There’s nothing like preparing for fantasy football drafts by reading bold predictions for the upcoming NFL season. These are based on my picks for players to hit their true ceilings. Since upside wins championships, these are worthy targets if you agree with my rationale.
On this page, you’ll read about three running backs who are in a good position to have huge seasons due to their team context and current role.
Keep reading to find out why Derrick Henry, Ashton Jeanty, and Jahmyr Gibbs are my bold predictions for the 2025 fantasy football season.
Derrick Henry Rushes for 2,000 Yards and 20 Touchdowns
Derrick Henry exceeded expectations in his first season with the Ravens, putting up 325 carries for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. The former Titans star showed elite efficiency, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. There were no signs of decline, as highlighted by several breakaway plays, including a longest rush of 87 yards.
More Derrick Henry targets this year, please. pic.twitter.com/4emdPRS45T
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) August 3, 2025
Simply put, Henry is an outlier whom we don’t have to worry about at his advanced age because of the elite team context. Playing next to a dual-threat superstar like Lamar Jackson opens up running lanes. Todd Monken’s scheme is firing on all cylinders, making the Ravens one of the highest-scoring offenses in football.
Additionally, Baltimore shored up their defense in the second half last season. Since then, they’ve had a strong draft by bringing in defensive back Malaki Starks and edge rusher Mike Green while signing cornerback Jaire Alexander in free agency. These defensive improvements mean that they’ll likely be playing with a lead more often.
That’s good news for Henry, since it would put him in favorable game scripts where he’s running out the clock. While this is a bold prediction, it’s firmly attainable — Henry was only 79 yards and four touchdowns shy of 2,000+ and 20+ last season.
Ashton Jeanty Puts up 2,000 Total Yards
Ashton Jeanty is considered to be one of the best running back prospects in recent memory, on par with the likes of Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, and Ezekiel Elliott. The Boise State standout rushed for 2,601 yards while averaging 7.0 yards per carry in his final season. Jeanty also put up 569 receiving yards back in 2023.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but I’ve consistently heard Ashton Jeanty has been turning heads in a major way since the moment he stepped on the field in Vegas. The pre-draft buzz around his elite contact balance, explosiveness and natural feel as a runner wasn’t just hype.… pic.twitter.com/Jz3H2bx3TY
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 6, 2025
In other words, this is an all-around back similar to LaDanian Tomlinson, who can make a major impact both on the ground and through the air. As a sixth overall pick, the Raiders have heavily invested in Jeanty, so it’s likely that he’ll be a focal point of their offense, along with superstar tight end Brock Bowers.
With Pete Carroll as the new head coach, the Raiders will look to run the ball at a high rate. Chip Kelly is calling plays, so expect Vegas to play at a fast pace. Just look at how quickly the Eagles played back when Kelly was their head coach. Uptempo offenses mean more plays, giving Jeanty more opportunities to pile up stats.
With declining Raheem Mostert as the primary backup, Jeanty has a clear pathway to heavy volume. Make no mistake, this isn’t a rebuilding team. Carroll didn’t come out of retirement to be patient. Feeding their best players is how they’re going to compete. Bet on Jeanty carrying this offense and putting up high fantasy points per game.
Jahmyr Gibbs Scores 25 Touchdowns
Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 9.9 yards per reception last season. Playing for an elite Lions offense allowed Gibbs to rack up 20 total touchdowns last year.
Despite his pass-catching skillset, Jahmyr Gibbs saw just 3.7 targets/game in 2024. Even with DMont missing three games.
We hear the “RB set to play WR!!” nonsense every offseason, so take with a grain of salt. But here’s the Athletic observation through a week of camp. pic.twitter.com/9L7nphVzdB
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) July 28, 2025
Don’t be surprised if Gibbs gets to 25+ in 2025. With Ben Johnson no longer calling plays, there’s a chance that new offensive coordinator John Morton will emphasize more usage for the team’s playmakers. That means more for Gibbs and less for David Montgomery.
Considering that Gibbs was only five short of this number last year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see him get there this season, especially with increased usage.
