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RotoBaller's updated Week 1 fantasy football running back rankings for 2025. Set your optimal lineups with our fantasy football Week 1 RB rankings and tiers.
It's almost go time for fantasy football, as the season is just around the corner. To help you with your first lineups of the year, we're back with our updated Week 1 fantasy football running back rankings for 2025. In the opening-week rankings below, check out where key ball carriers such as J.K. Dobbins, Nick Chubb, Austin Ekeler, Omarion Hampton, Zach Charbonnet, Bhayshul Tuten, and more stand for Week 1, among all other ball carriers.
In case you're still drafting, be sure to bookmark our various types of rankings. Our team never stops covering all things fantasy football -- so be sure to also check out rankings like our 2025 best ball fantasy football rankings, 2025 dynasty fantasy football rankings, and 2025 NFL rookie fantasy football rankings. Whatever you're interested in, we've got you covered. We'll guide you to a winning season.
Our below RB fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are assembled by Nick Mariano, RotoBaller's lead NFL forecaster. Below the RB rankings, you will find a summary of this week's important fantasy football news. There are always critical injuries to track, so check back until kickoff.
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Week 1 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 1 |
| 1 | 2 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 2 |
| 1 | 3 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 3 |
| 1 | 4 | Derrick Henry | RB | 4 |
| 1 | 5 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 6 |
| 1 | 6 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 7 |
| 2 | 7 | Bucky Irving | RB | 9 |
| 2 | 8 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | Chase Brown | RB | 11 |
| 3 | 10 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 13 |
| 3 | 11 | Kyren Williams | RB | 15 |
| 3 | 12 | James Conner | RB | 16 |
| 3 | 13 | De'Von Achane | RB | 21 |
| 3 | 14 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 23 |
| 3 | 15 | James Cook | RB | 24 |
| 3 | 16 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 25 |
| 3 | 17 | Alvin Kamara | RB | 28 |
| 4 | 18 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 35 |
| 4 | 19 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 38 |
| 4 | 20 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 42 |
| 4 | 21 | Breece Hall | RB | 47 |
| 4 | 22 | Aaron Jones | RB | 48 |
| 5 | 23 | David Montgomery | RB | 50 |
| 5 | 24 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 51 |
| 5 | 25 | Tony Pollard | RB | 56 |
| 5 | 26 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 59 |
| 5 | 27 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 61 |
| 5 | 28 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 62 |
| 5 | 29 | RJ Harvey | RB | 63 |
| 5 | 30 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 65 |
| 5 | 31 | Jordan Mason | RB | 70 |
| 5 | 32 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 71 |
| 5 | 33 | Javonte Williams | RB | 81 |
| 5 | 34 | Jerome Ford | RB | 89 |
| 5 | 35 | Nick Chubb | RB | 90 |
| 6 | 36 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 99 |
| 6 | 37 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 102 |
| 6 | 38 | Austin Ekeler | RB | 104 |
| 6 | 39 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 105 |
| 6 | 40 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 106 |
| 6 | 41 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 107 |
| 6 | 42 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 109 |
| 6 | 43 | Braelon Allen | RB | 113 |
| 6 | 44 | Jaydon Blue | RB | 117 |
| 6 | 45 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 125 |
| 7 | 46 | Trey Benson | RB | 135 |
| 7 | 47 | Bhayshul Tuten | RB | 137 |
| 7 | 48 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 147 |
| 7 | 49 | Roschon Johnson | RB | 151 |
| 7 | 50 | Cam Skattebo | RB | 152 |
| 7 | 51 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 158 |
| 7 | 52 | Dameon Pierce | RB | 160 |
| 7 | 53 | Will Shipley | RB | 161 |
| 7 | 54 | Ty Johnson | RB | 162 |
| 7 | 55 | Blake Corum | RB | 166 |
| 7 | 56 | Justice Hill | RB | 167 |
| 7 | 57 | Samaje Perine | RB | 168 |
| 7 | 58 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 169 |
| 7 | 59 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 170 |
| 7 | 60 | Rachaad White | RB | 184 |
| 8 | 61 | Isaac Guerendo | RB | 186 |
| 8 | 62 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 191 |
| 8 | 63 | Ray Davis | RB | 210 |
| 8 | 64 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 211 |
| 8 | 65 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 212 |
| 8 | 66 | DJ Giddens | RB | 214 |
| 8 | 67 | Sean Tucker | RB | 217 |
| 8 | 68 | Woody Marks | RB | 223 |
| 8 | 69 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 227 |
| 8 | 70 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 228 |
| 8 | 71 | Miles Sanders | RB | 231 |
| 8 | 72 | Jarquez Hunter | RB | 235 |
| 8 | 73 | Najee Harris | RB | 238 |
| 8 | 74 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 240 |
| 8 | 75 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 242 |
| 9 | 76 | Kendre Miller | RB | 243 |
| 9 | 77 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 246 |
| 9 | 78 | Quinshon Judkins | RB | 251 |
| 9 | 79 | Audric Estime | RB | 252 |
| 9 | 80 | Brashard Smith | RB | 255 |
| 9 | 81 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 258 |
| 9 | 82 | Trevor Etienne | RB | 259 |
| 9 | 83 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 260 |
| 9 | 84 | AJ Dillon | RB | 261 |
| 9 | 85 | Elijah Mitchell | RB | 267 |
| 9 | 86 | Jordan James | RB | 268 |
| 9 | 87 | Devin Neal | RB | 270 |
| 9 | 88 | Devin Singletary | RB | 272 |
| 9 | 89 | Antonio Gibson | RB | 274 |
| 9 | 90 | Michael Carter | RB | 275 |
| 10 | 91 | MarShawn Lloyd | RB | 276 |
| 10 | 92 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 277 |
| 10 | 93 | Cam Akers | RB | 278 |
| 10 | 94 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 279 |
| 10 | 95 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 280 |
| 10 | 96 | Sincere McCormick | RB | 281 |
| 10 | 97 | Zamir White | RB | 282 |
| 10 | 98 | Khalil Herbert | RB | 283 |
| 10 | 99 | Craig Reynolds | RB | 284 |
| 10 | 100 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 285 |
| 10 | 101 | Phil Mafah | RB | 286 |
| 10 | 102 | Damien Martinez | RB | 287 |
| 10 | 103 | Tyler Goodson | RB | 288 |
Running Back Fantasy Football News
- Najee Harris Could Miss First Four Games of the Season
- Joe Mixon to Start Season on Non-Football Injury List
- Broncos Waive Audric Estime
- DJ Moore Taking Reps as Running Back
- No Setbacks For De'Von Achane
- Jaylen Wright Not Expected to Play in Week 1
- Quinshon Judkins Could be Handed Suspension at Roster Cuts
- Jaydon Blue Practicing Again
- Saints Cut Cam Akers
- Isaiah Davis on Track for Week 1
- TreVeyon Henderson Viewed as Top Offensive Weapon in New England
Running Back Fantasy Football Outlooks
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs exploded for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns on 250 carries as he ascended to lead back duties. He also caught 52-of-63 targets for 517 yards and another four scores, giving him 20 total TDs with 6.4 yards per touch. The 23-year-old RB not only topped 10 PPR points in every week but eclipsed 25 points in Weeks 15, 16, and 17 to carry many teams to fantasy titles. The latter being helped along by David Montgomery's MCL injury, which took him out until the playoffs.
While most fantasy leagues were done in Week 18, Gibbs put up four TDs with 170 total yards as Detroit faced a must-win game for the No. 1 seed and NFC North title. It mattered to them! The versatile back can carry any week thanks to Detroit's immense offensive upside, illustrated by their NFL-leading 70 TDs. Gibbs is a focal point of the highest-scoring offense and enters his third year with all sorts of momentum. There's no questioning his place among the first-round picks.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson just ran roughshod over the NFL, totaling 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns on 304 carries. The versatile back also brought in 61 of his 72 targets for another 431 yards and a score, making him the RB4 in half-PPR and RB3 in PPR scoring. After flashing plenty of promise with 16 touches per game as a rookie, he performed even better while averaging 21.5 touches as a sophomore.
His success rate jumped from 43.5% to 60%, per Pro Football Reference. The phenom also cut four rookie fumbles down to just one on his 365 touches. Still only 23 years old, Robinson should enjoy plenty of work in the next-generation Atlanta attack alongside Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London. With his ADP and fantasy rank holding around the first three picks, the bar is set high to match the trending potential.
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.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
Statistics-wise, not much changed for Tony Pollard from 2023 to 2024. Despite being signed by the Tennessee Titans in the offseason, he was more or less the same player, garnering roughly the same workload he did as a Cowboy. Pollard was bothered by an ankle injury for a bit and missed one game as a result, but provided decent low-end RB2 value (albeit without much ceiling). He finished as the RB21 in PPR formats on a career high in carries (260) and rushing yards (1.079).
There was talk about lessening his workload last season, but backfield mate Tyjae Spears dealt with multiple injuries throughout the year, and he suffered a high-ankle sprain this preseason. Those same conversations are happening again, and they may stick this time, considering Spears came on late in 2024 after he regained his health.
Tennessee ran the ball at the fourteenth-highest rate last season and is likely to continue deploying a run-heavy game plan with rookie quarterback Cam Ward at the helm. Pollard is still a viable NFL back, but an emerging, young backup and inexperienced signal-caller could cap his ceiling and efficiency in 2025.
J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
If you watched the Los Angeles Chargers offense last year, you know that J.K. Dobbins was a big part of it. He ran for 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry, and was the key to OC Greg Roman's physical run game. However, despite outstanding play, he was not signed by any team during free agency until June 10. The Denver Broncos signed Dobbins to a one-year, $ 5.25 million contract this offseason. There's a big reason for that: Dobbins has had just one NFL season where he has played at least 10 games, and he's going into his sixth season.
In his NFL career alone, Dobbins has torn his LCL, ACL, and Achilles and also suffered a knee sprain that caused him to miss four games in 2024. Dobbins is still just 26 years old, and the Broncos don't need him to be a workhorse. Second-round rookie RJ Harvey, second-year bulldozer Audric Estime, and third-year scatback Jaleel McLaughlin will all contribute to Sean Payton's high-powered offense. Expect Dobbins and Harvey to handle most of the carries, with Estime getting some short-yardage work and McLaughlin chipping in on third downs.
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