5 Fantasy Football Running Back Bust Candidates - Veteran RBs To Avoid in 2025 Drafts

April 29, 2025

Quincy's 2025 fantasy football running back busts and avoids. These RB bust candidates are overvalued in drafts: Joe Mixon, Najee Harris, Travis Etienne Jr., and more.

Running back turnover is common in the NFL. The position has a short shelf life and is generally easily replaceable, save for a few elite players. As such, teams will often employ a running back by committee approach by repeatedly drafting and signing young options. With such a strong running back draft class on its way into the NFL in 2025, several players could be supplanted on the depth chart.

Given the easily replaceable nature of the position, solid players can also lose their jobs based on unavailability, a new offensive scheme, or the emergence of another player on the depth chart. You have to be careful when selecting players outside of the Saquon Barkleys and Derrick Henrys of the world.

With the potential for a lot of movement this season, let's dive in and see which players you should avoid. The draft certainly had an influence on this list, and there are several rookies you could consider targeting as a result.

Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

Joe Mixon came out on fire as a top-3 running back over the first half of the 2024 season. However, he appeared to lose steam down the stretch and was a borderline liability for fantasy when it mattered most.

Mixon is a 28-year-old running back with a lot of tread on his tires. He has never been particularly explosive or efficient and those trends certainly reared their heads over the last few games of the season. Touchdowns made Mixon such a valuable asset to start the season but he did not score in the final four games of the season as the Texans' offense fell apart.

With the Texans' offensive line still in shambles and a lack of substantial support outside of Nico Collins in the passing game, Mixon does not seem poised to return on his current draft capital as a fringe RB1. With so many solid options being drafted behind him and several great rookies on their way into the league, Mixon should be avoided in 2025.

Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

As a Seahawks fan, it pains me to say that I am unlikely to have many shares of Kenneth Walker III in 2025. Walker is supremely talented. His only knock has always been his inability to stay on the field. Compound that with the fact that backup Zach Charbonnet, emerged as a legitimate option in Walker's stead in 2024, and we may be looking at a committee.

The Seahawks love Walker and his skill set. However, with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak bringing a more run-heavy approach to Seattle, it feels like the workload could be spread more evenly between Walker and Charbonnet. Walker will still be the starter, but it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which Walker receives a full workload.

Walker is likely to be drafted as a high-end RB2, but he could finish as more of a low-end RB2 if he struggles with injury and/or does not receive a full workload. Walker is currently being drafted just behind James Cook and ahead of other solid options such as Chuba Hubbard and David Montgomery.

With so much uncertainty and inconsistency surrounding Walker, it is likely best to look elsewhere unless his draft value drops as the season approaches.

Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers signed Najee Harris to a one-year contract during free agency and signs suggested that he may receive a chance at a feature back role on a "prove it" deal. That all changed on Day 1 of the NFL Draft when the Chargers selected Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina.

Hampton is an electric talent who has a lot more juice than Harris. While Harris is a solid and reliable running back, he is likely to cede carries to Hampton very early on.

Harris will likely be the team's short yardage and pass protection back. He excels in both aspects of the game and will certainly have real life value for the Chargers. Hampton has feature back size and speed and will likely receive a lot of touches between the 20s. Both players will hurt the other's fantasy stock but Hampton will be the most valuable of the two.

Najee Harris seeing his new team use a first round pick on a RB pic.twitter.com/MwwsPBgA7W

— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) April 25, 2025

Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants

Tyrone Tracy Jr. had a solid rookie year in 2024. As a fifth-round pick, Tracy took over the starting job from Devin Singletary and proceeded to rush for 839 yards and four touchdowns. The Giants seemed like a candidate to address the running back position during the draft which they did in Round 4 with Cam Skattebo.

As a Day 3 pick in his own right, Tracy was going to be hard pressed to retain his starting job as a feature back. Day 3 picks at the running back position are a dime a dozen and often see additions to the backfield. While some players such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving are able to break that trend, Tracy was not necessarily a special player in 2024.

With the addition of Skattebo and the remaining presence of Singletary, Tracy's role will likely be reduced. He should still receive a handful of carries each game and a decent amount of targets, but he will be a flex option at best in fantasy.

Tyrone Tracy Jr? https://t.co/q9AA41OKNA pic.twitter.com/taSHdEg2Oa

— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) April 26, 2025

Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Etienne Jr. has been an interesting NFL player. He missed his rookie season due to injury and followed that up with a couple of 1,000-yard seasons. He was highly inefficient in 2023 but he could not stop scoring touchdowns which made him the RB3. In 2024, Etienne's touchdown rate regressed, injuries marred his season, and the emergence of Tank Bigsby ate into his workload.

NEWS: The Chicago #Bears are the FAVORITES to trade for star running back Travis Etienne Jr., per @BovadaOfficial.

Etienne is only 26 and was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his career.

Could be dynamic in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/SrrhfqgxUm

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 25, 2025

Now entering his fifth season, Etienne may be headed towards a three-way backfield with Bigsby and 2025 fourth-round pick, Bhayshul Tuten. New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is fresh off deploying three running backs in Tampa Bay with Sean Tucker, Rachaad White, and Bucky Irving.

Tuten is an experienced running back fresh off a 1,159-yard and 15-touchdown season at Virginia Tech. Bigsby is not a world-beater in his own right, but he led the Jaguars in rushing in 2024 with 766 yards, and he was the clear preferred choice on early downs as the season progressed.

Etienne is highly talented, but he was not selected by the current regime and he is on an expiring contract. With two other running backs likely to receive work in this offense, Etienne is a player you should pass on in drafts.

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