We are two weeks deep into the 2025 NFL season, and Week 2 proved to be a chaotic one from a running back performance standpoint. Some backs who started slowly in Week 1 dominated the following week, while others failed to capitalize on their momentum from the opening week. PFSN has you covered with your RB rankings for the 2025 season, as our RBi metric puts a numerical value on how each back performs every week.
It’s worth noting that these rankings will shift dramatically as the season goes on. Later in the year, the rankings will be a better gauge of where each running back stands in the NFL. This early in the year, these grades reflect how each back starts the season off. With Week 2 in the rearview mirror, let’s rank the top 32 running backs in the NFL after one week of play.
29) Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 54.5 (F)
Last Week’s Ranking: 22
It’s been a very slow start to the season for Zach Charbonnet, who represents one of three teams with multiple running backs qualified for this list. Among all 29 running backs, his 2.1 yards per carry rank dead last. His rushing EPA per play of -0.27 is also tied for the worst in the league.
Week 2 was fierce for Charbonnet, as he ran the ball 15 times and only finished the game with 10 rushing yards. Luckily, the Seattle Seahawks were able to put together a solid offensive outing around him, but averaging 0.7 yards per carry in a game is an easy way to see one’s workload decrease.
28) Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 63.9 (D)
Last Week’s Ranking: 27
The Las Vegas Raiders played from behind for the majority of their Week 2 loss to the Chargers, which limited Ashton Jeanty’s workload on the ground somewhat. Still, he wasn’t all that efficient in the touches he did receive, averaging 3.9 yards on 11 carries.
With a -30.0% boom vs. bust rating, Jeanty hasn’t had a run go farther than 13 yards through his first two games in the NFL. There’s obviously potential for him to turn things around, but it’s been a slow start for him with the Raiders.
27) David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 68.7 (D+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 25
Though David Montgomery’s RBi grade improved from 67.5 in Week 1 to 68.7 after Week 2, his increase wasn’t as drastic as some of the other running backs on this list, so he finds himself slipping a couple of spots in our rankings.
Montgomery was more efficient on Sunday, rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the Detroit Lions’ blowout win over the Bears. His average of 3.7 yards per carry to start the season is still pretty low, but he got back on track with an improved performance in Week 2.
26) Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 69.1 (D+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
No running back had a bigger tumble down the RBi rankings from Week 1 to Week 2 than Omarion Hampton had. Granted, part of that was due to a lighter workload; he had 15 carries in the Los Angeles Chargers’ season opener but only ran the ball eight times on Monday night.
Still, Hampton’s production hasn’t been anything to write home about. He’s averaging only 3.1 yards per carry, has just 72 rushing yards through two games, and hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this season. His -0.15 EPA per rush is the eighth-worst mark in the league thus far.
25) Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 69.6 (D+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 28
Bucky Irving has stumbled out of the gates for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so far in the 2025 season after a stellar rookie season last year. Among major categories, he ranks in the bottom ten for qualified backs in rushing EPA per play, elusive rate, boom vs. bust rate, and yards after contact per rush.
His Week 2 outing against the Falcons wasn’t impressive, but it was certainly better than his performance in the season opener. He finished Monday night’s matchup with 4.2 yards per carry, an upgrade over the 2.6 average he had in Week 1.
24) Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 71.8 (C-)
Last Week’s Ranking: 31
After an inefficient season debut, which saw him rush for only 2.4 yards per carry, Tyler Allgeier bounced back in the Atlanta Falcons’ Monday night loss to the Buccaneers. He improved his rushing average to 4.8 yards per carry in that game, scoring a touchdown on the ground in the process.
Allgeier still ranks in the bottom ten with 2.38 yards after contact per rush. However, he now has a positive EPA per running play after his solid Week 2 performance, tying for third in the NFL with a 0.03 average.
23) James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 73.3 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 23
James Conner stays put in the rankings after putting together a similar outing in Week 2 to what he had in the Arizona Cardinals’ season opener. He ran 12 rushes for 39 yards in Week 1, and he followed that up with 11 rushes for 34 yards on Sunday. He scored a rushing touchdown in his second game after having a receiving touchdown in his first.
James Conner with the catch of the day so far pic.twitter.com/ZipPdHYCCo
— Joel Ybarra (@metaffb) September 14, 2025
His elusive rating of 21.7% is the fifth-worst among running backs on this list, but Conner is one of just nine running backs with multiple touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season.
22) Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 73.4 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: N/R
With fewer than ten rushes in Week 1, Jahmyr Gibbs was ruled ineligible for the initial RBi rankings. His heavier workload on the ground in the Lions’ win over the Bears gets him on the board, and his efficiency was much stronger in Week 2.
Undoubtedly, Gibbs’ positioning in these rankings is hurt by how he performed in Detroit’s first game. He opened the year with 2.1 yards per carry against the Packers. Though he still has just 3.2 yards per reception, he exploded with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries this past Sunday.
21) Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 73.5 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
Having fewer than four yards per carry in each of his first two games, Kyren Williams hasn’t exactly been the most explosive runner in the NFL thus far. His rushing touchdown against the Texans in Week 1 helped give him a favorable rating, though he wasn’t as lucky to reach the end zone in the Los Angeles Rams’ win over Tennessee.
With an elusive rate of just 17.1%, Williams has the lowest percentage in the NFL among qualified backs. Despite his inability to make defenders miss in the open field this season, his boom vs. bust rating is the eighth-best in the league to start the season.
20) D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 73.5 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
D’Andre Swift is currently tied for fourth in the NFL with a 37.9% elusive rate, which prevents him from ranking incredibly low in the RBi rankings. However, despite being good at evading defenders, he hasn’t done much once he makes contact with them.
Only three other running backs have fewer yards after contact per rush than Swift’s 2.1 average. His yards per carry average rose to 5.3 in the Chicago Bears’ loss to Detroit, largely due to a strong performance by his offensive line in the run game.
19) Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 73.9 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 16
Aaron Jones Sr. is currently dealing with a hamstring issue, making Jordan Mason the lead back in the Minnesota Vikings’ backfield. If he keeps up this level of play, there’s a good chance Mason will remain the top guy for the foreseeable future.
That’s not to say Mason has been perfect, as he has yet to scored a touchdown through two games. The lack of scoring impact hurts him a bit, but he ranks fourth in the NFL with an impressive 3.92 yards after contact per run.
18) Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 74.4 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
At an elusive rate of just 18.9%, Chase Brown has been the second-least efficient running back at making defenders miss through the first two weeks of the season. That said, he’s not exactly getting a ton of help from the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line.
Brown has the seventh-fewest yards after contact per rush among qualified running backs, but he’s had the third-fewest yards before contact per rush to work with. In its own way, that actually makes Brown more efficient than the opportunities he’s been getting.
17) Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 74.7 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 19
Tony Pollard ranks 11th with 3.08 yards after contact, which is impressive when you consider the poor play of the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line thus far. He ran the ball 20 times for 96 yards in their loss to the Broncos on Sunday.
Though Pollard ranks in the bottom ten among qualified running backs in his elusive rate, he still has the seventh-best boom vs. bust rate in the league. That speaks to his toughness running the ball through the first two weeks.
16) Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 75.1 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 14
Despite having the sixth-lowest yards before contact per carry average, Josh Jacobs ranks 13th in yards after contact per rush with 3.02. The Green Bay Packers haven’t given him a ton of wiggle room, but the bruising Pro Bowler has done a decent job maximizing his touches.
11 straight games with a TD for Josh Jacobs 🚀 pic.twitter.com/OQtuBzmZWd
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 12, 2025
It also helps that Jacobs has two rushing touchdowns to his name through the first two weeks. He’s one of just six running backs to have scored multiple rushing touchdowns at this stage in the season.
15) Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 76.5 (C)
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
The Carolina Panthers have seen inconsistent results using Chuba Hubbard in the running game, as his boom vs. bust percentage is pretty low at -11.5%. That said, he still ranks sixth among qualified running backs with 46.2% rush success rate.
Hubbard is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry through two weeks, but he’s converted on seven first downs for the Panthers thus far. He’s also had a receiving touchdown in each of his first two games, so he’s been reliable when it comes to hitting paydirt.
14) Nick Chubb, Houston Texans
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 77.3 (C+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
It’s hardly been flashy, but Nick Chubb has been serviceable as the Houston Texans’ lead running back as they wait for Joe Mixon to return from injury. He has a respectable 4.1 yards per carry on 25 attempts with a touchdown through two games.
Chubb has benefitted from surprisingly solid run blocking from the Texans’ offensive line, as he ranks third in the league with an average of 2.28 yards before contact per carry. For an older back with an extensive injury history, his 12th overall elusive rate is pretty impressive.
13) Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 79.0 (C+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
Through the first two weeks, Saquon Barkley ranks ninth in the NFL with 148 rushing yards and has scored two rushing touchdowns. He’s also been a reliable checkdown target, having caught six of his seven targets in the passing game.
Barkley is tied for sixth in EPA per rush, though his 3.7 yards per carry average isn’t anything to write home about. Nonetheless, he’s been solid against tough competition and has the raw talent to climb further up the rankings in due time.
12) Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 79.8 (C+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Travis Etienne ranks second in the NFL with 214 rushing yards heading into Week 3. He’s one of just three players with multiple carries over 20 yards, and he’s averaging a whopping 7.1 yards per carry on his 30 attempts.
If there was concern last year about whether Etienne was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ lead back, his play to start the season and their decision to trade Tank Bigsby to Philadelphia speak volumes. He’s benefiting from the second-most yards before contact per rush, but Etienne has done an excellent job in his own right to start the season.
11) J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 80.9 (B-)
Last Week’s Ranking: 21
After an average Week 1 performance, J.K. Dobbins improved from 3.9 yards per carry to a 5.4 yards per carry average in the Denver Broncos’ loss to the Colts on Sunday. He’s managed to score rushing touchdowns in both of those outings.
Dobbins ranks 11th in both EPA per rush and boom vs. bust rate, and he has the fourth-highest touchdown per carry ratio in the league. He’s been a rock-solid starter for the Broncos through two weeks.
10) Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 81.2 (B-)
Last Week’s Ranking: 29
It’s almost jarring to see the drastic difference between Bijan Robinson’s stat line in Week 1 and how he performed in Week 2. After having just 24 rushing yards and 2.0 yards per carry in the former week, he followed up with 143 rushing yards and 6.5 yards per carry in the latter.
Bijan Robinson vs. the Vikings
22 carries
143 rushing yards
6.5 yards per carry
3 catches
25 receiving yardsBest RB in the league pic.twitter.com/LU2YeMTu8r
— Jake (@SuperiorNBA) September 15, 2025
Among other categories, Robinson ranks in the top ten in elusive rate, boom vs. bust rate, and receiving yards per route. He is also tied for the lead in receiving yards per game among all running backs. The Atlanta Falcons’ run game bounced back in Week 2, and Robinson was a big reason why.
9) Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 82.2 (B-)
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
The consensus has been that Christian McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the NFL as long as he can stay healthy. The San Francisco 49ers have seen that come to fruition through the first two weeks of the 2025 season.
Along with the Robinson mentioned above, McCaffrey is tied for the league lead among running backs with 62.5 receiving yards per game. He’s also second with a 48.6% elusive rate, making him challenging to stop in space. He has a low boom vs. bust percentage but has displayed the big-play ability to make up for it.
8) Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 82.5 (B-)
Last Week’s Ranking: 17
At first glance, Jaylen Warren’s production through two weeks doesn’t exactly scream “top-ten running back”. He averages just 3.4 yards per carry and has only 85 rushing yards through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first two games.
However, Warren’s reliability as a pass catcher helps propel him up the RBi rankings. He caught four passes for 85 yards in Week 2 against Seattle, and he caught a pass for a touchdown in Week 1 against the Jets. He ranks in the top ten in both rush and pass success percentages, and he leads all running backs in receiving yards per route.
7) James Cook, Buffalo Bills
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 83.6 (B)
Last Week’s Ranking: 20
Only two running backs have three rushing touchdowns through two weeks, and James Cook is one of them. He ranks fourth in the NFL with 176 rushing yards, and he’s averaging a strong 5.2 yards per carry to start the year off for the Buffalo Bills.
Cook’s big leap in the RBi rankings is to be expected, as he ran for 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 against the Jets. After that game, he’s now tied for third among qualified running backs in EPA per rush at 0.03.
6) Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 84.3 (B)
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
Along with the Cook mentioned above, Javonte Williams is one of just two running backs with three touchdowns through the first two weeks of the 2025 season. He’s done a tremendous job in the role as the Dallas Cowboys’ bellcow back to start the year.
Williams is seventh in the NFL with 151 rushing yards, and he’s second in the league with an average of 0.14 EPA per run play. He’s not making a ton of defenders miss in space, but he’s a tough-nosed runner who’s been a reliable force in between the tackles for the Cowboys.
5) Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 85.3 (B)
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
A pedestrian outing in Week 2 sees Derrick Henry fall from his top spot after his incredible performance in Week 1. Despite only averaging 2.1 yards per carry against the Browns on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens’ star back still ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards and has the most carries over 20 yards with three.
Still ranking sixth in the league in EPA per run play and first in yards after contact per run, Henry’s season opener was so good that it nullifies a lot of what went wrong in his matchup against Cleveland in Week 2.
4) Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 86.4 (B)
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
After the first two weeks of the season, Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 236 rushing yards. He was solid in Week 1 with 71 yards on 18 carries, but he exploded in the Indianapolis Colts’ win over the Broncos on Sunday. He finished the game with 165 rushing yards, 6.6 yards per carry, and a receiving touchdown.
Aside from an average elusive rate, Taylor ranks in the top ten or higher in practically every rushing analytical category that PFSN has. Most notably, he ranks third in the NFL with 4.09 yards after contact per run.
3) Breece Hall, New York Jets
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 86.8 (B)
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
In a similar manner to Taylor, Breece Hall ranks in the top ten in practically every rushing analytical category in PFSN’s database. What gives Hall the slight edge, though, is his elusive rate; his is 37.9% through two games, while Taylor’s is 27.9%.
Hall had better production in Week 1 than in Week 2, but his 2.9 yards per carry in the New York Jets’ loss on Sunday suggests he was more efficient than that statistic indicates. He’s making defenders miss and running them over, even if he wasn’t given much to work with this past week.
2) Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 87.2 (B+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 32
It takes an exceptional performance for a running back to jump from last place in RBi among qualified running backs all the way up to second place. But with 105 rushing yards, a touchdown, and 8.1 yards per carry on Sunday, that’s precisely what Kenneth Walker III had in Week 2.
After averaging just 2.0 yards per carry in Week 2, Walker was a one-man wrecking crew for the Seattle Seahawks in their win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. He now leads the league with 0.22 EPA per run, and he’s also third with a 47.8% elusive rate.
1) Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
2025 PFSN RBi Grade: 87.5 (B+)
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Some say that running backs are supposed to slow down when they turn 30 years old, but whoever made that rule forgot to tell Alvin Kamara. In his age-30 season, he’s come out of the first two weeks of the year as PFSN’s top-ranked running back by RBi grading in the entire NFL.
Kamara leads the league with a stellar 50.0% elusive rate, he’s tied for third with 0.03 EPA per rush, and he’s tenth with 3.08 yards after contact per rush. He’s also contributed in the receiving game, catching all eight of his targets to start the season.
