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Who should I draft for fantasy football in 2025? Fantasy football outlooks for Roschon Johnson, DJ Giddens, Woody Marks and our expert draft advice.
Finding a breakout running back in the final rounds of your draft can put your team at a significant advantage. Last season, fantasy managers who took a shot on rookie Bucky Irving were likely sitting comfortable in the championship game.
In this piece, we will take a look at two intriguing late-round rookie running backs and a veteran who could be in store for the largest workload of his career.
Be sure to check our fantasy football rankings that will help you crush your leagues in 2025. Which running backs should fantasy managers target? Let's dive in!
Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 53 Overall 170.0
NFFC ADP: RB 57 Overall 195.8
Johnson was barely used by Chicago last season, and he was bad when he was called upon. Johnson averaged just 2.7 yards per carry on 55 carries and was unable to carve out a role for himself in the Bears offense. But not all hope is lost for the young running back.
With Ben Johnson now running the show in Chicago, the team's offense should be significantly better in 2025. The Bears are loaded with weapons, and D'Andre Swift, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland will all be a part of the recipe. But why should Johnson be a part of it as well?
It's all in the way Johnson's offense operated in Detroit. The priority there was the running game, which was powered by elite blocking, a speedy multitool runner (Gibbs), and a big, physical power back (David Montgomery).
Following a great offseason, Chicago improved the offensive line significantly, and while Swift is worse than Gibbs, he fits the profile of a speed back. At 225 pounds, Johnson fits the role of a power back.
While Swift will be the RB1 of this team, he's not exactly the most reliable, and Johnson has a real chance to be an early down and red-zone vulture. Even in his poor 2024 season, he managed to rush for six TDs. You can draft him in Round 14 of fantasy football drafts, so taking a shot on him could result in huge dividends.
- Written by Joey Sheiner
DJ Giddens, RB, Indianapolis Colts
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 64 Overall 212.0
NFFC ADP: RB 65 Overall 232.2
Giddens was highly productive during his final two seasons at Kansas State, carrying the ball 428 times for 2,569 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also proved to be a capable receiver, catching 50 passes for 581 yards and four touchdowns.
Unlike other backs in this class, Giddens showed that he had a blend of size (6-foot, 212 pounds) and speed (4.43 40-yard dash) to go along with his strong production profile. Unfortunately, the strength of this running back class pushed him into the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Reminder that Colts Rookie RB DJ Giddens is REALLY good.
In 2024 - Giddens had:
1,343 Rushing Yards
258 Receiving Yards
8 TouchdownsA PERFECT complement to Jonathan Taylor.
pic.twitter.com/gVRs0CfWHJ— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) May 26, 2025
Giddens landed in an excellent long-term situation with the Colts. Jonathan Taylor will be turning 27 late this season and is in the second year of a massive extension. However, he can be cut after this season with a minimal dead cap hit ($2.5 million).
Giddens will have immediate fantasy value as a pass-catching back in Indianapolis. The Colts historically haven’t used Taylor in that fashion, and the only other running backs on the depth chart with NFL experience are Khalil Herbert, Tyler Goodson, and Salvon Ahmed.
The rookie could have a role in Indianapolis’ offense to start his career. More importantly, he should have no problem earning the RB2 role behind Taylor, giving him huge upside if Taylor, who has missed games due to injury, goes down again in 2025.
- Written by Dan Fornek
Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 67 Overall 222
NFFC ADP: RB 69 Overall 246.9
Houston gave up a 2026 third-round pick (plus another late swap) to move up and select Marks in the fourth round. Perhaps they knew that Joe Mixon was still struggling to reach 100% on his foot, or that Nick Chubb could not regain his burst. Either way, both of those fears are looking real at this time.
Marks was used all over the field over his four years at Mississippi State, racking up 4.6 yards per carry on 410 total carries with 22 rushing TDs and an eye-popping 214 catches (1,225 yards). Then he moved to a more traditional offense at USC, which led to 198 carries and another 47 catches with nearly 1,500 yards from scrimmage.
The kind of versatility shown with 261 collegiate receptions as a running back is what PPR ceilings are made of. And five total fumbles over five years, nearly 900 touches, is a great selling point. Joining an aging, injured RB room on an offense that most agree holds great chances at positive regression is a welcome sight.
If we set our initial expectation at being a third-down back for C.J. Stroud and move from there based on Mixon and/or Chubb’s availability, then we should agree on Marks being a solid dart throw.
USC's Woody Marks is probably the best RB in the #NFLDraft2025 class you haven't seen play. He's BUILT for today's dual-backfield NFL game.
Explosive rusher with 261 career collegiate receptions. Don't sleep. pic.twitter.com/8Az8Fe8MH6
— Ray G (@RayGQue) January 7, 2025
- Written by Nick Mariano
Who Should I Draft Tool
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Who Should I Draft? Some common 2025 fantasy football draft decisions are regarding players like Roschon Johnson, DJ Giddens, and Woody Marks. 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 is on specific players - Roschon Johnson, DJ Giddens, and Woody Marks. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football drafts.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Draft? button to see who the recommended draft picks are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2025 drafts for Roschon Johnson, DJ Giddens, and Woody Marks.:
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