7 Hot Take Candidates – Fantasy Football RB1 Overall in 2025
With the 2025 fantasy football season quickly approaching, now is a great time to start prepping for your upcoming drafts. Today, we’ll be breaking down 7 running backs who have immense upside for the 2025 season. Specifically, these are candidates to potentially finish as the RB1 overall. Continue reading and check out these hot take candidates with their absolute ceiling being the RB1 overall in fantasy. Keep in mind, many factors need to fall perfectly into place for this to happen.
Technically, any running back has the chance to become the top running back in fantasy football. Some, like Saquon Barkley or Jahmyr Gibbs, are just in a better position to do so. We’re not going to talk about them in this article. Instead, we’re going to go through a few of the less likely candidates that could become the RB1 for fantasy in the upcoming 2025 season. Continue reading and check out these 7 hot take candidates for the RB1 in 2025.
Chase Brown RB Cincinnati Bengals
With 990 rushing yards on 229 carries, Brown’s stats don’t stand out much. However, at the start of the 2024 campaign, he was splitting time with Zack Moss in the backfield. After Week 8, he became the primary running back. Notably, he averaged 18.9 carries and 78.9 rushing yards per game, with four of those games surpassing 85 rushing yards. Across a full season, that would equate to 321 carries for 1341 rushing yards. Furthermore, for all running backs, Brown also ranked in the top six in targets, routes run, and receptions last year.
As of early April, the Bengals have not done much to address the defensive side of the ball. Last year, they allowed the eighth most points and will likely be in that range again this coming season. The only thing that could really hurt Brown’s chances of another great fantasy season would be if Cincinnati spent a day one or day two draft pick in the highly anticipated 2025 NFL Draft on another running back.
Ashton Jeanty RB TBD
The consensus on Ashton Jeanty is that he will have a very successful NFL career. Impressively, he led college football in forced missed tackles (152), yards after contact (1970), and carries of 15+ yards (36) in his final collegiate season. He’s got the skills and the statistics to take over and excel in any NFL team’s backfield. Additionally, he can perform through the passing game, as he caught 44 of 48 targets for 578 yards in the 2023 season.
Just like any rookie coming into the league, his landing spot will have a significant effect on his output. Recently, all signs point to him being selected by a squad that will push him to the forefront of their running attack, like the Broncos or Cowboys. If he gets 300+ touches as a rookie, the sky’s the limit for Jeanty’s rookie campaign.
Kyren Williams RB Los Angeles Rams
With nearly two seasons’ worth of sustained success, Kyren Williams has proven he can be a workhorse back in the NFL. He’s surpassed 85 rushing yards in 17 of his 27 starts, with more than 100 rushing yards in 10 of those games. In 2024, he had the third most carries (316) and the fifth most rushing scores (14) among running backs. Additionally, in the playoffs, he added another 106 rushing yards on 19 carries against a tough Philadelphia defense.
Furthermore, as the primary runner for the Rams, Williams gets an extra bump. The Rams had the sixth-best run blocking rating per PFF. They were also one of eight teams to score more than 400 points and allow fewer than 430 points last season. With an offense that gels so well and a solid defensive front, it’s an ideal place for any good running back to thrive, let alone a great runner like Williams.
Omarion Hampton RB TBD
With the second most yards after contact last season (1222), 5.9 yards per carry over his 535 carries, Omarion Hampton is a strong, downfield runner that few can hope to initially stop. Additionally, he has significant pass-catching experience, nabbing 67 balls in his last two collegiate seasons.
Since 2020, there have been 11 rookie running backs who have eclipsed 900 rushing yards in their debut season. Recently, 2024 was the only year when fewer than two players reached that level. In fact, nine of those 11 rookie running backs were not the first RB selected in their respective drafts.
Ultimately, the landing spot is everything. While Jeanty is more than likely going to be the first runner picked, it doesn’t mean he’ll be in the best situation. Hampton could also get drafted to a team that will utilize him from day one, while the aforementioned Jeanty could be drafted into a committee situation. However, both of these players seem to have what it takes to lead a professional offense’s ground attack.
Jonathan Taylor RB Indianapolis Colts
Having previously accomplished this feat in 2021, Jonathan Taylor is a prime candidate for finishing any season as the RB1 for fantasy. That season, he ran for 1811 yards, tacked on another 360 receiving yards, and scored 20 times. Additionally, he has surpassed 1100 rushing yards in three of his five seasons while averaging 89.7 rushing yards per game over his career. The only fact against him is that he hasn’t played a full season outside of his sophomore campaign.
Aiding his argument for this list, he’ll be alongside a very mobile quarterback. Whether that signal caller is Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, or a combination of the two doesn’t really matter, as having a scrambling quarterback tends to open up running lanes for accompanying running backs. All things considered, Taylor has done it before, and he may well do it again this year.
Josh Jacobs RB Green Bay Packers
Another running back who had previously led the league in rushing yards (1653) and total scrimmage yards (2053) is Josh Jacobs. With a healthy 4.24 yards per carry on 1091 carries across the last four years, Jacobs will lead a potent Green Bay offense in a rough-and-tumble division. Additionally, he has caught at least 36 passes in each of those four seasons.
At the moment, the only man to pose any perceivable threat to Jacobs’ opportunities is MarShawn Lloyd. Unfortunately, he spent the vast majority of 2024 on the sidelines due to injury. Additionally, it’s not likely that Green Bay will spend an early draft pick on the position. As a result, the incumbent Jacobs should be a lock for another highly productive season.
Najee Harris RB Los Angeles Chargers
Recently acquired by the Chargers, veteran RB Najee Harris is the poster boy for gritty NFL running backs. He hasn’t missed a game in his four-year career while also running for more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons. However, the downside is that his 3.93 yards per carry is not good. Additionally, he hasn’t reached 1,050 rushing yards in a season since his 1,200 yards in his rookie campaign.
However, Harris has joined the Chargers, who resurrected the career of J.K. Dobbins. Impressively, last season he notched career highs in carries (195), rushing yards (905), and rushing touchdowns (9) in just 13 games played.
Furthermore, in 2024, the Chargers allowed the fewest points in the league (333). That, coupled with the run-oriented Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman at the helm of the offense, should be the recipe for continued success on the ground and managing the clock. All things considered, Harris is my favorite candidate to surprise fantasy managers with an amazing season in 2025.
Honorable Mention – RB1 Overall Hot Take Candidates
Christian McCaffrey RB San Francisco 49ers
He’s done it multiple times. If he can stay on the field, he is the most dangerous man with a football.
Derrick Henry RB Baltimore Ravens
With 1500+ rushing yards in four different seasons and at least 10 rushing scores in seven straight years, Henry is elite. However, at the age of 31, Father Time may be calling.
Kenneth Walker III RB Seattle Seahawks
There’s no denying that Walker is a special kind of running back. Unfortunately, injuries have limited his opportunities. The new coaching staff in Seattle also leans towards a heavy run offense. Look for Walker to be a potential sleeper candidate to finish as an RB1, with his absolute ceiling being the RB1 in fantasy football.
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