9 backup running backs who could break out in your fantasy playoffs

9 backup running backs who could break out in your fantasy playoffsStory byChristian D'Andrea, For The WinTue, December 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM UTC·3 min read

It's rough out there if you need a running back. Not in the NFL so much, where there remains a glut of talent that makes one of the league's most punishing positions one of its most underpaid. In fantasy football, however? Good luck finding a difference-maker this late in the season.

But, foolish as we are, that's what we're here to do. There's one week left until the fantasy playoffs begin, which means one final round of byes and more opportunity for injuries to deplete already precarious rosters. Sifting through the tailback detritus on the waiver wire will only turn up lottery tickets.

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We're gonna try and find a winner among them.

I'm joined, as always, by FTW NFL betting expert and self proclaimed Rhode Island Scumbag Mike Boyajian. We're breaking down a lineup of available platoon running backs and figuring out which could be the difference between a playoff run and the quiet bliss of waking up Sunday morning without the onset panic of setting your lineup. We've got you covered in the video above, but there's more in-depth analysis below.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) rushes during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Which RB2 is gonna carry you to glory?

These nine running backs are firmly second in the pecking order when it comes to their team’s ground game but capable of big performances. Each is owned in less than half of Yahoo! leagues.

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• Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams

• Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

• Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars

• Nick Chubb, Houston Texans

• Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

• Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals

• Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons

• Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns

• Brian Robinson Jr., San Francisco 49ers

If you had to roll with one for Week 14, who is it? If you had to stash one in hopes of a playoff run, who would it be?

Christian:

Hell yes, time for another heat map! Glance at this Misbehaving Lawrence, a joke that only works if you read the wideouts explainer where I called the last heat map a Bad Larry!

NFL RB2s, Weeks 9-13

As you might expect, the RB2s who are solid runners are limited receivers. The RB2s bringing value in the passing game are flawed when it comes to handoffs. These are platoon backs for a reason.

Ray Davis and Dylan Sampson would be valuable on rosters where they weren’t blocked by dynamic young runners (James Cook and Quinshon Judkins, respectively). Corum is a grinder on the ground but brings almost no value as a receiver, which means his value is limited even *before* you get to the fact Sean McVay would give Kyren Williams the ball 50 times if he could. Spears is a valuable receiver, which makes up for the fact he’s been hot garbage on the ground lately.

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Thus, we’re left looking for guys who could break through and/or get bonus time due to an injury or ineffective play ahead of them. Corum is running well, getting carries and making himself indispensable to a respected head coach. Tuten is playing alongside Travis Etienne, who is capable of greatness or getting benched, occasionally in the same game. Sampson looks great and the Cleveland Browns are firmly in “throw stuff against the wall” mode.

My guy for that Week 14 win? Corum. My pick for the secret, playoff-saving sleeper? You know what? I think Sampson is too explosive for a depleted Cleveland team to ignore. His lingering calf injury is a concern -- those turn into devastating Achilles issues way too often -- but his playmaking ability is badly needed for an offense that's spent all of 2025 turning over stones to see if there's anything valuable underneath.

Yaj:

I’m going to do what Michael Scott always says. KISS. KEEP IT SIMPLE, Stupid (stupid being me in this case). Corum and Tuten are my personal runaway favorites here.

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[Ed. note: Well, they don't call him the best play-by-play man in the business for nothing, folks.]

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 9 backup running backs who could break out in your fantasy playoffs

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