Fantasy Football: 5 Late-Round Running Backs With Early-Season Roles

Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles

Even though he hasn't played yet this preseason, don't let that fool you; Darren Sproles is going to be heavily involved in the Philadelphia Eagles' offense.

The Eagles have been limiting Sproles' summer workload in hopes that he'll be fresh for Week 1, according to Paul Domowitch of Philly.com. That's not something you do for a guy you plan to use sparingly, especially when that guy had 94 carries and 71 targets the previous season.

Even though Sproles has never truly carried a high fantasy cost, he consistently provides a solid return on investment. As numberFire's Brandon Gdula noted earlier this week, Sproles has been a top-30 running back in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues for eight consecutive seasons. Given that he's the 49th running back off the board in 12-team, PPR leagues, according to Fantasy Football Calculator, you'll take that type of consistency.

Even with Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith now in town, there are targets to be had for Sproles with Jordan Matthews out the door. Sproles had at least five targets in 9 of 15 games last year, and he hit double-digit carries three times. Until we have reason to believe otherwise, he's a safe target for those of you who need a solid floor out of your late-round assets.