Fantasy Football RBs to Prioritize in Standard Leagues, Fade in PPR Scoring (2025)

Will highlights fantasy football running backs to target in standard leagues but avoid in PPR scoring formats. His top standard-league draft targets for 2025.

The running back position is an important one in all fantasy football formats. However, the value of running backs varies based on the scoring system used. In points-per-reception (PPR) leagues, managers may choose to place more of an emphasis on drafting wide receivers. Even within the running back pool, pass-catching backs have a natural advantage because they hold an additional avenue to point-scoring. When evaluating running backs for standard-scoring leagues, there are different criteria that managers must keep in mind.

In standard-scoring leagues, the ideal fantasy running back dominates early down carries and receives plenty of touches around the goal line. Unlike PPR scoring, where backs can pad their stats with checkdown receptions, the name of the game in standard leagues is yardage and touchdowns. Style of offense matters as well. Identifying which play-callers will prioritize running the ball is critical.

This article will highlight a few running backs who are strong candidates for standard-scoring leagues but may be players to fade in PPR formats. That’s not to say that the running backs below are strict avoids in PPR leagues, but rather that they are likely undervalued by their standard ADP and overvalued by their PPR ADP. Let’s dive in.

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Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Derrick Henry has been the classic example of a standard league running back for the majority of his career. In his first season in Baltimore last year, Henry finished second among all running backs in carries (325) and rushing yards (1,921) and first in rushing touchdowns (16).

Across the last five seasons, he leads all running backs in per-game rushing yards (102.5), yards after contact (74.9), rushing touchdowns (0.92), avoided tackles (4.4), and fantasy points from rushing (15.6), according to PFF.

Henry turned 31 years old in January, a justified reason for concern. However, Henry is a physical freak who is aging better than just about every running back in NFL history. The Ravens believe Henry has more in the tank, as they signed him to a $30 million extension this offseason that will keep him under contract through 2027.

Baltimore is also the perfect offense for Henry to continue to thrive. In 2024, the Ravens finished second in the NFL in total rushing attempts (554) and yards per carry (5.8). The team also finished sixth in rushing touchdowns (21), with Henry scoring all but five.

Derrick Henry is built DIFFERENT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mO6vx7o50g

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 6, 2025

In contrast to his dominance in the run game, Henry is rarely utilized by Baltimore in the passing game. Hill outpaced him in pass snaps (313 to 246), targets (46 to 21), and receptions (42 to 19).

In general, the Ravens typically do not look to feature their running backs as receivers. Last season, Baltimore ranked 25th in total running back targets with 81. The lack of pass-game work limits Henry’s potential in PPR leagues, but won’t heavily impact his standard-scoring viability.

David Montgomery, Detroit Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs is the Detroit back who receives the most fantasy hype, but Montgomery is a quietly critical piece of the Lions’ excellent ground game.

In his two seasons with Detroit, Montgomery is averaging 0.89 rushing touchdowns per game, the second most among qualified running backs in that time frame.

In 2024, Montgomery ranked 11th in per-game standard scoring but dropped to 16th in PPR formats. Even if Gibbs takes on a larger share of the Lions’ rush attempts in 2025, Montgomery will be a standard-league point scorer thanks to his early down and goal-line utility.

David Montgomery stats since joining the Detroit Lions (reg & post season)

32 games played
450 rush attempts
2,001 rushing yards (that’s 4.4 YPC)
27 rush TDs

Yet somehow he is still slept on. One of the best acquisitions that our front office has made during this turnaround pic.twitter.com/WkOBU2E1Yc

— Detroit vs Everybody, CPA (@detpistons223) June 27, 2025

Since the start of the 2023 season, the Lions have led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (56). They also rank second in rush attempts per game (30.4) and third in rush yards per game (141.1). When Montgomery is on the field, Detroit is looking to run the ball.

In 2024, Montgomery received a rushing attempt on 47% of his snaps (compared to 39% in the same metric for Gibbs). Montgomery also outpaced Gibbs in rush attempts from inside the 10-yard line (33 to 25) despite playing in three fewer games.

Detroit utilized Montgomery more in the passing game in 2024 (36 catches for 341 yards) than it did in 2023 (16 catches for 117 yards). However, his receiving workload still paled in comparison to Gibbs, who crushed Montgomery in per-game pass snaps (21.6 to 14.1), routes run (18.2 to 10.9), and targets (3.7 to 2.6).

Particularly if the Lions shift the overall snap share further toward the 23-year-old Gibbs and away from the 28-year-old Montgomery, fantasy managers cannot count on Montgomery to rack up points from receiving volume in PPR leagues.

Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson out of Iowa in the third round of the 2025 draft, and he figures to split touches with incumbent back Jaylen Warren. Johnson takes the place of the departed Najee Harris and should fill Harris’ role in the backfield as an early down and short-yardage bruiser.

Johnson was a workhorse in his final collegiate season, averaging 20 rush attempts per game. He led the Big Ten in both rushing yards (1,537) and rushing touchdowns (21). Johnson is accustomed to a run-heavy scheme. Iowa ran the ball on 65% of its plays in the 2024 season.

In Arthur Smith, Johnson will be lining up for another play-caller with an affinity for the run game. Last season, Pittsburgh finished with a 6.2% run rate over expectation and a -5.6% pass rate over expectation. The Steelers also finished ninth in first-down rush percentage (37.7%) and fifth in overall rush rate (48.3% of plays).

Kaleb Johnson is a legitimate RB1

➖Age: 21
➖Size: 6’1, 224 lbs
➖Production: 1,725 Yards, 23 TD’s

He accomplished this in JUST 12 Games and didn’t Fumble ONCE all season (262 Touches)..

Advanced Analytics:

➖2nd in Break Away Yards (861)
➖4th in Yards After Contact (1,060) pic.twitter.com/ECEuxxZQG4

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) March 10, 2025

Across his three seasons at Iowa, Johnson averaged just 6.9 receiving yards per game. It seems unlikely that Pittsburgh will ask him to ramp up his work in the passing game, as it already has a solid receiving back in Jaylen Warren (rated 13th out of 47 RBs as a receiver by PFF).

In 2024, Warren outpaced Najee Harris in pass snaps per game (19.7 to 15.5), but Harris had a significant lead in total carries (263 to 120) and rushing touchdowns (six to one). Fantasy managers should expect to see similar splits for Johnson in his rookie season.

Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders

Heading into the fourth and final season of his rookie contract, Robinson has established himself as Washington’s early down workhorse. When both he and fellow Commanders back Austin Ekeler were healthy in 2024, the two largely split touches. However, there was a clear split between Robinson’s utilization as a runner and Ekeler’s as a receiver.

In the 14 games where he was available last season, Robinson played 52% of Washington’s snaps, which isn’t an ideal snap share for fantasy. However, Robinson received a rush attempt on 37% of the snaps that he was on the field, nearly double Ekeler’s 19% rate.

That heavy rush utility carried over to the red zone, where Robinson received a rush attempt on 48% of his snaps. In total, Robinson more than doubled Ekeler in red-zone rush attempts (42 to 20) and rushing touchdowns (eight to three).

Brian Robinson Jr. gives the @Commanders the lead!

📺: #WASvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/vK0CZVESVz

— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025

Last year, in Kliff Kingsbury’s first season as the play-caller, Washington ranked seventh in both overall rushing play rate (47.2% of plays) and first down rushing play rate (38.8%). The Commanders finished the season as a top-10 offense by both yards per play and first downs per play, so there’s no reason to think they won’t follow a similarly run-heavy formula in 2025.

While Robinson should continue to dominate carries among Washington running backs, Ekeler is the Commanders' clear go-to receiver out of the backfield. Despite playing two fewer games, Ekeler outpaced Robinson in targets (41 to 25), receptions (35 to 20), and receiving yards (366 to 159). Given this split between his rushing and receiving production, Robinson is a player to fade in PPR scoring leagues.

Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars

Tank Bigsby entered the 2024 season as the Jaguars backup to Travis Etienne Jr., but the two were largely splitting carries by the end of the season. With a new head coach in Liam Coen and a fourth-round rookie added to the backfield in Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville’s running back depth chart is difficult to parse.

Bigsby is unlikely to secure a three-down role because of his deficiencies in the passing game, but there are aspects of his profile that scream standard league point-scorer.

Bigsby was one of the league’s most difficult backs to bring down in 2024. He finished third in yards after contact (3.74) and fifth in avoided tackles (0.28) per rush attempt, according to PFF. He was also the clear lead option for the Jaguars at the goal line, outpacing Etienne in rushing touchdowns, seven to two.

There’s reason to believe Jacksonville may be more efficient in the red zone overall. In Coen’s lone season as the play-caller for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs went from 27th in red-zone touchdown rate (48.1%) to fourth (66.7%).

Highest team run rates when a RB was on the field (300+ snaps) looks as you would expect it to...

Derrick Henry 62.6%
Tank Bigsby 56.3%
Saquon Barkley 54.3%
Najee Harris 54.0%
Jonathan Taylor 53.3%
Josh Jacobs 51.6%
James Cook 49.9%
David Montgomery 49.9%
Brian Robinson 49.9%…

— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) May 30, 2025

Bigsby’s 2024 fantasy production saw a defined split between standard leagues and PPR. He was the RB31 in per-game standard scoring compared to the RB44 in PPR. The Jaguars hardly ever used Bigsby as a pass-catcher, as he saw just 11 targets and had seven catches in 16 games played.

PFF gave Bigsby a receiving grade of 36.8, dead last out of 47 running backs with enough snaps to qualify. In direct contrast, Etienne ranked 12th out of 47 with a receiving grade of 70.7, making him the clear choice for pass game work in Jacksonville. Bigsby is an obvious fade in PPR leagues, where he’ll fall behind other backs who can score points as receivers.

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