Top Fantasy Football Running Back Position Battles For 2025

Joey's top fantasy football running back position battles to monitor in 2025. His outlooks for the Cowboys, Patriots, Browns and Jaguars RB1 roles in fantasy football drafts.

Fantasy football managers will want to pay close attention to how several backfields play out over the next few months. There are plenty of teams that have multiple running backs fighting for a starting job. We should get more clarity on those running back position battles throughout the summer months and in training camp.

There are also some teams that have several running backs fighting for that RB2 role. As a result, it'll be interesting to see how some backfields play out over the next few months and which players win certain roles when the season begins.

So, let's dive into four of the top running back position battles heading into training camp. All four of these teams featured below have multiple players fighting for an RB1 job.

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Dallas Cowboys RB1 Outlook

The Dallas Cowboys running back room will look a little different from last year. After Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott led the Dallas backfield in 2024, the team will feature a new group of running backs this season. The Cowboys signed Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency and selected Jaydon Blue (fifth round) and Phil Mafah (seventh round) in the later rounds of the draft.

Therefore, many fantasy managers might not know which new Cowboys running back will lead this group in 2025. Williams and Sanders have both been RB1s at some point in their careers, and the rookie running backs bring a different skill set to this backfield. Blue reportedly ran an impressive 4.28-second 40-yard dash at his pro day in March.

College Football’s Fastest Five of Week 13

2. Texas RB Jaydon Blue (@Jaydonblue23) 22.3 mph #ReelSpeed

🔗 https://t.co/UFKB2eWAzC pic.twitter.com/0h09KheLPR

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) November 30, 2023

That means this will be a backfield to watch over the next few months. Whichever running back wins the starting job should immediately be considered a low-end RB2 option at the beginning of the year. Dowdle was a solid fantasy option as the lead back in this Cowboys offense last year, finishing as the RB22 in half-PPR formats.

As it stands now, Williams likely has the inside track at the starting job. The Cowboys signed him early in the offseason and didn't take a running back until Day 3 in April's draft. The former Broncos running back has also been getting a lot of work with the starters to open OTAs. So, it appears he might be the best running back to own in this backfield.

Jacksonville Jaguars RB1 Outlook

The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the more confusing backfields to analyze entering the season. Travis Etienne was the clear RB1 in this Jacksonville offense in both 2022 and 2023. However, he struggled on the ground last year, paving the way for second-year running back Tank Bigsby to see more opportunities on the ground.

There's no doubt that Bigsby was the team's best rusher in 2024. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and showed that he could be Jacksonville's RB1 in the future. The 22-year-old ran 168 times for 766 yards and seven touchdowns across 16 games. He also finished as a top-27 running back in PPR formats in three of the last five weeks of the 2024 season.

So, it's not a surprise that Etienne and Bigsby will be fighting for that RB1 job in training camp this summer. But let's not forget that the Jaguars selected Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Tuten is an explosive runner who has game-changing speed. His 4.32 40-yard time at the NFL Combine was the fastest among all running backs.

That means we could be looking at three running backs fighting for that RB1 spot in this Jacksonville backfield. While Tuten does have some fumbling issues that stem from his college days, it's hard to ignore his blazing speed. The rookie totaled 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground at Virginia Tech this past season.

Things could get even more interesting if the Jaguars decide to trade away Etienne in the coming months. There have been some rumors circling that Jacksonville could trade him away following a rough 2024 campaign. That would leave Bigsby and Tuten as the top two backs in this offense heading into the season.

Thought this was an interesting article on draft fallout from @JFowlerESPN.

I'd guess Travis Etienne is available very cheap in trade market right now. Bhayshul Tuten skill set complements Tank Bigsby skill set nicely. pic.twitter.com/m5SE9KIM7B

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) May 7, 2025

Given the uncertainty of this backfield, it's hard to pinpoint who might be the lead back in this offense. If all three backs remain on this roster by Week 1, Bigsby and Etienne will likely split RB1 opportunities. Bigsby could emerge as the early down back, and Etienne could be more of the receiving back. Tuten would then probably be sprinkled in occasionally throughout the game.

Cleveland Browns RB1 Outlook

The Cleveland Browns went through a ton of changes this offseason, including at the running back position. Nick Chubb is no longer with the team, and the Browns took two running backs early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Cleveland took Quinshon Judkins in the second round and then selected Dylan Sampson in the fourth round. 

Those two running backs will now join Jerome Ford in this Cleveland backfield in 2025. Ford was the team's RB1 for parts of last season and showed some solid things when given the ball. He totaled at least 60 scrimmage yards in seven of 14 games. He was also a solid target in the passing game, catching at least three passes in eight different contests. 

So, it'll be interesting to see which Browns running back emerges as the top guy in this offense. While Ford might have the inside track, Judkins could earn that job sooner rather than later. He totaled over 1,000 rush yards in each of his three college seasons and ran for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns this past year at Ohio State.

Therefore, Judkins has every opportunity to overtake Ford as the RB1 in this offense at some point. Those two will likely be battling it out all training camp, and both should be involved out of the backfield to start the year. 

As for Sampson, it feels like he will begin his career as the team's RB3. Although that could change throughout the season, the Browns will likely give the more experienced back in Ford more chances to open the year. However, the former Tennessee running back is no doubt someone to keep an eye on after he rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns in his final college season. 

New England Patriots RB1 Outlook

The New England Patriots were definitely in the market for a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rhamondre Stevenson has struggled on the ground over the past two seasons, and Antonio Gibson hasn't shown that he can be an efficient RB1 in his career. Stevenson has averaged under four yards per carry in each of the past two years. 

As a result, it wasn't a complete shock when the Patriots selected TreVeyon Henderson with the 38th overall pick in the draft. Henderson fits exactly what the team wants to do on offense, and the Ohio State product is coming off one of his better seasons on the ground. He rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

There's no doubt that the Patriots have been missing that speed out of their backfield in recent years. Henderson now comes in looking to make a major impact for this New England offense. Fantasy managers should expect the rookie to fight for that RB1 job throughout training camp. 

Now, we don't know if Henderson will eventually win that RB1 job right away. However, it's only a matter of time until he is the RB1 in this Patriots offense. Stevenson had another down year, and this is a new coaching staff. That surely doesn't benefit the four-year veteran following back-to-back subpar seasons on the ground.

TreVeyon Henderson has reportedly been one of the FASTEST players in OTA’s

➖4.43 40 Time (92nd Percentile)
➖0 Fumbles (667 Career Touches)

The top tier ball-security, elite blocking ability, and pass catching will lead to immense volume for TreVeyon

New England got their RB1 pic.twitter.com/hLqEVfjHYy

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) May 21, 2025

As it stands now, Stevenson might start the season as the team's RB1, and Henderson will mix in as the RB2. There's a good chance, though, that changes throughout the year. The rookie is the better running back and will bring more juice to this New England offense. This will be an interesting RB1 battle to watch in the summer. 

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