While it is the NFL offseason, it is never too early to be thinking about the upcoming fantasy football season. With the new league year beginning on March 12, players are going to be switching teams this offseason, which means you need to get a jump start on the 2025 fantasy football season.
At the running back position, Jahmyr Gibbs took home top honors as the overall RB1, the second top-10 finish of his young career. Putting up career numbers across the board, including a career-best 1,412 rushing yards, Gibbs was the lifeblood of the Detroit Lions high-powered offensive attack.
Let’s jump into this position and see what our 2025 way-too-early outlook for the QB position predicts. Will Gibbs repeat as QB1, will a veteran option jump into the top spot, or will a youngster make a surprising climb up the list?
1. Bijan Robinson
2024 Rank: RB3
Bijan Robinson takes the top spot in our 2025 fantasy football running back preview, as the Atlanta Falcons running back was really starting to hit his stride last season. Finishing as the RB3, Robinson recorded games of 20+ fantasy points (PPR formats) in five of his final six contests, including a 170-rushing-yard outburst against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18.
Robinson should be a beneficiary of Michael Penix Jr. becoming the full-time starter, as the offense should be more consistent this upcoming season. All aboard the hype train for Robinson as he looks to finally cement himself atop the fantasy football world at RB.
2. Jahmyr Gibbs
RB1
It is so, so tough to knock Gibbs down a rung after his awesome RB1 season last year, but with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson leaving town, the offense likely will take a step back. Gibbs is far too good of a player to fall too far, though, as he and David Montgomery form one of the league’s best 1-2 punches.
Gibbs is your do-it-all back that can be counted on in pretty much any situation. He should still be one of the first running backs off your draft boards this season, and you can fire him up on a weekly basis as a set-it-and-forget-it option.
3. Saquon Barkley
RB2
Fresh off a Super Bowl win and a contract extension, Saquon Barkley checks in at third overall in our fantasy football RB preview. Running behind one of the best offensive line units in the NFL, Barkley was a wrecking ball last year, and all signs point to him repeating that.
Barkley finished as the overall RB2 last season, threatening the all-time season rushing yardage record on his way to 2,005 yards on the ground. Finding the end zone 15 times tied Barkley’s career-best mark set back in his rookie season, and you can expect more of the same from one of the league’s best to do it.
4. De’Von Achane
RB5
De’Von Achane’s sophomore campaign was the best of his short career so far, as he set career marks in rushing (907) and receiving (592) yards. Achane is the focal point of Mike McDaniel’s offense, and having Achane for the whole season this past year contributed to some of the success for the Dolphins’ offense.
Look for the offensive staff to work in Achane even more, especially with Raheem Mostert being released this offseason. Pairing Achane with Jaylen Wright gives the Miami backfield a youthful approach to rushing the ball, something that should make the pair stand out in fantasy football, especially Achane.
5. Derrick Henry
RB4
The fall-off for Derrick Henry needs to be studied – that is, the lack of a fall-off for King Henry. After making the jump from the Tennessee Titans to the Baltimore Ravens, Henry put together the second-best season of his strong career in his first year in the AFC North.
Henry ran for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns, second-best numbers in both categories for his career. The offensive attack for Baltimore doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon, so as long as Father Time stays far away from Henry, he can be counted on for another strong season for your fantasy football roster.
6. Jonathan Taylor
RB12
Even with missing three games, Jonathan Taylor still finished as the RB12 last season for the Indianapolis Colts. It was the first time Taylor crossed the century rushing yardage mark since 2021, as the former Wisconsin Badger back rushed for 1,431 yards and 11 TDs.
Taylor’s inclusion in the passing game could benefit from an increase, as he only hauled in 18 receptions, the lowest of his career. The Colts brought in Khalil Herbert to back up Taylor, which shouldn’t knock his value down too much, helping keep him locked in as a top RB target.
7. James Cook
RB8
Ty Johnson and Ray Davis are still in the RB depth chart, but James Cook is the clear backfield leader for the Buffalo Bills. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has taken a real liking to Cook, who finished as the RB8 last season on the heels of his second-consecutive 1K season.
Cook’s fumble-itis seems to have quieted down a bit, as he only had one fumble last season (in 2024, he had four and lost two). His receiving game work took a bit of a backseat last season as Johnson became the team’s pass-catching specialist, but look for Cook to assume more of that workload in 2025.
8. Chase Brown
RB10
Benefiting from the trade of Joe Mixon, Chase Brown exploded onto the scene for the Cincinnati Bengals in his first chance with the starting role. Falling 10 yards short of rushing for 1,000, Brown found the end zone 11 times and racked up 1,350 all-purpose yards last season.
The Bengals only added veteran Samaje Perine in free agency to their backfield, but the eight-year veteran shouldn’t have a big role for Cincinnati this upcoming season. Look for Brown to continue to ascend into RB1 status for your fantasy football team(s).
9. Bucky Irving
RB13
Even with Rachaad White holding down the starting role to open the year, rookie back Bucky Irving burst onto the scene for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, finishing just outside of RB1 territory. Irving was electric in his first season, rushing for over 1,100 yards while racking up 254 total targets (47 receptions).
Irving looks to be in line for another massive workload in 2025, even with White still holding down a secondary role. While the pecking order could get a bit hazy at times if the coaching staff decides to ride the hot hand, Irving was the more trusted option down the stretch last season, as his touches went up while White’s decreased.
10. Ashton Jeanty
Rookie
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty is being looked at as one of the best running backs to hit the NFL Draft in quite a few years, and he should immediately find himself in a position to contribute to your fantasy football team in year one. The former Boise State Bronco was a menace in college, rushing for over 2,600 yards in his final year on the blue turf.
Any running back-needy team should be courting the best rookie back, as he can absolutely turn around a struggling offense. Teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and others would make sense as landing spots for Jeanty, so expect a lot of rumors to fly as we draw closer and closer to April’s NFL Draft.
The post 2025 Way-Too-Early Fantasy Football Outlook: Running Backs appeared first on ClutchPoints.
