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Adam's undervalued fantasy football running backs and potential league-winning value picks for 2025. His top RB sleeper targets include D'Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, and more.
More and more, fantasy managers are utilizing the "zero-RB" strategy in their draft rooms. This can be an effective strategy, especially in PPR leagues. But it means we need to nail our later-round running backs.
This article highlights four undervalued running backs to draft in 2025. Even if you're not using the "zero-RB" strategy, these guys can still make for solid RB2a or flex starters in your lineups.
All four of these guys are too cheap given their projected role this season. Make sure you target these four running back sleepers in 2025.
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D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Yahoo ADP - 59.0 (RB25)
When Swift's former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named head coach of the Chicago Bears, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Swift would be relegated to a "backup" role. That's not a bad thought with Swift logging career lows in snap share (41.8%) and opportunity share (36.9%) in his one season playing for Johnson in Detroit in 2022.
However, here we are in July, and the only thing the Bears have done at the running back position is add Rutgers product Kyle Monangai in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Monangai might be great, but seventh-round picks have an uphill battle to earn significant playing time in their rookie seasons.
Swift's primary competition for touches this season appears to be Roschon Johnson, who's averaging just 3.69 yards per carry in his two-year NFL career.
At 6-foot-0, 227 lbs, Roschon might be Ben Johnson's new David Montgomery. That would make Swift his new Jahmyr Gibbs, and that should excite fantasy managers. Listen to what former NFL RB Chase Edmonds had to say about Swift's potential in 2025:
Don't sleep on D'Andre Swift in 2025, says @ChaseEdmonds22 !!
"He's gonna remind people that he's the real deal."@NFLFantasy @MichaelFFlorio @MarcasG @RealDealFantasy
🔊 https://t.co/9Sutd1mAdE pic.twitter.com/rV8hAWotut
— NFL Podcasts (@NFL_Podcasts) May 27, 2025
Swift's efficiency has taken a nosedive over the last two seasons as the Eagles and Bears asked him to be something he's not. He's combined for 482 rush attempts in the past two seasons compared to just 364 in 40 games with the Lions.
In 2022 with the Lions, Ben Johnson cut Swift's rushing volume by over four carries per game. He went from 11.6 per game in 2021 to just 7.1 per game in 2022.
However, Swift was second among all running backs in both yards per touch (6.3) and yards created per touch (4.58) that season. Johnson's scheme maximized Swift's efficiency on fewer touches. That same offense led to Montgomery and Gibbs being one and two in fantasy points per snap in 2024.
Despite the 36.9% opportunity share, Swift still produced 13.7 PPR fantasy points per game. That's more than he averaged in both 2023 (12.5) and 2024 (12.6) with much higher opportunity shares.
With many free-agent running backs having signed with other teams, it looks like Swift is headed for a feature role in Ben Johnson's Bears offense. It's time to stop sleeping on this guy.
Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings
Yahoo ADP - 86.0 (RB32)
Despite having the 14th-most rushing attempts per game last season (26.6), Vikings running backs found the end zone just seven times. Aaron Jones scored just three touchdowns on 24 carries inside the 10-yard line.
It was clear Minnesota needed to add another weapon in the run game to convert on short-yardage and goal-to-go situations. Insert Jordan Mason, a 223-pound bruiser with some serious juice.
But Mason won't only be used sparingly; it sounds like head coach Kevin O'Connell has a real plan for his new running back.
Plan for Jordan Mason seems clear.
Vikings will use Mason to spell 30-year-old Aaron Jones for full series. And Mason appears likely to get goal-line work. Via ESPN: pic.twitter.com/JY8RUOcocu
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) April 6, 2025
Jones wasn't bad last season, but he isn't the same efficient runner he was a few years ago. Per Fantasy Points Data, his Missed Tackles Forced per Attempt has gone from 0.26 in 2022 to 0.16 in 2023 to just 0.11 in 2024.
Meanwhile, Mason proved himself to be more than capable of carrying a heavy workload with Christian McCaffrey out for most of the 2024 season.
Per PlayerProfiler, Mason had the ninth-highest yards per touch (5.4) among running backs and was fourth in explosive rating (120.2). On paper, he was one of the best running backs in the league last season.
A Chuba Hubbard chart disguised as a Derrick Henry chart disguised as a Bucky Irving chart disguised as a Jordan Mason chart pic.twitter.com/69TMXcWJ4K
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) June 5, 2025
O'Connell admitted the 31-year-old Jones is at his best when the Vikings can keep him fresh. With one of the best pure runners in the fold for the 2025 season, it's almost a guarantee we'll see a 50/50 split between the two.
Not only does Mason offer standalone value on a great offense, but he has the contingent value to be a league-winner should Jones be forced to miss any time this season.
J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
Yahoo ADP - 98.0 (RB35)
Dobbins looked great last season for the Chargers after playing in just nine games the previous three years.
Multiple knee injuries and an Achilles tear can be a death sentence for running backs, but not Dobbins. He looked rejuvenated, and Jim Harbaugh rewarded him with a 64.7% opportunity share and 36 red zone touches in just 12 full games in 2024.
Welcome back, J.K. Dobbins. pic.twitter.com/c6U1qLDv26
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 8, 2024
Before Dobbins signed with Denver this spring, the Broncos didn't have a legitimate veteran presence in the running back room. With Javonte Williams gone to Dallas, it was only rookie RJ Harvey, third-year scat back Jaleel McLaughlin, and second-year man Audric Estime.
With just McLaughlin and Estime on the roster leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, it was a given that Payton would draft a running back. That's exactly what he did, taking the UCF product with the 60th overall pick.
But Payton and company wanted a guy who could be a sounding board for the youngsters. That guy was Dobbins, and it sounds like he could be much more than just a "veteran presence" in 2025.
Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph talked about Dobbins' quickness, power, and intelligence on third down, referring to him as a "three-down back."
Joseph knows his stuff, as PFF gave Dobbins the fourth-highest pass-blocking grade among running backs in 2024 (69.6). Right behind Dobbins in that category was Williams (68.4).
Despite Williams struggling to run the football last season, Payton still had him on the field for 54% of the snaps, which led to a 46.4% opportunity share.
Harvey, on the other hand, was graded as one of the worst pass-blocking running backs in college football last season (21.8).
Payton will be able to trust Dobbins in many more situations than he'll be able to trust Harvey, especially early in the season before Harvey has the chance to prove himself with live reps.
It's for that reason that Richie Carni and other Denver beat reporters believe it'll be Dobbins getting the first crack at a feature role in the offense come Week 1.
If he runs hot, like he did in Los Angeles last season, it's going to be hard for Payton to take Dobbins off the field in 2025.
That makes him one of the most undervalued RBs on the board today, especially since he's priced much lower than rookie teammate Harvey (ADP 52.0).
Will Shipley, Philadelphia Eagles
Yahoo ADP - 217 (RB61)
This one's more of a handcuff than anything else, but Shipley appears to have the RB2 job in Philadelphia locked up.
Nugget from the great @JimmyKempski on PHI RB2 job here. Expects Will Shipley to have it locked up.
Also noted Kenny Gainwell free agent contract with Steelers was just 1-year, $1.79M. Eagles probably could've kept Gainwell for this role if they wanted to. pic.twitter.com/kCjqx0jnN3
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) May 21, 2025
He didn't play much as a rookie, but the Eagles saw enough in the Clemson rookie to let Kenneth Gainwell walk in free agency. He graded well as both a receiver and a pass-blocker, which is where Gainwell excelled.
Now, let's make one thing abundantly clear: we don't root for injuries. That being said, Saquon Barkley touched the ball a league-high 482 times (378 in the regular season and 104 in the playoffs) in his age-28 season.
There have been 41 instances of a running back totaling 400+ touches since 1998. Check out the data provided by Dr. Jesse Morse that highlights how these backs performed the following season.
The more a player touches the ball, the more opportunities there are for injuries to occur. That's just common sense.
Now, the Eagles have only added an oft-injured A.J. Dillon to the running back room in addition to Barkley and Shipley.
But it appears Shipley is squarely in line to be the direct back to Barkley heading into the 2025 season.
It also sounds like new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo could bring some more balance to the rushing attack.
Andrew DiCecco of Inside the Birds says to "look for Shipley to carve out a prominent role in his second season, in what could be a breakout campaign."
He's a no-brainer click at the end of your fantasy drafts, even if you don't roster Barkley.
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