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Who should I draft for fantasy football in 2025? Fantasy football outlooks for Tank Bigsby, Braelon Allen, Will Shipley and our expert draft advice.
Drafters who opt to employ the zero-RB strategy in their drafts put a strong emphasis on finding upside players at the position during the final round of their draft.
In this piece, we will look at three running backs who are going in the back-half of drafts and determine if they have the upside to warrant a selection.
Be sure to check our fantasy football rankings that will help you crush your leagues in 2025. Which tight ends should fantasy managers target? Let's dive in!
Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 38, Overall 131
NFFC ADP: RB 42 Overall 142.1
Tank Bigsby entered the 2024 season as the Jaguars backup to Travis Etienne Jr., but the two were largely splitting carries by the end of the season. With a new head coach in Liam Coen and a fourth-round rookie added to the backfield in Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville’s running back depth chart is difficult to parse.
Bigsby is unlikely to secure a three-down role because of his deficiencies in the passing game, but there are aspects of his profile that scream standard league point-scorer.
Bigsby was one of the league’s most difficult backs to bring down in 2024. He finished third in yards after contact (3.74) and fifth in avoided tackles (0.28) per rush attempt, according to PFF. He was also the clear lead option for the Jaguars at the goal line, outpacing Etienne in rushing touchdowns, seven to two.
There’s reason to believe Jacksonville may be more efficient in the red zone overall. In Coen’s lone season as the play-caller for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs went from 27th in red-zone touchdown rate (48.1%) to fourth (66.7%).
Highest team run rates when a RB was on the field (300+ snaps) looks as you would expect it to...
Derrick Henry 62.6%
Tank Bigsby 56.3%
Saquon Barkley 54.3%
Najee Harris 54.0%
Jonathan Taylor 53.3%
Josh Jacobs 51.6%
James Cook 49.9%
David Montgomery 49.9%
Brian Robinson 49.9%…— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) May 30, 2025
Bigsby’s 2024 fantasy production saw a defined split between standard leagues and PPR. He was the RB31 in per-game standard scoring compared to the RB44 in PPR. The Jaguars hardly ever used Bigsby as a pass-catcher, as he saw just 11 targets and had seven catches in 16 games played.
PFF gave Bigsby a receiving grade of 36.8, dead last out of 47 running backs with enough snaps to qualify. In direct contrast, Etienne ranked 12th out of 47 with a receiving grade of 70.7, making him the clear choice for pass game work in Jacksonville. Bigsby is an obvious fade in PPR leagues, where he’ll fall behind other backs who can score points as receivers but is a solid target in half-PPR and especially standard leagues.
- Written by Will Brady
Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 46, Overall 145
NFFC ADP: RB 54 Overall 176.2
Allen is in a fairly similar situation to Buffalo's Ray Davis, but there are a few factors to consider that make him more of a final pick as opposed to Davis' status as a pick a round or two earlier. Even still, there's a path to the second-year man from Wisconsin becoming an anchor for a playoff fantasy team come December.
First off, Breece Hall is one year removed from being one of the best running backs in the league. That's going to make it a bit harder for Allen to have value without an injury to his starter. Secondly, the Jets' offense is not expected to have anywhere close to the success that Buffalo will. Even with Justin Fields replacing Aaron Rodgers and the offensive line remaining in PFF's top 10, there is work to be done in New York.
Lastly, Allen didn't have nearly the success that Davis did in his 2024 cameos, scoring just three total touchdowns and failing to string big runs together at any point. That being said, coaches and analysts alike raved about his ability from training camp to season's end last year, and there's no reason why we should back off of that hype in year two.
Allen most definitely needs Hall to fall out of favor in New York, likely due to injury, which we'd never wish on such an electric player. However, third-string running back Isaiah Davis does not pose much of a threat should Hall go down. Allen's combination of goalline ability, pass-catching prowess, and between-the-tackle power would be a great complement to a Fields-led offense. He belongs on benches, not on waivers.
- Written by Tommy Bell
Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
RotoBaller PPR Rank: RB 58 Overall 186
NFFC ADP: RB 62 Overall 217.5
There aren’t many players on the Eagles who qualify as a sleeper or as a breakout in 2025. Their offense runs through Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley in the ground game with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert catching passes.
The one player who can certainly fit both descriptors in fantasy is second-year running back Will Shipley. Shipley was seldom used as a rookie (30 carries for 82 yards and four receptions for 35 yards), but he did flash some explosiveness when given a chance behind Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell.
If Will Shipley is on your waivers, scoop him up everywhere.
If not, I’m sending future 4th round picks for him.
One of the most valuable handcuffs you can own in dynasty.pic.twitter.com/PpfFNOVXAT
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) May 6, 2025
The Eagles let Gainwell leave in free agency, opening up an opportunity for Shipley to carve out a role in Philadelphia’s offense in 2025. Shipley functioned as a workhorse running back during his three seasons at Clemson, accumulating 526 carries for 2,747 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns, along with 85 receptions for 602 yards and two receiving touchdowns, in 36 career games.
Shipley will need an injury to Barkley to have a significant fantasy impact in 2025. However, Barkley is coming off a 500-touch season (including the playoffs), so there is an injury risk there.
- Written by Dan Fornek
Who Should I Draft Tool
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Who Should I Draft? Some common 2025 fantasy football draft decisions are regarding players like Tank Bigsby, Braelon Allen, and Will Shipley. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Draft your optimal fantasy football teams for 2025. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free! Make the right decisions.
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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Tank Bigsby, Braelon Allen, and Will Shipley. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football drafts.
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Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
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