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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Sneaky Running Backs with Workhorse Potential (2025)

Tank Bigsby - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire

Top 3 undervalued workhorse running backs (RBs) to target and buy low in dynasty fantasy football trades for 2025: Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, and RJ Harvey.

Volume is the primary driver of running back scoring in fantasy football. There are a handful of RBs who can be highly efficient and, thus, score plenty of fantasy points, like the Miami Dolphins' De'Von Achane in 2023. But the majority of elite RB scorers get a ton of touches.

Thus, predicting the backs who will get an uptick in volume is crucial to helping you sniff out value in places where most don't expect there much to be. For example, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown burst onto the scene as an elite fantasy option in 2024, but it was largely due to a massive increase in volume, which itself was partly due to an injury to fellow RB Zack Moss.

These things simply aren't easy to predict sometimes. But in some cases, as with Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, there are clear indicators that the volume in the backfield will shift toward one player. Bucs RB Rachaad White was the workhorse in 2023 but showed us clear signs that things could change. Let's try to sniff out some upcoming changes for 2025.

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

 

First Things First: The Definition Of Workhorse Has Changed

In today's NFL, as opposed to that of many years past, many backfields are two-way committees featuring two running backs getting significant volume. This shouldn't be ignored in fantasy football, as there have been plenty of cases where two RBs are fantasy-relevant on the same team.

A good example of last year was the aforementioned Bucs. Both White and Irving were productive enough to be fantasy-relevant for large portions of the year, and though White fell off toward the end, Irving became an elite option even though he still split snaps and touches with White.

Run-heavy offensive systems with good offensive coordinators or head coaches, like former Bucs OC and current Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, have enough firepower for two RBs to be startable in fantasy. So, for this post, we'll include backs who have a solid chance of much-increased volume in dual backfields.

 

Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Speaking of the devil, new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen should bring a much more efficient and productive run game with his new schemes than previously existed. In terms of probable production over current value, Bigsby stands out. He could see a big uptick in volume and not simply be used when games are within reach like he was last season.

Even if he is, Coen's offense will be much improved over the terrible system former OC Press Taylor had in place last season. Coen was the architect of the NFL's most productive backfield in 2024, and both White and Irving put up multiple huge games in fantasy football. It's hard not to think this will happen with Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr. as well.

Bigsby isn't a developed pass-catcher, so it will be interesting to see how the receiving work is split between the two backs. But it seems that history has a chance of repeating itself here, with Irving getting a lot more volume than White to end the season. The scenarios aren't identical, though, as Etienne struggled through injury. Since he's the better receiving back, his PPR floor should be higher.

Still, it's hard to look at Bigsby's efficiency on a bad offense with a bad OC and a bad offensive line and think that he'll be mediocre in 2025 if Coen's able to design a good running game once again. And the tape from 2024 shows us he implemented very successful schemes.

He's a highly creative mind, so you should get Bigsby.

 

RJ Harvey, RB, NFL Rookie

It's never easy to predict running backs who aren't elite prospects becoming workhorses in their first season, but UCF Knights RB RJ Harvey is a prime candidate to get plenty of volume by the back half of the season at the latest. For starters, one of the clearest leading indicators of getting plenty of touches is excellent efficiency.

And Harvey consistently was great in this department. He averaged 6.3 or more yards per rush in each of his final three seasons in college and scored 38 rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns in his last two seasons. Those are seriously impressive numbers. And it shows just how elite he is as a prospect. He's massively underrated right now.

Harvey was one of the best players in college football in 2024, but he went to a school that doesn't get as much attention as powerhouses like Ohio State or Alabama. The same player (him) on those teams would likely be valued much higher in drafts. The above highlight video is long, but there are plenty of examples of another trait that makes him such an attractive option -- his ability as a receiver.

It's overlooked as well, but he's one of the best receiving back prospects in recent memory. He has excellent hands, and while he was seriously underutilized in the passing game in college, he should immediately be able to make an impact as a receiver.

He also has the short-area quickness and explosiveness to gain hidden yards on checkdowns and screen passes. Speaking of the passing game, he's also a willing and capable blocker. Speaking of the running game again, he's highly elusive and a great tackle-breaker. There isn't much to dislike about his game. He's a complete back.

Of course, most people would rather have Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson, who is worse than Harvey at absolutely everything. But that's fine. You can take Harvey and laugh all the way to the bank in your money leagues. The situation he lands in will be important, so keep an eye on it. But in many backfields, he'll be the best option from Day 1.

 

Bhayshul Tuten, RB, NFL Rookie

I am once again asking you to believe in another massively underrated rookie. Virginia Tech Hokies RB Bhayshul Tuten hasn't landed on a team yet, as he's still a rookie, but if he gets drafted by a team with a mediocre RB1, he could end up taking the majority of the workload by season's end.

It would be easier to say that Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton, two other rookies in this class, are "sneaky" options, but they're obvious candidates. Because this is such a stacked class, some great options will slip through the cracks.

That's partly because there's an implicit idea that those who aren't in the top five of consensus positional rankings are always "sneaky," though Tuten's tape and metrics suggest otherwise.

Tuten can outrun defensive backs, has ideal size and excellent strength, can shake off huge hits and remain upright, has great lateral agility, and is highly elusive. The above X post suggests that he's suited to be a "change of pace" back, though that's his absolute floor on a team that has no idea what it is doing.

Much like Chase Brown, Tuten could end up on a team where he's better than the guy ahead of him. That can be frustrating early on, but you need to hold onto him through any production woes he might have that are due to low volume.

And if he's not injured, he should be efficient enough to warrant a big increase in volume if he starts with just single-digit touches.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension

RANKINGS

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