Identifying fantasy football sleepers and under-the-radar players is one of the most fun parts of our fake game, but the process has changed over the last few years with so much information now at our disposal.
With a fresh new crop of rookies comes the opportunity to find draft-day bargains. When it comes to dynasty drafts and rookie sleepers for redraft/early best ball leagues, we have to dig pretty deep. That’s why I’ve embarked on a search for what I like to call “true sleepers” – small school and late third-round or Day 3 draft picks who could surprise early in the NFL.
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
After researching and finalizing my 2024 rookie dynasty rankings, I’ve identified a handful of running backs who could be this year’s, Tyler Allgeier, Dameon Pierce or Jaleel McLaughlin.
2024 NFL Draft Prospects: Dynasty Rookie RB Sleepers
Finding the Next Sleeper
One of the biggest indicators that led me to feature guys like Elijah Mitchell, Rhamondre Stevenson, Tyler Allgeier, Tyjae Spears and Keaton Mitchell as draft-day sleepers in previous versions of this article was the prospect’s high average yards per snap or scrimmage play. Simply put, when the running back is on the field, he accumulates yards at a high rate.
Yards per play is a great indicator of future success with recent late-round standouts in that category over the past three years including Keaton Mitchell, Spears, Mitchell, Stevenson, Rachaad White, Zamir White, James Cook and Tyler Allgeier.
Mitchell and Stevenson headlined the 2021 NFL Draft class in that category. The majority of those featured all showed something as rookies to boost their value entering Year 2. Even late-round and undrafted running backs like Michael Carter, Kenneth Gainwell, Jaret Patterson and Chris Evans flashed moments in very limited roles as rookies.
This metric also confirmed the status of last year’s first-rounders Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, both of whom graded positively in that category.
2024 Rookie Running Backs College Average Yards Per Snap/Offensive Play
| Name | Team | Age | Class | Career Dominator Rating | Final Season Dominator Rating | Yards Per Play |
| Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | 22 | Senior | 22% | 27% | 3.33 |
| Audric Estime | Notre Dame | 21 | Junior | 17% | 28% | 3.32 |
| Jonathon Brooks | Texas | 21 | Junior | 9% | 27% | 3.3 |
| Bucky Irving | Oregon | 22 | Junior | 17% | 19% | 3.11 |
| Kendall Milton | Georgia | 22 | Senior | 9% | 16% | 3.1 |
| Blake Corum | Michigan | 23 | Senior | 23% | 33% | 3.09 |
| Braelon Allen | Wisconsin | 20 | Junior | 28% | 28% | 2.99 |
| Trey Benson | Florida State | 22 | Junior | 20% | 23% | 2.92 |
Kendall Milton (RB – Georgia)
I can’t seem to quit Georgia RB Kendall Milton.
Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards split touches the last four years at Georgia, as Bulldogs RBs tend to do. Neither back surpassed a 10% career college dominator rating having to sit behind future NFL running backs James Cook, Zamir White and Kenny McIntosh. Milton is the bigger of the two Georgia backs in this year’s draft at 6-foot-1 1/2 and 225 pounds, while also posting vastly superior rushing statistics.
He was sixth overall in yards after contact per attempt in the class (4.1) and fifth in yards per play (3.1). Milton’s not a burner — 4.62 40-yard dash (26th percentile) — so keep that in mind as he goes into the next level. It’s all about the initial burst with Milton versus long speed. Case in point, his 10-yard split was tied for the fastest at RB in the 2024 Draft class at 1.51 seconds. His closest comparables, per MockDraftable.com, from last season include Zach Charbonnet and Roschon Johnson.
Milton’s not getting much love with low projected draft capital, so I recognize him as a “true” sleeper in this year’s class even if he goes undrafted (very possible). If anything, Milton might be this year’s DeWayne McBride (for better or worse). He’s a hammer back that doesn’t offer much in the passing game. Just don’t go overboard drafting before the 2024 NFL Draft.
During the pre-draft process, Milton has met with the Buccaneers.
Tyrone Tracy (RB – Purdue)
I’d be lying if I wasn’t interested in Tyrone Tracy despite his average yards per play (2.5). That’s because Tracy played WR in college at Iowa before switching to RB in 2023 at Purdue. In his first year as a running back, Tracy led his draft class in yards after contact per attempt. Also finished in Sports Info Solution’s boom percentage at 15% — a mark that summarizes the percentage of plays that result in an EPA greater than +1 (great play for the offense).
Tracy was so underrated in this draft class that he was not even in the draft-eligible pool for rookies on Underdog’s pre-draft best ball contests.
He’s got good size at 5-foot-11 and 209 pounds with great athleticism. Sub 4.5-speed with a 94th percentile vertical jump, 83rd percentile broad jump and 89th percentile 3-cone drill.
Dallas has shown a lot of interest in Tracy as one of the few teams to have met with him on multiple occasions.
Honorable Mentions
Rasheen Ali (RB – Marshall)
Rasheen Ali dominated production at Marshall with a 36% dominator rating or better in two of his three seasons as a starter. He scored 23 TDs and rushed for nearly 1,400 yards in his first year as a starter in 2021. He just turned 23 years old.
More Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice
- DBro’s Dynasty Rookie Draft Primers
- DBro’s Top 50 Rankings & Player Notes
- Thor’s Rookie Rankings
- Wide Receivers
- Quarterbacks (Premium)
- Running Backs (Premium)
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