In the past, we’ve looked at big gap and small gap running backs to identify undervalued players based on their ADP. The idea comes from Jack Miller’s research on the win and hit rates for big or small gap backs, and from similar research by Charlie Kleinheksel before that.
First, let’s define our terms: B1 and B2 running backs refer to a team’s RB1 and RB2 in backfields where there is an ADP gap of 98.5 or more. Those in backfields with a smaller gap between the RB1 and RB2 are referred to as S1 and S2, respectively.
Historically, B1 and S2 backs have produced the best win rates, but at very different costs. B2 backs have produced average win rates, while S1 backs have historically been the worst performers. Today, we’ll focus on small gap RBs who might provide an edge in our fantasy drafts. Although early, we’ll use the FFPC Redraft ADP and identify small-gap running backs.
The ADP market has become more efficient, presenting opportunities to find value at running backs later. Often, we’ll discover team backfields with uncertainties, suggesting the market is torn on the talent or opportunity. Let’s look at three small gap backfields to determine which ones to target. There’s even a team with three running backs going inside the top 150 picks.
Chargers’ Backfield
Omarion Hampton, 42 ADP, RB17
The separation in ADP between Hampton and Najee Harris has been significant, and that gap has grown in the past week or so because of Harris’ eye injury. Hampton was arguably one of the best backs in the 2025 class.
He had two consecutive seasons with an RB Dominator of 83% or higher in his final two college seasons. Hampton peaked with a 13% receiving yardage market share. Unsurprisingly, Hampton’s top comparisons, including the first-round draft capital, suggest he is an elite prospect. Top comparables include Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook, Cam Akers, and Travis Etienne.
Not only was Hampton an elite producer in college, but he also forced an above-average percentage of missed forced tackles (25.6%). Hampton paired the production with near-elite athleticism, evidenced by his 89th percentile Speed Score and 96th percentile Explosion Score.
The Chargers tied with several teams for the ninth-highest neutral game script pass rate (56%). Run-blocking was an issue: the Chargers’ running backs were hit at the line at the second-highest rate (48%) behind the Patriots (49%). However, Hampton’s prospect profile suggests he may be able to overcome any offensive line deficiencies. And L.A. has attempted to improve the offensive line by adding Mekhi Becton from the Eagles and a few other depth pieces.
Najee Harris, 108.1 ADP, RB 38
Harris commanded over 332 opportunities over his first four seasons, with only one under 300. We’ve seen his targets and EP/G fall since his rookie season. Harris had a 14% target share and averaged the second-most EP/G in 2021, but that’s fallen to an 8-10% and 12.3 EP/G.
Though some might think of Harris as a plodder, he boasts an above-average missed tackles forced rate (19-21%) over the past two seasons. Harris had been sharing Pittsburgh’s high-value touches (49%) with Jaylen Warren (42%) in 2024. We saw those numbers flip from the 2023 season, with Harris garnering 42% and Warren at 57% of the team’s high-value touches. For context, J.K. Dobbins led the Chargers in high-value touches (65%), with Gus Edwards (24%) trailing him in 2024.
