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Fantasy Football Rankings 2025

Published

11 months ago

January 13, 2025

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

• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
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.

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Men’s track and field wins four events at M City Classic to start indoor season

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1 minute ago

December 7, 2025

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men’s track and field team had four first-place finishes at the season-opening M City Classic on Friday and Saturday at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.

Senior Lance Nemecek, sophomore Jackson Bullock, and senior Kevin Turlington won individual events on the track for St. Olaf, which also had a first-place performance in the 4×400-meter relay. The Oles put recorded five performances that ranked on their all-time top-10 performers’ list at the first indoor meet of the season.

Nemecek, senior Cullen Moore, first year Paxon Myers, and junior Christian Fells all ran top-12 times in NCAA Division III this season in the 800-meter run to post the four fastest times of the day. Nemecek won the event in 1:54.02, followed closely by Moore in 1:54.16, which rank second and third in the country and third and fourth, respectively, on the Oles’ all-time list. Myers edged Fells at the line by one one-hundredth of a second in 1:55.73, as the pair posted the No. 10 and No. 11 times nationally.

Nemecek, Moore, and Myers were joined by sophomore Austin McInturff on the winning 4×400-meter relay, which compiled a time of 3:21.77 to rank second on St. Olaf’s all-time list. That time is just seven one-hundredths of a second off the program record set in 2016 and ranks fifth in the country.

St. Olaf logged the top-three times of the meet in the one-mile run, led by Bullock’s first-place time of 4:23.01. Senior Eli Doran (4:23.04) and junior Alex Bjork (4:23.37) were within half a second of Bullock, with all three Oles posting top-20 times in NCAA Division III to date.

Senior Kevin Turlington added a win in the 5,000-meter run with the fifth-fastest time in NCAA Division III (14:35.39). Fellow senior Gael Manzur Strandlund was third in 15:19.86 as well.

Sophomore Cristian Escobar Pearson bettered his No. 2 time on St. Olaf’s all-time list in the 60-meter dash in both the prelims (7.07) and finals (7.05) to finish eighth in the event. Junior Jesse Olson recorded the No. 8 score on the Oles’ list in the heptathlon (4,153) by registering four personal-bests in the seven-event, two-day competition to take fourth. Olson’s highest finish came in the high jump, where he placed third after clearing 182 meters (5′ 11 ½”).

St. Olaf will be back in 2026 at the Ole Opener at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Tostrud Center.

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Minnesota advances to Sweet 16 in NCAA volleyball tournament

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2 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

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Minnesota volleyball is in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, and they now have a chance to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2021.

After sweeping Fairfield University 3-0 in the first round of the tourney on Friday night at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, the Gophers dominated Iowa State in a sweep Saturday night to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Gophers took the first set 25-22 before securing the second set 25-21. They crushed the Cyclones 25-14 in the third set to roll into the regional semifinal, where they will face No. 1 Pittsburgh on Thursday for a chance to reach the regional final, which would come with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

The Gophers were seeded fourth in their region, while Iowa State was the No. 5 seed.

Minnesota finished the regular season 22-9 and ranked No. 17 in the AVCA poll. Pittsburgh is ranked No. 4 in the nation, sporting a 28-4 record.

The Minnesota-Pitt regional semifinal will happen at 6 p.m. CT Thursday, and the Panthers will be hosting the match at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.

The match will be televised on ESPN2.

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Walker’s Record Highlights Indoor Season Opener

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sha’Nard Walker set an event record in the 300m to highlight the start of indoor season, Saturday at the Birmingham Indoor Icebreaker at the Birmingham Crossplex.

Walker finished first in the 300m with an event-record 33.56, followed by Jancent Wallace who placed fifth with a 34.07.

In the 400m, Jonathan Gaines finished fifth with a time of 49.52 to lead the Cats, while Dashawn Buist grabbed a top-fiver finish in the 800m with a fourth-place 1:58.05.

For the jumpes, Michael Carter’s 7.27m earned him second in the long jump – he also took home fifth in the triple jump at 14.56m.

On the women’s side Betina Jean took two top-10 finishes -eighth in the 200m with a 25.13 and seventh in the 400m at 58.23.

As for jumps, Darryn Hough finished fifth with a 1.55m in the high jump, while Ay’Keelah Green finished fourth in the long jump with a 5.84m. LaNeeya Garrison finished thrid in the triple jump with an 11.81m.

Kasie Ugeh picked up where she left off a season ago with a fourth-place finish in the shot put at 13.19m.

The full list of B-CU times and finishes is listed below:

Men’s 200m

29. Jemari Sanders 22.98

Men’s 300m

1. Sha’Nard Walker 33.56

5. Jancent Wallace 34.07

10. Ethan Sharpe 35.04

Men’s 400m

5. Jonathan Gaines 49.52

9. Donavan Walker-Collins 49.99

16. Makhii Fleming 50.65

Men’s 800m

4. Dashawn Buist 1:58.05

8. Andre Swewl 20:01.42

Men’s Mile

17. Jalen Jackson 4:43.55

Men’s 3000m

35. Gerrard Griffin 9:32.40

41. Dashon Gill 9:53.49

Men’s High Jump

9. Ashton Matthews 1.95m

Men’s Pole Vault

15. Jabari Armant 4.00m

Men’s Long Jump

2. Michael Carter 7.27m

11. Amarrion Grant 6.84m

17. Bari Willimas 6.53m

Men’s Triple Jump

5. Michael Carter 14.56m

7. Farai Mhende 14.48m

Men’s Shot Put

9. William Rothmiller 14.62m

19. Tyler Washing 12.96m

Men’s Weight Throw

10. Anton Holland 15.64m

Women’s 200m

8. Betina Jean 25.13

18. Haely Grant 25.62

19. Quiaundra Brown 25.69

23. Mariana Morillo 25.76

Women’s 300m

10. Zion Harvey 40.84

11. Amani Jones 40.92

Women’s 400m

7. Betina Jean 58.21

9. Haely Grant 59.10

18. Kavay Johnson 1:01.04

Women’s 1000m

18. Morgan Middleton 3:14.02

Women’s 3000m

14. Valencia Butler 11:20.82

23. Shelvany Goin 12:19.12

Women’s High Jump

5. Darryn Hough 1.55m

10. Selena Rutland 1.50m

21. Soukaina Davis 1.50m

Women’s Long Jump

4. Ay’Keelah Green 5.84m

10. Zion Harvey 5.55m

36. Darryn Hough 4.90m

Women’s Triple Jump

3. LaNeeya Garrison 11.81m

5. Selena Rutland 11.74m

Women’s Shot Put

4. Kasie Ugeh 13.19m

25. Raziyah Ware 10.63m

Women’s Weight Throw

29. Raziyah Ware 10.13m

Follow Bethune-Cookman Cross Country/Track & Field on Twitter and Instagram (BCUXCTF) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) TikTok (@BCUAthletics) and www.bcuathletics.com.

–#HailWildcats–

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No. 1 Nebraska volleyball sweeps KSU, advances to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 | Husker Red Zone

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December 7, 2025

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Records Broken as Women’s Track and Field Display Strong Performances in Season Opener

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Women’s Track and Field | 12/6/2025 7:16:00 PM

Springfield, Ohio – Sophomore Mira Renaldi, senior Emily Brennan and first-year Stevie Combs all showed out in the first meet of the indoor season, as three records were broken by the trio at the Tiger Opener hosted by Wittenberg University. Renaldi broke the record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.16, just barely edging out the time of 9.17 set by Caliyah Bennett back in 2023. Two records were broken in the same event, as Brennan broke the record in the 300 meter dash with a time of 41.75 in heat one, beating the record of 42.01 which was held by Jill Westerfield since 1998. The record would not last long though, as in heat two Combs would break the record with a time of 41.15 seconds, making Brennan’s short-lived. Sydney Flores was first in shot put, and multiple Big Red delivered top-five performances.

Distance/Sprints

In the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Mira Renaldi ran a career-best and Denison record 9.16 to earn first place. Her previous best was 9.20. Coming in second-place was senior Sydney Brown with a time of 9.39. The Big Red stuffed the top-10 in the 300-meter dash, as first-year Stevie Combs got second with a time of 41.15 for a school record, and Emily Brennan followed right behind with a time of 41.75 for third-place. Renaldi added on to her impressive day with a sixth-place finish with a mark of 43.65. In the 200-meter dash, Brennan showcased another top-10 finish, this time notching eighth with a time of 26.39. Lulu Visocky-O’Grady placed seventh in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:39.98.

Field Events

Sydney Flores won the shot put with a mark of 12.14, .45 more than the second-place finisher. Gabrielle Turner also competed in the event, as she placed in the top-10 with Turner grabbing 10th with a throw of 10.44m. Mariel Drost earned fifth-place in the weight throw with a mark of 13.38m. In the long jump, first-year Marisa Bianchi placed in the top-five with a jump of 4.96m to start her Big Red career. Sophomore Eno-Yaa Kissi grabbed ninth with a career-best mark of 4.85m. Julia Schena placed eighth in the high jump with a mark of 1.48.

Up Next for the Big Red

The Big Red will take a holiday break, then head out to Muskingum University for Muskie Meet #1 in New Concord, Ohio on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

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Pitt volleyball wins hard-fought match against Michigan to advance to NCAA regional semifinal

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Pitt women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher would love more preparation between the first and second round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament.

All 32 coaches who advanced to the second round felt like that to some degree about the 24-hour or so turnaround they face. The Panthers found ways to stabilize themselves after a hot start from Michigan to win 25-23, 25-23, 25-18 to advance to the regional semifinals for the sixth consecutive season.

“I’ll start by acknowledging how tough Michigan was tonight,” Fisher said. “We tried early in the week to have them look at both Xavier and Michigan and their style of play. It is certainly nice to have a date or two to feel that you’ve had a few times to train against it. But everyone has the same advantage, and they had the same deal against us.”

Pitt right-side hitter Olivia Babcock was happy with how the Panthers adjusted. Babcock finished with a match-high 24 kills.

The Panthers (24-7) will host Minnesota on Thursday.

“I feel like we were struggling to execute what we wanted to do in the beginning of each set,” Babcock said. “I feel like at the end, once we got to those last points, we told each other this is when we need to play our best. I feel like we were able to slow down Michigan and just control our side.”

Michigan didn’t give away many opportunities to the Panthers.

The Wolverines held a 17-13 lead in the first set after a service ace from Allison Jacobs.

Michigan coach Erin Virtue was happy her team wasn’t intimidated by the moment.

“The moment wasn’t too big for this team,” Virtue said. “I think there’s a lot of reasons that you could have or excuses we could have leaned back on. But they were ready. Our team was ready.”

Pitt surged back with a 6-2 run that included two kills from Babcock and one from Marina Pezelj.

The Panthers went ahead for good, 22-21, on a block by Abbey Emch and Babcock on a Jacobs kill attempt.

Pezelj finished second on the team with 12 kills. Pezelj, a freshman outside hitter, has enjoyed her first tournament experience.

“For me, it’s really the first time, so I was kind of stressed a little bit in the beginning,” Pezelj said. “I’m pretty good with this, and I’m just so grateful to be here with this team.”

During the second set, the timing of Michigan’s mistakes hurt them. The Wolverines (22-11) twice committed service errors after cutting the lead to one point, 19-18 and 20-19, respectively.

Cymarah Gordon led Michigan with 11 kills.

Brooke Mosher led Pitt with 34 passists, and Emery Dupes and Babcock tied for a team-high eight digs.

Fisher said he is hoping the Panthers can continue their march.

“We, obviously, have big goals and aspirations as a program,” Fisher said. “But I think the reality of it is that there’s more parity now than ever, and the sport of volleyball is growing and the level gets higher every year. Being one of the last 16 teams left is a good year. We would like to keep winning and make it a great year.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

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