Top 4 Fantasy Football Running Back Committees to Target - Strong Team Backfields to Draft (2025)

Andersen's 4 fantasy football running back committees to target in drafts. His top teams with RB committees to prioritize are the: Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

"Running back committee" may be one of the scariest phrases in fantasy football, but if you approach the position correctly, there's no reason to panic.

Fantasy football managers often avoid backfield committees, and for good reason. After all, they bring uncertainty. It's not the best idea to spend one of your prized draft picks on a player whose ceiling could be 50 percent of offensive snaps and whose floor is riding the bench for most of the season.

However, not all backfield committees are bad. As NFL teams grow increasingly dependent on multiple running backs, the idea of drafting one or both members of a running back committee has become less daunting. Here are four teams that should be able to find a proper balance in the backfield, making their running backs excellent fantasy football options in 2025.

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Detroit Lions

The Lions' backfield may not look like a typical committee, but we can't ignore that both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery averaged more than 15 touches per game last season. Not only did both players see plenty of touches, but they also excelled with the ball in their hands.

Gibbs ranked first last season with +72.4 expected points added. He was fifth among running backs in rushing yards and third in receiving yards, showcasing his ability to excel both on the ground and through the air. He was a nightmare for opposing defenders with a 27.2 percent juke rate and 82 evaded tackles.

Montgomery demonstrated a similar ability to shake defenders with his 29 percent juke rate and 64 evaded tackles. Although he is typically viewed as a physical runner, he also excelled as a pass catcher, averaging 4.74 yards per route run.

The Lions finished 2024 ranking first in game script (+5.34) and third in team run plays per game (31.4). There were plenty of opportunities for both players to finish as top-12 fantasy running backs, and they should continue to co-exist as the Lions' offense remains dominant heading into the 2025 campaign.

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are wearing matching Sonic and Knuckles cleats 🥊💨 pic.twitter.com/pHnPLtCGfD

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) November 28, 2024

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rachaad White opened the year as Tampa's primary running back, but by the end of the season, the Bucs' backfield belonged to rookie Bucky Irving. Although we expect Irving to remain the lead running back in Tampa Bay this season, White will still have a significant role. Plus, Tampa Bay will likely still ride the hot hand if the dynamic shifts.

Irving's rookie campaign was nothing short of incredible. He had a 115.9 explosive rushing play rating, which ranked sixth among running backs. He had a 90.4 percent catch rate, 29.5 percent juke rate, 4.94 yards created per touch, and +21.8 expected points added. The rookie was incredibly successful despite sharing opportunities with White and Sean Tucker. The following table shows a breakdown of Irving's snap totals and usage.

White had another strong season as a pass catcher, totaling 393 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The following table shows the five NFL running backs with at least 825 receiving yards over the last two seasons. White is one of two players in that category to finish a season outside of the top 12 running backs, and the only one to finish lower than RB20. The point stands that White can be a top-24 fantasy running back if he continues to catch the ball.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders had a complicated backfield dynamic in 2024. Brian Robinson Jr. had a make-or-break campaign in the DMV, and Austin Ekeler was brought in to provide a spark via the passing game.

Robinson had double-digit fantasy points in his first six games last season, scoring six touchdowns along the way. However, he missed three games down the stretch and seemed to be in the doghouse by the end of the year. In Week 16, he averaged just 2.4 yards per carry and lost two fumbles. Meanwhile, in Week 18, he had only five carries for 10 yards on the ground.

That's not to say that the jury is out on Robinson. Rather, 2024 was a tale of two halves for the 26-year-old Alabama product. On a positive note, he posted career-highs in rushing yards (799) and rushing touchdowns (eight).

The other component to this backfield is Ekeler, who looked good when his name was called last year. He's no longer the alpha running back that he was in Los Angeles, but perhaps that's good for him. He has evidently lost a step, but he still has good vision at the line of scrimmage and makes an impact as a pass catcher.

Ekeler finished 2024 with 4.77 yards per carry, albeit on just 77 rushing attempts. In the passing attack, he caught 35 passes for 366 yards. He ended the year as the overall RB34, but there was a stretch from Weeks 9 to 11 when Robinson was injured, during which Ekeler ranked as the RB8.

COMMANDERS NEW LOOK OFFENSE 🚀

💥QB Jayden Daniels
💥 RB Brian Robinson Jr.
💥 RB AUSTIN EKELER
💥 WR DEEBO SAMUEL
💥 WR Terry McLaurin
💥 TE Zach Ertz

Can they take down the Eagles in the NFC? pic.twitter.com/Kbesq3yhxu

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 1, 2025

Pittsburgh Steelers

Let's be honest: the Steelers' outlook is relatively bleak this year. They don't seem to have an answer at quarterback, they traded away George Pickens, and Najee Harris is gone, too. However, looking at the bright side, Pittsburgh has a strong one-two punch in the backfield that might make up for the glaring hole at the quarterback position.

The familiar face in this backfield is Jaylen Warren, who seemed to have supplanted Harris as the Steelers' primary running back by the end of last season. After overcoming some injury concerns during the first half of the season, he finished the year strong. Ultimately, Warren was the overall RB21 from Weeks 10 to 17.

The Steelers also added Kaleb Johnson to their backfield via this year's NFL Draft. Johnson, a third-round pick from Iowa, is expected to replace Harris in Pittsburgh — and importantly, the dynamic between Warren and Johnson is expected to be better than last year's dynamic between Warren and Harris, according to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Johnson is a strong runner and should take on most of Harris's short-yardage looks in stereotypical running opportunities. However, there are still plenty of questions about his ability to block and catch passes, which are two areas where Warren succeeds. Therefore, there will be plenty of chances for Warren to see the field over Johnson.

Ultimately, these two running backs complement each other nicely, and they should both see enough opportunities to finish as potential top-32 fantasy running backs. The biggest question is whether Pittsburgh's offense can stay on the field, but between Johnson, Warren, DK Metcalf, and even Pat Freiermuth, this offense should be able to overcome the expected woes of Mason Rudolph.

“(Jaylen) Warren, I’ve been on him every day about it, questioning him how to do this and how to do that, and making sure I get my technique down. … That’s my main thing right now.” — #Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson on pass protection

Cut-up below of Johnson’s Thursday at OTAs pic.twitter.com/UYKFcYD8uj

— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) May 29, 2025

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