Is Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, or Miles Sanders the RB1 for the Cowboys? Fantasy Football Depth Charts

Is Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, or Miles Sanders the RB1 for the Cowboys? Fantasy football depth chart analysis for the Cowboys, breaking down Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, and Miles Sanders.

The Dallas Cowboys didn't really address their running back room last offseason. They only signed veteran Ezekiel Elliott in free agency and didn't select one in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even though Rico Dowdle stepped up for Dallas' backfield last season, the team will have a new RB1 during the 2025-2026 campaign.

That's because Dowdle left in free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. His departure resulted in the Cowboys adding four new running backs this offseason. Dallas signed both Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency and selected Jaydon Blue (fifth-round) and Phil Mafah (seventh-round) in the later rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

So, who is the Cowboys' RB1 this upcoming season? Will Williams, Blue, or Sanders see the majority of work in this backfield? Let's dive in and find out.

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Javonte Williams Fantasy Football Outlook

After being drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Williams showed a ton of great things in his rookie campaign. He carried the ball 203 times for 903 yards (4.4 yards per attempt) to go with four touchdowns and 316 receiving yards. The Broncos running back really did it all for that offense in his first NFL season and was set to be the team's running back of the future.

Javonte Williams' rookie stock: 📈@Broncos | #BroncosCountry

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However, things took a turn for Williams when he tore his ACL in Week 4 of the 2022 season. He missed the remainder of that year and hasn't looked the same since that injury. He has rushed for under 800 yards in back-to-back seasons, which included totaling only 513 rush yards across 139 attempts in 2024.

There's no doubt that Williams didn't have the best rushing season last year. Even though he ran behind one of the best offensive lines in football, the 25-year-old only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. The former North Carolina product also didn't show much burst on the ground. His 7.2% explosive rush rate and 2.4 yards after contact per carry ranked poorly.

Nevertheless, a change of scenery could absolutely help Williams return to that rookie-year form. He is now almost three years removed from his torn ACL and should see plenty of opportunities with Dallas in 2025. The four-year veteran signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Cowboys at the start of free agency in March.

Now, a lot of fantasy managers might not expect much from Williams this upcoming season. He has finished as the RB29 (2023) and RB30 (2024) in PPR formats over the past two seasons and has only scored nine total touchdowns in his last 37 games. Still, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the former Broncos running back emerge as a low-end RB2 option in fantasy. 

The potential is there for Williams to see over 200 carries during the 2025-2026 season. If that happens, a top-26 finish in fantasy isn't out of the question for him. Dallas has one of the better offensive lines, and Dowdle just finished as the RB23 in PPR formats in 2024. So, the new Cowboys running back could turn out to be a value pick in fantasy drafts.

Jaydon Blue Fantasy Football Outlook

Blue played behind some talented running backs at Texas across his three years there. In his freshman campaign, he only totaled 33 rush yards, sitting behind Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. Then, the next season, the speedy playmaker backed up Jonathon Brooks. That resulted in just 398 rush yards for the Texas native in 2023. 

However, Blue finally saw consistent opportunities in his junior season with Robinson, Johnson, and Brooks all gone. He totaled a career-high 730 rush yards with 368 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2024. The 5-foot-9 running back was a weapon for the Longhorns all season and posted some strong numbers throughout the year.

He rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Louisiana-Monroe on September 21, caught seven passes for 48 yards and one touchdown in a loss against Georgia on October 19, and totaled 177 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the first round of the College Football Playoffs against Clemson in a 38-24 win.

Given how big of a factor he was in that Texas offense last year, it was a bit shocking to see him go in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He ranked tied for 21st in yards per route run (1.59) among all FBS running backs and had a solid 3.83 yards per carry after contact. Therefore, the Cowboys are getting a potential game changer out of the backfield. 

Jaydon Blue's electric playmaking skills could give him fantasy juice as a rookie 🤠

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— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) May 16, 2025

Blue ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at his pro day in the spring and has the chance to see a significant role in this Dallas offense in Year 1. It has been a while since the Cowboys have had a running back with this type of speed in their backfield. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer also said this offseason that finding players with speed is vital for what he wants his offense to be. 

So, the 21-year-old could definitely get his fair share of touches in 2025. He brings another element to this Cowboys offense and could emerge as a sneaky fantasy option throughout the year. His receiving upside could make him a viable PPR option in some leagues. Blue caught at least three passes in eight of 15 games last season. 

Miles Sanders Fantasy Football Outlook

It has been a few years since Sanders has been fantasy-relevant. After finishing as the RB15 in PPR formats with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, the veteran has finished outside the top-50 at the running back position in back-to-back campaigns. He has finished as the RB52 (2023) and RB55 (2024) over the past two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. 

Last year, Sanders only ran the ball 55 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns while playing behind Chuba Hubbard for most of the season. Given that the former Pro Bowler only averaged 3.5 yards per carry in his two years in Carolina, it made sense when the team cut him before the start of free agency. 

Sanders, though, wasn't a free agent for too long after the Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal on March 14. This was a cheap signing for Dallas, considering the 28-year-old has a base salary of just $1.17 million for the 2025-2026 season. 

Bryce Young to Miles Sanders!@Panthers re-take the lead.

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— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

As a result, it's hard to envision Sanders making much of a fantasy impact this year. Although he did total over 1,200 yards in his final season with the Eagles in 2022, that was quite some time ago. He is now 28 years old and has totaled under 500 rushing yards in consecutive campaigns. That makes him an avoid in most fantasy leagues. 

If Sanders eventually wins the starting running back job, then he will be a solid fantasy option in 2025. However, there's also a chance that the team cuts him before the season even starts. Mafah could win that RB3 job out of training camp, leaving the veteran without a spot entering the year. 

Who Should I Draft For Fantasy Football?

The Cowboys' running back room is one backfield that fantasy managers will pay close attention to throughout training camp. Whoever winds up winning that RB1 job should emerge as a solid RB2 option. Just look at what Dowdle did last year as Dallas' RB1. He averaged 12.4 PPR fantasy points per game and scored in double figures in nine of his final 13 games in 2024. 

The running back that has the best chance to lead this running back room this season is Williams. He has experience as a lead back, and it was just four years ago that the 25-year-old rushed for over 900 yards as a rookie. Therefore, he is best equipped to handle most of the early down work for the Cowboys in 2025. That makes him the best running back to target in drafts. 

Fantasy managers also shouldn't be surprised if Blue sees plenty of work in Year 1. He could see a lot of opportunities in the passing game and has the chance to be more involved as the season goes on. So, there's a good chance that Williams is Dallas' RB1 to start the 2025 season, and the rookie will back him up as the RB2. 

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