Top 24 Fantasy Football Running Backs: Player Outlooks, Rankings and Tiers (2025)

May 31, 2025

John Johnson's fantasy football top 24 running back rankings and tiers for 2025 fantasy football. Who are the top fantasy football's RBs for 2025 drafts? Saquan Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, more.

The running back position is difficult to predict year over year. We often see backs have explosive breakouts, only to fade into obscurity just a few seasons later. Additionally, there's a long history of huge busts at the position, for a variety of reasons.

Injuries, changes in offensive schemes, and unsustainable production early in players' careers are part of the problem. But it's very important to nail your RB picks in fantasy football because it's harder to find values in the later rounds at RB than it is at WR.

This is due to the nature of PPR itself -- because backs don't get points for logging rushes, it usually takes more of them, and more yards and touchdowns, to close the gap between them and receivers. So let's break down a tiered list of the top 24 running backs for the 2025 season. This will focus purely on projected 2025 production.

Tier 1

1. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles 

There are a few issues with Barkley's situation, sure. In a 22-10 vote, the NFL competition committee failed to ban the tush push. Not that Barkley was very successful at the goal line, anyway, but this hurts his chances of getting more TDs in 2025.

And push on we will pic.twitter.com/HK0kQ9LmFK

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 21, 2025

But Barkley is an elite athlete, and his talents are perfectly suited to run behind the league's best offensive line. Seeing multiple long touchdown runs from Barkley in 2025 wouldn't be a huge surprise. And despite his heavy usage, he didn't take as much of a beating as many NFL backs take.

He doesn't have an elite PPR upside, but his situation is just incredible, and he's in the most run-happy offense in the league. Great running backs on great offenses with great offensive lines are just such excellent picks in fantasy football.

2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

Word on the street is that CMC will get the ball "as much as possible" in 2025. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Obviously, his 2024 season was completely forgettable. And his injury history is pretty concerning. He's now logged three seasons with seven or fewer games played in his career.

If you’re drafting now, here are some ADP’s that make NO sense on Sleeper:

~ Derrick Henry: ADP 14 📈
~ Tyreek Hill: ADP 17📉📉
~ Christian McCaffrey: ADP 28
~ Zay Flowers: ADP 43📉
~ Alvin Kamara: ADP 47🔥🔥
~ Isaiah Pacheco: ADP 67😬😬
~ Tyrone Tracy: ADP 68📉
~ Jaylen… pic.twitter.com/8XhZPwMA7e

— TheFantasyFormula (@AFantasyFormula) May 16, 2025

When McCaffrey plays, he's in one of the best offenses in the league, is used as a workhorse as both a receiver and runner and rarely cedes touches to other running backs. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has acknowledged that he doesn't like to use a committee system.

He will be 29 to start the 2025 season, and that's seen as a detriment to his production, but the same argument doesn't seem to be used against certain other backs. McCaffrey just turned in a massive RB1 season in 2023. He could come close to those numbers if he can stay healthy. The upside is immense.

3. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson actually lived up to the hype in 2024. He logged 15 total touchdowns and 1,887 yards from scrimmage, serving as Atlanta's clear workhorse back. This is the role that was intended for him and suited for him after the team fired Arthur Smith after the 2023 season, largely due to his eccentric usage of his players. That means he didn't use his best players enough.

Bijan Robinson creating yards on his own pic.twitter.com/nC4C5VIafq

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) May 20, 2025

Robinson has fantastic elusiveness and is special for his ability to plant his foot in the ground and change direction with elite suddenness. He should maintain his huge role, and he is excellent as a pass-catcher. No reason to move him from here.

4. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions 

The only thing worth questioning about Gibbs is his role. He's very high on this list but shares a backfield with RB David Montgomery, who gets quite the workload as well. The departure of former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also creates some questions of its own.

Jahmyr Gibbs is the definition of SPEED ⚡️

pic.twitter.com/39KAD8YXHB

— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) May 6, 2025

Gibbs is remarkably explosive and plays behind an excellent offensive line, though. And he's very capable with the ball in his hands, so getting him passing plays makes sense, too. It will be interesting to see how the new offense shakes out, but betting on elite talent on a great team is always a good choice.

5. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Henry is now 31 years old, so he's approaching his age cliff quickly. However, he clearly still had a ton of juice in 2024, so I imagine at least one more season of elite rushing production is on the table. And his presence in a Ravens offense with Lamar Jackson, the best-rushing quarterback in NFL history, helps his production immensely.

Derrick Henry on continuing to play with Lamar Jackson: “I really enjoyed last season… Being able to play alongside a player like Lamar, the best player in the league, it was just dynamic and a lot of fun.”

He went on to say everyone should be motivated from last year’s playoff… pic.twitter.com/JLu35TB3BY

— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) May 19, 2025

The combination of Jackson and Henry was lethal last season. Jackson's sheer athleticism forces defenses to account for him on every play, which opens up more lanes for Henry to run through. And Baltimore's offensive line blocks well enough for Henry to build up a lot of speed. There's not much-receiving upside for Henry; otherwise, he'd be higher on this list.

Tier 2

6. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

Jacobs' first season with the Packers was a smashing success. He accounted for nearly 1,700 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. A bit more receiving upside could put him into Tier 1 on this list, but there are a few concerns.

I miss watching Josh Jacobs with the football
pic.twitter.com/9AJNZiYb7H

— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) May 5, 2025

For starters, the Packers were the third-most run-heavy team in the NFL, though they seemed to lean into this more due to the injury to quarterback Jordan Love. Perhaps the offense will lean a bit more into the pass, which could limit Jacobs' upside a bit.

Additionally, the Packers gave RB MarShawn Lloyd quite a few touches in the one game he played before he got injured. Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur has always preferred a committee-style system, so if Lloyd can find a way to stay healthy, it's possible the backfield load will be more distributed.

7. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins 

Achane's production was almost entirely driven by his receiving work. Still, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Miami's offense condensed into a much more conservative system, and Achane rewarded the team by always finding a way to keep drives going through the air.

Tua Tagovailoa (14) to Devon Achane (9)
Miami Dolphins
14 yards
pic.twitter.com/A3bwdzdPoW

— NFL Touchdown Videos (@NFLTDsVideos) November 29, 2024

Achane is the NFL's best RB as a pass-catcher and running routes out of the backfield. He's incredibly shifty with the ball in his hands and can explode through small gaps in defensive coverages for big plays. He also has the speed to take any run to the house, if the blocking is good enough.

The problem is that the run-blocking isn't great, and he's struggled with injuries so far in his career, including those that go unreported. And he doesn't have a prototypical RB size. His pass protection is abysmal. We could see the Dolphins give more touches to one of his backups this year.

8. Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Brown's heavy usage in the Bengals offense, one of the most productive in the NFL, led to him quickly becoming an obvious fantasy RB1 last season. The team drafted RB Tahj Brooks in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and backup back Zack Moss remains, but Brown should maintain a big role in the O.

Chase Brown SZN has been renewed for a second season.

One of the biggest Veteran Fantasy Football winners post NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/QmAtn0zO6G

— Theo Gremminger (@TheOGfantasy) April 26, 2025

He's an elite athlete, great as a receiving back, and good with the ball in his hands in general. We could see more breakaway TDs this season because he's just that fast.

9. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts 

The problem with Taylor is that he's always injured. It doesn't help that he's not much of a pass-catcher, either. Still, when he's on the field, he can put up huge games. If he can stay healthy, he'll definitely pay off at his current ADP.

JONATHAN FREAKIN' TAYLOR! 78 yard to the house! @JayT23

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/OQDYMPeONj

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 5, 2021

Taylor's speed and size combination is special. His 2021 season gave us a taste of what a fully healthy year for him could look like. He's still very talented and only 26 years old.

10. RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

Ranking Harvey above Jeanty is pretty controversial. I guess it's less controversial than when I did it before the 2025 NFL Draft, back when most people in the community said the fact that Harvey was 24 years old and couldn't pass-block meant he sucked and would never get a big role.

RJ Harvey is an elite prospect dude, I don't get why people are low on him. Actually I do, it's because he went to UCF but still, he's the most slept on player in this entire class. The dude did nothing but tear it up in college 2 years in a row and put up the elite film.

— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) April 12, 2025

Of course, everyone changed their tune when he got great draft capital and was selected by the Broncos. For reference, Harvey is my current RB1 in the 2025 draft class.

11. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay

I'm not super confident Irving will repeat his 2024 season in 2025. The departure of Liam Coen, the former Bucs offensive coordinator, could play a large part in that. Coen engineered the league's best running back rushing attack (i.e. excluding QB yardage) in the NFL.

This is some FILTH from Liam Coen

Blast Motion to Kickout the Edge + Influence Wham on the Nose 🥵 pic.twitter.com/gTRLV8dYM5

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) December 2, 2024

Coen's elite run-blocking schemes paved the way for Irving to put up massive numbers on the ground. The film backs this up. A regression seems likely, considering that Irving isn't a great pass-blocker and Coen is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tier 3

12. James Cook, Buffalo Bills 

The Bills elite offensive line allows Cook to produce very well despite a low snap count and less-than-ideal touch totals. It's usually a good idea to lean into good offenses with good offensive lines for running backs, so Cook's spot here makes sense, contract holdout aside.

The James Cook slander is crazy to me.

If you want to be upset about his stance on his contract, fine.

But to say he is not a top 10 back is insane.

He was easily the second biggest playmaker on offense last year, by a wide margin.

Exhibit A… pic.twitter.com/20JNM1A7YT

— Dave Myers BIB (@DaveMyersBIB) May 16, 2025

Unsustainable TD rate, sure. But not a bad pick here.

13. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

Perennially underrated, Conner rewards fantasy managers who draft him every season with production that exceeds what you'd expect at his draft capital. He's in a run-first offense that's fine with feeding him a ton of touches every game. Though he has struggles with injuries, he remained mostly healthy last season.

James Conner is one of the best RB2’s you can have on your 2025 fantasy football roster: (PPR) ⬇️

▫️Over the past 3 years, he’s averaged almost 12 TDs per SZN

🔺Back to back 1,000 yards rushing SZNs

2024: ⬇️ (scroll down)

▫️2nd in missed tackles forced per attempt
🔺11th in… pic.twitter.com/dSmn0wyD6f

— PPRFantasyTips (@PPRFantasyTips) May 16, 2025

He should have at least a year or two of great production ahead of him, too.

14. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Tuten will take over the Jags' RB1 job in 2025, and in Coen's elite offensive system, could finish as an RB1. That wouldn't surprise me. He has issues with fumbles, though, so this is one of my takes that has the highest chance of not coming true. That's really the one area of his game that's severely lacking -- ball security.

Obviously, if he can't clean this up, he should be lower on this list. But this ranking makes the assumption that he can figure it out. If not, I'll be flamed for it all offseason, so that should be fun! Still, Coen's one of the best run-scheming OCs in the league and Tuten is an elite athlete. And Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby, two of the team's other backs, are very lacking in certain areas of their games.

15. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

I'm not putting Jeanty in the first two tiers because he's a rookie. He's also on a historically bad team, and drafting him over established veterans with proven production and well-set-in roles doesn't make a lot of sense. Jeanty's role will probably be huge, though. He's likely to get an impressive amount of touches in Year 1.

The problem is that we just don't know how he would have done had he had full seasons against stiffer competition. Putting up massive numbers against schools in the Mountain West Conference is a long way away from justifying a second-round ADP in fantasy leagues. Don't draft rookies close to their ceilings.

16. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams 

It's tough to rank Williams. His role is fantastic, but the Rams seem intent on replacing him at some point. They've now drafted backs two years in a row. Maybe Blake Corum won't work out, but RB Jarquez Hunter was just better in college in every way than Williams was.

Jarquez Hunter to the Rams. Hunter was a really underrated back throughout this process, a compact RB that can break tackles and create explosives.

Think he can easily be RB2 in LAR, and even potentially overtake Kyren at some point. https://t.co/ltOfyulktz

— Dataroma (@ffdataroma) April 26, 2025

Williams is horrific at creating explosive plays. He also has the most fumbles in the NFL over the past two seasons at running back. His role could evaporate quickly at some point over the next year or two.

Tier 4

17. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

Not a huge fan of Seattle's offensive line. That's because it's terrible, and Seahawks general manager John Schneider refuses to fix it. Who knows why. Still, I have faith in Seattle's offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, to scheme the blocking better than the team's former OC, Ryan Grubb.

Please don’t trade Kenneth Walker 🙏 pic.twitter.com/zljuHgdfBK

— SleeperSeahawks (@SleeperSeahawks) May 5, 2025

Walker is an elite athlete and adept tackle-breaker who's perfect for Kubiak's offense. He's also solid as a pass-catcher, and Kubiak should use this area of his game heavily. I think Walker will improve on his 2024 numbers.

18. Breece Hall, New York Jets 

I do wish I could put Hall higher on this list. But his knee might be cooked. He was nothing close to his former self in 2024, looking sluggish and lacking the elite speed he showcased in 2022 and 2023. The stats back this up, too. He never exceeded 21 MPH in 2024 after logging 21.5 MPH in 2023 and 21.87 MPH in 2022.

7. Breece Hall (RB4, Age 23)

Im buying a BIG BOY BOUNCE BACK FOR BREECE.

15.1 PPG in 2024
#1 in routes run among RBs (423)
#4 in receptions (57)

Contract year for one of the best all purpose backs in the game. I'm betting on breece. pic.twitter.com/Mgignxksmw

— Chevdeur Sanders- LBK JC (@Chev90) May 18, 2025

He struggled all season with his knee issues. That's my theory, at least, because the Jets were trying to hide it. "Lower-body injury" in the preseason was probably his knee, and he missed time later in the season because of it. I'm not thrilled. But Jets quarterback Justin Fields loves to check it down, adding to Hall's potential receiving upside.

19. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans 

If new Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley knows what's good for him, he'll dial back the run plays and call a lot more passes. Houston's offensive line also is decidedly not good. The team invested heavily in wide receivers in the draft. And former Texans OC Bobby Slowik was fired partly because he didn't call enough passes.

Joe Mixon’s highlights from his first season as a Texan:

Pro Bowler & was a huge piece to the Texans offense through the struggles.

Great move by Nick Caserio & the Texans FO pic.twitter.com/krFL4nN8gG

— Jacob (@TexansJacob) January 22, 2025

Still, he'll be the team's clear RB1.

20. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints 

The loss of quarterback Derek Carr really hurts the entire offense. Tyler Shough, a rookie, will presumably be the team's starter in 2025, if he can beat out QBs Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. None of them inspire any confidence.

How valuable was each team's backfield across the 2024 fantasy season by expected fantasy points (XFP)?

- The Lions, Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Saints had the most total opportunity available

- Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon, and De'Von Achane were the biggest bell cows pic.twitter.com/djuLqThIIH

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) February 19, 2025

The Saints also have a very bad offensive line. Kamara will be largely reliant on check downs and dump offs to aid in his fantasy production. He'll also be 30 to start the 2025 season, though he has some juice left.

21. Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

I'm not so sure that Hampton will have the workhorse role fantasy managers are hoping he'll get in 2025. It makes sense to ease him in and let him learn things like blocking schemes and, you know, the playbook, first. The team didn't sign RB Najee Harris for over $5 million for nothing.

Hampton should improve and start to take more work on as the season goes on, but a committee backfield to start the season seems likely.

22. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions

Sharing a backfield with Gibbs isn't great for his value. And Monty could be hurt even more by the departure of his former offensive coordinator. He's still a good back between the tackles and solid at the goal line, but we could see a more Gibbs-dominated backfield in 2025.

23. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans 

All the Titans have to do is improve their run-blocking. Pollard was excellently efficient after contact, and made the most out of his touches. That's why he kept getting the ball. He battled through injuries later in 2024, and he's struggled with them quite a bit over the past two seasons, though.

24. TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

It's hard to know exactly what will happen with the Pats offense in 2025. If the offensive line changes they made help out, that will be awesome, but that's very questionable right now. Henderson also isn't great through contact, and is better when he's untouched and as a pass-catcher. Still, New England lacks star power on offense. He could have a solid PPR role.

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