Fantasy Football Running Backs With a Potential Workhorse Role in 2025

Nick Mariano looks at running back fantasy football breakouts, risers and studs who can be workhorses in 2025. Which will be bell-cow RBs and fantasy anchors?

We recognize that a “workhorse running back” no longer means what it used to. The rise of committee backfields continues to grow, and we, as fantasy managers, must adjust to the times. Fewer set-and-forget RBs handling the vast majority of touches push up the best of the bunch, while also lowering expectations across the board.

Not counting postseason touches, we haven't seen a running back top 400 touches since 2019, with only four doing it since 2006. In fact, LaDainian Tomlinson's 398 was the lowest tally between 1991 and 2006. We know that workhorse running backs hold significant fantasy value due to their consistent scoring, how easy they are to replace in the event of an injury (just handcuff the backup), and league-winning upside.

We're going to err on the side of inclusivity here, knowing that not all of these guys will end up being workhorses in 2025. However, we'll present our case for why each name listed has a viable path to modern-day workhorse thresholds, which we'll get on the same page about. Let's get into it!

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Defining Workhorse Running Backs Going Into 2025

Let’s quickly hash out how we’re going to define “workhorse” in modern times for this article. Last year, we had five RBs exceed 20 touches per game, 12 RBs exceed 18 TPG, and 20 exceed 17 TPG. There were 16 RBs with over 62% of the backfield touches, with only six exceeding the 70% mark.

Some of you will form an exclusive club, and I can respect that, but we do have to find common ground. Certain situations can yield high touch totals with relatively low RB shares, such as Jahmyr Gibbs (17.8 TPG was 13th, but 52.7% Touch rate ranks 23rd).

I’d ask that you consider whether 2024 James Conner, with 283 touches, felt like a workhorse to you. (He did to me.) One can hate what D'Andre Swift produced with it, but his 78% touch share trailed only Kyren Williams. Workhorse doesn’t mean an automatic star, but that’s typically an exception.

We will list those with a healthy chance at topping 17 TPG. And then we will go over each team's backfield and rank the workhorse score out of 10, given the early-season scenario. So, don't get overly attached to workhorse equating a stud, or those not listed with a high score as a bad overall value.

Established Workhorse Running Backs For 2025

-Saquon Barkley just led the NFL with 23.6 touches per game. Even though we’re expecting some regression there, the man is a workhorse on an offense built to pound the rock. Will Shipley has proven nothing, and AJ Dillon just missed all of ‘24 after a down ‘23.

-Bijan Robinson improved to 365 touches against Tyler Allgeier’s 150 in 2024 after a 272-204 split in ‘23 under Arthur Smith’s reign. The first year with Raheem Morris at the controls with Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator saw them lean more on Robinson, and now we’ll get Michael Penix Jr. driving the offense from the jump.

With FOX5, Bijan Robinson on fellow Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier: "I think it's just a 1A, 1B."

Robinson also called Allgeier a bowling ball, which I do alllll the time, so that was reaffirming.

— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) August 23, 2025

-Derrick Henry cruised with 325 carries for nearly 2,000 yards and 16 rush TDs in Baltimore’s run-heavy approach, adding another 19 catches for 193 yards and two more scores. For as much as I love Keaton Mitchell as a sleeper pick, this is the Big Dog’s yard.

-Christian McCaffrey is undoubtedly a massive risk coming off a lost 2024 campaign. A calf issue progressed into a “Calf/Achilles” designation before eventually settling at bilateral Achilles tendinitis. (And then an LCL injury put the year on ice.) But he logged 21.2 touches per game in ‘23 as the RB1.

Nearly every other rusher for San Francisco got hurt this offseason, with Isaac Guerendo (shoulder), Jordan James (finger), and Patrick Taylor Jr. (shoulder, IR) missing time. This prompted the Brian Robinson Jr. trade, but that’s a depth play beyond CMC and shouldn’t significantly erode McCaffrey’s elite ceiling.

-Josh Jacobs rolled to 337 touches while playing in all 17 games for a Packers team that dealt with lots of injuries to its passing group. MarShawn Lloyd is dealing with a hamstring issue that could shelve him for the start of the season, with Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson backing Jacobs up.

Jacobs has been a reliable, durable back for many years, while Lloyd has battled injuries throughout his NFL tenure. The lack of reps when the stakes are low has to hurt Lloyd’s chances at carving out a sizeable role.

-Alvin Kamara is understandably depressed in price. He’s 30 years old on a scuffling Saints team, with fewer than 10 total TDs in four straight years, and hasn’t played in 16 games since he was a rookie in 2017. But even in 14 games, the 2024 season saw him rack up 228 carries and 68 receptions on 89 targets.

Over 300 opportunities while missing three games is rarefied air, and we don’t turn our nose up at garbage time. Kendre Miller looks like the No. 2 and could cut into the 21.1 TPG of ‘24 Kamara, but there’s much to prove for Miller first.

-Kenneth Walker III has dealt with many injuries over the years, including foot soreness this preseason. However, he was just 11th among running backs with 18.1 TPG when active.

While reports are swirling that Zach Charbonnet's workload will increase, it's difficult to bake in preseason chatter that much. (Charbonnet rocks a 19.3 TPG with KW3 out!)

-James Conner just enjoyed career-high numbers in his eighth NFL season, scattering 236 totes and 47 catches over 16 games. Year 2 Trey Benson should weave into the mix, but Conner has plenty of work to cede before losing his stranglehold on the backfield.

He just ranked seventh with 75% of his team’s carries inside the five-yard line, and his 0.29 missed tackles forced per attempt only trailed Kenneth Walker III. Benson has wheels, but how does a team hold Conner back after that? Are you in or out?

James Conner has been awesome the last two years.

And Trey Benson’s rookie year was awful.

But at some point, you need to start listening to what the team is saying.

Benson is absolutely worth a pick late in your draft. #fantasyfootball #birdgang

pic.twitter.com/6XEcorYFTX

— Dave Ventresca (@FF_Stallion) August 11, 2025

Emerging Workhorse Running Backs For 2025

-Bucky Irving should vie for 300 or more touches on a Buccaneers team that may rely on him far more than originally intended. Chris Godwin (ankle), Jalen McMillan (neck), and Rachaad White (groin) are all dinged. Emeka Egbuka is a promising prospect, but there’s little proven beyond Mike Evans downfield for Baker Mayfield.

Tristan Wirfs’ knee injury is not comfortable for Bucky backers, but the star tackle is at least avoiding the PUP. However, we’re not here to litigate the quality of touches and split hairs, only to respect the long runway for Irving. I like Sean Tucker, but this is Irving’s ship.

-Chase Brown had top-15 RB volume with 17.7 touches per game in 16 tilts, but that buries the lede. The season began with Zack Moss averaging around 14 touches over the first five games before receding and eventually hitting the IR after a neck injury. Brown went from 12 rushes and two catches in Week 8 (Moss’s last game) to 27 carries and five catches in Week 9.

He had 151 carries and 38 receptions in his final eight games (23.6 TPG), with the efficiency understandably taking a hit with league-winning volume. We like Tahj Brooks and Samaje Perine will siphon some passing-down work, but Brown looks poised to reprise his alpha role on an incredible offense.

-Ashton Jeanty is upon us. It’s difficult to envision Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly getting the top rushing talent in the 2025 NFL Draft only to put him into a timeshare. It’s not impossible, of course, but Raheem Mostert is not Tyler Allgeier.

-Tony Pollard has proven capable of carrying the mail when others around him go down, and that's what we have on tap for the start of the year. Tyjae Spears is on the injured reserve due to a high-ankle sprain to kick things off, which leaves Pollard with a chance to build momentum as Cam Ward's offense gets off the ground.

Suspected this was coming after Tyjae Spears (high ankle) was still in a boot a few days ago.

In five games without Spears last season, Tony Pollard handled a whopping 86% of #Titans RB touches. Racked up 24.2 touches per game. https://t.co/UTrFtToPFH

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) August 26, 2025

-Chuba Hubbard faces a threat in Rico Dowdle (and Trevor Etienne), but we’re treating him as a likely workhorse for now. Dowdle was brought in on a one-year deal to effectively step in as a capable backup with Jonathon Brooks (knee) out. Carolina has room to grow with this next generation as the Dave Canales era finds its stride.

Underrated Workhorse Running Backs For 2025

-D'Andre Swift was a true workhorse in 2024, rocking a 78% RB touch share that was near the top of the leaderboard. But thanks to the iffy Bears offense, his 17.4 TPG was only 18th as he churned out a 3.8 yards per carry figure. Will reuniting with Ben Johnson help him reclaim efficiency, or will Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai catch fire and create a committee?

-Isiah Pacheco has a path to reclaiming his lead role in Kansas City if he comes out of the gate with the pre-injury burst. That Week 2 fibula fracture effectively ended his ‘24, but that middling return to play down the stretch is what gives us the accessible ADP this offseason.

Kareem Hunt slogged to a 3.6 yards per carry mark on 200 carries, rarely able to push through the second level. Elijah Mitchell struggled in 2023 and missed all of ‘24 due to a hamstring tear. Brashard Smith is an intriguing rookie for passing downs, but that’s not a strong expectation for Pacheco anyway.

-Javonte Williams hasn’t looked right since Week 4 of 2022, when he shredded his right knee, tearing the ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner. His 4.4 yards per carry from 2021-22 plummeted to 3.6 between 2023-24. And while “best shape of his life” season is such a cliche, Williams is still only 25 and says he finally feels “completely like [himself].”

Emphasis is rightfully placed on Dallas’ passing game going into 2025, but Rico Dowdle’s 20.1 TPG are up for grabs. Jaydon Blue missed valuable preseason reps due to ankle injuries, and Phil Mafah is on the IR with a shoulder issue, while Miles Sanders was reportedly a cut candidate. It's depth chart season!

On their first depth chart of the season, the Cowboys list their running backs like this:

🏈RB1 Javonte Williams
🏈RB2 Miles Sanders
🏈RB3 Jaydon Blue pic.twitter.com/LKU4QF1TfQ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 29, 2025

Team-By-Team Workhorse RB Scores

ATL: 9/10 - Bijan Robinson qualifies with last year’s nudge over Tyler Allgeier.
BAL: 9/10 - Derrick Henry is still an alpha, with Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill sprinkling in.
BUF: 6/10 - James Cook got paid to be the man here, but only had 14.9 TPG last year. Ray Davis had 7.6 TPG, and Ty Johnson (3.5) is a strong passing-down back.
CAR: 8/10 - Chuba Hubbard should still be the clear leader, but Rico Dowdle handled a workhorse workload for Dallas last year.
CHI: 8/10 - D'Andre Swift has much to prove amidst rumblings that Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai could siphon goal-line looks.
CIN: 8/10 - Chase Brown proved capable of owning the backfield last year.
CLE: 4/10 - Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford should split work until the Quinshon Judkins situation is resolved.
DAL: 7/10 - Javonte Williams has to earn sustained looks, but could edge out Jaydon Blue and Miles Sanders with early momentum.
DEN: 5/10 - J.K. Dobbins will battle RJ Harvey for as long as health holds, creating a robust committee.
DET: 6/10 - Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are THE one-two punch model in today’s NFL.
GB: 10/10 - Josh Jacobs has little competition for touches with MarShawn Lloyd already on the IR.
HOU: 2/10 - Joe Mixon may not play in 2025, which leaves Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Woody Marks, and Dare Ogunbowale in a messy spot for fantasy managers.
IND: 10/10 - Jonathan Taylor may lead the NFL in touch share out of the backfield in ‘25.
JAC: 3/10 - Pending a trade, we’ve got a three-headed dragon forming in Florida.
KC: 7/10 - Isiah Pacheco could reclaim the K.C. throne, but will he approach true workhorse thresholds?
LAC: 6/10 - Najee Harris may play in Week 1 and test our patience with Omarion Hampton.
LAR: 10/10 - Kyren Williams is Sean McVay’s sun, moon, and stars until otherwise proven.
LV: 8/10 - You don’t (shouldn't) take Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick and then heavily rotate him.
MIA: 7/10 - De'Von Achane’s calf could complicate this, but he should push for that 17 TPG threshold despite Ollie Gordon II hype (he had 16.5 TPG last year).
MIN: 5/10 - Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are setting up to be a formidable duo.
NE: 6/10 - TreVeyon Henderson is being drafted as though Rhamondre Stevenson is being demoted, but the vet should have September opportunities to prove he still deserves the rock.
NO: 9/10 - Alvin Kamara’s versatility should be a central pillar for whoever lines up under center.
NYG: 6/10 - Tyrone Tracy Jr. could stave off Cam Skattebo for a while, but the rookie should soon eat into TT’s role.
NYJ: 4/10 - The Braelon Allen momentum is undeniable, but at least Breece Hall’s depressed ADP is intriguing.
PHI: 10/10 - There is room for several rounds of regression in Philly that would allow Saquon Barkley to maintain workhorse status.
PIT: 4/10 - Jaylen Warren should be the trusted vet with the receiving/pass protect role as Kaleb Johnson grows.
SEA: 7/10 - It sounds like Zach Charbonnet could carve out standalone value beyond top handcuff status, but we'll see.
SF: 10/10 - This is CMC’s backfield/team, but Brian Robinson Jr. is a must-cuff player with a strained depth chart.
TB: 8/10 - Bucky Irving has earned a clear starting role. Rachaad White will still spell on passing downs, and Sean Tucker is an intriguing deep handcuff, but it’s Irving’s workhorse job title to lose.
TEN: 9/10 - Tyjae Spears' opening on the IR gives Tony Pollard the red carpet to workhorse duties.
WAS: 3/10 - BILL. Realistically, this could be a mess with 2-3 RBs and a mobile QB, depending on how Chris Rodriguez Jr. performs early in short-yardage situations.

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