous game of upside chasing with no safety net.

To help you better navigate these dicey waters, I'm going to run through all of the late-round RBs and late-round WRs and how to approach them in current drafts.

I'll outline both the targets whom you can comfortably draft now, as well as the players to put on a watch list for later in the summer.

This will be a two-part series. We'll hit on the RBs this week and keep an eye out for the WR piece next week …

Late-Round Running Back Targets In Early Best Ball Drafts

Draft plan: After Rico Dowdle and Braelon Allen come off the board around pick 170, we enter dicey territory at the RB position. These are the RBs to prioritize in early drafts because of their projectable status as RB2s on their team.

  • Roschon Johnson (ADP: 181): D'Andre Swift was the big winner in this backfield after the NFL Draft, but Roschon's role also looks more secure now as the clear RB2. With his pass-catching chops, he offers a smidge of standalone value along with significant contingent upside in an ascending offense where high-value touches should abound.
     
  • MarShawn Lloyd (ADP: 197): The Packers spent a third-round pick on Lloyd in 2024 and then didn't address the RB position further in 2025. His rookie season was derailed by injuries, but now he heads into this year as the sneaky RB2 behind Josh Jacobs. There's not much standalone value here, but a clear handcuff in a run-heavy offense makes him a target.
     
  • Will Shipley (ADP: 201): Shipley is probably my favorite late-round RB right now. Not only did the Eagles let Kenneth Gainwell walk, but they didn't add anything else at RB in both free agency and the draft. Shipley flashed in limited opportunities last year, and I don't need to sell anyone on what the Philly offensive line can do for its RBs.
     
  • DJ Giddens (ADP: 202): Giddens is one of the few late-round rookie RBs that I'm fully comfortable selecting right now. Despite less-than-ideal draft capital (fifth round, 151st overall), Giddens finds himself as the RB2 behind Jonathan Taylor. Giddens is a versatile and athletic back (4.43-second 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical jump) who possesses league-winner traits in the event of a JT injury. 

My current exposure on these RBs through 20 drafts:

  • Lloyd: 35% (most drafted RB)
  • Shipley: 25% (5th most-drafted)
  • Giddens: 20% (7th most-drafted)
  • Johnson: 5% (need more!)

RBs To Monitor In The Later Rounds

Draft plan: These are the backfields to avoid in early drafts because these RBs could be the RB3 on their team and a total zero. However, once we have clarity on the RB2, one of the members in each of these backfields will become a priority target.

  • Saints: Devin Neal vs. Kendre Miller: I want to target the RB2 on the Saints, but we now have uncertainty with the 6th-round rookie (Neal) and the Round 3 pick from 2023 (Miller). This will be a camp battle to monitor.
     
  • Browns: Dylan Sampson vs. Jerome Ford. This is a messy situation. Both backs will be firmly behind Quinshon Judkins, but there's still some intrigue. Sampson was drafted in Round 4 and has a nice pass-catching/blocking skill set, while Ford is the proven veteran. I'll be interested in Sampson if we get confirmation that he'll see the field early.
     
  • Dolphins: Jaylen Wright. Vs. Ollie Gordon. Wright got much better draft capital than Gordon (pick 120 vs. 179), but disappointed as a rookie. There's a chance he's just a De'Von Achane handcuff while the bigger back, Gordon, could assume more of the Raheem Mostert role. This is a very important backfield to monitor because the upside is massive.
     
  • Rams: Blake Corum vs. Jarquez Hunter. This race feels neck-and-neck. Corum was drafted in Round 3 to be the clear handcuff/clone to Kyren Williams, while Hunter was selected in Round 4 this year and brings a level of explosiveness that neither Kyren nor Blake possesses. I've mixed in a little Hunter already, but I want to be patient until we get more info.
     
  • Chiefs: Kareem Hunt vs. Elijah Mitchell vs. Brashard Smith. Oof, this one is very messy. Hunt and Mitchell look like true handcuffs to Isiah Pacheco, while Smith's former WR skillset gives him paths to being the team's next Jerick McKinnon or Samaje Perine.
     
  • Texans: Woody Marks. The Texans traded up to select Marks, so there is intrigue here. He should be able to beat out Dare Ogunbowale as the third-down breather back, but it's up for debate how many carries he'd earn in the event of a Joe Mixon injury.
     
  • Free Agents: J.K. Dobbins and Nick Chubb. Both of these guys would be intriguing if they sign somewhere like Chicago or Dallas, but I'm sitting out for now.

We'll be back next week with a breakdown on the late-round WR targets …