This isn’t my first crack at highlighting RB3s with RB1 potential. However, now that the most important wave of free agency is completed, and the NFL Draft is drawing closer, it’s an ideal time to revisit the best ball average draft position (ADP) landscape for running backs and identify two players from RB25 through RB36 who could finish as a top-12 running back in 2025.
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Fantasy Football RB3s With RB1 Potential
Tyrone Tracy (RB – BYG) | ADP: 71.5/RB24
Tyrone Tracy wasn’t used much through the first four weeks of his rookie campaign. However, from Week 5 through the end of the regular season, Tracy averaged 11.9 half-PPR points per game. If he averaged that over the entire season, he would have ranked as the RB21. That’s still not an RB1 finish, of course.
Still, it was a rock-solid fantasy finish in an unserious offense. Last year, Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito started games for the New York Giants. Even if they don’t address the position in the NFL Draft, the additions of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency will drastically improve the quality of play at the position for the Giants.
In addition, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas was healthy for only six games. A healthier season from Thomas and further investment in the offensive line would also enhance the fantasy football value of Big Blue’s skill-position players, including Tracy.
Tracy wasn’t a slouch on the ground, averaging 49.4 rushing yards per game, 4.4 yards per attempt and scoring five rushing touchdowns. Yet, Tracy’s most straightforward path to an RB1 finish this year would be a surge in receiving production.
According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, Tracy pit up the following receiving numbers in 2024:
- 36% route participation
- 0.2-yard average depth of target (aDOT)
- 8.1% target share
- 0.20 targets per route run
- 5.6% first-read rate
- 2.7 targets per game
- 31 receptions (2.1 per game)
- 229 receiving yards (15.3 per game)
- 1.11 yards per route run
- 7.39 yards per reception
Tracy spent most of his collegiate career as a wide receiver before playing running back in his final season in 2023. Therefore, he should have a degree of natural receiving ability from his prior position.
He could also benefit immensely from Wilson starting at quarterback if he wins the starting job. The following table has the receiving data for Denver’s and Pittsburgh’s running backs in Wilson’s starts in 2023 and 2024.
Wilson has peppered his running backs with targets during the previous two years. Tracy could thrive if he were a featured running back or split early-down work and played most passing-down and two-minute-drill snaps.
Of course, it’s not a given that Tracy will lead New York’s backfield. He played at least 60% of the offensive snaps in 11 of his last 13 games last year and should remain ahead of Devin Singletary.
However, he must avoid the Giants making a significant addition in the NFL Draft. This year’s running back class is considered by many pundits to be one of the deepest and best in recent memory. Still, the Giants have more pressing needs and are unlikely to use the third pick or the 34th pick on a running back. If Tracy can avoid the Giants spending the 65th, 99th or 105th picks on a running back, he’ll be in the catbird seat for the starting running back job.
Sadly, his value would take a hit if he became the latest example of a late-round pick at running back — Tracy was picked in the fifth round in 2024 — to get bypassed in their sophomore campaign by a higher selection or prominent addition in free agency or via trade. Fortunately for Tracy, the Giants didn’t move on from general manager Joe Schoen or head coach Brian Daboll. So, it’s the same braintrust that selected him last year, increasing the probability they won’t make a massive investment at running back in the draft. Tracy is an enticing gamble to remain atop New York’s depth chart at his current fantasy football ADP.
Tony Pollard (RB – TEN) | ADP: 78.3/RB27
There’s proof of concept of Tony Pollard performing as an RB1. In 2022, he was the RB8 in half-PPR points per game (14.3). In 2023 and 2024, Pollard was the RB22 in half-PPR points per game (11.5) and the RB22 (11.3) among running backs with more than one game played.
Despite preseason talk of Pollard and Tyjae Spears being a 1A/1B backfield, Pollard played 68% of snaps versus 43% for Spears. Additionally, Pollard had 254 rush attempts and 247 routes versus 82 and 143 for Spears. Pollard was the clear lead running back, with Spears serving as the change-of-pace complement.
Among 70 running backs with at least 50 rush attempts in the regular season last year, Pollard was tied for 13th in rushing yards per game (67.4), was tied for 38th in yards per carry (4.15), was 23rd in explosive run percentage (5%), was sixth in yards after contact per attempt (2.76), was 54th in yards before contact per attempt (1.39) and was 15th in expected half-PPR points per game (15).
Pollard wasn’t too shabby as a pass-catching option, either. Among 67 running backs with at least 75 routes last year, Pollard was 15th in route participation rate (46.3%), 10th in target share (11.4%), 22nd in targets per route run (0.21), tied for 16th in receptions (38) and was 33rd in receiving yards per game (14.9).
Unfortunately, Pollard was in a brutal environment. Tennessee’s offensive line was 31st in Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) run-blocking grade, and Will Levis and Mason Rudolph were lousy at quarterback.
The Titans have already started to overhaul their offensive line. They signed guard Kevin Zeitler and left tackle Dan Moore in free agency. They’ll lift the floor and ceiling of Tennessee’s offensive line, and the addition of Moore can have a substantial trickle-down effect by allowing second-year pro JC Latham to move back to the right side after playing left tackle as a rookie.
Seemingly, everyone is projecting them to pick Cam Ward with the first pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Ward isn’t a flawless prospect, but he can exceed what Levis and Rudolph produced in 2024 right out of the gate in his rookie season. Moreover, if he has a C.J. Stroud-like or Jayden Daniels-esque rookie year, Ward can shoot Tennessee’s offense into a different stratosphere, massively elevating the fantasy value of Tennessee’s skill-position players, including Pollard.
Finally, the Titans have only two picks — the first pick and the 35th pick — inside the top 100 in the NFL Draft, reducing the likelihood of them adding meaningful competition to Tennessee’s backfield.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.