Fantasy Football RB 2025: NFL Running Back Room Team-By-Team Breakdowns

Fantasy football used to be a lot easier. Especially for the running back position. You had your starter, who got all the touches. Then, if he got hurt, the backup came in and got all of the touches. Priest Holmes got 294 touches in 2003, he got hurt in 2004, and Larry Johnson became a league winner. Easy peasy.

Modern NFL backfields are not as simple. The NFL has slowly been expanding the gameday rosters to allow for more niche roles. Many teams deploy a running back “room” where they rotate guys with different skill sets. That complicates things for the game we know and love because not all of those roles are created equally.

2025 Fantasy RB 2025 Bell Cows & RBBC

To help navigate the running back landscape and properly value these guys, I created something I call the Running Back Questionnaire. The goal here is to look at the five major roles that NFL backfields can be split into and figure out who might do what. Then we’ll weigh the high leverage touches along with the quality of the player and the offense to figure out who to draft. I’ve created a handy chart that you will see below, but first, let’s define the roles. 

2025 Fantasy RB Roles: First Down

This is your “starting running back”. That doesn’t mean they are the running back that gets all the high-leverage touches. But they are at the top of the depth chart and the most likely candidates to be sent out to start the drive on first and 10.

A lot of emphasis in modern fantasy football is placed on targets. But running back utilization research done by Nathan Jahnke suggests that the starting running back, even if they don’t operate on third downs, often offers the most consistency in fantasy football. Obviously, having the entire role provides the most upside, but being the “starter” certainly offers the easiest path to opportunity. 

2025 Fantasy RB Roles: Pass Down

The typical “pass down” is third down, but you’ve also got second and long or fourth down situations as well. This back usually specializes in pass blocking, route running, or both. A guy like Christian McCaffrey is the best player in all phases, especially pass downs, so that’s an easy one to sort. With other teams, like the Lions, they bring in a specialist in Jahmyr Gibbs for those downs, with early down back David Montgomery coming out of the game.

Based on tremendous research done by Scott Barrett, we do know that an individual target is more valuable than a carry. But we just talked about some research above that shows why overall volume favors the “starter” in terms of consistency week to week. So, having the third-down role isn’t always enough for upside, despite the value of targets. 

2025 Fantasy RB Roles: Short Yardage/Goal Line

This is where the big money can be made. We’ve seen guys like Raheem Mostert, LeGarrette Blount, and Jamaal Williams score 17+ touchdowns even in a limited role – in the right offenses. You have to ask yourself this question: if there is a pass interference in the end zone and the offense can send any player down to punch it in, who is that going to be?

In the era of the mobile quarterback and the “Tush Push”, that question isn’t as simple as it once was. We not only need to worry about other running backs being the vulture, but also quarterbacks. We do include quarterbacks on the Questionnaire when they are a legitimate vulture threat, but not all QBs are created equally in that regard. 

2025 Fantasy RB Roles: Two Minute Drill

We separate this from “pass downs” because it’s a different beast entirely. In the two-minute drill, there is no time for substitutions. You need to know all the audibles. And you especially need to know all the pass-blocking schemes, as a sack, in many cases, ends the game. Having this role can mean free receptions at the end of the first half or the end of the game.

Due to the nature of the job, it’s often given to a veteran player (or simply the best back on the team). But some crafty rookies have been able to prove their worth and weasel their way into this role. If you expect a team to be playing from behind often, this can be a valuable spot. 

2025 Fantasy RB Roles: Late Lead

Eating clock and running the ball when everyone knows you are going to run it is crucial to winning games (ask the 2022 Chargers when they gave up a 16-point lead to the Jaguars in the playoffs). Putting that nail in the coffin is not only crucial for real NFL football, but our running backs for fantasy can rack up additional points in those scenarios.

One thing to be careful of is that not every team deploys the starter for this role, especially when there are huge blowouts. Using Pro Football Reference’s Stathead tool, I took a look at how teams operated in the fourth quarter of games with a two-score lead, and it was clear that some teams liked using their starter, while others brought in a backup. Guys like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley added another 40 fantasy points on carries alone in these situations, while a team like the Bills leaned on their backup, Ray Davis.
 

Fantasy Football RB 2025 Role Chart

Without further ado, here is the chart! We’ll keep this updated as things progress, and I’ll also share some notes on the backfields below. 

Fantasy Football RB 2025 Notes

Here are some notes from each backfield going into 2025

Arizona Cardinals

James Conner has held this backfield down as the starter and, when healthy, he’s been a reliable RB2. The comments from Trey Benson this offseason suggest that he believes his role will grow (though most young players would likely tell you they expect to play more). Regardless, Benson is likely one of the better handcuffs, given that Conner has missed time due to injury in every year of his career, and this year, he could be a handcuff plus. However, James Conner is very likely still the guy in most phases. 

Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson does everything well and deserves virtually all of the high-leverage touches in all phases. He averaged 75% of the snaps last year, which was top five for all backs. Even then, Tyler Allgeier gets such a high percentage of the remaining touches that he offers some standalone appeal in deeper formats while being one of the better handcuffs (he’s managed 1,608 yards from scrimmage and 8 TDs over the last two years despite living in the shadow of Bijan). Jase McClelan operates as the RB3, though he missed most of last season with a knee injury.

Baltimore Ravens

Derrick Henry is clearly the starter and goal-line back. In fact, Henry had 18 carries inside the five-yard line while Lamar Jackson took zero. Henry also got more carries than any other back in the fourth quarter when his team was up two scores - his 48 carries in those situations translated to an extra 40.8 fantasy points. Justice Hill is obviously the pass-catching back, and he also operated as the two-minute drill back. The next most interesting guy on the team is Keaton Mitchell, but he needs someone to go down to have upside. 

Buffalo Bills

It must be noted that James Cook is currently holding out for a new contract. If they were to proceed without him, Ray Davis would likely start with Ty Johnson as the pass-down back. When Cook is there, he operates as the starter, and he splits goal-line carries with Josh Allen. Ty Johnson actually led the team in carries and targets in two-minute drill situations while Ray Davis was used to close out games. That’s not ideal for the upside of Cook, but he was a touchdown machine last year despite the presence of Allen.

Carolina Panthers

Jonathon Taylor is set to miss the entire 2025 season, so Chuba Hubbard will be the starter again. They brought in Rico Dowdle to operate as backup - perhaps he can carve out a role, but we expect Chuba to retain most of his work from last year, given his success and the contract they gave him. They also drafted Travis Etienne’s brother, Trevor, in the fourth round, who is a name to know, especially for dynasty leagues. 

Chicago Bears

Let’s address the elephant in the room first - Ben Johnson notably ran a split backfield during his time with the Detroit Lions. And it was a big enough success to get him this job. So we have a hard time believing D’Andre Swift will just get all the work. But they didn’t draft anyone high in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they passed on Nick Chubb (JK Dobbins is still out there). So maybe Swift can get the full role. The candidates to possibly split the work on early downs/goal line would be Roschon Johnson or seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai. 

Cincinnati Bengals

There is a golden opportunity here for Chase Brown. We’ve seen running backs like LeGarrette Blount and Jamaal Williams score 18+ TDs in good offenses, and Chase Brown is clearly a better back than those guys. And this is a good offense. The Zack Moss injury last year really let Brown run away with the job, and we are hoping he keeps it. One thing Brown might not get all of is the pass-down or two-minute drill work, as A. they added Samaje Perine, and B. they oddly run a lot of plays with no RB on obvious pass downs compared to other teams. Despite only playing 8 games, Zack Moss ran 34 routes on 2nd, 3rd, or 4th down and 10+ yards to go vs. 48 in 16 games for Chase Brown. Per FantasyPointsDataSuite, Chase Brown was tied for 28th in such routes with Ty Johnson of Buffalo. 

Cleveland Browns

With Nick Chubb officially gone, this backfield is open waters. Jerome Ford is the incumbent, but he had his most success on obvious pass downs where he could break off big chunks in space. That leaves the door open for rookie Quinshon Judkins to not only take the short-yardage and goal line work but possibly also be the starter. Fellow rookie Dylan Sampson will also push Ford for his role, though Ford did take a reduced contract to stay with the team. 

Dallas Cowboys

Another wide-open backfield here. You would think Javonte Williams would have first crack at things, though early reports from OTAs suggest that Miles Sanders has looked best. They also have two rookies in Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, with Cowboys brass suggesting Blue is better in space while Mafah is a big bruiser. They all go very cheap in early drafts, with the winner of this job potentially inheriting a decent role. My early inkling is to bet on Javonte Williams at ADP and put Miles Sanders on the watchlist, as he generally goes undrafted in early drafts. We’ll be tracking this one all summer for more info.

Denver Broncos

This backfield offers one of the most exciting possibilities out there. Every staff Joe Lombardi has been on has been top five in passes to the running back group. That’s going back 18 straight years. Even Javonte Williams was top five last year. If rookie RJ Harvey can take that Alvin Kamara/Austin Ekeler role, he could have big upside. Right now, it’s him vs. incumbents Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin for work, though JK Dobbins reportedly visited recently. 

Detroit Lions

This backfield is essentially “solved” for fantasy football. David Montgomery is the workhorse who starts and operates in short-yardage/goal-line situations. Jahmyr Gibbs is the pass-down back who operates in space and in the two-minute drill. When they had a late lead, they rotated Montgomery, Gibbs, and their “next man up,” Craig Reynolds. Because of how good this offense is, both Montgomery and Gibbs have RB1 upside, and they have RB1 overall upside if the other guy gets hurt.

Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs was a force in 2024, operating in all phases. He even closed out games with a lead as he had the fourth most carries of any back in the fourth quarter, up two scores (Emmanuel Wilson also contributed a bit). We know what it looks like with Jacobs and Wilson, so the question now is whether MarShawn Lloyd can cut into some of that work. Lloyd missed all of last year with varying ailments so we never really got to see what he can do. Regardless, Jacobs should still be a guy you are starting week in and week out, given what Matt LaFleur likes to do.

Houston Texans

The biggest curveball of the post-draft period just hit us as the Houston Texans decided to sign running back Nick Chubb. That really muddies the waters that clearly belonged to Joe Mixon previously. It certainly pushes Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale to the back burner. We don’t know what this split will look like for now, so it really is going to depend on where the ADP falls for Mixon or Chubb. It might just be a situation to avoid. 

Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor leads this backfield in all situations, which is part of the reason why he’s one of only four backs that has averaged 100+ yards from scrimmage per game in his career. Based on the lack of talent outside of Taylor, we are betting on rookie DJ Giddens to take that RB2 job and be the handcuff. We are also hoping that Daniel Jones can somehow win the starting job as he’s the better passer and less likely to steal touchdowns himself on the ground vs. Anthony Richardson. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Last year, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Liam Coen ended up going with the more efficient Bucky Irving over the incumbent Rachaad White. In Jacksonville last year, something similar started happening as Tank Bigsby was more efficient and started to outplay Travis Etienne. The wrench in that narrative is the Jaguars also drafting explosive back Bayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Now there are three backs all competing for the starting job for this new regime. As of now, Etienne is probably most likely to start, Tank Bigsby presents the cheapest value at ADP, and Tuten has the high-risk, high-reward upside that comes with true unknown rookies.

Kansas City Chiefs

The narrative last year with Isiah Pacheco was an interesting one. He was the starter but broke his leg. They signed Kareem Hunt and, when Pacheco got back, he was a lot lighter and also was used a lot less. Pacheco will not only have to fend off Hunt but also the recently signed Elijah Mitchell, who is quietly now the highest-paid back on the team. Pacheco is a hard runner, but even if he’s the starter, he could give up pass-down portions of that role to Hunt or Mitchell. Given all the uncertainty here, rookie Brashard Smith is also a name to know though right now it's actually Mitchell that I'm taking very late stabs on at ADP.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers' backfield situation is complicated - or is it? They have two talented backs in the incumbent Najee Harris and the rookie Omarion Hampton. The veteran Harris has a little bit of extra size, but Hampton naturally has fresher legs. I would not be surprised if Harris gets the start and Hampton simply mixes in to keep them both healthy and rested. There is a world where Hampton is simply otherworldly and they can’t keep him off the field, which is why he goes earlier in fantasy drafts, but there’s also the chance Harbaugh and company lean on the more experienced veteran for year one. Jim Harbaugh is an old-school coach, after all.

Los Angeles Rams

Last year, Kyren Williams led all backs in the league, playing 87% of the snaps on average. The only other back at 80% or higher was Jonathan Taylor, and he sat right at 80%. Unless Sean McVay has had a change of heart, that will likely continue this year. Blake Corum could be a valuable handcuff if something were to happen to Kyren and he were to get that job outright, but now he’s competing with rookie pick Jarquez Hunter for that RB2 spot, which makes things a bit murky. Hunter was a fourth round pick but they seemed excited to trade up and get him.

Las Vegas Raiders

The assumption here is that, when you draft a guy as high as Ashton Jeanty, you are going to heavily feature him during the prime years of his rookie contract. Yes, there is a risk that the Raiders are not good. But I don’t think there is much risk that guys like Raheem Mostert or Sincere McCormick will beat out Jeanty for work. That doesn’t create a great upside case for those players but the upside for Jeanty is RB1 overall, as it was with guys like Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott as rookies. Like all rookies, the floor is that he's not NFL ready which is a little scary. But this is one of the best RB prospects we have seen in years.

Miami Dolphins

Much like Trey Benson with the Cardinals, there has been some talk about Jaylen Wright wanting a bigger role. And quotes from Mike McDaniel, like this one here, suggest that Jaylen Wright has responded well to his challenge to “non-verbally communicate his hunger for an increased role”. With Raheem Mostert gone, there is certainly a little work available, though De’Von Achane was getting the bulk of the work last year, and that could continue.  They also drafted the 225 back Ollie Gordon in the late rounds, who could carve out a role as a bruiser. Achane last year ran 178 routes from a WR spot per PFF which was the second most since David Johnson ran 193 in 2016. On the flip side, they lost star left tackle Terron Armstead to retirement and the offense in general could be shaky. Achane is a bit of a high risk, high reward play in the second round. 

Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson finished with the second-most receiving yards of any wide receiver behind only Ja'Marr Chase. Yet he didn’t lead the Viikings in yards from scrimmage. Aaron Jones did. Jones is once again set to be the starting back, but the addition of Jordan Mason does make us a bit nervous. Kevin O’Connell had this to say on Sirius XM this offseason when Aaron Jones was a free agent - “I think we continue to grow in that room. Whether it’s infused in a young player in the draft, or maybe another player in free agency alongside Aaron Jones, hopefully.” That leads us to believe that Mason will mix in some and could at least be a handcuff+ for fantasy. 

New England Patriots

For 18 years in New England, Josh McDaniels used a split backfield. He had one bigger back that was preferred for early downs, and then a specific pass-catching back. Now he has the 246-pound Rhamondre Stevenson to play the early role previously occupied by guys like LeGarrette Blount or Corey Dillon. And he has the second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson to play the pass-down role that guys like Kevin Faulk or James White would play. There’s the chance that one is much better than the other and simply can’t be kept off the field, but that feels like the most likely split given the history of the scheme.

New Orleans Saints

Last year, Alvin Kamara was the RB1 overall in fantasy through 6 weeks and the RB2 through 12 weeks. They gave him a two-year extension based on that. So he’s set to be the starting back. Kendre Miller and rookie Devin Neal will battle it out to be the RB2. Our own Howard Bender poses some interesting questions about Kellen Moore’s unwillingness to pass to the running back in this article, but I’m not super worried about Moore figuring out how to get the ball into the hands of his most talented player, whether that’s on the ground or through the air. 

New York Giants

Some backfields are clear, some have uncertainty. The Giants have uncertainty. Tyrone Tracy came in last year as a converted WR and essentially took the job from Devin Singletary. But Singletary is more of a journeyman so that's not a tremendous feat. This year, the Giants are bringing in rookie Cam Skattebo, a bruiser who could force his way into short-yardage work or even the starting job. Both are going late in drafts due to the uncertainty, and hitting the right one could provide a lot of value. 

New York Jets

Breece Hall is the best player in this backfield, no doubt. Guys like Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis could mix in like normal backups do, but Hall should get the bulk of the high-leverage touches. The concerns surround the quarterback Justin Fields. Will he be able to put this offense in a scoring position? And will Breece Hall suffer from the consequences of playing with a mobile QB (fewer check downs, vultured touchdowns)? Hall is a talented player, so I’m willing to bet on him, but he needs some help to be great.

Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley is a super mega star. He was used in all phases, including closing out games where he was top three in carries with a two-score lead in the fourth. The only concerns with Barkley are holding up after insane volume last year and the tendency of Jalen Hurts to steal TDs inside the 5-yard line via the Tush Push. I’m still willing to use a top-five pick on him in fantasy. As far as a handcuff situation goes, I think there would likely be a run-down, pass-down split between AJ Dillon and Will Shipley if anything were to happen, so I’m not going out of my way to draft a backup with Barkley.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Occam’s Razor would suggest that the most likely setup for this backfield in 2025 is for rookie Kaleb Johnson to take over the Najee Harris role with Jaylen Warren maintaining his pass-down role. Warren is one of the most punishing pass blockers in the game, and that’s going to be crucial to Aaron Rodgers. Kaleb Johnson didn’t put up big pass numbers in college either, so an injury to Warren would probably see Cordarelle Patterson taking over those pass downs. That doesn’t mean Kaleb Johnson can’t be a consistent asset, but it might cap his upside this year.

San Francisco 49ers

If Christian McCaffrey can remain healthy this year, he could be the RB1 overall in fantasy. Everyone knows that. The question is whether he’s over the double Achilles tendonitis he suffered from last year. After the team moved on from both Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell, Isaac Guerendo is now waiting in the wings. Rookie Jordan James out of Oregon is another name to know if anything happens, as he was pretty productive despite spending a chunk of his career behind Bucky Irving. 

Seattle Seahawks

Anytime you have a new offensive coordinator coming in, there is some uncertainty. Will they go with a feature back, will they split the backfield? What we do know is that Klint Kubiak’s scheme is VERY running back friendly with the fullback usage. And Rick Dennsion should be able to work wonders with this offensive line. We like taking shots on Kenneth Walker at the right price, but if someone else takes him, don’t be afraid to take a stab on Zach Charbonnett later as a handcuff plus. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Liam Coen is gone. But they promoted new OC Josh Grizzard internally, so we can expect the philosophy to remain the same. Last year, Bucky Irving ended up winning the starting job, but Rachaad White did retain some pass work on third downs and two-minute drill. In late leagues, they used both Irving and Sean Tucker to close it out. Irving’s best trade out of college was his pass-catching, so he could take an even bigger hold on the job this year, but White will probably still factor in in some capacity. 

Tennessee Titans

Here’s how things shook out last year when everyone was healthy. Tony Pollard was the starter and got the bulk of the run work. They split the third-down work fairly evenly. And Tyjae Spears was the two-minute drill specialist. It’s similar to the setup a few years back between Aaron Jones (Pollard) and Jamaal Williams (Spears) with the Packers. If that holds this year, that’s definitely better news for Tony Pollard than it is for Spears, and he could be a value at ADP.

Washington Commanders

Last year, Brian Robinson was the clear starter and favorite for carries. He and quarterback Jayden Daniels split the work nearly down the middle inside the 5-yard line (11 carries for Robinson, 4 TDs, and 10 carries for Daniels, 4 TDs). Austin Ekeler was the preferred back in pass downs and on two-minute drills, which was expected with the Commanders RB coach being his former Chargers head coach, Anthony Lynn. Jeremy McNichols is also there to contribute on pass downs if they need him.