RADIO
Aidin's fantasy football running back sleepers, busts, and player predictions for 2025. His player outlooks for RBs, including Kenneth Walker, Isiah Pacheco, and more.
Football is constantly evolving. Just a couple of years ago, we were talking about "the death" of the running back position. But now, RBs are dominating the NFL, and a superstar running back could help a team become a Super Bowl contender.
1983 was the last time NFL teams called more rushing plays per game (31.7) than passing plays (31.4). Passing plays peaked in 2016 (35.7) and rushing plays were at an all-time low in 2018 (25.9), but the tide is slowly turning. Teams called 32.7 passing plays last year compared to 27.0 rushing plays, and with the continued rise of the nickel defense, we could see the run overtake the pass once again. This makes drafting a good RB essential in fantasy football, and you'll need to hit on your sleepers if you're using a Zero RB strategy.
Without further ado, let's look at five of my predictions for the running back position this year.
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The Panthers Will Have an Old-School Rushing Attack…
And Rico Dowdle Will Be a Valuable Fantasy Asset
Remember the DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart duo? In seven seasons together, the duo ran for 10,453 yards and scored 81 total touchdowns.
#Panthers GM Dan Morgan on Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle:
“We’re excited about both those guys, kind of a 1-2 punch. They both can catch the ball out of the backfield, they can both pass protect, and they’re both obviously really good runners that we’re excited about.” pic.twitter.com/w1he1dNN1I
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) March 26, 2025
In 2009, they became the last RB duo in league history to both record 1,000 yards in the same season. These electric RB committees are becoming quite rare in today's NFL, but Stewart recently told the Panthers' website that he believes Chuba Hubbard and new addition Rico Dowdle can be Carolina's next great rushing tandem.
"I thought to myself, why aren't the Cowboys keeping him? I think with Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, the pairing there is so you won't skip a beat, right? That's basically what the Carolina Panthers got out of me and DeAngelo was the idea of you won't really skip a beat. You can still run your offense when one comes out of the game, and you don't have to, as an offensive coordinator, scratch your head when a guy gets tired or banged up."
Steward called Dowdle a "natural runner" with "explosive ability," and while he didn't break off too many huge runs last year (15.8 breakaway percentage), he was held back by the many injuries that the Cowboys stars suffered last season. He also thrives in collecting yards after contact.
The same could be said of Hubbard. Both players ranked inside the top 10 of yards after contact per attempt, according to PFF's stats. They can keep going after being hit, which can tire defenses throughout an entire game.
Hubbard signed a four-year, $33.2 million extension with the team last year, so it's clear that it wants to protect him. Dowdle is the perfect backup RB who can collect a lot of yards and stay relevant in fantasy despite not being a starter.
Kenneth Walker III Will Struggle to Bounce Back...
And Zach Charbonnet Will Break Out
Kenneth Walker III is slowly turning into another version of his predecessor. Rashaad Penny was an extremely talented RB, and he ran for 1,017 yards and eight TDs in his last 10 games in Seattle.
However, he suffered yet another season-ending injury, which opened the door for Walker. Walker dominated as a rookie, but his yards and touchdowns have declined every season since then.
Just like Penny, Walker keeps getting injured and can't stay on the field, and his injuries are impacting his efficiency. His yards per attempt have fallen from 4.6 as a rookie to just 3.7 in 2024, and his breakaway percentage has fallen from 43.2% in 2022 to 22.7% in 2024.
That's where Zach Charbonnet comes in. Charbonnet is already a better receiver than Walker and is threatening to become a more efficient runner. In his six starts last season, he ran for 433 yards and six scores, with 4.7 yards per attempt.
Walker has been recently "rested" in practices due to a foot injury, and Charbonnet has done a great job as the RB1 in OTAs. If the injury bug keeps plaguing Walker, Charbonnet can snatch his starting role for good in 2025.
Isiah Pacheco Will Rush for Over 1,000 Yards...
But He Won’t Be on the Chiefs in 2026
Isiah Pacheco's reputation took a nosedive last season. He had an RB10 ADP heading into the 2024 season, but after an injury-plagued campaign, Pacheco is now the RB26 and is being drafted below rookies like RJ Harvey or aging players like Joe Mixon.
Offense looks lethal. Mahomes finds Pacheco for 50-yard touchdown! 🎯🎯 #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/5SzvqNSFLh
— Taylor Burr (@TaylorBurr10) August 3, 2025
However, we must not forget how Pacheco started the 2024 season. In his first two games before getting hurt, he had 34 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 54 receiving yards.
Pacheco failed to play in 50% of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in any game following the injury, including the playoffs. Many believe Kareem Hunt will continue to lead the Chiefs' rushing attack in 2025, but they seem to forget that he's 30, has over 1,200 career rushes, and has averaged just 3.4 yards per attempt over the last two seasons.
Pacheco will finally have his first 1,000-yard season in 2025, but that will be his final year on the Chiefs, as he will chase a big payday following a breakout season.
Lightning Won’t Strike in the Same Place Twice for Liam Coen…
And the Jaguars' RBs Will Struggle
Fantasy analysts are divided. Some think Travis Etienne Jr. will bounce back, some believe that Tank Bigsby will be the RB1, and others insist that Bhayshul Tuten will dominate the NFL as a rookie, just like Bucky Irving last season.
However, the Jaguars are set up to be a passing team this season. Despite his success with the Bucs on the ground last year, Liam Coen is a pass-first coach and a former QB who will help Trevor Lawrence finally put together a monster season with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter.
Apart from Walker Little and Robert Hainsey, none of the Jags' starting O-linemen received favorable run-blocking grades from PFF last year. With a pass-first coach, a QB who wants to prove himself, two young superstar WRs, and a pass-blocking offensive line, it'll be hard for any RB to stand out.
Jahmyr Gibbs Will Have a Historic Year...
Becoming the 12th Player in NFL History to Record Over 2,300 Yards From Scrimmage
The Lions had a hard offseason, as they lost their coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, and their superstar offensive lineman, Frank Ragnow. However, they still have a loaded roster and can still dominate the NFC, avenging their previous two playoff exits.
New Lions RB coach Tashard Choice and RB Jahmyr Gibbs are back together as they were at Georgia Tech, where Choice recruited and coached Gibbs from 2020 to ‘21. Gibbs counts Choice as one of his greatest football influences.
Story via @E_Woodyard:https://t.co/0bJyVRULRt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 8, 2025
In my previous articles, I have hinted at Jared Goff being my dark-horse 2025 MVP pick, and he'll need his weapons to have sensational seasons to help him win the award. Luckily for him, he has the one and only Jahmyr Gibbs at his disposal.
Once David Montgomery went down with an injury, Gibbs recorded 487 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage in just three games as a starter.
Even when Montgomery returned, he put up 175 scrimmage yards and scored twice in the Lions' Divisional Round loss to the Commanders. Now that the Lions have seen what Gibbs is truly capable of, he'll likely become the full-time starter.
If he can start for a full healthy season, I do not doubt that he can record over 2,000 total yards, and I wouldn't be surprised if he became the 12th player in league history to cross the 2,300-yard mark from scrimmage.
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