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RotoBaller's updated 2025 fantasy football best ball running back rankings and tiers. These RB best ball rankings are for Underdog, DraftKings, NFFC, and more.
The new NFL campaign is still a few months away, but best ball draft season is here, and we've got you covered with our 2025 fantasy football best ball running back rankings. Identifying the right running back picks throughout your draft is key, so use these early best ball rankings for Underdog, DraftKings, NFFC, FanDuel, and more. In the rankings table below, check out where key best ball RBs like Saquon Barkley, Ashton Jeanty, Christian McCaffrey, Bucky Irving, and Bhayshul Tuten stand among other notable ball carriers.
Be sure to check out all of our fantasy football best ball articles. And if you're looking for even more of an edge, check out our Best Ball Draft Kit and Tools, including the best ball live draft assistant, best ball mock draft simulator, and best ball draft cheat sheets -- all part of the Best Ball Team Sync platform.
Two of RotoBaller's lead fantasy football analysts -- Phil Clark and Nick Mariano -- have put together their consensus staff rankings, which will be updated regularly through the start of the 2025 fantasy football offseason.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
2025 Best Ball Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football
For anyone who isn't very familiar with fantasy football best ball leagues, they are essentially draft-only leagues with no moves during the season. Once a best ball draft is completed, nothing else happens -- no setting weekly lineups, no trading, no waiver wire moves.
Every week of the season, the best combo of fantasy players on your team is automatically calculated and used to determine the highest possible scoring outcome. Best ball drafts always start earlier than regular drafts, and they are already in high gear!
Be sure also to check out our 2025 fantasy football rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of other great rankings. In case you missed it, you can also see our Dynasty League rankings, and 2025 NFL Rookie rankings. Bookmark that page, and prepare for all of your drafts.
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 3 |
| 1 | 2 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 4 |
| 1 | 3 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 6 |
| 1 | 4 | Derrick Henry | RB | 12 |
| 1 | 5 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 14 |
| 1 | 6 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 15 |
| 2 | 7 | De'Von Achane | RB | 16 |
| 2 | 8 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 17 |
| 2 | 9 | Bucky Irving | RB | 20 |
| 3 | 10 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 22 |
| 3 | 11 | Kyren Williams | RB | 24 |
| 3 | 12 | Chase Brown | RB | 30 |
| 3 | 13 | Breece Hall | RB | 34 |
| 3 | 14 | James Cook | RB | 35 |
| 3 | 15 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 41 |
| 3 | 16 | Joe Mixon | RB | 42 |
| 3 | 17 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 46 |
| 4 | 18 | Alvin Kamara | RB | 52 |
| 4 | 19 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 54 |
| 4 | 20 | James Conner | RB | 56 |
| 4 | 21 | David Montgomery | RB | 59 |
| 4 | 22 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 67 |
| 5 | 23 | Aaron Jones | RB | 72 |
| 5 | 24 | Tony Pollard | RB | 74 |
| 5 | 25 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 75 |
| 5 | 26 | Quinshon Judkins | RB | 76 |
| 5 | 27 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 78 |
| 5 | 28 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 82 |
| 5 | 29 | RJ Harvey | RB | 84 |
| 5 | 30 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 86 |
| 5 | 31 | Najee Harris | RB | 100 |
| 5 | 32 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 106 |
| 5 | 33 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 107 |
| 6 | 34 | Cam Skattebo | RB | 109 |
| 6 | 35 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 110 |
| 6 | 36 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 114 |
| 6 | 37 | Rachaad White | RB | 119 |
| 6 | 38 | Javonte Williams | RB | 121 |
| 6 | 39 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 123 |
| 6 | 40 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 125 |
| 6 | 41 | Jordan Mason | RB | 129 |
| 6 | 42 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 131 |
| 6 | 43 | Bhayshul Tuten | RB | 137 |
| 7 | 44 | Austin Ekeler | RB | 139 |
| 7 | 45 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 140 |
| 7 | 46 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 145 |
| 7 | 47 | Trey Benson | RB | 146 |
| 7 | 48 | Jaydon Blue | RB | 154 |
| 7 | 49 | Isaac Guerendo | RB | 158 |
| 7 | 50 | Ray Davis | RB | 161 |
| 7 | 51 | Nick Chubb | RB | 163 |
| 7 | 52 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 168 |
| 7 | 53 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 172 |
| 7 | 54 | Blake Corum | RB | 173 |
| 7 | 55 | Braelon Allen | RB | 176 |
| 8 | 56 | Jerome Ford | RB | 184 |
| 8 | 57 | MarShawn Lloyd | RB | 188 |
| 8 | 58 | DJ Giddens | RB | 189 |
| 8 | 59 | Roschon Johnson | RB | 195 |
| 8 | 60 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 198 |
| 8 | 61 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 199 |
| 8 | 62 | Justice Hill | RB | 201 |
| 8 | 63 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 205 |
| 8 | 64 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 206 |
| 8 | 65 | Brashard Smith | RB | 210 |
| 8 | 66 | Jordan James | RB | 212 |
| 8 | 67 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 213 |
| 8 | 68 | Cam Akers | RB | 216 |
| 8 | 69 | Trevor Etienne | RB | 221 |
| 8 | 70 | Devin Neal | RB | 222 |
| 9 | 71 | Devin Singletary | RB | 226 |
| 9 | 72 | Audric Estime | RB | 234 |
| 9 | 73 | Will Shipley | RB | 236 |
| 9 | 74 | Samaje Perine | RB | 237 |
| 9 | 75 | Gus Edwards | RB | 238 |
| 9 | 76 | Kendre Miller | RB | 244 |
| 9 | 77 | Jarquez Hunter | RB | 248 |
| 9 | 78 | Khalil Herbert | RB | 251 |
| 9 | 79 | Donovan Edwards | RB | 252 |
| 9 | 80 | Zack Moss | RB | 254 |
| 9 | 81 | Miles Sanders | RB | 256 |
| 9 | 82 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 258 |
| 9 | 83 | Alexander Mattison | RB | 261 |
| 9 | 84 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 269 |
| 9 | 85 | Ty Johnson | RB | 274 |
| 10 | 86 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 277 |
| 10 | 87 | Kalel Mullings | RB | 282 |
| 10 | 88 | Elijah Mitchell | RB | 288 |
| 10 | 89 | Emari Demercado | RB | 290 |
| 10 | 90 | Antonio Gibson | RB | 292 |
| 10 | 91 | Woody Marks | RB | 293 |
| 10 | 92 | Ameer Abdullah | RB | 299 |
| 10 | 93 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 302 |
| 10 | 94 | D'Ernest Johnson | RB | 305 |
| 10 | 95 | Damien Martinez | RB | 306 |
| 10 | 96 | Sean Tucker | RB | 309 |
| 10 | 97 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 310 |
| 10 | 98 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 312 |
| 10 | 99 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 315 |
| 10 | 100 | Dameon Pierce | RB | 318 |
| 10 | 101 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 324 |
| 10 | 102 | AJ Dillon | RB | 331 |
| 10 | 103 | Phil Mafah | RB | 333 |
| 10 | 104 | Frank Gore Jr. | RB | 334 |
| 10 | 105 | Zamir White | RB | 337 |
| 10 | 106 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 343 |
| 10 | 107 | Craig Reynolds | RB | 344 |
| 10 | 108 | LeQuint Allen | RB | 346 |
| 10 | 109 | Cordarrelle Patterson | RB | 348 |
| 10 | 110 | Israel Abanikanda | RB | 349 |
| 11 | 111 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 351 |
| 11 | 112 | Michael Carter | RB | 352 |
| 11 | 113 | Trey Sermon | RB | 353 |
| 11 | 114 | Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | 355 |
| 11 | 115 | Sincere McCormick | RB | 359 |
| 11 | 116 | Rasheen Ali | RB | 364 |
| 11 | 117 | Ronnie Rivers | RB | 365 |
| 11 | 118 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 366 |
| 11 | 119 | Jamaal Williams | RB | 367 |
| 11 | 120 | D'Onta Foreman | RB | 368 |
| 11 | 121 | Jeff Wilson Jr. | RB | 374 |
| 11 | 122 | Dalvin Cook | RB | 375 |
| 11 | 123 | Ty Chandler | RB | 376 |
| 11 | 124 | Royce Freeman | RB | 378 |
| 11 | 125 | Dylan Laube | RB | 380 |
Fantasy Football Running Back Player Outlooks
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is coming off a historically great year in which he topped 2,000 rushing yards in only 16 games. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year totaled 345 rushes in the regular season, adding another 91 through four postseason games. One can't blame the Eagles for riding the hot hand, as he averaged 5.8 yards per carry behind a talented offensive line. He tacked on 33 catches for 278 yards and a pair of TDs as well.
Now 28 years old, Barkley has averaged 369 touches over the last three seasons when you include the '24 playoff run. We're drafting him near the top of the first round with the hopes that endurance holds and the same unstoppable formula plays out. But it would be irresponsible to overlook the workload concerns, even if the team is largely returning the same roster. Alas, most players have a downside to be aware of, so don't overthink yourself into knots given Barkley's elite, proven blueprint for success.
- Nick Mariano
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is healthy after a year largely lost to bilateral Achilles tendinitis and then a PCL injury to his right knee. He averaged just four yards per carry and under four yards per catch (3.8) for the first time in his career, no matter the sample size. CMC also failed to score a touchdown on his 65 total touches. The 29-year-old has now missed over half of the season in three of his last five campaigns, but the healthy 2022 and '23 were stellar (especially after the SF trade).
Last year may have been a wash, but the previous season supplied a career-best 21 total TDs with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Still on the right side of 30, McCaffrey is likely defined as the boom-bust pick of 2025 fantasy football drafts. Many fantasy managers stuck near the back of the first round will grab CMC with the hopes of getting a discount on a top player, as the 49ers hope the entire offense can enjoy better health.
- Nick Mariano
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-year running back Bucky Irving took over the lead role in the backfield after the Week 11 bye and didn't look back, winning fantasy leagues all over for managers. Irving finished his rookie season with 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while adding 392 receiving yards. The 22-year-old will split work with Rachaad White and Sean Tucker again, but figures to take the bulk of the workload after impressing down the stretch of the 2024 season.
Irving took 32% of the team's rush attempts after the Week 11 bye while White took 29% and Tucker took 10%. For Irving to pay off at cost, he is going to have to remain hyper-efficient on a per-touch basis, or he is going to have to grow the gap between himself and White. New offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard has already made comments noting that this is a committee, which could scare managers away from Irving's Round 2 ADP.
- Brant Henson
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
