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Who Should I Draft for fantasy football in 2025? Fantasy Football outlooks for Tyjae Spears, Chase Brown, Austin Ekeler and our expert advice on who to draft.
The running back position is often quite polarizing in many draft rooms. Many fantasy managers tend to target running backs early and leave the first four rounds with at least two running backs. However, some managers often fade the position and wait to target high-upside rookies in the double-digit rounds and instead stack their roster with high-end pass catchers in the early rounds.
In this piece, we will look at two intriguing value picks that are typically selected in the double-digit rounds that carry interesting PPR upside. We will also look at a potential breakout running back who is seeing his value increase as he is going just outside the second round in most leagues.
Be sure to check our RotoBaller rankings that will help you crush your leagues in 2025. Which running backs should fantasy managers target? Let's dive in!
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 37, Overall 126.0
NFFC ADP: RB 41, Overall 136.8
Tennessee Titans third-year running back Tyjae Spears was a valuable asset for fantasy managers in Weeks 15-17 of the 2024 season, following the ankle injury to his counterpart, Tony Pollard. Spears made the most of his opportunities by scoring 24, 20, and 11 points in PPR leagues during those three weeks, respectively.
Reports from camp are suggesting that Spears "had an unbelievable offseason" and that head coach Brian Callahan said that he's "really excited to see what he can bring to us this year because he's been in a great place, and that Spears "had an unbelievable offseason."
Pollard averaged just 4.2 yards per carry last season, and Spears is the younger and healthier back, and much better in the passing game. With rookie quarterback Cam Ward under center, he will likely look for his trustworthy check-down in Spears quite often.
The Titans have stated they want a split backfield, yet Spears is being selected 56 picks later than Pollard, according to the NFFC. In addition, Pollard is 28 years old. Spears spent 2024 battling ankle, hamstring & concussion issues, and still produced 536 total yards and five touchdowns. While those numbers aren't eye-popping, I want to take a closer look at his final three weeks of 2024, when he was RB1.
Tyjae Spears is The Best Titans RB.
0.84 Fantasy Points per Touch (12th).
vs Pollard 0.57 FPPT (49th).
Weeks 15-17 (Per Game)
- 20.7 Fantasy Points
- 16 Opportunities
- 61% SnapsBetter RBs is That Span
- Taylor
- Robinson
- Gibbs
- CookSPEARS SZN. pic.twitter.com/iJarFoYnvz
— Joe Orrico (@JoeOrricoFF) July 25, 2025
If we rewind to 2023, he split snaps 50/50 with Derrick Henry and caught 52 passes on 70 targets for 385 yards to go with his 453 yards on 100 carries on the ground. He is a dual-threat option for the Titans, and I believe this is the year he comes together and takes over the backfield.
Spears is currently going in the late 10th round of most drafts, and I value him higher than Pollard, who is going four rounds earlier. With rookie signal caller, Ward, giving a boost to the offense and an improved offensive line, take Spears late in drafts and utilize his capabilities as a pass catcher to rack up points.
UPDATE: Spears suffered a high-ankle sprain in Tennessee's first preseason game, which could affect his early-season role.
- Written by Nicho Roessler
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 8, Overall 21.0
NFFC ADP: RB 11, Overall 27.5
The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the most dominant offenses last season. The unit, led by signal-caller Joe Burrow, an MVP candidate, averaged 27.8 points per game, the seventh-best in the National Football League. Cincinnati didn’t rely on the run very much, amassing only 22.4 attempts per contest. But with Burrow under center, the Bengals’ offense led the way through the air by logging 272.9 yards per game.
It is obvious that wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who both received new contracts this offseason, were pivotal to the club’s success from a receiving standpoint. Mike Gesicki, who also re-signed, and Andrei Iosivas each had intermittent flashes of production. However, running back Chase Brown played a significant role in the Bengals’ excellence on the offensive side of the ball.
Chuba Hubbard joined Rueben Mayes as the only two Canadians to hit 1k rushing yards in a single season. Will Chase Brown be the next? 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/WccPA0lOXM
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) July 5, 2025
The 2023 No. 163 overall pick had a quiet rookie year behind Joe Mixon. But with Mixon getting traded to the Houston Texans ahead of last season, there was an opening atop the depth chart. Brown was overshadowed by Zack Moss to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
Yet, the situation changed as the year progressed, with Brown eventually claiming the No. 1 spot in the backfield. In the end, he finished the season by falling 10 yards shy of 1,000 while gathering 54 receptions for 360 yards. Even better, Brown found the end zone 11 times. From Week 4 onward (excluding Week 18), Brown averaged an impressive 18.3 PPR points per game, which was the sixth-highest mark at his position.
Moving into the season, Moss is off the roster. The team brought back Samaje Perine, a capable pass-catcher, and added Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks via the 2025 NFL Draft. Still, it appears Brown will remain the featured option at the running back position for one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, making him an ideal addition to any fantasy roster in the second round of drafts.
His PPR upside can push him into RB1 status, given his elite offensive environment.
- Written by Dennis Clausen
Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 45, Overall 142.0
NFFC ADP: RB 51, Overall 169.5
Is Austin Ekeler washed? Well...maybe! He just had his fewest rushing and receiving yards since 2017, which is certainly not a good sign.
However, Ekeler also missed five games. His per-game rushing total might have taken a sizable hit, but he only dropped 0.6 receiving yards per game from his 2023 numbers and posted his highest yards per reception mark since 2019. As a between-the-tackles runner, Ekeler is probably done, but he can still contribute as a receiving option for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Despite his rushing production being down, Ekeler ranked 13th in the league in receptions by a running back in 2024, and he was actually very productive when targeted. Per PlayerProfiler, Ekeler led all running backs in yards per reception and was fifth in fantasy points per opportunity last season.
The fact that he doesn't have a clear path to touches in the run game pushes his overall fantasy value down, but he can still be a major threat in the pass game, and he can still do positive things on his limited rushing attempts. For example, Ekeler finished last season with 6.5 yards per touch and 5.08 yards created per touch, both the best marks for any NFL running back.
Sure, some of that is from his receiving game work, but with Daniels being such a threat with the ball in his hands, Ekeler will likely face light fronts much of the time when he's in the game, setting him up for some solid run-game production when he does get opportunities.
Without Terry McLaurin or Noah Brown, the passing game largely consisted of hitting TE Zach Ertz over the middle with WR Deebo Samuel and RB Austin Ekeler typically the other targets.
— John Keim (@john_keim) August 6, 2025
- Written by Justin Carter
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Who Should I Draft? Some common 2025 fantasy football draft decisions are regarding players like Tyjae Spears, Chase Brown, Austin Ekeler. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Draft your optimal fantasy football teams for 2025. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free! Make the right decisions.
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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus in on specific players - Tyjae Spears, Chase Brown, Austin Ekeler. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football drafts.
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