Fantasy Football Draft Targets: Alvin Kamara, James Conner, Tank Bigsby

Here are a few running backs we love to target in early fantasy football drafts. Make sure to keep an eye on these three running backs in your early fantasy football best ball drafts.

Must-Have Running Backs for 2025 Fantasy Football

The running backs were the kings of the fantasy football gridiron in 2024. Namely, some veteran running backs were critical to the 2024 fantasy season, and some youngsters also stepped up. It’s unwise to copy and paste one season to the next, but some outstanding seasons from veteran running backs were a reminder that not all hit a cliff at the same time. A pair of veteran featured running backs are among the most desirable options at the position in 2025. Additionally, a young running back who emerged from a rookie season rut and has a new coaching staff in 2025 is also a “must-have” running back in fantasy drafts near their fantasy football average draft position (ADP). Here are a few early must-have fantasy football running backs that we’re drafting.

Alvin Kamara (RB – NO): 57.0 Underdog Average Draft Position (ADP)/RB17

The Saints had a hot start to the season before driving off a cliff. Nevertheless, Alvin Kamara kept chugging along as a top-shelf fantasy football running back. He was sixth in half-point per reception (half PPR) points per game (16.5) at running back.

Kamara is a do-it-all workhorse. The Saints don’t believe he’s ready to slow down, either. Instead, they forked out a two-year contract extension worth $24.5 million during the season to keep him in New Orleans through 2026.

He was a bell-cow running back in 2024. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, among 72 running backs with at least 50 rush attempts (postseason included), Kamara was 11th in rushing yards per game (67.9), tied for 31st in explosive run rate (4.4%), 26th in stuff percentage (43.9%), 12th in success rate (54.3%) in zone concepts and tied for 22nd in rushing touchdowns (six).

Kamara’s rushing was above average. Still, his special sauce is his elite receiving chops. Among 60 running backs with at least 100 routes in 2024, Kamara had the following stats and ranks (in parenthesis).

57.6% route participation (third)
19.6% target share (first)
0.31 targets per route run (first)
15.7% first-read rate (first)
68 receptions (second)
38.8 receiving yards per game (first)
Two receiving touchdowns (tied for 13th)

Kamara is still the gold standard for receiving at the running back position. According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, Kamara’s whole body of work was worth the most expected half PPR points per game (19.3) in 2024. He’s a genuine RB1 drafted as a mid-tier RB2. Kamara’s too undervalued to pass up.

James Conner (RB – ARI): 67.0 ADP/RB22

James Conner is another veteran running back with better production than his 2025 ADP would suggest. In addition, like Kamara, Conner received an in-season contract extension, agreeing to a two-year extension worth $19 million to keep him with the Cardinals through 2026.

Conner was tied for the RB14 in half PPR points per game (14.4) in 2024, with excellent rushing numbers and rock-solid receiving production. Conner had the following stats and ranks among running backs with at least 50 rush attempts in 2024.

68.4 rushing yards per game (10th)
4.64 yards per carry (18th)
6.8% explosive run rate (tied for eighth)
0.29 missed tackles forced per attempt (second)
54.3% success rate in man/gap concepts (tied for 18th)
75% of the team’s rush attempts inside the five-yard line (tied for seventh)
Eight rushing touchdowns (tied for 15th)

Conner is a productive runner. Yet, he’s also a viable pass-catching option. Conner had the following numbers and ranks among running backs with at least 100 routes in 2024.

41% route participation (24th)
10.2% target share (19th)
0.22 targets per route run (tied for 17th)
47 receptions (tied for 12th)
25.9 receiving yards per game (seventh)
One receiving touchdown (tied for 19th)

Instead of showing signs of aging, Conner proved he could still handle the load. Conner was 16th in expected half PPR points per game (14.6) in 2024 and should be treated as a high-end to middle-tier RB2 instead of a borderline RB2 in 2025 fantasy football drafts.

Tank Bigsby (RB – JAC): 127.2 ADP/RB39

The Jaguars pressed the reset button in the offseason, firing head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. They’ve hired Liam Coen as their head coach after a successful season as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator and play-caller. He won’t surrender the play-calling duties now that he’s Jacksonville’s head coach.

Coen had a successful and efficient running game in Tampa Bay, and multiple backs also succeeded. Bucky Irving was the stud in the backfield, but Rachaad White and Sean Tucker also thrived. However, Coen can’t bring Tampa Bay’s top-shelf offensive line with him to Jacksonville.

Yet, he can craft a fantasy-friendly offense for Jacksonville’s running backs. Coen might want to handpick a running back for the offense from free agency or the NFL Draft. However, the Jaguars have bigger holes to fill.

They exercised the fifth-year option on Travis Etienne last April. Nevertheless, Tank Bigsby was a much better runner in 2024 than Etienne. Bigsby had the type of rookie campaign in 2023 that often leads to players washing out to the NFL. Nonetheless, he found his footing in his sophomore season.

Bibsby surged from a dumpster fire as a rookie to an asset in his sophomore campaign. Among running backs with at least 50 rush attempts in 2024, Bigsby was tied for 22nd in yards per carry (4.56), tied for 28th in explosive run rate (4.8%), second in yards after contact per attempt (3.30) and tied for 18th in rushing touchdowns (seven).

Sadly, Bigsby hasn’t been a meaningful contributor to the passing attack. Among 82 running backs with at least 10 targets in 2024, Bigsby was 74th in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade. Interestingly, D’Ernest Johnson was 75th, and Etienne was 80th. Bigsby also has only 16 targets, eight receptions and 60 scoreless receiving yards in 33 games in his professional career. In Bigsby’s final collegiate season in 2022, he had 42 targets, 30 receptions and 180 receiving yards in 12 games. So, Bigsby wasn’t a significant contributor to the passing attack in college, but he did demonstrate more at Auburn than in the NFL.

Bigsby’s pass-catching deficiencies cap his fantasy football ceiling. Fortunately, that’s baked into his ADP. If Coen’s ability to craft an effective running game can create more yards before contact for Bigsby, the young running back’s excellence after contact can allow him to perform as a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3 instead of the high-end RB4 he’s presently being selected as.