Running backs remain the backbone of fantasy football, and in 2025, the position is deeper and more competitive than ever. From elite talents like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Christian McCaffrey to rising stars such as Bucky Irving, Chase Brown, and Omarion Hampton, this year’s draft pool offers fantasy managers a wide range of draft strategies.
Do you invest early in a true workhorse, or wait for mid-round value from rookies and committee backs in high-powered offenses? We break down the top 50 fantasy running backs, highlight their outlooks, and help you target the right players to dominate your league.
For more information on each of the following RBs, make sure to check out our recent fantasy outlooks for 150+ players.
Which Running Backs Should You Draft in Fantasy Football?
1) Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons
2) Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions
3) Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles
4) Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers
5) Ashton Jeanty | Las Vegas Raiders
6) Derrick Henry | Baltimore Ravens
7) De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins
8) Bucky Irving | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9) Chase Brown | Cincinnati Bengals
10) Josh Jacobs | Green Bay Packers
11) Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts
12) Omarion Hampton | Los Angeles Chargers
13) James Cook | Buffalo Bills
14) TreVeyon Henderson | New England Patriots
15) Kyren Williams | Los Angeles Rams
16) Kenneth Walker III | Seattle Seahawks
17) Chuba Hubbard | Carolina Panthers
18) Breece Hall | New York Jets
19) Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints
20) James Conner | Arizona Cardinals
21) RJ Harvey | Denver Broncos
22) Isiah Pacheco | Kansas City Chiefs
23) Tony Pollard | Tennessee Titans
24) D’Andre Swift | Chicago Bears
25) David Montgomery | Detroit Lions
26) Kaleb Johnson | Pittsburgh Steelers
27) Aaron Jones Sr. | Minnesota Vikings
28) Jaylen Warren | Pittsburgh Steelers
29) Tyrone Tracy Jr. | New York Giants
30) Jordan Mason | Minnesota Vikings
31) Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks
32) J.K. Dobbins | Denver Broncos
33) Travis Etienne Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
34) Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots
35) Austin Ekeler | Washington Commanders
36) Trey Benson | Arizona Cardinals
37) Ray Davis | Buffalo Bills
38) Braelon Allen | New York Jets
39) Brian Robinson Jr. | San Francisco 49ers
40) Joe Mixon | Houston Texans
41) Jaydon Blue | Dallas Cowboys
42) Isaac Guerendo | San Francisco 49ers
43) Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
44) Bhayshul Tuten | Jacksonville Jaguars
45) Jacory Croskey-Merritt | Washington Commanders
46) Tyjae Spears | Tennessee Titans
47) Cam Skattebo | New York Giants
48) Tyler Allgeier | Atlanta Falcons
49) Quinshon Judkins | Cleveland Browns
50) Jaylen Wright | Miami Dolphins
Bijan Robinson’s Fantasy Outlook
The last non-QB to win the MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012 (144.6 scrimmage yards and 0.8 touchdowns per game), and I actually wouldn’t be surprised if Robinson’s year-end numbers were in that neighborhood:
2012 Peterson
- 0.91 fantasy points per touch
- 36.8% of carries gained 5+ yards
- 17.5% of carries gained 10+ yards
2024 Robinson, Weeks 13-18
- 0.92 fantasy points per touch
- 43.8% of carries gained 5+ yards
- 14.6% of carries gained 10+ yards
He’s unlikely to be named the MVP of the NFL because that’s essentially a quarterback award given the direction of this game, but being fantasy’s most valuable early-round option is certainly on the table.
Behind the back, crossover, touchdown! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ir4APtKNKR
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 9, 2023
I’m as guilty as anyone of diving into the spreadsheets and trying to unearth sleepers on a weekly and annual basis. This is a fun exercise and can result in handsome DFS rewards or sharp lineup decisions, but at the end of the day, we are playing a volume-driven game.
Robinson reached 22 carries in five of six games to close last regular season, and the exception was a 98-yard, two-TD game against the Washington Commanders, not exactly a negative result. That late-season volume should tell you two things: (1) he’s built for the grind of the NFL season, and (2) nothing changed after Michael Penix Jr. took over.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
He’s as good a bet as any running back in the league to lead the way in touches, and he’s on the short list of players who are in scoring position every time he gets his hands on the ball. The 365-touch 2024 naturally leaves room for injury concerns, but we are looking at a 23-year-old who has handled significant work in three straight seasons (both professional years and his final at Texas). Workloads like this are a long-term concern for any RB and Robinsin is no exception, but that’s something for dynasty managers to worry about in a few seasons. I see no real reason to worry about fatigue over the next handful of months.
The per-game production projects as well as any player at any position, as we get ready for the 2025 season, and if you needed a nudge beyond his raw talent or the trajectory of this offense, let me sell you on the schedule.
Even the moving pieces in terms of supporting cast are trending in the right direction. Penix’s best football is obviously ahead of him, and this was our 10th-best offensive line a season ago. Robinson has picked up 65.2% of his career rushing yards after contact, leaving room for a video game final stat line should the big men up front take another step forward.
Atlanta focused on defense at the draft, and the more competitive they are on that side of the ball, the more secure Robinson’s hold on my projection as the NFL’s touch leader is.
That’s a scary thought. As a rookie, Robinson was actually a tick worse than expected (-0.8% production relative to NFL RB average with his exact workload) and saw 17.3% of his carries fail to cross the line of scrimmage. In 2024, those flaws were more than rectified (14.9% production over expectation, with only 13.8% of his carries resulting in him being stuffed).
No profile is perfect. If you want to poke a hole in the Robinson at 1.01 case, you could point to him averaging just 0.26 yards per route with Penix under center last season (career otherwise: 1.23). That’s obviously an impossibly small sample size and one that doesn’t have me worried in the slightest: I thought I’d mention it in the event that you’re talking with the manager in your league with the top overall selection and trying to cast doubt.
Fantasy football can be a game of mental warfare.
Embrace it.
Robinson is my 1.01 entering the 2025 season, and I feel good about it.
Jahmyr Gibbs Fantasy Outlook
I write for a living, and yet, I’m already running out of superlatives for a kid who is just 23 years of age. In Gibbs’ entire lifetime, not his playing career, his time on planet Earth, there have been two running backs to post multiple seasons with at least 50 catches and 10 rushing touchdowns while averaging at least five years per carry.
- LaDainian Tomlinson (2003 and 2006)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (2023-24)
The floor/ceiling combination for him is difficult to comprehend. His worst finish, while playing a position that results in missed time throughout games due to the nature of the car crashes they take part in, was RB25.
Sit back and enjoy all 20 of Jahmyr Gibbs’ touchdowns last season 🍿 pic.twitter.com/X7yQuKfwxr
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) June 28, 2025
His basement production week was still worthy of being in your lineup, putting him on par with some of the greatest per-game fantasy producers in the sport.
That week? It was a short work week as his Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving and he was, to some degree, scripted out due to a 16-0 halftime lead. David Montgomery has 12 more rush attempts in that short rest game (Gibbs was +13 the week prior, making this a lower projected volume spot going in), and that fueled an underwhelming final fantasy box score.
Did I mention that, in this doom-and-gloom scenario, Gibbs totaled 104 scrimmage yards?
The only active players with more touchdowns through two NFL seasons are Alvin Kamara and Jonathan Taylor, both of whom had their shine as a poster boy of fantasy football. Gibbs is in that conversation, and with him changing his number this offseason from 26 to 0, a move that unofficially adds 17% agility to his profile, he has a strong case to be the first name called at PPR fantasy drafts.
