2025 Rookie Running Backs – Fantasy Football Outlook
The 2025 NFL Draft has introduced a talented crop of rookie running backs, making them a focal point for fantasy football managers. This deep and dynamic class offers immediate contributors and long-term dynasty assets. Below, we break down the top 2025 rookie running backs for the fantasy football season, highlighting their skills, landing spots, and projected fantasy outlook. Whether you’re drafting for redraft or dynasty leagues, these players are poised to shape your roster.
Get a best ball and early redraft running back advantage as we break down the landing spots and backfields for this year’s top rookies, and also compare them with last year’s draft class. It is never too soon to start sharpening your fantasy senses as situations heat up heading into May and June.
2025 Rookie Running Backs – Fantasy Football Outlook
Now that the 2025 NFL Draft has concluded and most pieces heading into organized team activities and training camp are in place, it is time to start lining up our fantasy dominoes. Unfortunately, expert consensus does not concern itself with our fandoms, fantasy needs, or even, at times, conventional wisdom. None of us can truly know what an NFL head coach is really thinking, or what their actual plan is for a player. In some instances, neither do they, and next man up is true for a reason.
The 2025 rookie running back class is considered to be one of the deepest ever, and clearly superior to the 2024 class. According to PPR redraft expert consensus rankings, Bucky Irving is the only second-year back to rank inside the top 12. Meanwhile, Tyrone Tracy Jr. is the only other back to join him in the overall RB2 conversation.
Rookies: Last Season’s Top Running Backs
In PPR, Irving finished last season as the RB13, and Tracy Jr. was the RB26. However, both were drafted in the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft while also being the sixth and 14th overall running backs taken. Tracy Jr. flourished in the absence of Saquon Barkley, and Irving’s talent won out in a crowded backfield that also featured Rachaad White.
However, looking at the top three running backs drafted from 2024 in Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, and Blake Corum, it is safe to say they are in a holding pattern. Albeit, Brooks is recovering from his second right ACL tear in as many years. Even when he is healthy, the Carolina Panthers do have a crowded running back room ahead of him with incumbent Chuba Hubbard and recently signed Rico Dowdle. Impressively, last season with Dallas, he quietly racked up 1,079 yards on 235 totes for an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Overall, not bad. Carolina also added 20-year-old Trevor Etienne from Georgia in the fourth round of this year’s draft, who ran the sixth fastest forty-yard dash with a 4.42 at the 2025 NFL Combine.
Deep Diving: Advanced Statistics
Moving on to Arizona, Benson has James Conner ahead of him, who does turn 30 next month. The Cardinals could run Conner into the ground, seeing as he had 236 touches last season. Notably, that was 14th for all running backs. However, there is a real possibility he does not hold up, a situation worth monitoring all season. Side note, Arizona did not draft any running backs this year.
On the other hand, Corum, with the Los Angeles Rams, has a young Kyren Williams to contend with. Still, he dominated touches last season, staying on the field for 888 snaps, or 87% of the team’s snaps. Notably, the next closest total snap percentage was Jonathan Taylor at 80%. Corum will need an injury this upcoming season, but it is worth mentioning that Los Angeles also added depth in the fourth round with Jarquez Hunter from Auburn.
Williams does become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Soon enough, the Rams will have some tough choices ahead as they will probably look to address the quarterback position and protection for their QB.
Rookie Running Backs Fantasy Outlook for 2025
Aside from Jeanty, all off-season focus will center around who else will get the chance to show out first or eventually, because opportunity is everything. Therefore, so too are landing spots until injuries mean anything. With Irving being the sixth running back taken last year, we will break down the first six running backs selected this past April and each of their paths to securing groundwork.
Ashton Jeanty – Las Vegas Raiders
Instantly topping the Raiders’ depth chart and inserting himself into a workhorse role, Jeanty was the sixth overall pick and brings an immediate three-down presence out of Boise State. In line for at least 300 total touches. He also grades out with a decent set of hands at 61% effectiveness when compared to the rest of his draft class.
Being on the shorter side at 5’8 did not matter as his 211-pound frame cruised to 2,601 yards on 374 attempts for an average of 7.0 yards per carry, while tacking on 29 touchdowns, topping the nation in each. Side note, his 7.0 YPC was first for all running backs with at least 180 attempts. With no real threat behind him in Raheem Mostert, Sincere McCormick, or Zamir White, wheels up, his current average draft position for best ball is 11.2.
Omarion Hampton – Los Angeles Chargers
While Najee Harris tops the Chargers depth chart, Hampton, the overall 27th pick from North Carolina, will look to split work. This is not ideal. However, at the same time not a bad backfield to be in. Both he and Harris are just one injury or benching away from being cemented as a weekly RB1 candidate.
Harris, who opened his career in Pittsburgh with three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, sits a tier behind Hampton. Harris did have 263 attempts last season, which was the seventh most by any running back. He was not signed to sit, nor was Hampton drafted to do the same. Impressively, Hampton ranked third in the nation with 1,660 yards on 281 carries for an average of 5.9 yards per carry. More importantly, he has a higher ceiling.
Ultimately, they both will have a standalone weekly RB2 value to start. However, expect down weeks with annoying hot hands, subject to the game script. In other words, useful, not reliable. For what it’s worth, the current ADP as of May, for Hampton is 40.5 for best ball.
Quinshon Judkins – Cleveland Browns
Despite being listed behind Jerome Ford on the Browns depth chart, who has performed admirably in stints, Judkins lands in an ideal spot with the 36th overall pick from Ohio State in round two. Ultimately, we want Judkins to fill the vacated workhorse role of Nick Chubb. Additionally, he should be all over your redraft and best ball radars. Still, patience will be key here, as we eye a midseason takeover, hopefully no later than week 6.
Ford totaled 104 carries across 14 games last season, so he was available, and he even managed 5.4 yards per attempt, up from 4.0 in 2023. However, during that season, he had 204 total carries.
Cleveland also saw fit to spend a fourth-round pick on Dylan Sampson. These two new ingredients will look to bring a fresh look to the Browns’ depleted ground attack. Judkins did split time with Henderson at Ohio State. Ultimately, neither topped 200 carries. However, Sampson amassed 258 touches and has a nice set of hands. Judkins does grade out with a 92% rushing ability and 66% receiving effectiveness in comparison with the rest of his class.
Plain and simple, both are high-value prospects that can handle all three downs. So, be sure to keep an eye on both. The current best ball ADP for Judkins is 71.9, and is 136.7 for Sampson.
TreVeyon Henderson – New England Patriots
Listed behind Rhamondre Stevenson on the Patriots depth chart, Henderson, the overall 38th pick from Ohio State in round two, will likely split time with Stevenson with some hot-hand weeks to start. However, Henderson could find himself absorbing more work even if Stevenson performs decently enough. He did appear in 15 games last season but turned in a mediocre 3.9 yards per carry.
Henderson brings a 4.43 forty-yard dash to the table with a 79% effective set of hands. This could be huge, so too will your patience in the first several weeks of the season, as Stevenson might be entitled to “first looks.” Still, this is a situation where talent hopefully wins out. The speed and hands are for real, and so too the hype will be. Meanwhile, his best ball ADP has climbed seven spots to 55.2 in just the last week alone.
RJ Harvey – Denver Broncos
Interestingly listed behind Jaleel McLaughlin on the Broncos depth chart, but ahead of Audric Estime, Harvey looks to be potentially headed to a committee. Work is earned in Sean Payton‘s offense, not expected, especially when there is a room full of mostly capable bodies. There is a reason why Denver drafted Harvey with the 60th overall pick from Central Florida in round two.
With a blistering 4.40 forty-yard dash, good for fourth best at the 2025 NFL combine, he brings the missing explosion typically found in Payton’s backfield. It could take a portion of the season for Harvey to secure consistent volume with that many bodies ahead of him, but his ADP has climbed 17 spots in the last week alone to 153.5, going from a late-round pick to a mid to late-round pick.
We will monitor injuries and pecking order all summer as drafters clearly believe the opportunity to be a workhorse is there after amassing 1,577 rushing yards with 6.8 yards per attempt across 232 carries his final season at UCF.
Kaleb Johnson – Pittsburgh Steelers
Penciled in behind Jaylen Warren on the Steelers depth chart, Johnson, the overall 83rd pick from Iowa in round three, will look to fill in for Harris’ recently vacated role. Ultimately, he should find himself in a split. Harris did have 263 rushes last season, while Warren, who is listed as the starter, only had 120 attempts, yet still appeared in 15 games. Warren did sign a one-year restricted free agent tender, meaning he will return for at least one more campaign.
We keep hearing about more work for Warren, who totaled 77, 149, and 120 touches in each of his first three seasons. His work went down almost 20% last year from 2023, and he averages 115 attempts a season, right in line with his historical workload. We can give him an uptick in work with Johnson being a rookie, but expectations will grow as redraft season heats up. Johnson’s ADP currently sits at 81.9 and can be expected to fluctuate heading into training camp.
We focused almost entirely on this landing spot. However, Johnson turned in a reasonable 4.57 forty-yard dash. While he does need to work on his pass blocking, his agility and 91% broken tackle grade are what head coach Mike Tomlin was targeting for first and second downs. Someone who could come in and match the Steelers’ blue-collar rushing attack and grind between the tackles.
3 Other Rookie Running Backs to Watch
Bhayshul Tuten – Jacksonville Jaguars
Plain and simple, he is obnoxiously fast. Taken in the fourth round from Virginia Tech, he turned in the fastest forty-yard dash time at this year’s combine with a 4.32. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are not exactly lighting it up.
Cam Skattebo – New York Giants
Skattebo is a real wild card, finishing second in the Nation with 1,711 rushing yards out of Arizona State. Ultimately, he lands in New York, also in the fourth round. A few early, memorable performances could find him supplanting Tracy Jr. and testing the Giants’ loyalty to the fifth-rounder.
Ollie Gordon II – Miami Dolphins
We are always interested in Mike McDaniel’s running backs, and they need to be on your fantasy radar. A true sleeper out of Oklahoma State and drafted in the sixth round into an already crowded backfield featuring De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright, but remember the name. Especially if there are any injuries during training camp.
Conclusion
If you really want to know a player’s true north, or ceiling, you should also look at dynasty value. Ideally, talent will win out. However, the landing spot, as we have seen, is everything for immediate production. It is good to have a pulse on both the current landscape and all things equal, if age, preference, or money did not matter, but they do. That is why we will be here all offseason, right through redraft fantasy leagues up until Week 1.
Finally, we also need to mention that format and league size do matter. Additionally, bench spots matter as well. In other words, how many running backs can you start, and how many can you stash? A lot of the names mentioned here will be later round stashes, or should be, do not wait to be outbid after a few monster performances. Be sure to save your precious FAAB or waiver wire priority.
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