Brown and Irving are the two young up-and-coming running backs. They finished fifth and sixth in fantasy points per game over the second half of 2024. Browns’ 75.7 PFF grade was good but not great, and the team will likely address the backfield at some point this offseason. If they stick with Zack Moss or […]
Brown and Irving are the two young up-and-coming running backs. They finished fifth and sixth in fantasy points per game over the second half of 2024. Browns’ 75.7 PFF grade was good but not great, and the team will likely address the backfield at some point this offseason. If they stick with Zack Moss or Khalil Herbert as the primary backup, then an argument can be made for Brown in Tier 1. Irving graded at an elite level with a 90.6 grade but still has Rachaad White as one of the better backups in the league. Irving was finally used in a feature role in Week 18. How coaches talk about these two running backs throughout the offseason could move Irving higher.
This tier is for the top players currently ranked outside of the top 32.
This tier is for running backs whose fates are unknown. Judkins starts the list as a rookie whose fantasy value will depend completely on which team he lands with, and who else is on the roster.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Hampton and Johnson are the two rookies in this tier. Both running backs rank among the top 60 on our big board and the top 50 on consensus big boards. They are generally ranked higher on our big board and consensus than the running backs from last year’s class and better than those not named Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs in the previous class. The Las Vegas Raiders will be looking for a new running back. Starters on the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are free agents. There should be more running backs earning starting jobs this year than last. Those players will have more upside than other running backs that we know will be in committees.
Last Updated: 7:00 a.m Monday, January 13
Tier 1: The easy first-round picks
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Pacheco started 2024 playing 80% of his team’s offensive snaps, but in his five games back, he played 30-40% of those snaps in most games. Pacheco could move up or down depending on what the Chiefs do with their backup situation.
This tier is for running backs with the potential to be the top overall running backs, but they carry more risk than the Tier 1 running backs.
These running backs are likely to be handcuffs this year. This group features several talented players entering their sophomore seasons. There are also a few rookies who could be high-upside options.
Warren posted two top-12 finishes in the last seven weeks with Najee Harris on the Steelers roster. Chances are, the Steelers either re-sign Harris or bring in another back, but there is at least a chance Warren will be the lead running back for the Steelers going forward.
Tier 2: Potential top overall running backs
Tracy ended the season as the Giants’ clear starter in a workhorse role, but he didn’t have the grades or fantasy production to trust he would remain in that role. His 58.4 offensive grade was the second-lowest among running backs with at least 400 snaps last season. A big part of that was his pass-blocking and six dropped passes, but his rushing wasn’t good enough to counteract the negatives on pass plays. He also finished outside the top 16 fantasy running backs in six of his last seven games. He would move up a few spots if the Giants don’t address the running back position, but he could also drop 20-30 spots if New York adds another back.
• Bijan Robinson takes the top spot: The Atlanta Falcon was the most consistent running back down the stretch, posting a top-16 fantasy finish in 11 of his last 12 games.
Robinson, Barkley, and Gibbs are the three running backs who averaged at least 20 PPR points per game last season. They are also the three running backs who were picked within the first 20 picks of the last seven NFL drafts. They are among the top-eight running backs by PFF grade this season, and they ran behind offensive lines that have ranked among the top 10 each of the last two seasons.
James Cook and Kenneth Walker III also have young backup running backs, Ray Davis and Zach Charbonnet. The Seahawks’ situation will be particularly interesting as they find a new offensive coordinator. That leaves Joe Mixon and Jonathan Taylor. Mixon ranks third in career rushing attempts among active players, while Jonathan Taylor has missed time in the last three seasons. It seems likely both teams address their backup running back situation this offseason, which could lead to fewer snaps by the current starters.
Dobbins and Swift were starters last season but ranked among the bottom six running backs in terms of offensive PFF grade for those with at least 500 attempts. The Bears will have a new head coach, and Dobbins is a free agent, adding to the uncertainty surrounding both players. Both players are likely to see a decrease in playing time and touches in 2025.
Tier 3: Strong starters with competition
Henry is the biggest outlier of the group. His lack of receiving production will likely make it impossible for him to finish as the overall RB1. He is 31 years old, and if Keaton Mitchell can regain his 2023 form, it would make sense for the Ravens to rest Henry more often in 2025 than in 2024. His talent as a runner in the Ravens offense is enough to keep him in the top 10.
With the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season, these way-too-early 2025 fantasy football rankings are an initial look at how players could be ranked this summer. Player movement in free agency will have a big factor on the rankings, particularly at running back. For now, players expected to be unrestricted free agents are marked as free agents in the team column. These rankings are for redraft PPR leagues.
White, Charbonnet and Spears all posted top-five fantasy finishes at times last year. They should also see significant playing time, particularly on passing downs, giving them some standalone value in deeper leagues along with handcuff value.
Tier 4: The remaining starters
This tier consists of eight veterans and two rookies. The eight veterans ranked among the top 14 running backs last season in fantasy points per game at 15.9 or better. The four running backs drafted earliest during the 2024 draft are backups to four of these running backs, and all four should see more playing time in 2025 than in 2024.
Stevenson and Etienne had disappointing fantasy seasons. Both players were playing under 50% of their team’s offensive snaps by the end of the season. Both running backs will have new head coaches for 2025, which could be an opportunity to become a feature back again, but they could also become a backup.
Barkley benefited from an exceptional amount of long touchdown runs. He had nine touchdown runs of more than 10 yards, which hadn’t been done since 2008. Typically, the league leader is around five-to-six touchdown runs of that length. That included four touchdowns of 60-plus yards, which has only been done twice in the last 19 seasons. If you remove 10-plus-yard touchdown runs from all running backs, he would have finished at RB9 in 2024. While Barkley should have earned more long touchdown runs than other running backs, his numbers from 2024 will likely regress.
McCaffrey and Hall were the top two running backs regarding fantasy points in 2023. This past season wasn’t nearly as good for either back. In three of his last five seasons, McCaffrey has been held to seven games or less. He will be 29 years old by the start of next season, and that will be enough risk to keep McCaffrey in the second tier. Hall’s fantasy value could change in either direction, depending on who the head coach and quarterback are.
Tier 5: The unknowns
• Ashton Jeanty leads the second tier: The Boise State running back should be an early-to-mid first-round pick, and running backs with that talent tend to thrive as rookies.
Robinson leads the running backs after a strong finish to the 2024 season. He consistently played at least 70% of the Falcons’ offensive snaps by Week 9. He received a minimum of 20 touches in eight of those nine games, and a 6-38 blowout loss was the exception. While Barkley and Gibbs have benefited from consistent positive game scripts, there is still room for the Falcons offense to improve with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback.
Jeanty leads the way, even though we don’t know what team he will play for. Jeanty is fourth on our big board, joining Bijan Robinson, Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott as the only running backs ranked in the top 10 in the past decade and only one in the top five. Jeanty is expected to get picked in the top half of the first round, joining Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Barkley, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey and Elliott as the only running backs selected in the first half of the NFL draft in the last decade. Each of these running backs finished in the top 10 in fantasy points during their rookie season or the second half of their rookie season.
Tier 6: The top backups
Two exceptions are Ford and Chubb. The Browns were one of five teams to average under 100 rushing yards per game. They ranked in the bottom 10 in most other rushing metrics as a team. The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders had no running backs on this list. These three teams are the most likely to invest in a new running back this offseason.
Jones, Harris and Dowdle ranked among the top 25 fantasy running backs and were clear lead running backs on their teams. Their season grades ranged between 73.9 and 77.9, which is generally good enough to be starters in the NFL but also low enough that teams could look to upgrade if given the opportunity.
This tier is for those slated to be starters, but there is significant risk. The Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders used two-man committees last year and will likely do the same next year.
Bigsby, Allgeier and Miller are the other running backs on this list with at least three years of experience. While all three are fine handcuff options, their lack of receiving production in their NFL career limits their ceiling.
Tier 7: The other backups worth drafting
Kamara is the only running back to average at least 15 points per game last season that isn’t ranked among the top 20. He was one of five running backs to average 21-plus touches per game. The Saints will have a new head coach next year. Kendre Miller graded better as a runner last season, albeit on a smaller sample size. Miller averaged more first downs per carry, had nearly twice as good of an avoided tackle rate and averaged more yards after contact per carry. The Saints might not use Kamara in a feature role like they’ve needed to in recent seasons.
For parts of the season, the Dolphins didn’t have Tua Tagovailoa. Achane averaged 22.5 points per game in the 11 games with Tagovailoa and 8.7 without him. The Dolphins had the fifth-worst run block grade for an offensive line this season. Our most recent mock draft suggests help could be on the way.
Achane is the fourth running back in this tier. His 17.6 PPR points per game ranked sixth among running backs last season. The two running backs who finished ahead of him and aren’t in this tier will be at least 30 years old by the start of the 2025 season and will likely face more competition than the 2024 season. Achane has the second-highest rushing grade and highest receiving grade of all running backs over the last two seasons combined among the 27 running backs with at least 1,000 snaps.
