The easiest way to kick off 2025 fantasy football rankings is to take a look back at what happened the year before. What worked, what didn’t work – but most importantly, addressing the “WHY” behind the successes and failures and using that as a driving force to make smart draft decisions next season.
That’s how I’ll start the breakdown of the running backs for 2025 fantasy football rankings as we look ahead to the 2025 draft and best ball season. Because with best ball, it’s never too early to start drafting.
- Expert Consensus 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
- 2025 NFL Draft Guide
- 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
- 2025 NFL Mock Drafts
2025 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings, Tiers & Notes
But before we dive into the full rankings with player notes on the top 12 (or so) running backs, I want to hit on a more high-profile rusher who will be heavily debated all draft season.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. I highlighted Jeanty in my Top Dynasty Rookie Running Backs (2025 Fantasy Football) as the clear-cut No. 1 runner in the 2025 rookie RB class.
He has the chance to be a top 10 real-life 2025 NFL Draft selection. But does that make him worthy of an extremely high fantasy football ranking in redraft? History says yes.
- The last two rookie RBs drafted highly in the first round two years ago – Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs – finished as top 10 fantasy RBs in Year 1.
- Saquon Barkley was a stud as a rookie (RB1 overall) – 16 starts.
- Leonard Fournette was 7th in PPG (9th in 13 games). Fournette was the RB9 last 4 games (started as RB3 1st 6 weeks before injury).
- Christian McCaffrey was 10th even in an RBBC w/ Jonathan Stewart, just 10 starts.
- Ezekiel Elliott was top-3 in PPG (2nd overall) – 15 starts.
- Trent Richardson – RB7 PPG and RB5 overall (wasn’t even good) – 15 starts. Richardson was RB4 PPG last 9 games.
- Adrian Peterson – RB1 overall (9 starts). Flame emoji.
- Reggie Bush – RB9 overall (8 starts). Bush was RB5 last 8 weeks.
- The only actual top-8 RB to bust was Darren McFadden, but he got hurt and only started 5 games.
Most rookie running backs were mostly STRONG finishers.
This tends to be true even with RBs drafted outside Round 1. But it’s heightened when you take an uber-talented RB that also goes in Round 1.
The high-end rookies entering with top-tier draft capital post top-5 numbers during some pocket of games in Year 1.
And it’s for these reasons why I feel “right” putting Jeanty inside my top-10 RBs. This is much lower than ECR, but still not as a high as some early best ball ADPs on sites like Underdog and FastDraft where he is the RB6/7.
Should Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty be a lock for the top-12? Let me know on X @Andrewerickson_ and tell me what you think about the rest of the 2025 running back rankings which can be viewed below:
2025 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
