Running back isn’t just the most important position in fantasy — it’s the most fun. Who doesn’t love unearthing that late-round gem that turns into a meaningful fantasy starter during the season? Or digging through the waiver wire to stash a runner who'll become a week-winner in the fantasy playoffs.
We’ve also come a long way from the days when bell-cow backs dominated the fantasy landscape. True workhorse runners have become rare as teams try to share the workload across multiple ball carriers to keep them all healthy throughout a 17-game season.
That’s spread fantasy production over more running backs and put increased importance on securing at least one of the high-end producers at the position.
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In recent years, I’ve preferred that style of Hero-RB approach in fantasy drafts. Lock down your star RB1 and then fill out the rest of your lineup before addressing your second running back spot with as many late-round upside swings as you can roster.
However, this season, the sharp drop-off once you reach the low-end RB2 range has caused me to rethink that plan. After participating in many drafts and mocks, it’s evident that my favorite teams have been the ones where I select two running backs in the first four or five rounds — guaranteeing a certain level of talent and volume.
There are other factors contributing to this decision, like the surplus of quality fantasy receivers available from Round 5 to Round 8. Since you should be targeting WRs in that area of drafts, it allows you to think about running back earlier, knowing you can fill out your receiving corps in the middle rounds.
Regardless of how your draft unfolds, you should still load up your bench with the usual one-injury-away RB stashes. While the rising number of committee backfields might be responsible for the remarkable good health enjoyed at the position last year, it would be surprising if we don’t get a few more injury-replacement fantasy starters pop up throughout the season.
The 2025 Top-50 Fantasy RB Board
Bijan Robinson
Saquon Barkley
Jahmyr Gibbs
Christian McCaffrey
Ashton Jeanty
De’Von Achane
Derrick Henry
Chase Brown
Bucky Irving
Jonathan Taylor
Josh Jacobs
Kyren Williams
Omarion Hampton
Kenneth Walker III
James Cook
Breece Hall
Alvin Kamara
James Conner
Chuba Hubbard
TreVeyon Henderson
RJ Harvey
Tony Pollard
Kaleb Johnson
Isiah Pacheco
David Montgomery
Joe Mixon
D’Andre Swift
Aaron Jones Sr.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr.
Jordan Mason
Jaylen Warren
J.K. Dobbins
Tank Bigsby
Travis Etienne Jr.
Zach Charbonnet
Trey Benson
Dylan Sampson
Jaydon Blue
Javonte Williams
Rhamondre Stevenson
Ray Davis
Isaac Guerendo
Braelon Allen
Jerome Ford
Bhayshul Tuten
Cam Skattebo
Rachaad White
Will Shipley
Tyjae Spears
Some 2025 RB Targets
Chase Brown, Bengals: It took a Zack Moss injury to unlock Brown’s potential last year, but once that occurred, Brown emerged as the RB7 overall in fantasy points per game during the final 15 weeks.
Since then, the offseason has been filled with positive quotes from people in and around the team, like offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher telling Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein that, “Brown is going to, by the end of the season, be a household name.” Getting Brown at the Round 2-3 turn is one of my favorite picks in this year’s drafts.
Omarion Hampton, Chargers: The Chargers’ run game was strong at the start of last season and J.K. Dobbins was the RB14 in fppg before injuries derailed his campaign in Week 12. Recognizing they needed fresher legs at the position, the team drafted Hampton in the first round. The 22-year-old is coming off consecutive seasons with over 1,500 scrimmage yards and over 15 touchdowns at North Carolina. He offers a 94th percentile speed score and a 91st percentile burst score, which should help him create big plays in Greg Roman’s scheme. The loss of right tackle Rashawn Slater is unfortunate, but Hampton should still be viewed as a top-15 fantasy option in Year 1.
Tony Pollard, Titans: Tyjae Spears’ suffering a high-ankle sprain in the preseason is an awful result for a talented young runner who hasn’t been able to stay healthy since his rookie year. While he’s working his way back from an injury that often limits the effectiveness of ball carriers, it’s hard not to see a massive fantasy ceiling for Pollard. In his first season with the Titans, Pollard posted his third-straight campaign with at least 55 receptions and over 1,300 scrimmage yards. The only thing holding him back was a lack of touchdowns. However, Tennessee has found its franchise QB in Cam Ward and made significant investments on the offensive line in both draft and free agency. Pollard is available much later than the other two names in this section, but could make a push for low-end RB1 fantasy stats in 2025.
Some 2025 RBs Fades
David Montgomery, Lions: While Detroit’s offense isn’t going to completely fall off without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, it’s worth considering what even a minor drop in efficiency and production could mean for the fantasy outlooks of their non-superstar players. Montgomery saw a decline in carries last season, dropping almost 2.5 carries per game as Jahmyr Gibbs took over the backfield. The veteran made up for that with an uptick in receiving work and his usual touchdowns, but it’s fair to question whether this team will be in scoring position as often moving forward. In addition to their playcaller leaving, the Lions also lost star center Frank Ragnow to retirement and veteran guard Kevin Zeilter to free agency. Their backs will also be faced with the most difficult schedule for fantasy RBs in 2025. With Gibbs clearly leading the way now, Montgomery is more of a risky TD-or-bust fantasy option.
D’Andre Swift, Bears: Swift was a low-end RB2 in fppg during his first year in Chicago and once again enters the season as the Bears’ starter. The 26-year-old should also benefit from the arrival of new head coach Ben Johnson and a completely rebuilt interior of the offensive line. However, he has a very difficult start to the season with divisional games versus the Vikings and Lions, who were bottom five in rushing yards and fantasy points allowed to running backs in 2024.
In general, the Bears RBs have the ninth toughest fantasy schedule and we’ve already seen a Johnson offense move on from Swift before — when it happened in Detroit. Don’t be shocked when rookie Kyle Monangai eats into Swift’s volume and lowers his fantasy ceiling.
Aaron Jones Sr., Vikings: Jones has been a strong fantasy asset for the last seven seasons and is coming off a top-20 fantasy campaign at his position. Unfortunately, the age cliff comes for everyone and Jones will turn 31 in December. While this is technically his ninth year in the league, his limited usage as a rookie makes it more like his eighth season — which is when running backs tend to see a major dip in production, according to Fantasy Points’ Ryan Heath. Jones has also dealt with a ton of injuries over the last four years, including quad, ribs, hip, knee, thigh, hamstring and ankle issues. The Vikings made a point to trade for Jordan Mason and have talked him up as part of a 50-50 backfield tandem, who will likely be featured around the goal line. That suggests Jones may turn into more of a fantasy RB3 with occasional RB2 performances.
Some 2025 RB Sleepers
Jordan Mason, Vikings: If you didn’t read the Aaron Jones’ section above, you should. The veteran’s age and injury history are a big reason why Mason is one of the most intriguing sleepers in 2025 fantasy drafts. As a member of the 49ers last year, Mason averaged 108 scrimmage yards per game through the first seven weeks while filling in for a banged-up Christian McCaffrey. Now, he finds himself sharing a backfield with another older runner with durability concerns.
All signs point to Mason being an equal part of the Vikings’ rushing attack, in a potent offense behind an improved line. Mason is poised to be a weekly RB3/flex option with a clear path to RB1 fantasy value if Jones misses any time.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars: Tuten is absolutely shot out of a cannon with the ball in his hands and that was on display during his preseason debut when he racked up 24 yards and a touchdown on six carries, while adding another 16 yards on two receptions. Jaguars general manager James Gladstone even admitted Tuten was part of his pitch when he interviewed to get the job. This is also a wide-open backfield with Tank Bigsby getting the bulk of the carries early in camp, before Travis Etienne Jr. saw the majority of the snaps with the first-team offense in the preseason opener.
After offseason speculation that Etienne could be a trade candidate, it’s possible the Jags were featuring him for that very reason. And when the team got back on the practice field this week, Tuten saw reps with the starters. That could be the beginning of the rookie’s rise up the depth chart and, with his skill set, we could be talking about him as a fantasy star by season’s end.
Braelon Allen, Jets: Allen has been the talk of Jets’ camp and carried that into the first preseason game where he rushed eight times for 33 yards and a score. New head coach Aaron Glenn has consistently brought up a committee approach in their backfield and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand also comes from the Lions’ organization where they had plenty of success using a two-back system.
The Jets have a long way to go before their run game is spoken about in the same vein as Detroit’s vaunted duo, but a scenario where Breece Hall is the Jahmyr Gibbs and Allen handles a David Montgomery-like role does make a lot of sense. As the bigger back, Allen could be in line for goal-line duties and would always be one Hall injury or trade away from being a fantasy league winner.
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