RADIO
RotoBaller's updated Week 1 running back (RB) rankings for fantasy football in 2025. Read the weekend updates for our fantasy football RB rankings and win more.
With the Thursday night and Friday night NFL games out of the way, we're one step closer to a Sunday filled with football! Get your season off to the right start with help from our updated Week 1 fantasy football running back rankings for 2025. Below, check out where key ball carriers on the start-sit bubble, such as TreVeyon Henderson, Tyrone Tracy Jr., D'Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, and Nick Chubb stand among all others.
Our running back fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are put together by Nick Mariano. In addition to his rankings, below you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football injury news for this week. There are always key injuries to keep track of, so be sure to check back until kickoff.
Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!
Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!
Week 1 Running Backs Fantasy Football News and Injuries
- Christian McCaffrey Feels Great Amid Questionable Tag
- De'Von Achane Without Injury Designation Heading Into Week 1
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. to Play a Role in Week 1?
- Cam Skattebo Set to Play in First NFL Game vs. Commanders
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt Starter, Rotational Role, or Healthy Inactive for Week 1?
- Omarion Hampton has Low Efficiency In Debut
- Kyle Monangai Limited on Friday
- Jerome Ford a FLEX Option Heading into Week 1
- Roschon Johnson Trending in Wrong Direction for Week 1
- Jaylen Wright Ruled Out for Week 1
- Tyler Goodson Questionable for Week 1
Week 1 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football
Be sure to bookmark our weekly PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, Standard rankings.
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 3 |
| 2 | 4 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 4 |
| 2 | 5 | De'Von Achane | RB | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 10 |
| 3 | 7 | Chase Brown | RB | 11 |
| 3 | 8 | Derrick Henry | RB | 13 |
| 3 | 9 | Bucky Irving | RB | 16 |
| 3 | 10 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 17 |
| 3 | 11 | James Conner | RB | 19 |
| 3 | 12 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 20 |
| 3 | 13 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 22 |
| 3 | 14 | Kyren Williams | RB | 23 |
| 3 | 15 | Alvin Kamara | RB | 24 |
| 4 | 16 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 28 |
| 4 | 17 | James Cook | RB | 29 |
| 4 | 18 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 37 |
| 5 | 19 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 41 |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Pollard | RB | 44 |
| 5 | 21 | Breece Hall | RB | 46 |
| 5 | 22 | Aaron Jones | RB | 51 |
| 5 | 23 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 54 |
| 5 | 24 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 56 |
| 5 | 25 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 58 |
| 6 | 26 | David Montgomery | RB | 62 |
| 6 | 27 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | 64 |
| 6 | 28 | RJ Harvey | RB | 65 |
| 6 | 29 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 66 |
| 7 | 30 | Austin Ekeler | RB | 67 |
| 7 | 31 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 70 |
| 7 | 32 | Jerome Ford | RB | 80 |
| 7 | 33 | Javonte Williams | RB | 89 |
| 8 | 34 | Jordan Mason | RB | 93 |
| 8 | 35 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 98 |
| 8 | 36 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 102 |
| 8 | 37 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 103 |
| 8 | 38 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 104 |
| 8 | 39 | Nick Chubb | RB | 106 |
| 8 | 40 | Braelon Allen | RB | 108 |
| 9 | 41 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 110 |
| 9 | 42 | Trey Benson | RB | 115 |
| 9 | 43 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 116 |
| 9 | 44 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 121 |
| 9 | 45 | Najee Harris | RB | 128 |
| 9 | 46 | Rachaad White | RB | 137 |
| 9 | 47 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 138 |
| 10 | 48 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 139 |
| 10 | 49 | Justice Hill | RB | 145 |
| 10 | 50 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 148 |
| 10 | 51 | Bhayshul Tuten | RB | 150 |
| 10 | 52 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 152 |
| 10 | 53 | Cam Skattebo | RB | 154 |
| 10 | 54 | Will Shipley | RB | 158 |
| 10 | 55 | Ray Davis | RB | 159 |
| 11 | 56 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 162 |
| 11 | 57 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 170 |
| 11 | 58 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 175 |
| 11 | 59 | Jaydon Blue | RB | 178 |
| 11 | 60 | Woody Marks | RB | 183 |
| 11 | 61 | Samaje Perine | RB | 198 |
| 11 | 62 | Ty Johnson | RB | 203 |
| 11 | 63 | Dameon Pierce | RB | 207 |
| 12 | 64 | Blake Corum | RB | 208 |
| 12 | 65 | Miles Sanders | RB | 209 |
| 12 | 66 | Devin Singletary | RB | 211 |
| 12 | 67 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 215 |
| 13 | 68 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 220 |
| 13 | 69 | DJ Giddens | RB | 222 |
| 13 | 70 | Sean Tucker | RB | 223 |
| 13 | 71 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 227 |
| 13 | 72 | Kyle Juszczyk | RB | 228 |
| 13 | 73 | Kendre Miller | RB | 230 |
| 13 | 74 | Isaac Guerendo | RB | 231 |
| 14 | 75 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 233 |
| 14 | 76 | Jarquez Hunter | RB | 235 |
| 15 | 77 | Brashard Smith | RB | 243 |
| 15 | 78 | Antonio Gibson | RB | 245 |
| 15 | 79 | AJ Dillon | RB | 246 |
| 15 | 80 | Roschon Johnson | RB | 248 |
| 15 | 81 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 250 |
| 15 | 82 | Chris Brooks | RB | 251 |
| 15 | 83 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 253 |
| 15 | 84 | Dare Ogunbowale | RB | 254 |
| 15 | 85 | Trevor Etienne | RB | 255 |
| 16 | 86 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 256 |
| 16 | 87 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 257 |
| 16 | 88 | Kalel Mullings | RB | 259 |
| 17 | 89 | Tyler Goodson | RB | 260 |
| 17 | 90 | Emari Demercado | RB | 261 |
| 17 | 91 | Hunter Luepke | RB | 262 |
| 17 | 92 | Devin Neal | RB | 263 |
| 17 | 93 | Jordan James | RB | 264 |
| 17 | 94 | Tyler Badie | RB | 265 |
| 17 | 95 | Zamir White | RB | 267 |
| 17 | 96 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 268 |
| 18 | 97 | Ty Chandler | RB | 272 |
| 18 | 98 | Craig Reynolds | RB | 273 |
| 18 | 99 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 278 |
Week 1 Running Back Outlooks for Fantasy Football
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is a promising fantasy option for his Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Coming off a solid rookie season in which he averaged 13.48 fantasy points per game, Tracy is ranked as the 22nd-best fantasy running back for the opening week.
The matchup is favorable, as the Commanders' defense ranked 24th against fantasy running backs in 2024, giving up an average of 22.72 points per game. Tracy's high-volume workload, coupled with his role in the passing game, should provide a strong floor for fantasy managers. Given the porous Commanders' run defense, Tracy is a strong RB2 or FLEX play with a high ceiling.
Nick Chubb, Houston Texans
Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb will begin the season as the primary early-down option for the Texans since Joe Mixon (ankle/foot) is on the reserve/non-football injury list. Chubb was brought in as a free agent this past offseason after he spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Browns. He has been limited to a total of 10 games by multiple injuries during the last two seasons and had just 332 yards on his 102 carries last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and scoring just three touchdowns.
He will need to be more effective and efficient to keep his spot atop the depth chart with Dameon Pierce and rookie Woody Marks also expected to mix in the rotation. Chubb does have upside since he should have a good-sized workload against a beatable Rams run defense, but he's a touchdown-dependent FLEX play as the RB38 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings.
Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler should handle a lot of the work in the Washington backfield in Week 1 against the Giants. Ekeler is coming off a strong bounce-back season in his first year with Washington, totaling 733 yards from scrimmage with four touchdowns in 12 games. He still proved deadly as a pass catcher as he led the position in yards per reception at 10.5.
Ekeler is likely to take care of the pass-down responsibilities while also maybe taking on more as a rusher this year. But he has also been aware that limiting his reps is best to keep him most effective, and they have capable backs behind him to help carry the load. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt will likely handle early-down responsibilities and earn volume in carries. Ekeler is the trusted veteran in the room and should get most of the high-value touches, receptions, and rushes inside the 10-yard line. He is a solid flex play for Week 1.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was a consensus early first-round pick in fantasy drafts this year after recording over 1,900 yards from scrimmage and leading the NFL with 20 touchdowns in 2024. Heading into his third NFL season, Gibbs could be gradually stealing touches from his veteran backfield mate, David Montgomery.
However, Gibbs has not historically had huge fantasy success against his Week 1 opponent, the Green Bay Packers. In four career games against Green Bay, Gibbs has averaged just over 11 touches for just over 68 yards per contest and scored only one touchdown. The Packers defense generally excels with speed over power, so the Lions have leaned on their physical run game behind Montgomery in recent seasons. Gibbs is still clearly a must-start fantasy RB1 this week with massive upside, but past performance against the Packers suggests this might not be a monster showing for him.
Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty enters Week 1 with momentum and sky-high expectations after being drafted as a top-15 overall player in many fantasy leagues. The versatile runner will be the centerpiece of the Raiders' offense against a Patriots unit that is sturdy up front but lacks playmakers at the second level. Expect Las Vegas to establish the run early, giving Jeanty opportunities to control the tempo and showcase his explosiveness.
While New England's interior defense can present challenges, Jeanty's combination of vision, pass-catching ability, and burst should allow him to produce in multiple ways. Fantasy managers should treat him as a reliable low-end RB1 with the upside to deliver a statement debut.
More Fantasy Football Rankings
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
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.
