One of the best thrills in Fantasy Football is locating the late-round targets that propel your fantasy rosters into the playoffs and ultimately to your fantasy championships.
With so much information and social media flooding us daily, no sleepers exist.
Check out which four late-round draft targets should thrill you for the 2024 Fantasy Football season.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Late-Round Draft Targets: Running Backs
Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
Don’t sleep on Bucky Irving ????
(@BuckyIrving/@Bucs_Nation)
pic.twitter.com/1xOuVIY5o8– SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 18, 2024
Although Rachaad White produced 1,500 yards of total offense with nine total touchdowns last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected running back Bucky Irving out of Oregon in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bucs wanted to take some of the workload off White, who seemed to wear down toward the end of the season and became increasingly inefficient.
White produced only 3.48 yards created per touch (#23) and a horrific -44.0 Expected Points Added (EPA), which ranked 145th! His overall stats look valuable for fantasy managers, but a deeper dive showcases why the Bucs were thrilled that Bucky Irving fell to them in the fourth round.
Bucky Irving is another dual threat out of the backfield. He is a dynamic weapon that makes defenders miss and makes splash plays. Irving will make his most significant impact with his pass-catching ability. He had 87 receptions over the last two seasons, including catching 55 passes on 61 targets for 395 yards and two scores last season.
Irving is on the small side, but the 5-foot-9, 192-pound running back still produced consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Oregon. He averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry, including 18 runs of 15-plus yards. More impressively, he forced 69 missed tackles last season with his elusiveness and instincts.
Irving should step directly into the passing-down role for the Bucs. His game-breaking ability fits the NFL style, and Irving will immediately impact the Bucs’ offense and be a late-round target on fantasy rosters in PPR leagues.
Dylan Laube (RB – LV)
STAR IN THE MAKING: #Raiders rookie RB Dylan Laube had more college receiving yards (1,791) than
1st round WroXavier Legette (1,678)
and 2nd round receivers: Ladd McConkey, AD Mitchell and Keon Coleman
Laube was a 6th rounder & has already impressed many ???????? pic.twitter.com/Hgb49RMDbb
– MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 4, 2024
The Las Vegas Raiders’ backfield is in transition, as they allowed Josh Jacobs to join the Green Bay Packers this offseason. The Raiders will turn to Zamir White, who stepped up when Jacobs suffered a quad injury and missed the final four weeks last season. White averaged over 4.7 yards per carry and rushed for two 100-yard games across those four games. The former Georgia Bulldog figures to be the Raiders’ lead back as we enter the season.
White is a powerful downhill runner who will get what is blocked for him and is not a threat in the passing game. The Raiders chose to complement White with veteran backup running back Alexander Mattison. Mattison has been a career backup and has never taken advantage of his opportunities to start when presented. Mattison is marginal at best in catching passes and is inefficient in the passing game, as evidenced by his 68.2 % catch rate and dismal 0.95 yards per route run.
The Raiders look like they found their passing down back in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the selection of New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube. Laube led New Hampshire in both rushing and receiving (749 yards on the ground with nine touchdowns and 699 yards through the air with seven more scores) and was a special teams demon. He had punt and kick return touchdowns in the past two seasons!
Laube shined during the Senior Bowl practices with his route-running solid skills from both the backfield and the slot, creating coverage mismatches. His good speed (4.5-second 40-yard dash time) and his ability to make defenders miss in open space and create after the catch or on returns make Laube a dynamic playmaker that the Raiders will want to find ways to get the ball in his hands.
Laube will likely make his mark first as a weapon on special teams. However, with minimal competition for playing time in the Raiders backfield, especially as a third-down type, his climb up the depth chart should be rapid. The immediate upside as an all-purpose back should push Laube over Mattison as the second back in this backfield and provide extreme value as a late-round target in PPR leagues.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB – DEN)
Jaleel McLaughlin was the hero of the padless portion of camp. Here is every touch in pads from last season. He needs more work this year. pic.twitter.com/7DC873l256
– Jason Moore (@jasonffl) July 3, 2024
The Denver Broncos’ backfield is a mess. The top three rushers from last season – Javonte Williams, who rushed for 774 yards and three scores, Jaleel McLaughlin (76-410-1), and veteran Samaje Perine (53-238-1) -return to the 2024 roster. Plus, the Broncos went out and drafted Notre Dame running back Audric Estine in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and added Memphis runner Blake Watson as an undrafted free agent.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton emphasizes that it will be an open competition heading into training camp. McLaughlin was their best running back last season and possesses the most upside with his speed and explosiveness. McLaughlin produced a 25.2% juke rate, the sixth-highest among all running backs. Also, he finished sixth among all running backs with 4.42 yards created per touch.
The former Youngstown State star is one of the league’s most explosive backs. However, his smaller size – 5’7″ and 187 lbs – prohibits his ability to take on an RB1 role. However, the undrafted free agent should carve a more significant role this season. Javonte Williams was a disappointment last season as he is still recovering from his ACL surgery. Perine is destined for the passing down role. Estine brings a different dimension to the offense with his physical presence, which could allow him to carve out the short-yardage and goal-line work.
Sean Payton will find a way to get the ball in the hands of the dynamic McLaughlin. His play-making ability is desperately needed in this Broncos offense. McLaughlin will continue to shine and be a valuable and popular late-round target for fantasy managers.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB – NYG)
Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. has been taking reps with the starters and is “already making a push” to be the team’s passing down RB, per @art_stapleton pic.twitter.com/IhQTJ1MIpf
– SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 13, 2024
The New York Giants allowed Saquon Barkley to walk into the Philadelphia Eagles’ backfield via free agency. The Giants then signed former Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary. The Giants’ general manager, Joe Shoen, and head coach, Brian Daboll, were previously with the Bills, where the durable Singletary averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
Singletary enters a Giants backfield depth chart that includes 2023 fifth-rounder Eric Gray, who participated more in special teams as a rookie last year but did produce 23 touches for 70 yards in 13 games. However, the late-round target for fantasy managers to keep on their radar is 2024 fifth-rounder Purdue’s Tyrone Tracy.
The receiver-turned-running back is a playmaker with explosiveness and elite pass-catching ability. His versatility and athleticism – he ran a 4.8 40 at the NFL Combine – indicate that he could also make an impact in return duties. Tracy displayed tackle-breaking ability in a horrible Purdue offense. Tracy led the Boilermakers in yards after contact per attempt (4.44) and forced missed tackle rate (.040). He has a clear path to emerge in the third-down role in the Giants’ offense, which is desperate for playmakers.
Tracy is a late-round target that you can select beyond the top 50 running backs. He will be a cheap PPR source for fantasy managers. Singletary has not proven himself to be an RB1, which provides Tracy a real shot for valuable touches and a more prominent role in the Giants’ backfield.
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Dennis Sosic is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Dennis, check out his archive and follow him@CALL_ME_SOS.
