Melvin Gordon
I know I know. Melvin Gordon is not someone that excites us at this point in his career. He’s 29 years old and the Broncos just drafted Javonte Williams in the 2nd round last year. Why is Gordon a sleeper? Well, Gordon is still a very solid running back. Gordon Re-upped with the Broncos on an incentive-laden deal which show’s he believes in his talent still and is going to want to prove it. Javonte Williams is great and I believe he is the better RB at this point in Gordon’s career. But, it wouldn’t shock me if Gordon handles goal-line work and splits carries with Javonte. The offense was also not good these past 2 years. Insert Russell Wilson and this offense looks a whole lot better. I expect the Broncos to score much more and have a better overall offense. This means more opportunity for both RB’s. The issue with Javonte Williams is that his ADP is in the 2nd round. Where as Gordon’s ADP is at the start of the 7th. It wouldn’t shock me if they end up with similar stats and you are able to get Gordon five rounds later. While he may not provide the same flash he used to, Gordon will still be productive. He should be able to post solid RB2/RB3 numbers this season and be a valuable sleeper.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Clyde hasn’t panned out after being the Chiefs first overall selection in 2020. He has gotten injured for some time both years but when he’s on the field we really haven’t seen the same player like we did at LSU. It’s been a shock to a lot of us because of how good the Chiefs have been. The Chiefs offseason moves do not support this sleeper pick either as they went out to sign Ronald Jones and they also re-signed Jerrick Mckinnon. Look at the price of Edwards-Helaire this year though. He’s being drafted as an 8th rounder. You aren’t able to find a lot of starting RB’s in the 8th round and even if you are, not on offenses like the Chiefs. While this backfield may operate as somewhat of a committee, Clyde is going to get the first crack at touches this year. He should fully know the system now and now he knows he’s got competition. While I don’t think Clyde will be what we thought he was going to be out of college, it’s not gonna surprise me if he can put together a solid season. We saw his targets increase last year which was a good sign and he just hasn’t got lucky with TD’s. Being a weapon in this offense there’s always baked in upside. So while Clyde may not have the talent upside we once thought, I think he can outperform this ADP to be good sleeper at the price
Isiah Spiller
I always want to provide a deep sleeper on these lists. While this is a total longshot, it could pay dividends. Isiah Spiller comes out of Texas A&M as a 4th rounder this year for the Los Angeles Chargers. Spiller comes in and takes over the backup role as the Chargers have been searching for a 2nd option in their backfield to pair with Austin Ekeler. Don’t confuse what I am saying though as this is Ekeler’s backfield. But he’s also not the type of RB who will carry the ball 300 times. I am not suggesting Spiller is going to have a stand-alone value. However, I do believe Spiller will be mixed in here and there. The reason I think Spiller can be worth a shot late in drafts is if something were to happen to Ekeler. Austin Ekeler is 27 years old and is entering his 6th year in the NFL. He has suffered injuries throughout his career but nothing more than missing a couple games here and there. If Ekeler goes down, I think Spiller fills that role mainly and is a low end RB1/High end RB2. Again, this is just if Ekeler is to get injured. By no means am I cheering for that, but sadly that’s the nature of football and the position. It happens every year. A star RB almost always gets injured and someone has to step up. If it happens to be Spiller filling in this year, you have a starting RB in a top tier offense for essentially free in drafts this fall. Great value for a sleeper.