Are you getting ready for draft season? We are here at Belly Up Fantasy Sports. We are here to give you all the information you need to win your draft. The Belly Up Fantasy Crew will also bring you one step closer to winning your fantasy league. Below, we present our sleeper RB’s going in to the 2020 season. Sleeper RB are guys that are going undervalued in drafts, and WILL out perform their current draft position. At least, that is what we are predicting. As a crew, we give you a full list of RB that can be found in the later rounds of drafts, however provide big time upside for your squad. Please enjoy the article, and send any of us a message on twitter giving your sleeper RB in 2020.

Raheem Mostert – Travis Sumpter (@tjsumpter55)

Raheem Mostert finished the 2019 season as the RB27. However, what is most surprising to me is that he was finished as the RB8 from weeks 12-16. It wasn’t until those weeks that he started to receive double-digit carries. In a bit of a surprise against a very stout Baltimore Ravens defense, he absolutely torched them in Baltimore on 19 attempts, 2 receptions, 154 all-purpose yards, and a score.

The thing that lives in infamy however is what he did to the Green Bay Packers in that NFC championship game. 29 attempts, 2 receptions, 226 all-purpose yards, and freaking 4 touchdowns. 

Raheem Mostert has been bulking up to carry the load for this team. It’s been said he could receive around 200 carries in 2020. If he becomes the type of back that is more of the focal point of this offense, and continues that momentum from the end of last season; there is no telling what his true ceiling could be. I currently have Mostert slated as my RB18 and feel that he carries that RB1 upside. I’m a buy all day and twice on Sundays. Go get Mostert!

Derrius Guice – Nate Herman (@NateHerman27)

Derrius Guice is an extremely talented RB who’s been held back by injuries during his two year NFL career. Guice missed the entire 2018-19 season with a torn ACL. In 2019-20, Guice only played in five games due to an MCL tear. I’m not here to talk about Guice’s injury past. I’m here to tell you why he is a great sleeper RB this season. 

Although he only played in five games last season, Guice showed flashes of dominance. Guice carried the rock 42 times for 245 yards and 2 TDs. After not playing football for one year, Guice showed little to no rust as he averaged 5.8 YPC. Although Guice has missed the majority of games during his two year NFL career. He has gotten to watch and learn from one of the best RBs to ever play the game, Adrian Peterson. I currently have Guice ranked as my RB26 but think he can finish as a top 18 fantasy RB. Guice has the potential to have a breakout year. It’s just a matter of staying healthy. By drafting Derrius Guice, you are taking a risk, but to win fantasy football championships, you have to take risks. I like Derrius Guice this season, and he is one of my top RB sleeper/breakout picks.

Cam Akers – Charles Garner III (@CharlesLGarner)

Last season, the combination of Todd Gurley, Darrell Henderson, and Malcolm Brown ran the ball 331 times with Gurley getting 223 of those carries. On those 223 carries, Gurley posted the 12th most fantasy points in standard leagues and ranked 14th in PPR leagues.  

Out goes Gurley and in comes second round selection Cam Akers to be the lead back for Los Angeles. Based on the BellyUp consensus ranking, right now Akers averages out as the 30th ranked running back heading into the season. The low draft position of Akers paired with the amount of vacated touches at the running back position in Los Angeles bode well in Akers favor.

If the Rams can utilize Akers the same way as Gurley last season, he could end up being a steal in the mid to late rounds of the draft. If you miss out on your early round running backs, Akers will be a fine addition to your team with an ample amount of potential to overachieve his draft position. 

Chris Carson – Ryan Hicks (@realryanhicks)

Carson finished 11th in 0.5 ppr RB scoring in 2019, and 15th in 2018. Carson is being taken as RB16, and I see major value there. He has an injury history, but has only missed 3 games the last two years. CC32 also scored 9 TDs both of the last two years. He had 1314 total yards in 2018, and 1496 in 2020. He also boasts an excellent 81% catch percentage for his career, and he plays with an elite QB in Wilson. Carson’s targets increased from 24 in 2018 to 47 in 2019, and the Seattle offense loves to run. Seattle was 6th in rushing offense last year, and first the year before.  Carson had 267 touches in 2018, and 315 last year. 300+ touches feels inevitable.

I suspect he becomes more involved in the passing game in 2020, and he is a mismatch against most guys covering him, due to D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett drawing defensive attention. As Carson enters his age 26 season, he is primed to deliver RB1 production at an RB2 cost, and while Hyde and later in the year Penny may take a few touches, it won’t be enough to make a difference with Carson’s proven record of performance. Chris Carson is rank 17 in Belly Up Consensus Rankings, but I have him 10th. My exposure to him is high, and I don’t get the lack of love considering the consistency he has displayed over the last two years. Carson finishing as a top 5 back is not outside the realm of possibility.  Carson is being disrespected but still falls within my favorite sleeper RB.

David Johnson – Billy Whitt (@bwhitt24)

Is it possible to have a re-breakout season? If so, my sleeper David Johnson is going to have just that in 2020. The former Pro-Bowl RB comes to Houston with his past production being overshadowed by the departure of DeAndre Hopkins in his acquisition. Johnson started 2019 with a bang. He carved up the Lions for 87 yards on 18 carries, adding 6 receptions for 55 yards and a 27 yard TD reception in Week 1. That’s a hell of a fantasy day in PPR formats. Piling up injuries, the Northern Iowa alum had only 2 other games of any fantasy relevance in 2019, both were 20+ point performances. We saw both RBs Chase Edmonds and Kenyan Drake excel with David struggling to get healthy, leaving him as the odd man out of the Cardinal’s backfield down the stretch. His talent hasn’t faded.    

Johnson is in for a huge workload with the Texans. RB Carlos Hyde racked up just over 1,000 rushing yards on 245 carries and 6 rushing touchdowns. While teammate Duke Johnson had a career-low 44 receptions on just 62 targets for 410 yards and 3 TDs. While Duke is known for his receiving prowess, he is a much less accomplished pass catcher than his new teammate, David, who still had similar receiving production in a decreased role during an injury-riddled 2019.

The Texans’ new-look offensive line and all speed receiving corps are setting the horizon for David Johnson to be a true featured back both in the running game and as a pass-catcher. Look for the former Cardinal to thrive with a backfield free of competition for carries, and his slot ability to yield his most targets in years with Hopkins vacating 150 looks. Did I mention the read-option with Deshaun Watson?? Snag some shares of David Johnson in 2020, thank us later.  

Ronald Jones – Houston Wentzel (@BellyUpHouston)

Yes, I understand that they brought in KeShawn Vaughn to compete with Ronald Jones. However, Jones holds really breakaway speed. By watching Jones’ film in 2019 if defenders didn’t get there hands on him early, he was 30-40 yards down the field. Jones still struggles in pass blocking and there is still uncertainty regarding his receiving game. But, maybe this is more of a Tom Brady effect than it actually Jones’ talent. He is my favorite sleeper option.

Under a Tom Brady led offense, there is a real shot that the Buc’s score up to 5-6 TD a game. They will be in the red zone more often than not, and their defense will continue to struggle to stop anyone in the NFC South. With all that being said, I think Ronald Jones is a sure shot to score at least 10 TD in 2020. Much like LeGarrette Blount did in 2016. Both big backs that can ground and pound. Blount had 18 TD in 2016, and if Jones gets even half of those, he is going to be in good shape to out perform his current ADP of being the RB 33 off the board.

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