With the limited average draft position (ADP) available thanks to best ball drafts, we can make some determinations as to who is undervalued at the outset of completed drafts. Who are some running backs currently undervalued in drafts? Let’s take a look.

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3 Early Undervalued Running Backs

Now that the dust has settled after the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win, we’re back to talking about fantasy players for 2025. What better way to get right into that than talking about one of the most volatile positions in fantasy: Running backs.

(ADP via Underdog Fantasy as of 2/19/2025)

Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR): ADP 46.9 | RB16

We’ve grown accustomed to Chuba Hubbard being a Zero RB hero you could reliably find in the later rounds of drafts. Like clockwork for the past four seasons, Hubbard has found work and outpaced his draft-day price.

Last season saw Hubbard as a Week 1 starter, but his fantasy football ADP was in the 150s thanks to the steam from rookie Jonathon Brooks. Hubbard was supposed to cede the job to Brooks once he was healthy enough, but in December, Brooks re-tore his ACL. That makes Brooks unlikely to see the field at all in 2025.

With Carolina signing Hubbard to a contract extension during last season, Hubbard is in the penthouse in terms of this backfield with a possible add to the room being a depth piece versus one that would give Hubbard a considerable challenge.

Hubbard’s 2024 season was electric, with huge marks in rush yards over expected (RYOE), success rate and total rush EPA (expected points added).

We saw Carolina trade away and jettison some of their veterans and underperforming youth like Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo, so the team could be clearing the way to make a decent-sized splash to surround Bryce Young with better weapons. The offensive line was excellent and was the best part of their team all season, which led the way for Hubbard to have his best season as a pro.

If the Panthers can improve their offensive ecosystem, Hubbard should continue to thrive and be a smash for drafters in 2025. He’s criminally undervalued at his RB16 price tag.

Tony Pollard (RB – TEN): ADP 82.7 | RB26

We weren’t sure of how Tony Pollard would integrate into the Tennessee Titans’ offense with a lot of moving parts and a brand-new head coach in Brian Callahan, but Pollard was a solid success in 2024 as fantasy’s RB21 in PPR.

Pollard was a workhorse with his second-consecutive 250-carry season and third-straight 1,000-yard season in 2024. More importantly, Pollard held Tyjae Spears at bay with not just rushing work but also receiving work. Pollard predictably bested Spears in carries (260 to 84). Pollard also had Spears’ number in target volume, seeing 55 targets to Spears’ 33.

In terms of efficiency, Pollard’s success rate of 35% was 33rd out of 41 qualified running backs with at least 113 total carries. However, Pollard’s yards after contact per attempt (YACo/Att) was 13th among 41 qualified backs.

With two seasons left in Pollard’s contract, he should be lined up for more workhorse duty in Tennessee. If the Titans get a quarterback upgrade in the draft, that could increase Pollard’s touchdown equity as he had just five rushing scores in 2024. His RB26 ADP is a great price to bet on a possible upgrade in the offensive environment as well as touchdown regression. At the end of the seventh round/start of the eighth round, that profile is one you would have found in the third round in 2020. In 2025, Pollard’s profile is a bargain.

Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT): ADP 86.3 | RB27

Year after year and season after season, we keep on repeating the same couple of talking points regarding Jaylen Warren and his fantasy value for that particular season.

Things like:

• “Well, if Warren only got more carries, we could see what he can do!”
• “If Warren can overtake Najee Harris, he can be a league-winner!”
• “He’s been so efficient; there’s no way the Steelers can use him this little!”

And yet, we’re here, staring down Warren’s name in the eighth round of early best ball drafts just like last season. There is a bit of a wrinkle though: Warren is a restricted free agent.

With Warren’s three accrued NFL seasons as an undrafted free agent, Warren will likely get a “rights-of-first refusal” tender from the Steelers, per Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. That tender would let Warren negotiate with other teams with Pittsburgh maintaining their right to match a deal.

Najee Harris is an unrestricted free agent with the Steelers not giving him a fifth-year option. He likely moves on. If the Steelers keep Warren and either draft a running back or bring in a free agent, Warren could be in the catbird seat for some, if not all, of 2025.

If Warren is on a different team this season, well, it could work out either way for him in terms of where you draft him. He’s either added by a team committing to use him or he’s in another committee where his price likely remains the same. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Warren lands elsewhere with stiff competition ahead of him and he can’t get on the field.

Because let’s face it: Warren is awesome and electric when he steps on the field.

(*Stats above per NFL Next Gen Stats)

The big issue last season was Harris, who was used more in the receiving game than in 2023, reducing Warren’s carries a bit. Thanks, Arthur Smith. The point is, Warren has been robustly efficient in his last three seasons and he should provide more of the same to the Steelers or any other NFL team that picks him up. In the eighth round, I’m more than happy to select him for the rushing and receiving profile he provides for fantasy.

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Kevin Tompkins is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Kevin, check out his profile and follow him on Bluesky @ktompkinsii.bsky.social