NFL Fantasy Football 2026 Late Draft Value Picks: Running Backs

We are closing out the Betting News 2026 Fantasy Football running back series with the best place to find value in any draft — the late rounds. Today we've got a usage-trending handcuff on one of the league's most explosive offenses, a high-floor depth piece with league-winning upside attached to him, and the most polarizing name in fantasy football heading into August. Rounds 8 through the end of the draft are where championships are quietly built. Let's find that value.

This is an ongoing series where I highlight players who REEK of value in fantasy drafts. We aren't talking about grabbing Ja'Marr Chase with the first overall pick, but instead we are going to be finding gems and value. Each article will feature a position within a range of draft rounds (we will always skip the first round). We will assume that these picks are for 12-team leagues with .5 PPR and will not be discussing in terms of Superflex. On top of that, I'll highlight a futures bet that corresponds with each player, all of whose odds can be found on BetOnline.

Today we're going rounds 8, 9, and the deep-cut flyer territory, and we've got one of the most exciting rookie situations of the entire draft class, a bounce-back candidate with genuinely elite upside at a price that borders on insulting, and a dart throw on a 24-year-old entering his fourth year in an offense that is finally being built around him.

1. Running Back Fantasy Value Round 8: Blake Corum

Sometimes you just need to trust certain coaches and systems. In the case of the Sean McVay lead Los Angeles Rams, this is an offense that DEMANDS your trust. They have created superstars out of mid-level prospects like Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, and even their top running back Kyren Williams. But this high flying offense can feed families. And while Blake Corum plays behind Kyren Williams he is still going to get you 8-10 touches a week in that same offense.

Corum had 145 carries for 746 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 2025 — his best season in two NFL years — where he saw a big rise in his usage compared to his rookie season in 2024. The trend is moving in the right direction. Over his final six games of 2025, Corum averaged over 6.4 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns while pacing as the RB17. Six games. RB17. In a backup role. That's the ceiling you're buying in round eight.

The efficiency numbers are genuinely elite. Among qualifying backs last season, Corum ranked sixth in explosive run rate and 11th in missed tackle rate. He pushed his body in ways he never had before this offseason, according to reports, and head coach Sean McVay said the training camp footage looks "cool as s**. It's impressive." When Sean McVay is calling out your running back's offseason work in a press conference, you listen.

Here's the two-pronged value proposition at round eight pricing. First, Corum is a safe bet for 8-10 touches per week and can reasonably score any week, providing RB2 production at an RB36 price tag. That floor alone makes him worth a late-round pick. Second — and this is the real kicker — Corum is arguably the best handcuff in fantasy football. If Kyren Williams misses any time, Corum immediately vaults into borderline RB1 territory on a top-five offense. You're getting weekly flex upside and catastrophic-injury insurance wrapped into the same eighth-round pick.

Draft him confidently. Let someone else take the third wide receiver they'll never start.

Blake Corum anytime touchdown scorer in Week 1 at +160 on BetOnline:

He found the end zone in four of his top-24 fantasy finishes as a backup last season. The Rams open against a defense that struggled against power runners in 2025. Corum gets goal-line carries and red zone work. At plus money in week one, when workloads are front-loaded and game scripts haven't been established, this is the perfect opener on your fantasy RB investment.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

2. Running Back Fantasy Value Round 9: Jordan Mason

Jordan Mason is one-trick pony. And that trick is being absolutely dominant when he gets his hands on the football. The question — the only question — is how often he gets his hands on it. If Aaron Jones stays healthy all season, Mason is a frustrating depth piece. If Jones misses any meaningful time, Mason is a plug-and-play RB2 on a rapidly improving Minnesota offense with Kyler Murray now running the show.

When Aaron Jones missed five weeks last season, Mason handled 16.5 touches per game for 75.3 yards and four touchdowns across four starts, flashing an explosive run rate and yards after contact that both rank in the top 5 percent league-wide. That's not a backup performing adequately. That's a backup performing like an RB1. In 2025, Mason soaked up 158 rushing attempts for 758 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked tenth in explosive run rate, seventh in rushing success rate, ninth in missed tackle rate, and 15th in yards after contact per attempt.

The situation is improving around him too. Kyler Murray's arrival in Minnesota completely changes the offensive calculus. One analyst specifically called out Mason for a breakout season in 2026: the Vikings seem intent on making Mason their lead running back, and he should lead Minnesota in carries and rushing touchdowns. Jones should work on passing downs, but Mason is the running back to target here. The offensive line was fifth in adjusted line yards last season. Whoever is running behind that group is going to produce.

The honest case for Mason at round nine is straightforward. Jones turns 32 in December and has missed at least five games in two out of the last three years. At 32, on a new offense, the probability of Jones missing meaningful time is not small. When he does, Mason could be a plug-and-play RB2 with handcuff upside attached to a strong offensive line. In round nine — after you've already built your WR corps and locked in your primary RBs — Mason is the high-ceiling depth piece that can save your season.

Jordan Mason over 700.5 rushing yards for -110 on BetOnline:

He hit 758 rushing yards last season while splitting a backfield with an aging Jones for half the year. With Kyler Murray bringing new offensive life to Minnesota and Mason continuing to trend toward a larger role, clearing 700 yards is his floor rather than his ceiling. At near-even money on a player who's already shown RB2 production, this is easy value in the late rounds.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

3. Running Back Fantasy Value Round 10+: Tony Pollard

Yes, Kamara is 31 years old. Yes, he had arguably the worst statistical season of his career in 2025. Yes, the Saints signed Travis Etienne to be their lead back. The fantasy community has him going RB47 or later, and some analysts think that's still too high.

And yet.

The Saints have restructured Kamara's contract to keep him with the team through 2026. And intriguingly, New Orleans listed Etienne and Kamara as co-starters on their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason. Co-starters. The Saints paid Etienne $48 million to be the lead back, and they're still not declaring a clear-cut number one. That tells you something. In 2024 — just two seasons ago — Kamara was first in target share among backs at 19.6%, second in yards per route run at 1.93, and 13th in fantasy points per route run. If Etienne stays healthy, Kamara should be an interesting flex play weekly in PPR formats. If Etienne misses time, Kamara would return to every-down workhorse status immediately.

Kamara is much more than a typical running back. He is a player you scheme around. And he is a vet on a young offense There are very few, if any, players with this profile in the 10th round and beyond. Kamara at his floor is a PPR specialist who chips in 4-6 catches a week and stays relevant enough to spot-start. Kamara at his ceiling — if Etienne misses time or the Saints decide their co-starter depth chart is actually a legitimate timeshare — is a top-20 back with the receiving skills that made him a generational fantasy asset.

If Kamara remains on the roster all season, he will probably outperform his RB47 ADP in raw scoring terms. In round 10+, at a cost that prices in every negative scenario, that's all you need.

Alvin Kamara over 35.5 receptions for -110 on BetOnline:

He caught 37 passes in 2025 while dealing with injury and sharing a backfield. In 2024, he was first in backfield target share in the entire league. Even in a reduced role, Kamara's route running and catching ability give him a clear path to 35+ receptions in a Kellen Moore offense that loves its running backs in the passing game. At near-even money, this is the safest bet attached to one of the most uncertain players on the board.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

Interested in More Content?

More NFL Content on Betting News:

• NFL Expert Betting Guide
• 2026 Top Draft Wide Receiver – NFL Fantasy
• 2026 Mid Draft Wide Receiver – NFL Fantasy
• 2026 Late Draft Wide Receiver – NFL Fantasy
• 2026 Top Draft Running Backs – NFL Fantasy
• 2026 Mid Draft Running Backs – NFL Fantasy

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