4 Deep Sleeper RBs: Kendre Miller Could Be on the Rise

Nailing the early rounds of your fantasy football drafts is critical to putting together a successful campaign in season-long fantasy leagues, but hitting on a couple of late-round sleepers can give your team the juice it needs to take you to the championship.

That's especially true at the running back position, where finding late-round production has spawned an entire draft strategy: Zero RB.

Hitting on a late-round running back who produces like an early-round stud can give you a massive leg up on the rest of your league.

With that in mind, here are four deep sleeper running backs -- all going outside the top 40 at the position, per FantasyPros' half-PPR ADP -- to consider drafting in fantasy football in 2023.

Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints

ADP: RB49 (140th overall)

If your league is drafting soon, make sure you leave the draft with New Orleans Saints rookie running back Kendre Miller.

I emphasize soon because with news of Alvin Kamara's suspension due any day now, Miller probably won't be available at 140th overall (RB49) for very long.

Miller's fantasy value doesn't necessarily hinge on a lengthy suspension for Kamara, though. We've seen the Saints produce multiple top fantasy backs at the same time, like in Kamara's first few seasons alongside Mark Ingram. If Miller can provide the thunder to Kamara's lightning this year, we could still be looking at potential RB2 (top-24) upside for Miller even if Kamara misses just a game or two.

Miller was an exceptional prospect coming out of TCU, more than deserving of the third-round draft capital the team used to get him on their roster. He almost single-handedly carried the team's offense into the College Football Playoff last year, averaging a whopping 6.2 yards per carry on 224 totes for 1,399 rushing yards and an insane 17 touchdowns.

He has the skills to produce in a committee alongside Kamara and Jamaal Williams, and he could even become the team's top option if Kamara misses extended time.

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons

ADP: RB44 (126th overall)

Going just before Miller in drafts, Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier is set to be the Falcons' backup behind eighth overall pick Bijan Robinson for the upcoming season.

As a rookie, Allgeier far outproduced his fifth-round NFL draft capital, taking over the primary ball-carrier role for the Falcons last year after injuries on the depth chart ahead of him. Over 210 carries last season, he put up 1,035 yards and 3 touchdowns at an efficient 4.9 yards per carry, helping to hold together an offense that was falling apart at the seams around him.

Even with an exciting talent like Robinson in the fold, the Falcons don't seem likely to completely toss Allgeier to the side.

It helps, too, that the Falcons have been one of the more run-heavy teams in the NFL under head coach Arthur Smith, finishing 2022 with the second-highest run rate (57.4%). Even if Robinson lives up to the billing, there should still be plenty of opportunities for Allgeier to soak up a decent amount of touches in Atlanta's offense.

Allgeier would need Robinson to miss time to really smash value, but if that happens, Allgeier would likely push up into the weekly RB1 territory for however long Bijan is out.

Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns

ADP: RB63 (201st overall)

The Cleveland Browns have utilized a two-back system for years, but they made the decision to move on from long-time number-two back Kareem Hunt this offseason.

While that could be a big boost for Nick Chubb -- who is listed as at least the co-favorite in both the rushing touchdowns leader and rushing yards leader markets at FanDuel Sportsbook -- it's far from a lock that Chubb automatically takes over the vacated volume left behind by Hunt.

Enter Jerome Ford.

The second-year back is in line to be the primary backup behind Chubb for the upcoming season, which is a potentially valuable role on its own if Ford sees the kind of pass-game work and snaps that Hunt got. Hunt played on 42% and 44% of the snaps the past two seasons, so Ford has a chance to be relevant each week in half-PPR and PPR formats if he steps into that kind of role -- something he may be able to do after making 21 catches in his final college season.

But on top of that, if Chubb were to miss any significant amount of time, Ford could become a league-winning type of pick.

Sean Tucker, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ADP: RB77 (301st overall)

Given his ADP, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker is pretty much free in drafts this season, and I think he's someone worth having on your radar.

Tucker was a stud for Syracuse in his three seasons of college ball. He finished his career with 589 carries for 3,182 yards and 27 touchdowns -- adding another 622 yards and 4 more touchdowns on 64 receptions. His college target share of 15.8% is a 95th-percentile mark, per PlayerProfiler. He showed an every-down skillset in college, and that's very appealing.

Unfortunately for Tucker, health screenings in his pre-draft process revealed a concerning medical condition that ultimately led to him going undrafted, but the speedy three-down back has since been cleared for action by the Bucs for their training camp practices.

He'll now compete for opportunities in a running back room that features second-year back Rachaad White and not much else. The team parted ways with veteran Leonard Fournette earlier this offseason, freeing up a huge share of running back touches.

While Tucker isn't even a lock to make the Bucs' roster, he's someone to monitor as he has an enticing prospect profile and could carve out a role on the RB-needy Bucs.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.