We’ll have you covered as you prepare for your 2025 dynasty rookie drafts. In order to dominate your dynasty rookie draft, check out our expert consensus dynasty rookie draft rankings. And sync your dynasty league to practice with fast and free dynasty rookie mock drafts. We dive into dynasty rookie draft picks our analysts are higher or lower on compared to our expert consensus rankings. Here are a few dynasty rookie running backs our experts avoid in drafts.

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Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice: Running Backs Experts Avoid

Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma State)

Gordon is a smooth mover for his size. He has solid lateral agility for his size, but he can get happy feet at times. With some runs, he dances too much at the line when he needs to be decisive and get downhill. This isn’t a problem on every run, but it does pop up. Gordon has build speed (4.61 40 time). He maximizes and is at his best when he has one cut and gets upfield or uses his bend around the edge. Gordon has the problem that most big backs do, which is that he can go down easily in the backfield when the offensive line doesn’t give him some room to get moving. If Gordon can get moving then he is a problem for defenses. His feet can play up in the second level of a defense, and he’s tougher to bring down when that big body is barreling through a defense 4-5 yards past the line of scrimmage. He’s a decent receiving option out of the backfield, thanks to his soft hands. Gordon doesn’t have a developed route tree from the backfield, with dump-offs and screens comprising most of his routes. Gordon has zero drops in his final collegiate season. The limiting factor for Gordon on passing downs could be his pass pro. For a back his size, his play strength doesn’t shine here at all. He has plenty of reps where he squares up an incoming rusher and gets blown back. He attempts to compensate by chipping rushers or blindly diving low at them to take them out. This won’t cut it in the NFL, and it barely worked in college.

-Derek Brown

Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)

Judkins has a compact build and can utilize his upper body strength to shed incoming tacklers. It’s not difficult for him to get loose from a lazy wrap. He has a nasty stiff arm that he’ll deploy. Judkins is a one-speed runner. He gets up to top speed quickly, but his raw speed isn’t eye-popping. He will be able to rattle off chunk plays in the NFL, but I doubt he will hit many home runs. Judkins ranked 41st or lower in breakaway rate in his final two seasons in college. With many runs, Judkins gets what is blocked, but not a ton more. He’s a linear runner who needs to rely on his offensive line to clear the way more than some other backs in this class. Judkins does keep his legs moving through contact, which helps him to fall forward and finish runs well at times. Judkins is passable as a pass protector. He has no issues sticking his nose in there and getting dirty with an incoming defender. However, Judkins will drop his eyes occasionally and lunge at incoming rushers, which he’ll have to break himself of in the NFL. Judkins is a dump-off option only in the passing game. Most of his passing game action was as a check-down option or on swing passes.

-Derek Brown