X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

AFC Running Back Depth Charts Analysis

Antonio Losada looks at the RB backfields for every division in the AFC and provides some analysis on sleepers and busts.

The regular season is right around the corner and each team's depth chart is mostly complete! Before diving into the fantasy season, RotoBaller has you covered with some last-minute running back depth chart recaps for each team, including some useful bits of analysis for players you want to keep on your radar.

Please note that the charts below are based on individual team depth charts and come from RotoWire's projected starting units. The DCs project the real-life pecking order expected to be used by head coaches at the respective franchises, not where RotoWire projects those players to finish in fantasy leagues.

Here are the current preseason depth charts at running back for each division in the AFC.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

AFC WEST

Crawling to an RB1 Role: Kenyan Drake, Las Vegas Raiders

There is a clear go-to rusher in Las Vegas: Josh Jacobs. Or is he? The Raiders signed Kenyan Drake this past offseason, and while Jacobs should still be the first rusher in the depth chart entering the season, odds are Drake fights like hell for that privilege and position down the pecking order.

Keep in mind, Jacobs has two RB2-level campaigns as a pro (21st- and eighth-best rusher in PPR leagues), but Drake isn't too separated from those outcomes with back-to-back-to-back top-17 finishes (RB14, RB17, and RB16 lastly). This backfield can turn into a fantasy headache, I know, but keep an eye out for a potential bargain in Drake given his seemingly RB2 role as most fantasy GMs see it.

 

AFC NORTH

Ma' Rookie, Ma' Problems: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

Leave me alone. If I want to draft a rookie, then I will draft a rookie and deal with the trouble myself. I can navigate those waters, even more, if we're talking about Najee Harris being the freshman I roster. Harris was drafted in the first round of the past NFL draft by the no-rusher-in-tow Pittsburgh Steelers. The first reaction was to call that a proper fit. Now, with the heat of the moment long gone and cold projections applied to Harris for his debut campaign... well, things are looking even better.

PFF is projecting Harris to an RB11 finish, which is on par with his ADP of RB11 and 28th overall player getting off PPR-league draft boards. Harris has the best potential ROI among all four starters in the division (assuming Hunt is an RB2, which he is literally but not really--draft Hunt, please).

 

AFC SOUTH

Good Pass-Catching RBs Never Get Old: Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts

We all know there will forever be one and only one name to definite the pass-catching tailback: James White, of all men. But James White is entering his age-29 season, which is not a super-old age but is inching closer to the wrong side of 30. Hines, on the other hand, will still be 25-years-old next year and playing just his fourth season as a pro. And all he's done so far is playing the pass-back role to perfection.

Hines has been targeted 81, 58, and 76 times in the past three seasons, catching 78, 76, and 83 percent of those throws. He's a rusher engineered precisely for PPR leagues, and he's always undervalued, having a couple of top-30 seasons in his career (RB27 in 2018 and RB15 last season). The value can't be higher given his ADP of 141st overall and RB41 at the time of this writing.

 

AFC EAST

Avoid the Fins' Gaskin, Draft Whoever Else:  Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills

Gaskin is a consensus high-ADP player this summer because everybody got caught in the Miami-didn't-improve-the-position-in-the-draft narrative. That is right, but that doesn't mean Gaskin is a top-five rusher all of a sudden--I mean, the Dolphins surely bolstered the receiving corps adding a top-tier rookie, a deep threat in Will Fuller, and a rushing QB on top of that.

I'm sorry, but not into Gaskin's hype train, folks. All of the other running backs in the division have sky-high ROI projections because none of them has an ADP above 100th overall. If you ask me, this would be my targeting-order entering PPR-format drafts: Singletary, White, Coleman, Moss, Carter, Harris, Brown, Michel.

More Draft Prep and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Sunday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Chicago Bears

Bears Head Coach Admits Offense Could Face Learning Curve
Matt Chapman

Leaves Early on Sunday, Expects to Play Monday
A.J. Brown

Says He'll Be Active For Season Opener
Luis Garcia

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Max Scherzer

Exits Due to Back Tightness
Taylor Ward

Exits Early After Collison
Sal Stewart

Reds Promoting Sal Stewart to Majors
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Aroldis Chapman

Agrees to Contract Extension
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Leads Serbia to a Win
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Shines Versus Portugal
Jose Alvarado

"Good" After Recent Fall
Lauri Markkanen

Torches Sweden
Neemias Queta

Dominates in EuroBasket Opener
Kawhi Leonard

Clippers Not Allowing Kawhi Leonard to Play Back-to-Backs

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP