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Dave's fantasy football outlooks for rookie running backs TreVeyon Henderson, RJ Harvey, and Quinshon Judkins. His expert draft advice and fantasy football rookie analysis.
The incoming rookie running back class was seen as one of the strengths of the 2025 NFL Draft. We saw two backs drafted in the first round, three drafted in the second round, and one more drafted in the third round. We also had two more running backs selected in the first few picks of Round 4, so there are plenty of backs for gamers to choose from in 2025 rookie drafts.
We have many veteran backs from the 2017 draft class heading toward the back nine of their careers. That means we could use an influx of young running back talent. Hopefully, this class meets the hype. Some of the rookie running backs available to drafters this year are TreVeyon Henderson, RJ Harvey, and Quinshon Judkins. Each of these backs was selected in Round 2 of the NFL Draft and can emerge as viable assets for fantasy gamers.
There are pros and cons to potentially selecting each player. Fantasy managers face a tough decision choosing which one of these backs to draft. So today, we’re going to do our best to bring some clarity to this dilemma. Let’s discuss each of Henderson, Harvey, and Judkins and determine which player you should select in your 2025 dynasty fantasy football rookie draft.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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TreVeyon Henderson 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Henderson was selected at the top of the second round by the New England Patriots. He struggled with injuries during his collegiate career but stayed healthy for the 2024 season. It resulted in him running for 1,016 yards on just 144 carries. He scored 10 rushing touchdowns as well.
TREVEYON HENDERSON TOOK IT 66 YARDS TO THE HOUSE 🏠
BUCKEYES UP 31-0 👀 pic.twitter.com/Vv0qMxUQ7i
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2025
The former Ohio State Buckeye has good speed and can make a house call from anywhere on the field.
TREVEYON HENDERSON 75 YARDS TO THE HOUSE, WOW‼️
Ohio State immediately answers after Texas' TD. pic.twitter.com/a0OdS0eORK
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025
He’s arguably the best pass protector in the class. This should allow him to see the field consistently in passing situations. That’s a good thing because Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a long history of utilizing running backs as receivers. This should give Henderson a relatively safe floor, especially in PPR leagues.
With the Patriots still lacking an elite WR1, Henderson likely emerges as one of the team’s top receivers.
Veteran Rhamondre Stevenson remains with the team. However, he has struggled with fumbling issues the last few years and is not a super explosive back. Henderson's ability to create big plays, combined with Stevenson's fumbling issues, could lead to the rookie eventually taking over as the team’s RB1.
The one knock on Henderson is whether or not he can handle a starter's workload in the NFL and stay healthy. Henderson avoided injuries in 2024, but part of that was because he split carries with Judkins.
This could mean that Henderson remains in a committee with Stevenson even if the latter continues to put the ball on the ground. The Patriots have to be aware of the fact that Henderson struggled to stay healthy when functioning as a bell cow back at Ohio State. They might be hesitant to thrust him into such a role.
It’s also unclear if New England would give him goal-line duties over Stevenson, whose size and running style might be a better fit for the role. Henderson still possesses enough upside as a pass-catcher that he can return RB2 production even if he remains in a committee.
RJ Harvey 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Harvey was a surprise selection in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was an underrated prospect and wasn’t expected to receive Round 2 draft capital. However, Denver head coach Sean Payton saw something he liked in the former UCF Knight.
A new RB in orange & blue.
Welcome to #BroncosCountry, @rjharvey07! pic.twitter.com/vjZKtzxWv9
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 26, 2025
When you turn on Harvey’s college film, it’s easy to see why Payton fell in love with him. He’s got great burst, acceleration, and contact balance. Harvey could be a real force in the Broncos' offense.
RJ Harvey had himself a night 😴
127 yds | 4 TDs 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xTPhHwCZ7E
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 8, 2024
The one thing we should note is that while Payton has been very good when it comes to drafting running backs, they don’t see a ton of volume as rookies.
RBs drafted in the first 70 picks by Sean Payton and their total touches in Year 1:
Reggie Bush (2006): 243
Mark Ingram II (2011):133
Alvin Kamara (2017): 201
R.J.Harvey (2025): ??? https://t.co/d5sZArxtol— Dave Ventresca (@FF_Stallion) July 14, 2025
Harvey’s main competition for touches is veteran J.K. Dobbins. He posted a career-best season in 2024 despite tearing his Achilles tendon the previous year. While it was a great comeback story, it’s worth pointing out that Dobbins only averaged 3.8 yards per carry after a 135 rushing performance in Week 1.
While Dobbins isn’t the same player he was before all his injuries, and Harvey is clearly the more talented back, it would be foolish to ignore Payton’s history with rookie running backs.
That doesn’t mean Harvey can’t be a valuable fantasy player, but he'll need to be extremely efficient with his touches (which is entirely possible) to become an elite dynasty asset.
Quinshon Judkins 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
First off, let’s discuss the elephant in the room. Judkins was recently arrested for a misdemeanor battery charge following a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend.
Quinshon Judkins Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violencehttps://t.co/WAoAV7JYfu
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) July 13, 2025
We are not entirely sure how this whole process will play out or when/how long Judkins will be suspended. But this is obviously not good news for his fantasy football value. Judkins has yet to sign his rookie contract, and the Browns are reportedly in no rush to sign him following his arrest.
ICYMI: #Browns in no rush to sign rookie RB Quinshon Judkins or get him to camp by Friday while they focus on the No. 1 priority: clarity on his legal matter ---> https://t.co/CyytO6eK6B
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 16, 2025
The biggest knocks on Judkins are his poor advanced metrics and a lack of pass-catching upside. Judkins finished 94th in PFF elusive rating among 163 collegiate backs with at least 100 attempts in 2024. This measures a runner's ability to create yards for himself while isolating good/bad offensive line play. He also never caught more than 22 passes in any season during his collegiate career.
There are reasons why his metrics were a bit underwhelming, and just because he didn’t catch passes in college doesn’t mean he’s incapable of doing so in the NFL. However, these are noteworthy concerns nonetheless.
Judkins was already facing an uphill battle playing in a Cleveland offense that is devoid of any good quarterback options. Throw in this off-the-field incident, and it’s hard to get overly excited to draft him.
We should get more clarity on Judkins' situation as we get closer to the season. But right now, we can’t rule out a possible suspension or placement on the NFL commissioner's exempt list. That means it’s probably best to avoid him until we get more information.
Who Should I Draft In Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Drafts?
You can’t really recommend drafting Judkins right now with his current legal situation. There are too many unknowns, and while he’s a good player, we probably won't see his best season in 2025 even if he avoids a suspension. That means things come down to Henderson or Harvey.
Harvey won’t be a bell cow back in Denver’s offense, but Henderson may not either. We already know Henderson is a capable receiver and pass protector. Harvey has untapped potential as a receiver, but he’ll need to shore up his pass-blocking if he wants to earn that role in Denver’s offense.
The big difference between these two players could be the offensive line play of their respective teams. New England has made several moves this offseason to address the offensive line, but it still might be a middling unit at best.
Denver’s line was one of the best in the league last year and graded out very highly in several run-blocking metrics. The Broncos' starting offensive line remains intact entering 2025, and that’s good news for Harvey.
However, Henderson is the younger back and was a better prospect than Harvey. His skills as a pass blocker should allow him to see immediate playing time, and there's still a chance he could eventually become the team's bell cow back. We know New England head coach Mike Vrabel has zero issues relying on one running back, while Payton has never utilized any running back as a bell cow.
That means Henderson is the preferred pick in all rookie drafts.
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