The 2025 NFL Draft has now come and gone. While the NFL season is still a ways away, this was the last major shakeup of team rosters. With the landscape no longer subject to significant changes, it’s full steam ahead toward preparing for the upcoming fantasy football year. Most dynasty rookie drafts will take place over the next couple of months, making this a perfect time to update our 2025 dynasty rookie running back rankings.
Top Rookie Running Backs To Draft in Dynasty Leagues
2025 PFSN Dynasty Rankings: Superflex | 1QB | QB | RB | WR | TE | Rookie SF | Rookie 1QB | Rookie WR
1) Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Those arguing Ashton Jeanty should have won the Heisman certainly have a strong case to make. What Jeanty did last season was otherworldly.
The Boise State product ran the ball 344 times for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. He led the nation in attempts and yards for the second consecutive year.
There were no running backs selected in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft. This year, we got two of them, with Jeanty going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 overall.
At just 21 years old with a three-down skill set, Jeanty is already a top-five overall dynasty running back. The best non-Jeanty RB on the Raiders is 33-year-old Raheem Mostert — Jeanty has been the 1.01 and remains the 1.01.
2) Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
If you look at Omarion Hampton’s sophomore and junior seasons, you might think you’re seeing double. He averaged exactly 5.9 yards per carry and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in both.
Hampton led the ACC in rushing yards for two straight seasons with totals of 1,504 and 1,660. He’s also a solid receiver, amassing 601 yards on 67 receptions over his final two years at North Carolina. With 20+ carries in seven games, Hampton has the durability to handle large workloads.
At 6’0″, 221 pounds, Hampton has ideal size for a lead back, and his 4.46 40-time gives him a 93rd-percentile speed score.
The lack of targets to running backs in Greg Roman’s offenses dings Hampton slightly, but we’re talking about a 22-year-old running back with a three-down skill set in a good offense.
Najee Harris is on a one-year prove-it deal. Hampton should easily overtake him early this season, and Harris won’t be in LA in 2026.
3) Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns
The trajectory of Quinshon Judkins’ collegiate career hasn’t been ideal. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, leading the SEC in attempts (274), yards (1,567), and touchdowns (16). Judkins saw similar usage as a sophomore, but his yards per carry dipped from 5.7 to 4.3.
As a junior, Judkins transferred to Ohio State, where he had to play alongside fellow NFL prospect TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins got back to 5.5 YPC but only saw 194 carries.
Throughout his time in college, Judkins has proven to be a decent receiver, which will help his pro upside. He has 59 receptions for 442 yards and four touchdowns across 42 college games.
The concern with Judkins is his performance against quality opponents. His overall stats were bolstered by huge games against the likes of Western Michigan and Marshall. There are no Western Michigans or Marshalls at the NFL level.
Before the draft, I said it wouldn’t be a surprise if he fell a bit. Instead, he went ahead of his teammate Henderson.
I flipped these guys a bunch before the draft, and I’m doing so again. Judkins landed really well in Cleveland. Although the Browns are a franchise nowhere near contending, we’ve seen running backs produce at high levels on bad offenses. What matters most is volume.
The Browns wanted a Nick Chubb replacement. At 6’0″, 221 pounds, Judkins is built to be a lead back. He ran a 4.48 40 time for a 91st-percentile speed score.
Judkins’ immediate competition for touches will be Jerome Ford and fellow rookie, fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson. We should expect Judkins to touch the ball 15-18 times per game, at minimum.
4) TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
As a four-year player, it’s great that Henderson was so productive as a freshman, rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns. It’s less than ideal that it was his most productive college season.
With that said, Henderson easily could have joined the NFL last year. Some would argue he probably should have, considering he split the Buckeyes’ backfield with Judkins in 2024 as a result, which limited his production.
Nevertheless, Henderson remained efficient, averaging a Big Ten-best 7.1 yards per carry heading. He also showed proficiency as a receiver, hauling in 27 balls for 284 yards in a split backfield.
Henderson ran a 4.43 40-time for an 80th-percentile speed score. The Ohio State star has the makings of being at least an impactful satellite back in Year 1.
You could still easily flip Henderson and Judkins (I’ve already done it multiple times and just did it again). It’s always tough when one school produces NFL-caliber prospects at the same time, let alone two guys coming out in the same year.
I don’t want to weigh situation too significantly when we’re talking about a 22-year-old who has his entire career ahead of him. However, the New England Patriots just signed Rhamondre Stevenson to an extension.
While Henderson should be able to overtake Stevenson rather easily, the incumbent isn’t going to be irrelevant. That naturally caps Henderson’s upside a bit, which nudges Judkins ahead of him for me.
5) Kaleb Johnson, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
While obviously far less prolific than Jeanty, Kaleb Johnson was hamstrung by a much less explosive Iowa offense. Even so, he still managed to run for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, both leading the Big Ten. Mind you, this is a Big Ten conference that also featured two Ohio State running backs who were drafted on Day 2.
Johnson profiles as a classic two-down grinder. However, he progressed considerably as a receiver in his junior year, hauling in 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. If Johnson can continue advancing as a receiver, he has a chance to be a real difference-maker in fantasy.
Johnson’s stock dropped after he ran a 4.57 40-time at the NFL Combine. However, I’m not overly concerned. A back of his size needs to just not be too slow to be able to play at the NFL (which is basically 4.65 or slower).
Landing in Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin feels like fate. The Steelers needed someone to replace Harris to pair with Jaylen Warren, and they got a younger, better version.
Johnson is a strong bet for 12-14 carries a game plus goal-line work. He will be touchdown-dependent, but there’s also a chance Warren moves on after this season, giving Johnson the backfield mostly to himself. Third-round draft capital is plenty good here.
6) RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos
Easily the biggest post-draft riser, RJ Harvey was a major surprise as the Denver Broncos’ choice to be their RB of the future. I had him as a third-round dynasty rookie pick before the draft. It speaks to the importance of landing spot and draft capital.
Denver took Harvey in the second round. The rookie steps into what should be an immediate starting role, with the Broncos’ only other backs of note being Audric Estimé and Jaleel McLaughlin.
Harvey is an older back at age 24, but he’s fast and explosive, running a 4.4 40-time, good for a 91st percentile speed score. At 205 pounds, he’s solid enough to handle around 15 touches a game. He also saw a 9.4% target share in his final year at UCF.
No team throws to running backs more than the Broncos, which has been a staple in Sean Payton offenses throughout his head coaching years.
Harvey will need to prove worthy of the confidence the Broncos showed in him. Whether he’s capable of that remains to be seen. Regardless, fantasy managers have to buy.
7–16) The Rest of the Rankings
7) Byashul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
8) Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
9) Jaydon Blue, RB, Dallas Cowboys
10) Jarquez Hunter, RB, Los Angeles Rams
11) Devin Neal, RB, New Orleans Saints
12) Dylan Sampson, RB, Cleveland Browns
13) Trevor Etienne, RB, Carolina Panthers
14) Ollie Gordon II, RB, Miami Dolphins
15) Jordan James, RB, San Francisco 49ers
16) Tahj Brooks, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
17) Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans
18) Brashard Smith, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
19) DJ Giddens, RB, Indianapolis Colts
20) Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears