Sneaky RB1 Candidates for 2025 Fantasy Football - 5 Running Back Sleepers

August 17, 2025

Quincy Milton's fantasy football RB1 sleepers for 2025. His undervalued dark horse running backs to be the overall RB1 in 2025. Read the expert draft analysis.

The fantasy football RB1 is rarely the actual RB1 during draft season. The RB1 is often a player picked near the top of the draft, but sometimes the RB1 comes out of nowhere. The fantasy RB1 usually has a perfect storm of significant playing time, health, and passing game work that propels them to a new stratosphere above other players.

Saquon Barkley, the RB1 in 2024, scored a ridiculous number of touchdowns and recorded an unsustainable amount of breakaway scores that propelled him to the RB1 in fantasy. The formula for the RB1 is never perfect, and it is up to fantasy players to figure it out year after year. It is part of the excitement of the offseason and the preseason.

Players such as Barkley and Bijan Robinson have high expectations, and everyone knows that they realistically could finish as the RB1. For this analysis, both players will be excluded to truly examine which players are dark-horse candidates to finish as the RB1. With so many talented running backs in the game right now, let's dive in and see who has a chance to take the crown at the position during the 2025 fantasy football season.

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

The 2021 fantasy RB1 has already demonstrated that he is capable of taking the mantle. He has not been able to reach those heights in recent years due to injuries, but his ending to the 2024 season displayed that the capability is still there.

Taylor is an athletic freak in a scheme that fits his skill set. His rushing upside is bolstered by the fact that the Colts have two dual-threat quarterbacks who can help open up lanes for Taylor. Additionally, Taylor is a skilled pass-catcher. With Daniel Jones opening the season as the starter, Taylor could see increased work in the passing game.

NFL running backs that had more rushing yards than Jonathan Taylor in 2024:

1. Saquon Barkley
2. Derrick Henry
3. Bijan Robinson

did folks forget who this is or am I missing something? pic.twitter.com/5r0s80Hc6T

— Lawrence Jackson Jr. (@LordDontLose) May 9, 2025

The Colts will need to rely heavily on Taylor in 2025 with two quarterbacks who have had their fair share of struggles in the passing game. Taylor is a quarterback's best friend because he can keep the defense honest due to the need to stop him in the running game. The team did just that at the end of the 2024 season, and Taylor ran for at least 107 yards or a touchdown from Weeks 16 through 18.

Taylor is currently being drafted as a fringe top 10 running back in fantasy. He finished as the RB12 in 2024 despite missing three games. As such, RB10 seems like Taylor's absolute floor. This guy could surprise a lot of people in 2025.

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Chuba Hubbard has quietly cemented himself as one of the best running backs in the game. He has steadily improved in each of his first four seasons in the league. In 2024, he recorded his first 1,000-yard season en route to an RB14 finish in fantasy. Hubbard will need to improve in the passing game to become the RB1, but he has the talent to achieve the milestone.

Hubbard has played in relatively inept offenses for most of his career in the NFL. He has been able to transcend the offensive struggles over the last two seasons, but we have seen him excel in games where the offense clicked. With quarterback Bryce Young taking a huge leap forward in 2024, those games could become far more common.

Randomly remembering when Chuba Hubbard forced 10 missed tackles on the Eagles defense last December pic.twitter.com/2bRUM0dg7S

— ً (@ThomasWrrld) May 29, 2025

Hubbard's career high in receptions is 43, which is a solid number. However, he has never been particularly efficient in the passing game, as those 43 receptions only turned into 171 yards. Young is a pocket passer who will gladly check the ball down to his running backs. As this offense continues to improve and avoid three-and-outs, those checkdowns should become more lucrative for Hubbard.

Hubbard simply has the talent to be one of those players who have a magical season for fantasy. At minimum, Hubbard has top-5 upside at his position. He is going to be a steal in drafts if his current ADP of RB16 holds through draft season.

Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

You may already be wondering why a player like Jahmyr Gibbs is on this list, which is a valid question. However, Gibbs is hamstrung by his running mate, David Montgomery. The case for Gibbs as the runaway RB1 in 2025 lies in the fact that the Lions have experienced a change in offensive coordinator with Ben Johnson accepting the head coach job in Chicago.

Jahmyr Gibbs went nuclear down the stretch:

🔹 32.3 PPR points per game over his final 5 (incl. playoffs)

🔹 Even with Monty sidelined, that’s elite-level output

Gibbs ended the year showing why he has overall RB1 upside in 2025. 🚀 #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/73QTEM2hDX

— Anthony Cervino (@therealNFLguru) May 31, 2025

If we discount Week 18 when most fantasy leagues do not play, Gibbs already finished as the RB2 in 2024, up from his RB10 finish as a rookie in 2023. His finish was mainly bolstered by the absence of Montgomery for most of Week 15 and Weeks 16 through 18. Gibbs ran wild in those games, with no less than 25.4 fantasy points in that span as a true workhorse.

This team loves Montgomery, so Gibbs will never be a true workhorse as long as Montgomery is in the fold. However, should the new offensive regime shift more work in favor of Gibbs, we could see an RB1 finish for the ages. Gibbs has 52 receptions in both of his NFL seasons, and he has scored at least 11 total touchdowns in each season as well. That includes 20 touchdowns in 2024.

Gibbs is currently the RB3 in fantasy drafts, which suggests that the fantasy community is tempered by the presence of Montgomery. However, there is a case for taking Gibbs No. 1 overall. The talent is evident, and Montgomery is aging while Gibbs is just entering his prime. It is unlikely that we have yet to see his peak on the field.

Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

Another former top-5 fantasy running back, Josh Jacobs, could do so again in 2025. Jacobs will likely exceed double-digit rushing touchdowns in an excellent Packers offense. His touchdown upside will be even higher if quarterback Jordan Love can stay healthy for the entire season after battling injuries in 2024.

The Packers do not have any proven options behind Jacobs, suggesting that he should not lose his workhorse role. His passing game usage is solid with 36 receptions for 342 yards in 2024. If the team's passing game bounces back some in 2025, Jacobs' role in the passing game could increase.

At age 27, Jacobs is likely entering the final season or two of his fantasy football peak. However, we just saw what Saquon Barkley did in his age-27 season. Running backs do not necessarily need to be spring chickens to finish as the RB1.

Josh Jacobs set the tone for the 2024 Green Bay Packers ranking towards the top of every statistical category in the NFL for running backs.

PFF Grade: 3rd
Rushing Yards: 6th
Rushing TDs: 4th
Rushing Yards Over Expected: 6th
Rushing Yards After Contact: 3rd
Rushes 10+ Yards: 6th pic.twitter.com/EXg9j0nnVk

— Packerfan Total Access- Clayton (@packers_access) June 2, 2025

Breece Hall, New York Jets

Alright, let's not let this take get out of hand too quickly. Yes, everyone has been waiting for the Breece Hall RB1 season for three years, and the Jets are not exactly known for their offensive prowess.

However, let's not forget that Hall was the RB2 in fantasy just two seasons ago with a revolving door at quarterback. He was banged up for much of the 2024 season despite only missing one game, which hampered his production, but he began the season hot.

The 2024 New York Jets season got out of hand very quickly. The new regime is entering the fold from winning cultures and should stabilize the team to some degree. Hall should have plenty of space to run behind an improved offensive line and with running quarterback Justin Fields keeping defenses honest.

Breece Hall has showed flashes but he hasn’t put it all together for a full season.

If it was ever going to happen, it would be this year.

Hall is playing for a new contract. Justin Fields will open things up for him as a dual threat QB. Plus a creative new #Jets OC who will… pic.twitter.com/cGensC0Do4

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) May 24, 2025

Hall's passing game usage will surely take a hit, but Hall's breakaway touchdown ability could propel him to a random RB1 season. Additionally, Hall is playing for a new contract. Let's not forget how well many running backs perform when faced with free agency in front of them. Many teams will even feed the player the ball over and over during a contract season.

Hall is being drafted outside of the top 10 at his position in fantasy football. He is likely being drafted near his floor, but if things break correctly, Hall could find himself in the upper echelon at the position this season.

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