Fantasy Football owners for the past 30 years have generally understood that the running backs positions are the most important spots in their lineups (sans your “Zero RB” theorists). But over the past couple decades, there have been a few out-of-nowhere running backs that have emerged as Fantasy beasts, not only leading their NFL teams on the ground, but also leading Fantasy owners to championships.
We had some good surprises near the top this year, like Miami’s Jay Ajayi and Chicago’s Jordan Howard, but really, both were drafted over the summer, and many needed them as RB3s, so how much of a surprise were they?
We’re talking more about players like Bilal Powell, who finished 23rd in Fantasy points at his position, despite playing behind Matt Forte, a player that had over 250 touches in every season of his career. Powell was a six-year veteran, though, and he has had success in the past (47 catches in 2015), so it wasn’t a complete surprise.
By doing this exercise, we realized there are two ways to become a breakout unknown running back in the NFL and Fantasy Football: Be a big back that can’t catch the ball, or a small back that catches a lot of them!
11 Running Backs That Shocked the World — and Became Fantasy Football Beasts
How many of these super-sleeper running backs have you picked up off waivers over the years?
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1/11
Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns – 2010 Breakout
Hillis was a seventh-round pick with the Broncos in 2008, in the same year they drafted RB Ryan Torain. Hillis was mostly a fullback that had some ability with the ball. He was fast, with great hands, and he even got some late-season starts in his rookie season. He led the Broncos in rushing in 2008 – but it was with just 343 rushing yards, so let’s not get crazy. The Broncos weren’t even that fond of him, as he got just 32 touches in his entire sophomore year.
(New head coach Josh McDaniels didn’t like him – but he was a huge fan of Tim Tebow! How are people still talking about McDaniels as a possible head coach again? Insane.)
Hillis was eventually traded to Cleveland for a sixth-round pick in 2010. From the start of the NFL Preseason, it looked like Hillis was going to have a special year. The H-Train, as he resembled Mike Alstott in a No. 40 jersey, finished with the second-most Fantasy points among running backs in 2010.
Photo Credit: MCT, Getty Images
2/11
Stephen Davis, Washington Redskins – 1999 Breakout
Another former fullback, Davis was drafted in Round 4 of the 1996 NFL Draft, sharing the backfield with Fantasy boss Terry Allen. Once Allen went down with a second torn ACL in 1999, Davis stepped in, beat out Skip Hicks (the favorite among Fantasy pundits), and he went on to lead the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns that year.
Davis ended up as a first-round pick in 2000 Fantasy Football drafts.
Oh yeah, and he received a beat-down at practice one day from WR Michael Westbrook!
Photo Credit: Al Bello, Getty Images
3/11
Priest Holmes, Baltimore Ravens -- 1998 Breakout
Possibly the greatest out-of-nowhere running back in Fantasy Football history, Holmes stood just 5-foot-9 when he went undrafted out of Texas in 1997, eventually signing with the Baltimore Ravens. He was a special teams player in his rookie season, and he didn’t get his first offensive touch until Year 2. He had a 1,000-yard season that year, with seven touchdowns, but the Ravens drafted Jamal Lewis the following season, relegating him back to the bench.
In 2001, he signed with the Chiefs, and after that first year in K.C., he was a top-five Fantasy pick going forward. Even after they drafted Larry Johnson in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. It would be three years before Johnson would become a Fantasy stud himself.
Photo Credit: Jamie Squire, Getty Images
4/11
Ahman Green, Green Bay Packers – 2000 Breakout
The Seahawks drafted Green in Round 3 of the 1998 NFL Draft, which meant he wasn’t too much of an unknown, but then they gave him just 61 carries in his first two seasons combined. In 2000, he was traded to Green Bay, and he went on to post a combined 1,734 yards and 13 touchdowns (251 Fantasy points) that first season with Mike Holmgren.
In the 2000 Fantasy Football Index Magazine, Green was ranked as the 57th-best running back heading into the season.
Photo Credit: Sporting News Archive, Getty Images
5/11
LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 2010 Breakout
Blount became infamous after he sucker-punched a trask-talking Boise State player after a 2009 season-opening loss by Chip Kelly’s Oregon team. (Check it out on YouTube, it’s fun!) This wasn’t Blount’s only sin before coming the NFL, and it wasn’t his final sin, either.
No doubt, his short temper sent the big fella tumbling down draft boards, and he went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. He agreed to a deal with the 49ers, but backed out of that and signed with Jeff Fisher’s Titans team after the draft. But then he went and threw another punch at a guy in practice. Smart!
Blount made the 53-man roster, but he was funally waived on just before the start of the season to make room for veterans. The Bucs picked him up off waivers, and the big fella rushing for 1,000 yards, leading the Bucs and all NFL rookies in rushing that season.
Photo Credit: Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images
6/11
Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins – 2012 Breakout
A sixth-round pick out of unknown Florida Atlantic University in 2012, Alf climbed his way through the Redskins depth chart through the preseason. He eventually overtook Roy Helu, Tim Hightower and Evan Royster for the starting tailback spot just before Week 1. Of course, by then, most Fantasy drafts had taken place, making Morris one of the most important post-draft/pre-Week-1 free-agent pickups in Fantasy history.
Morris would go on to rush for 1,606 yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie season (finishing fifth among all RBs in Fantasy points). Unfortunately, his 200-yard/3-TD effort against Dallas went wasted in most leagues, since it happened in Week 17!
Morris was the second-best rookie running back that season (behind Doug Martin, but ahead of Trent Richardson), and that season still ranks as one of the 20-best rookie season by any Fantasy running back.
Photo Credit: Al Bello, Getty Images
7/11
Rob Kelley, Washington Redskins – 2016 Breakout
While it’s tough to call “Fat Rob” a Fantasy Football beast, since he finished the season with just the 26th-most points at his position, he was still impressive enough in a shorter time to make this list.
Kelley was an undrafted rookie (aren’t they the best) out of Tulane. He didn’t get his first NFL touch until Week 3, and he didn’t get his first Fantasy point until Week 5. Really, though, it was Week 8, when he took over the Redskins’ tailback job, that we realized he’s a solid Fantasy investment. He didn’t become a must-start each week, but in a position that has more turnover than most, he was reliable.
From Week 10 to Week 17, Kelley was a top-10 Fantasy running back in points.
Photo Credit: Joe Robbins, Getty Images
8/11
Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts – 2001 Breakout
Rhodes left Midwestern State University for the NFL, only to go undrafted because he was a little undersized and a little unknown. Life is good as Peyton Manning’s running back, though.
Rhodes became the first undrafted rookie to rush for over 1,000 yards, and he finished as a top-12 Fantasy running back. Blount would soon follow him about 10 years later.
Photo Credit: Andy Lyons, Getty Images
9/11
Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks – 2015 Breakout
Speaking of undrafted free agents out of college, Rawls started the season behind Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin and Christine Michael on Seattle’s depth chart. Rawls would take over in Seattle after Lynch needed sports hernia surgery.
Rawls would rush for a franchise record 209 yards in Week 11 of his rookie season, and he’d help many Fantasy owners make the playoffs over those next few weeks.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images
10/11
Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens – 2014 Breakout
After playing on four teams in his first six seasons in the majors, this seventh-round pick mostly saw action as a third-down back until 2014. That year, he signed with Baltimore, reuniting with offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who he played for in 2012 with Houston.
No one foresaw that storyline that would play out for the starter in Baltimore, Ray Rice, whose career was ended after being suspended on domestic abuse issues.
The Ravens had several tailbacks that could’ve taken the torch, but it was Forsett, all five feet and nine inches of him, that would go on to lead the team, and finish as a top-10 Fantasy back after going undrafted in most Fantasy leagues.
Photo Credit: Joe Robbins, Getty Images
11/11
C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos – 2014 Breakout
Nearly as unexpected as Forsett’s breakout season in 2014, Anderson blew up in his second year in the NFL. Strangely, he was also a 5-foot-8 running back out of Cal, just like Forsett!
But Anderson would sit behind Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman in his second season, before eventually getting his chance to shine in Week 10. From then on, he was pretty much lights out. While he finished the entire season ranked 12th among running backs, he would be the best Fantasy running back from Week 10 on, outscoring Le’Veon Bell in his breakout season.
Photo Credit: John Leyba, Getty Images
1/11
Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns – 2010 Breakout
Hillis was a seventh-round pick with the Broncos in 2008, in the same year they drafted RB Ryan Torain. Hillis was mostly a fullback that had some ability with the ball. He was fast, with great hands, and he even got some late-season starts in his rookie season. He led the Broncos in rushing in 2008 – but it was with just 343 rushing yards, so let’s not get crazy. The Broncos weren’t even that fond of him, as he got just 32 touches in his entire sophomore year.
(New head coach Josh McDaniels didn’t like him – but he was a huge fan of Tim Tebow! How are people still talking about McDaniels as a possible head coach again? Insane.)
Hillis was eventually traded to Cleveland for a sixth-round pick in 2010. From the start of the NFL Preseason, it looked like Hillis was going to have a special year. The H-Train, as he resembled Mike Alstott in a No. 40 jersey, finished with the second-most Fantasy points among running backs in 2010.
Photo Credit: MCT, Getty Images
2/11
Stephen Davis, Washington Redskins – 1999 Breakout
Another former fullback, Davis was drafted in Round 4 of the 1996 NFL Draft, sharing the backfield with Fantasy boss Terry Allen. Once Allen went down with a second torn ACL in 1999, Davis stepped in, beat out Skip Hicks (the favorite among Fantasy pundits), and he went on to lead the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns that year.
Davis ended up as a first-round pick in 2000 Fantasy Football drafts.
Oh yeah, and he received a beat-down at practice one day from WR Michael Westbrook!
Photo Credit: Al Bello, Getty Images
3/11
Priest Holmes, Baltimore Ravens -- 1998 Breakout
Possibly the greatest out-of-nowhere running back in Fantasy Football history, Holmes stood just 5-foot-9 when he went undrafted out of Texas in 1997, eventually signing with the Baltimore Ravens. He was a special teams player in his rookie season, and he didn’t get his first offensive touch until Year 2. He had a 1,000-yard season that year, with seven touchdowns, but the Ravens drafted Jamal Lewis the following season, relegating him back to the bench.
In 2001, he signed with the Chiefs, and after that first year in K.C., he was a top-five Fantasy pick going forward. Even after they drafted Larry Johnson in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. It would be three years before Johnson would become a Fantasy stud himself.
Photo Credit: Jamie Squire, Getty Images
4/11
Ahman Green, Green Bay Packers – 2000 Breakout
The Seahawks drafted Green in Round 3 of the 1998 NFL Draft, which meant he wasn’t too much of an unknown, but then they gave him just 61 carries in his first two seasons combined. In 2000, he was traded to Green Bay, and he went on to post a combined 1,734 yards and 13 touchdowns (251 Fantasy points) that first season with Mike Holmgren.
In the 2000 Fantasy Football Index Magazine, Green was ranked as the 57th-best running back heading into the season.
Photo Credit: Sporting News Archive, Getty Images
5/11
LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 2010 Breakout
Blount became infamous after he sucker-punched a trask-talking Boise State player after a 2009 season-opening loss by Chip Kelly’s Oregon team. (Check it out on YouTube, it’s fun!) This wasn’t Blount’s only sin before coming the NFL, and it wasn’t his final sin, either.
No doubt, his short temper sent the big fella tumbling down draft boards, and he went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. He agreed to a deal with the 49ers, but backed out of that and signed with Jeff Fisher’s Titans team after the draft. But then he went and threw another punch at a guy in practice. Smart!
Blount made the 53-man roster, but he was funally waived on just before the start of the season to make room for veterans. The Bucs picked him up off waivers, and the big fella rushing for 1,000 yards, leading the Bucs and all NFL rookies in rushing that season.
Photo Credit: Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images
6/11
Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins – 2012 Breakout
A sixth-round pick out of unknown Florida Atlantic University in 2012, Alf climbed his way through the Redskins depth chart through the preseason. He eventually overtook Roy Helu, Tim Hightower and Evan Royster for the starting tailback spot just before Week 1. Of course, by then, most Fantasy drafts had taken place, making Morris one of the most important post-draft/pre-Week-1 free-agent pickups in Fantasy history.
Morris would go on to rush for 1,606 yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie season (finishing fifth among all RBs in Fantasy points). Unfortunately, his 200-yard/3-TD effort against Dallas went wasted in most leagues, since it happened in Week 17!
Morris was the second-best rookie running back that season (behind Doug Martin, but ahead of Trent Richardson), and that season still ranks as one of the 20-best rookie season by any Fantasy running back.
Photo Credit: Al Bello, Getty Images
7/11
Rob Kelley, Washington Redskins – 2016 Breakout
While it’s tough to call “Fat Rob” a Fantasy Football beast, since he finished the season with just the 26th-most points at his position, he was still impressive enough in a shorter time to make this list.
Kelley was an undrafted rookie (aren’t they the best) out of Tulane. He didn’t get his first NFL touch until Week 3, and he didn’t get his first Fantasy point until Week 5. Really, though, it was Week 8, when he took over the Redskins’ tailback job, that we realized he’s a solid Fantasy investment. He didn’t become a must-start each week, but in a position that has more turnover than most, he was reliable.
From Week 10 to Week 17, Kelley was a top-10 Fantasy running back in points.
Photo Credit: Joe Robbins, Getty Images
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