With all this year's organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamps behind us, the NFL will take its annual month-long break before training camps start rolling out in the second half of July.
Ideally, there won't be much going on -- in terms of NFL news -- during this lull in the action. But for fantasy managers who take their preparation seriously, there is no downtime. That's why the Fantasy Notebook will keep rolling with a position-by-position series on underrated players.
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This week, we're going with Underrated Running Backs. We started with RB2s capable of RB1 production on Monday. Today, we'll examine a pair of running backs who are . . .
Underrated Due To Perceived Risk and Uncertainty
There are always players with the talent to be more productive than their current price suggests, but the discount doesn't come without shouldering some risk. Let's take a chance.
Every Ability but the Best Ability . . . So Far
Another year, another abbreviated season for J.K. Dobbins.
The Broncos running back was off to a sensational start in 2024, generating 772 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games before a foot injury put him on the shelf.
But after re-signing in Denver this offseason, Dobbins is out to prove last year's start was no accident.
"What I'm going to show is that last year wasn't a fluke. Like, instead of being No. 3 in the NFL, I'll be No. 1 this year. And there won't be any injuries," Dobbins told Luca Evans of The Denver Post.
Technically, Dobbins was fifth in the NFL when injury struck, but the point remains. He was very effective as long as he was on the field.
That's Not New
As NFL.com's Kevin Patra wrote, "There are zero questions about the slashing runner's ability when he's on the field. He has averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his career, knows how to utilize blockers well, and has the speed to turn a short gain into a chunk.
"However, he hasn't been able to stay healthy since suffering a gruesome preseason knee injury with the Ravens in 2021, which forced him to miss the entire season."
He hasn't played more than 13 games in a season since.
Dobbins found some continuity in 2024 with the Chargers, but again missed four games deep into the season. Then again in 2025, he couldn't finish on the field.
Patra reminded readers that Bill Parcells was fond of saying that sometimes a player's greatest ability is being available.
Dobbins is still fighting that battle into Year 7.
But Denver Needs Him
The Broncos' ground game struggled to consistently create yards after Dobbins went down in Week 10. RJ Harvey, a rookie, was asked to carry the load as the Broncos' No. 1 running back from Week 11 on.
Harvey averaged 10.0 fantasy points with Dobbins and 14.2 without, but Harvey was inefficient as a runner, averaging only 3.4 yards per carry. Among 30 running backs with at least 80 carries during that span, Harvey ranked 23rd in yards after contact per attempt, according to FantasyPros' Kyle Zeigler.
Enter Jonah Coleman, the Washington running back selected in the fourth round of last month's draft.
Could the hard-nosed, decisive Coleman, who runs with urgency between the tackles, be an indictment of Harvey's running style? Or is he insurance for the oft-injured Dobbins?
Both can be true.
But Coleman's presence has no bearing on Dobbins remaining in the locked and upright position all season long.
And If He Does?
While offensive coordinator Davis Webb may cycle the backs to keep everyone fresh, we know a healthy Dobbins can lead a productive rushing attack.
For some context on how good Dobbins can be, Footballguy Matt Waldman offers the following: "Dobbins entered the league as a stronger De'Von Achane as an athlete. Two injuries later, he's doing it as a mid-career Frank Gore. Unbelievably impressive display of RB skills after losing your 'fastball.'"
For fantasy investors, drafting Dobbins as RB36 in Round 8 is a winning move.
The discount mitigates the risk, and the upside -- he was RB18 over his 10 healthy games last season -- is real.