Kenneth Dixon

10 RB sleepers to target for fantasy football week 5

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With four teams on a bye week and many running backs injured, it’s time for many owners to look for some RB sleepers to get them through fantasy football week 5.

One of the top RB sleepers of the day is Oakland Raiders running back DeAndre Washington (33) who here celebrates with Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As seems to be the case every season, injuries are starting to pile up in fantasy football backfields. Many fantasy football owners were already scrambling at running back, and with four teams with solid RB options on the sidelines things are stretched extremely thin this week. To help you if the injuries have left you scrambling, check out my top 10 last-minute RB sleepers as you get your lineup together for week 4=5.

Every week, you can find these position-focused last-minute sleepers here on FanSided along with plenty of other posts to help you throught the week. Check out my top 10 last-minute WR sleepers from earlier this morning if you’re also hitting the market for receiver help this Sunday

In case you haven’t found them already of this is your first visit to our weekly sleeper RBs, FanSided has assembled some great tools to help you get your lineup set for fantasy football each week. You can find all our coverage by checking out (and bookmarking) the fantasy football hub where you’ll find the top 10 matchups to attack for the week as well as full Week 5 rankings. You can also get any specific lineup question answered by checking out the new start/sit tool.

This weekly post is desigend to feature some players that I think are coming into the week a little bit underrated. Whether they are mid-range players with a chance to join the elite options this week or players on waiver wires that may be nice plug-and-play options, I think they’ll excel this week based on projected workload and matchup. At the end of the day, I think they’ll be the best RB sleepers in fantasy football week 5.

All these RB sleepers are risky to some degree, but I think they can be used as cheap DFS plays or as plug-and-play options off of many league’s waiver wires. One final reminder–these are RB sleepers, so don’t go crazy and take a flier on one of them over a more established play.

Let’s get going with my five last-minute sleeper running backs week 5 by starting with a back in a juicy matchup who could be a top-10 option.

Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Howard-Chicago Bears

Last week, Chicago got a win over the Lions behind a big game from rookie Jordan Howard. Howard was stepping in for an injured Jeremy Langford, but Howard continued to show more ability than Langford has showcased to this point in the season. He’s quickly breaking out as one of the best RB sleepers of the season

Howard finished last week with 111 yards rushing on 23 carries and hauled in three catches for 21 more yards. The only thing missing from his breakthrough performance was a trip to the end zone which. Still, the fifth-round rookie from Indiana has showed a ton of upside going forward.

With Langford still sidelined, Howard will again have the backfield to himself as the Bears head to Indianapolis to take on the Colts who played last week in London. Indianapolis decided to not have their bye this week, so they’ll try to stop Howard and Chicago on Sunday.

However, Indy’s run defense hasn’t done much stopping of any running back this season. They have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing RB and have allowed RB to run for 100 yards in three of their four contests. Howard is one of the top emerging running backs in fantasy right now and one of the best RB sleepers for week 5.

Oct 2, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders running back DeAndre Washington (33) runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

DeAndre Washington-Oakland Raiders

I’ve been in on DeAndre Washington as one of the top RB sleepers since my first breakout RB post way back before the preseason started. It’s finally his time to shine this week since Latavius Murray looks like he’ll miss the week with troublesome turf toe.

In Murray’s absence, it looks like Washington will lead the way in a timeshare with fellow-rookie Jalen Richard (more on him later). While Richard will mix in, Washington will likely be the starter despite a fumble that almost proved costly last week. He has totaled 147 yards on his 23 carries (6.4 YPC) and added 37 yards on six catches. The rookie from Texas Tech hasn’t found the end zone yet, but that could change this week.

So far this season, San Diego is allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing RB’s so far this season and has allowed at least 22 fantasy points (standard scoring) to opposing RB’s in three of their four games. In the last two weeks, they surrendered five rushing TD’s to the Saints and Colts who aren’t necessarily known for being strong running teams. Washington could be one of the best RB sleepers of the week in such a good matchup.

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Jones-Washington

Washington has turned things around to stand at 2-2 after their 0-2 start to the season, and a lot of the improvement has to do with their increased reliance on Matt Jones. Jones was slated to be the workhorse back, but he started the season with just seven carries after an AC joint injury sidelined him in the preseason.

The last three weeks, though, Jones has been playing increasingly well and getting plenty of work. He has at least 60 yards rushing in each of the last three weeks and ran for a season-high 117 yards last week against the Browns while adding two catches for 21 more yards. He also found ht end zone for the second time in the last three weeks and has become a reliable fantasy starter in almost all formats.

In week 5, Jones makes it into my RB sleepers even though he is headed on the road to face the Ravens who have been pretty good against the run. I expect a low-scoring grind-fest in Baltimore which should lead to a good fantasy day for Matt Jones.

Sep 29, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 22-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Jay Ajayi-Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ rookie head coach Adam Gase is ready to admit what all fantasy owners know–four-way running-back-by-committee (RBBC) solutions don’t work. The past few weeks since Arian Foster’s injury, the Dolphins have been trying to mix Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams, Isaiah Pead, and Kenyan Drake. None of those four backs have emerged as a great option, but with Foster doubtful someone will have to help Miami’s ground game get going.

My first pick for RB sleepers from this group is Jay Ajayi who is in his second year out of Boise Sate. Ajayi did get the game-winning touchdown against the Browns two weeks ago while totaling 28 yards on his seven carries. He only got six carries in last Thursday night’s loss to the Bengals and finished with just 33 yards. He’a averaging 3.8 yards per carry on the season and has added 90 yards on three catches.

Ajayi and the Dolphins are in a better matchup this week against the Titans than it initially looks like. Even though Tennessee has allowed just one rushing TD all season, they have allowed over 100 yards rushing to opposing RBs each of the last three weeks. Ajayi is a solid flex play this week and could even be used as an RB2 if you’re desperate.

September 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Jalen Richard (30) runs with the football past Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) during the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Richard-Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have a pair of rookie RB sleepers they are rolling out this week in place of Latavius Murray. They’re in a good matchup and both playable depending on how desperate you are for help.

Sharing the load with DeAndre Washington will be Jalen Richard who started the season with a splash rushing for a 75-yard touchdown in his NFL debut. He has been able to get 144 yards on his 17 carries (8.5 YPC) and added 39 yards on five catches. The un-drafted free agent out of Southern Miss has been trailing a little behind Washington’s workload lately, but he could still be set up for a breakout week.

Depending on how the workload breaks down, both Richard and Washington could be sneaky good plays as RB sleepers in one of the best week 5 matchups against the Chargers run D.

Sep 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) hands off to running back Wendell Smallwood (28) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Wendell Smallwood-Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles went into their bye week with a Week 3 romp in Pittsburgh to improve to 3-0 and get the brotherly love flowing in Philly. Two of the main reasons for their success has been great play from rookie QB Carson Wentz and a much-improved team defense.

Another option that emerged in Week 3 is one of my RB sleepers for this week–Wendell Smallwood. Smallwood had a breakout game against the Steelers running for 79 yards and a touchdown on his 17 carries. The fifth-round pick out of West Virginia flashed a ton of upside, and according to Eagles beat reporters will see “plenty of opportunities” going forward.

Smallwood has plenty of upside in his Week 5 matchup against the Lions, but there is some risk as well. The team still seems committed to Ryan Mathews as their primary back and Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner are also in the mix. How much Smallwood plays will determine his potential moving forward as a fantasy option, but he definitely has the potential to be part of a surprisingly effective Eagles attack.

Sep 25, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Bobby Rainey (43) attempts a touchdown pass as Washington Redskins strong safety David Bruton (30) defends at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Rainey-New York Giants

The Giants have had a shifting time-share in their backfield as well although not necessarily for the same reasons. New York has lost Shane Vereen for the season, and they will also be without Rashad Jennings for the third straight week as they head to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Sunday Night Football.

It’s a bad matchup for the Giants’ backfield, though, since the Packers run defense has been one of the best in the league. Much like last week against the Vikings, I expect the Giants to use their passing-down back Bobby Rainey extensively instead of relying on run-first option Orleans Darkwa.

Rainey played more snaps than Darkwa last week, and he tied for the team lead in targets with nine. The former-Buccaneers’ running back hauled in seven catches for 43 yards while also adding 22 yards on four carries. If you need a plug-and-play option from our RB sleepers, Rainey can definitely be a flex option especially in PPR formats.

Aug 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon (30) runs past Detroit Lions outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Kenneth Dixon-Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens parted ways with Justin Forsett last week and handed the starting role in their backfield to Terrance West. West responded with a big game against the Raiders running for 113 yards and a touchdown on his 21 carries. However, John Harbaugh hasn’t said he’ll be the feature back this week because of the return of rookie Kenneth Dixon.

Dixon opened lots of eyes this preseason, and Baltimore is committed to getting him involved. He could take over as the starter in a few weeks, but he’ll probably be brought along slowly this week. Dixon is one of the riskier RB sleepers for this week, but his upside for the season makes him a great stash option.

The Ravens host Washington this week in what should be a grindfest of a game. It’s a great matchup for Dixon to return in since Washington is allowing the second most fantasy points per game to opposing RB so far this season. He’s a high-risk, high-reward play this week, but will be one of the better RB sleepers to own going forwar.d

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots running back James White (28) carries the ball as Arizona Cardinals nose tackle Josh Mauro (97) defends during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

James White-New England Patriots

So far this season, the Patriots have gone heavily with LeGarrette Blount in the backfield as they pounded the ball extensively while Tom Brady was out. However, with Brady back this week in Cleveland expect a more pass-heavy flavor to the offense which should mean more work for dual-threat James White.

White has filled in pretty well for Dion Lewis as the team’s receiving-down option. Last week, he caught all five passes thrown his way for a total of 50 yards.

This week, Blount has been limited in practice by a hip injury, so White could get more playing time because of that as well. In a great matchup for the Patriots in Cleveland, look for Brady and the boys to get rolling right away. When they do, the kind of running back that’s involved is usually James White.

White is a high-risk play from our RB sleepers this week, but he could be a flier that hits since he is so involved in the passing game.

Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions fullback Zach Zenner (34) is stopped on fourth down by Chicago Bears defensive end Will Sutton (93) during the second half at Soldier Field. Chicago won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Zenner-Detroit Lions

The Lions take on the Eagles this week, but they’ll have to do it with a makeshift backfield. Ameer Abdullah is on IR and Dwayne Washington is doubtful for the contest. With those two options sidelined, the Lions will go with a blend of receiving-specialist Theo Riddick and second-year back Zach Zenner.

Zenner showed well last preseason as a rookie out of South Dakota State, but he didn’t get involved much last season except on special teams. He could get the call this week on most of the early-down and goal line work especially since he’s a powerful fullback type rusher.

He’s one of the riskiest RB sleepers to roll with this week, but he will get enough opportunities that he could potentially pay off.