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Fantasy football rankings - updated running back (RB) Week 5 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football PPR RB rankings.
The running back position has been hit hard by injuries heading into the weekend, so lineup calls are extra difficult. We're here to assist with our updated Week 5 fantasy football running back rankings for 2025. If you are looking for assistance with your start-sit calls at RB, check the rankings below to find out where key ball carriers and chain movers like Michael Carter, Emari Demercado, Rico Dowdle, David Montgomery, Cam Skattebo, Isiah Pacheco, Bhayshul Tuten, Chase Brown, and more stand for Week 5.
Our running back fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find key fantasy football outlooks from our RotoBaller staff, as well as the "Who to Start?" tool. Also, be sure to check our fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
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Week 5 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | De'Von Achane | RB | 5 |
| 2 | 5 | James Cook | RB | 6 |
| 2 | 6 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 8 |
| 3 | 7 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 9 |
| 3 | 8 | Breece Hall | RB | 10 |
| 3 | 9 | Cam Skattebo | RB | 11 |
| 3 | 10 | Javonte Williams | RB | 14 |
| 3 | 11 | Kyren Williams | RB | 15 |
| 3 | 12 | Derrick Henry | RB | 17 |
| 3 | 13 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 22 |
| 3 | 14 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 23 |
| 3 | 15 | Alvin Kamara | RB | 24 |
| 4 | 16 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 25 |
| 4 | 17 | Woody Marks | RB | 28 |
| 4 | 18 | Quinshon Judkins | RB | 29 |
| 5 | 19 | David Montgomery | RB | 34 |
| 5 | 20 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 37 |
| 5 | 21 | Jordan Mason | RB | 38 |
| 5 | 22 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 44 |
| 5 | 23 | Chase Brown | RB | 49 |
| 5 | 24 | Rachaad White | RB | 51 |
| 5 | 25 | Tony Pollard | RB | 71 |
| 6 | 26 | Michael Carter | RB | 72 |
| 6 | 27 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 79 |
| 6 | 28 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 85 |
| 6 | 29 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 90 |
| 7 | 30 | Emari Demercado | RB | 91 |
| 7 | 31 | Nick Chubb | RB | 97 |
| 7 | 32 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 103 |
| 7 | 33 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 106 |
| 8 | 34 | RJ Harvey | RB | 107 |
| 8 | 35 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 111 |
| 8 | 36 | Sean Tucker | RB | 112 |
| 8 | 37 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 118 |
| 8 | 38 | Justice Hill | RB | 121 |
| 8 | 39 | Kendre Miller | RB | 124 |
| 8 | 40 | Bhayshul Tuten | RB | 127 |
| 9 | 41 | Blake Corum | RB | 132 |
| 9 | 42 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 133 |
| 9 | 43 | Zavier Scott | RB | 136 |
| 9 | 44 | Miles Sanders | RB | 138 |
| 9 | 45 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 146 |
| 9 | 46 | Devin Singletary | RB | 150 |
| 9 | 47 | Brashard Smith | RB | 155 |
| 10 | 48 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 157 |
| 10 | 49 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 165 |
| 10 | 50 | Trevor Etienne | RB | 169 |
| 10 | 51 | Jerome Ford | RB | 170 |
| 10 | 52 | Kyle Juszczyk | RB | 172 |
| 10 | 53 | Antonio Gibson | RB | 175 |
| 10 | 54 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 184 |
| 10 | 55 | Ray Davis | RB | 188 |
| 11 | 56 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 194 |
| 11 | 57 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 196 |
| 11 | 58 | Samaje Perine | RB | 206 |
| 11 | 59 | Ty Johnson | RB | 210 |
| 11 | 60 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 217 |
| 11 | 61 | Jaydon Blue | RB | 219 |
| 11 | 62 | DJ Giddens | RB | 223 |
| 11 | 63 | Hassan Haskins | RB | 225 |
| 12 | 64 | AJ Dillon | RB | 229 |
| 12 | 65 | Zonovan Knight | RB | 231 |
| 12 | 66 | Alec Ingold | RB | 232 |
| 12 | 67 | Julius Chestnut | RB | 233 |
| 13 | 68 | Tyler Goodson | RB | 240 |
| 13 | 69 | Will Shipley | RB | 245 |
| 13 | 70 | Dare Ogunbowale | RB | 248 |
| 13 | 71 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 249 |
| 13 | 72 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 250 |
| 13 | 73 | Hunter Luepke | RB | 252 |
| 13 | 74 | Isaac Guerendo | RB | 253 |
| 14 | 75 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 254 |
| 14 | 76 | Tyler Badie | RB | 255 |
| 15 | 77 | George Holani | RB | 256 |
| 15 | 78 | Zamir White | RB | 257 |
| 15 | 79 | Cam Akers | RB | 258 |
| 15 | 80 | Rasheen Ali | RB | 259 |
| 15 | 81 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 260 |
| 15 | 82 | Dylan Laube | RB | 261 |
| 15 | 83 | Craig Reynolds | RB | 262 |
| 15 | 84 | Reggie Gilliam | RB/TE | 263 |
| 15 | 85 | Devin Neal | RB | 265 |
| 16 | 86 | Sincere McCormick | RB | 266 |
| 16 | 87 | Jarquez Hunter | RB | 267 |
| 16 | 88 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 269 |
| 17 | 89 | Audric Estime | RB | 270 |
| 17 | 90 | D'Ernest Johnson | RB | 272 |
Week 5 Running Back Rankings Outlooks
Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is set up for another high-volume workload against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. With Tyrone Tracy Jr. still sidelined, Skattebo has cemented his role as the team's workhorse, commanding a 70.8% timeshare last week and ranking as the RB20 on the season with an average of 11.97 fantasy points per game.
He faces a Saints defense that allows the 24th-most fantasy points to running backs but has significant vulnerabilities that a high-volume back can exploit. New Orleans ranks 30th in the NFL in both points allowed per game (30.3) and red zone touchdown percentage (76.9%), setting the stage for Skattebo to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter is expected to see a significant workload in Week 5 after Trey Benson (knee) was placed on injured reserve. "He's played a lot of snaps for us over the last couple years and he's going to now," general manager Monti Ossenfort said regarding Carter's expected workload.
Indeed, Carter played roughly 75 percent of the offensive snaps between Weeks 17 and 18 last season, rushing for 5.4 yards per carry in one of those games and scoring a touchdown in the other. He should face plenty of competition from Emari Demercado, but the general manager's comments indicate that the Cardinals could be headed for more of a true backfield split than people originally expected, even after Carter logged just one touch through the first four weeks of the season. Demercado is a high-end RB3/flex option, while Carter is best viewed as a mid-to-low RB3/flex.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter is expected to see a significant workload in Week 5 after Trey Benson (knee) was placed on injured reserve. "He's played a lot of snaps for us over the last couple years and he's going to now," general manager Monti Ossenfort said regarding Carter's expected workload.
Indeed, Carter played roughly 75 percent of the offensive snaps between Weeks 17 and 18 last season, rushing for 5.4 yards per carry in one of those games and scoring a touchdown in the other. He should face plenty of competition from Emari Demercado.
Still, the general manager's comments indicate that the Cardinals could be headed for more of a true backfield split than people originally expected, even after Carter logged just one touch through the first four weeks of the season. Demercado is a high-end RB3/flex option, while Carter is best viewed as a mid-to-low RB3/flex.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has weekly upside because he's been so efficient and dynamic on his touches, but the role is still murky as part of a three-man committee in the Washington backfield. Croskey-Merritt is tied with third-year back Chris Rodriguez Jr. in snap share over the past two weeks without Austin Ekeler, each playing 37.4% of the snaps and earning 18 touches apiece.
Veteran back Jeremy McNichols has filled in primarily on late downs, playing 11 of 19 third and fourth-down plays over the past two weeks. Croskey-Merritt's role should continue to increase as he gets more experience. The rookie has been one of the most efficient runners in the league over his first month of NFL games. His 5.8 yards per carry ranks second best, while his 58.6% success rate is the best among all running backs.
That may not continue in a tough Week 5 matchup against the Chargers, as they have been the stingiest defense against the run. They've allowed just 10.6 PPR points per game on the season. That leaves Croskey-Merritt as a low-end flex play in Week 5.
David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery is coming off his least productive game as a Lion, rushing for just 12 yards on nine carries in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. Expect the Lions to look to get Montgomery going early in a much more favorable Week 5 matchup on paper against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati has allowed the seventh-most rushing yards and fifth-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL through four weeks. Even with the rough performance in Week 4, Montgomery is still averaging 5.7 yards per carry so far this season and has logged three rushing touchdowns. He profiles as a solid fantasy RB2 in Week 5 against Cincinnati.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten (shoulder) was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Friday with a shoulder ailment. Tuten hasn't missed any time yet in his rookie campaign, but if he doesn't put in a full practice on Saturday, he could be questionable to play on Monday night in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 23-year-old feels safe to be active on Monday night, but his final injury status is worth watching on Saturday. Travis Etienne Jr. is the Jags' No. 1 back, but Tuten has been involved and has already shown his big-play ability early on. Tuten has averaged seven touches a game and 39 scrimmage yards while finding the end zone two times in the last three games. Against a stout Chiefs run defense, though, Tuten will merely be a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex for fantasy managers if he's active.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Michael Carter, Emari Demercado, Rico Dowdle, David Montgomery, Cam Skattebo, Isiah Pacheco, Bhayshul Tuten, Chase Brown. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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 Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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