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John Johnson analyzes running backs to sell before the 2025 NFL Draft in dynasty fantasy football. Which overrated players should you trade away before the 2025 NFL Draft
The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. Evaluating each draft class and juxtaposing it with a list of players that will likely be solid trade targets ahead of next season is a great way to get ahead of your league mates in your dynasty fantasy football leagues. This is one of the best ways you can maneuver your roster to be stronger and as balanced as possible.
Considering how disruptive the draft can be to certain position groups on specific teams, it's worth trying to trade off players who are likely to receive reduced roles based on their team's needs. Nobody wants to be hanging on to a fantasy asset that immediately becomes devalued by a solid amount due to the drafting of a rookie at the same position.
Conversely, for teams that are likely to lean on players who won't lose work to incoming rookies, and who are already underrated, there are players you should try to snag. That's not who we'll talk about here. Let's dive into my biggest sells before the NFL Draft.
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A Note About The 2025 NFL Draft Class
This year's draft class is massively stacked at three positions relative to most years -- pass-rusher, tight end, and running back. Unfortunately, the absolute depth at the position, which is obscene, means you should pay close attention to teams that are supposedly in the hunt for more RB help. These include the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although both had productive RBs in 2024, many teams are interested in taking the best player available at their draft spots when possible, and because there are so many good running backs, that means a lot of RB rooms could be shaken up significantly.
Here's where I'm at with Giants bringing in five RBs for "30" visits so far, six if you include Kyle Monangai on local Pro Day:
This isn't about a lack of belief in Tyrone Tracy. This is about being prepared to take advantage of the value of a deep and talented RB class. https://t.co/qSkIhCMf0z
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) April 12, 2025
Players like Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Chase Brown, who benefited from massive volume in 2024, might not get so much work in 2025. If you're on the fence about trading players like Brown or Tracy, or other running backs that aren't clearly dominant (like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley), you should probably do it now. The depth of the 2025 class cannot be understated.
Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Bhayshul Tuten, Brashard Smith, Jarquez Hunter, Dylan Sampson, TreVeyon Henderson, Jaydon Blue, and Raheim Sanders could all legitimately shake up backfields and earn significant work. I'm less confident in Quinshon Judkins and especially Kaleb Johnson, who is a terrible prospect compared to where he's ranked, but that's a different story.
While on the @UpAndAdamsShow with @heykayadams, Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins said he was about to catch a flight to go meet with the Giants.
Judkins is one of several running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft that the Giants have met with. pic.twitter.com/4Rf8hDHPnv
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) April 15, 2025
There are also sleepers like DJ Giddens, other legitimate players like Cam Skattebo, and players suited for solid 1B roles, such as Devin Neal and Kyle Monangai. The list goes on. The running back landscape in the NFL is likely to change pretty seismically with this class.
So, if you're looking to trade away players, try to trade away running backs. That's a great speculative move to make right now. The WR class is much, much weaker, so you should target them in trades. Not unironically, this section will be filled with... running backs!
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Before RB Zack Moss went down with a neck injury that prematurely ended his 2024 season, Brown owners were frustrated with his lack of touches. It was clear who was a better athlete and more productive -- Brown. Yet Moss continued to siphon away volume. This wasn't without reason, though. Cincinnati's offense, under Zac Taylor, wanted to run a committee-style system, with Moss and Brown getting roughly similar volume.
For starters, here, I should mention that Brown's rushing grade from Pro Football Focus was actually below league average. PFF is everyone's favorite punching bag when their grades don't fit popular narratives. That's especially true when a player is a fantasy star, like Brown was.
However, the offense could benefit as a whole if they bring in someone who is a better pure runner, and splitting up the workload in the backfield helps keep both running backs fresher. In addition, it reduces the risk of injuries.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson has multiple pre-draft visits lined up this week, including to the #Bengals, per source.
Henderson is ESPN’s third-ranked running back in the 2025 draft. pic.twitter.com/J79Y8iPSTG
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 7, 2025
Brown did a lot of work as a receiver, and it's likely that he'll still have plenty of utility there. He could see an efficiency increase if the team added another RB. But his fantasy value will still dip anyway if they do. Backs who see nearly all of the rushing work and all of the passing downs have much higher fantasy floors and ceilings. Volume is almost everything at the RB position.
This is especially true in PPR formats, because RBs don't get any extra points simply for running the ball. 20 carries for 100 yards is just as valuable as five catches for 50 yards, though the former is harder to achieve than the latter.
If the new running back the Bengals bring in is a good pass-protector, it would stand to reason that Brown could lose a lot of volume.
Former Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson is one such back. He was lauded for his pass protection skills in college. If Cincinnati drafts him, watch out. Brown could lose two things that make him such a valuable fantasy commodity -- overall volume and target volume.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
I didn't mention in the above section that backs with late-round draft capital are usually the quickest to lose workhorse roles once they gain them. Even though Tracy has proven to be a dynamic playmaker, teams are aware of this fact, too, and they're not all eager to punt their needs down the road because a player selected later in the draft is performing well.
Meanwhile, running backs drafted in the first round tend to be much more secure in their roles. Tracy was not drafted early, and there have been numerous reports, like the one linked in the introduction, suggesting that the Giants are interested in selecting another running back from this class, primarily because it is so deep. It's not a bad choice. They can probably get an excellent value on a later-round pick.
If there's anything I could gather from the #Giants top 30 visits so far is:
1. They are definitely going to draft a QB
2. They are looking to add a running back in rounds 2 or 3— KB (@KidBlueRB27) April 10, 2025
The list of running backs I put in the first section of this article was very, very long. There are so many backs to choose from that the chances of multiple good players who could have an impact in Year 1 falling to the later rounds, where the Giants could snag one, are excellent.
If New York is truly intending to select a back in the second or third round, it's likely that Tracy will lose significant volume.
Obviously, the Devin Singletary experiment didn't work out. I believe the Giants are targeting running backs Omarion Hampton or Quinshon Judkins, and while Judkins is not my favorite back in the class by any means, he would probably form a committee with Tracy that would quickly tank the second-year pro's value in dynasty leagues. I'd sell Tracy as soon as possible in all leagues if I were you.
Along with Abdul Carter and Jalen Milroe making visits, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton will make a draft visit with the Giants today as well.
Hampton rushed for 1,660 yards and 15 TD’s for the Tar Heels in 2024. He also rushed for 1,504 yards and 15 TD’s in 2023.… pic.twitter.com/U4M1y6eJwN
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) April 10, 2025
Hampton, meanwhile, would probably become the feature back in time, with Tracy taking more work on passing downs, since he's a converted receiver. But all the warning signs are there, and you shouldn't hold on to Tracy for much longer, because as the draft gets closer, we generally get a better idea of what teams are doing.
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