There hasn’t been any preseason to hype up sleepers or busts ahead of the 2020 fantasy football season. But amid closed practices, the NFL is continuing to prepare for the upcoming season. And you should be doing the same to get ready for your fantasy football season.

Because those practices have been closed, the most well-read and well-researched fantasy owners are likely to excel this year.

We’ve done our best to peel back the curtain to identify players who are likely to exceed their average draft position (as slated by Fantasy Pros). Here’s a look at nine running back sleepers you should target this year.

1 Austin Ekeler, Chargers, 21st overall

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There were a number of young running backs this offseason who seemed on the rise: Ekeler, Devin Singletary, Darrell Henderson, among others. But Singletary’s rise got complicated when the Bills drafted Zach Moss. Henderson’s rise basically fell apart with the arrival of Cam Akers. Ekeler, meanwhile, saw is fantasy stock go relatively untouched. He did lose Philip Rivers, who is a yardage machine. But without Melvin Gordon in L.A., Ekeler will be a bell cow back. He should go in the second round — not the third.

2 Chris Carson, Seahawks, 37th overall

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like 30 times per game, Pete Carroll forgets he has Russell Wilson at quarterback. But Chris Carson plays beneficiary to those moments. And he’s a darn good running back, even though he hasn’t gotten much media acclaim since finishing as a top-five rusher in the last two seasons.

3 David Johnson, Texans, 44th overall

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Maybe you’re not a believer in Johnson anymore. Maybe you’re not a believer in Bill O’Brien anymore — if you ever were. But O’Brien features his running backs in a big way. If you like your running back to get volume, they you should be a fan of Johnson. His upside — considering the fact that he’ll get plenty of touches — will be worth the risk.

4 James Conner, Steelers, 54th overall

Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

As the quarterback situation digressed in Pittsburgh, the entire offense fell apart. Conner, Juju Smith-Schuster and just about every skill player had a terrible season. There’s reason to believe they will bounce back in 2020. And if Conner returns to form as a runner while getting back to about 55 catches, he’ll be a top fantasy back. Rookie Anthony McFarland doesn’t appear to be a threat — not yet, at least. Conner is going way too low.

5 David Montgomery, Bears, 61st overall

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

While Miles Sanders’ emergence has thrust him into the first- or second-round of fantasy drafts, Montgomery got 242 carries and 25 catches. That’s really good volume for a first-year running back, even if he disappointed at 3.7 yards per carry. I’m not sure the Bears offense will be much better in 2020 to help him find running room. But if they are, Montgomery’s volume should be enough to make him a really good fantasy option.

6 Cam Akers, Rams, 64th

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams probably drafted Akers in the second round of this year’s draft with the intention of having him take over the job on all three downs. When Todd Gurley was healthy, he was a stud — I need not remind you (but I did anyway). If Akers can earn a fraction of the role, he’ll be one of the best backs in fantasy football. Of course, he could also lose the job to Darrell Henderson. That’s the inherent risk. Still, the upside is definitely there.

7 Adrian Peterson, Washington, 145th

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Someone has to take the carries on offense for the Washington football team. Peterson should be aging at this point in his career. And yet he seems to come back with plenty of juice.

8 Antonio Gibson, Washington, 175th overall

Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

If you draft Peterson, you may want to pair him with Gibson. It’s likely that Peterson gets 20 touches per game in the first eight games. But as the season wears on, the Washington football team might begin to turn to Gibson, a versatile pass-catching option. They’ll be a solid tandem to own considering their average draft position.

9 Damien Harris, Patriots, 193

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

His ADP is perplexing. Sony Michel may start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Lamar Miller is also currently on the PUP list. That has left the Patriots to take a long look at Harris in training camp, and he’s been quite good. He may get a number of weeks as the lead back — and even when Michel returns, he may not get his job back.