Fantasy Football Busts: Kyren Williams, Chuba Hubbard, Kenneth Walker (2025)

As you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, avoiding early-round mistakes is just as important as hitting on league-winning picks. That’s why we’ve gathered insights from our collection of Featured Pros experts to help you sidestep potential landmines at one of the most critical positions — running back.

In this article, our experts identify their top early fantasy football busts at running back, players who may be overvalued based on current average draft position (ADP) and could fail to deliver the return you’re expecting. Before you lock in your first few picks, make sure you’re not drafting someone who could sink your season.

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Fantasy Football Busts to Avoid

What RB in our consensus top 24 should fantasy football managers fear the most as potential busts?

Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)

“It feels like Groundhog Day all over again — another offseason, another round of analysts fading Kyren Williams. But the concerns are more justified in the last year of Williams’ rookie contract. Despite a monster workload in 2024 (nearly 400 touches, 87% snap share, both second only to Saquon Barkley), Williams was wildly inefficient — ranking near the bottom in explosive run rate, missed tackles and yards after contact per attempt (YAC/att), akin to Najee Harris‘ numbers in 2024, with fumbles to boot. The Rams spent legit draft capital on Blake Corum in 2023 (who Sean McVay thinks is a stud) and Jarquez Hunter in 2024 (who the Rams traded up for) while publicly embracing the NFL trends of a more committee-driven backfield approach this offseason. Williams could still deliver RB1 numbers on sheer volume alone, but if that volume even slightly dips, it will be tough for him to live up to his ADP.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

“I’ll be avoiding Kyren Williams at his RB11 price tag. His stranglehold on volume could come to an end with the addition of the explosive Jarquez Hunter to this backfield. In 2024, Williams ranked first in snap share, second in opportunity share and first in red-zone touches. Last year, Williams was wretchedly inefficient. Among 46 qualifying backs, he ranked 44th in explosive run rate, 37th in missed tackle rate and 40th in yards after contact per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data. Blake Corum was similarly mediocre on a per-touch basis. Hunter has the juice to earn the No. 2 RB role and significantly cut into Williams’ workload in 2025. When that happens, Williams will come tumbling down to the RB2/RB3 ranks.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)

“Chuba Hubbard carries significant bust potential in 2025 due to the Panthers’ increasingly crowded backfield, where he must compete with Rico Dowdle and rookie Trevor Etienne for touches. Despite rushing for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, his role is uncertain as Carolina shifts toward a more aggressive passing attack, fueled by Bryce Young‘s anticipated third-year leap. The arrival of rookie wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Jimmy Horn Jr. suggests the team is focusing on expanding its aerial offense, which could reduce Hubbard’s opportunities. Even though he has been productive on a per-touch basis, his workload may diminish if he loses goal-line duties or third-down snaps. Fantasy managers banking on RB1 production could find themselves disappointed this season.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)

Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)

“The Sam Darnold I know and love finally showed up last year and saw ghosts in the playoffs, when the Vikings got smoked by the Rams in Arizona, even with a partisan Vikings’ crowd cheering them on. Seattle coughed up $100 million for Darnold, which is a huge gamble considering how bad he looked in the playoffs. Without the stout Vikings’ defense, offensive line and weather-controlled climate to support him, I think Darnold will find the going to be a lot tougher in Seattle. That’s bad news for the Seahawks’ offense, where Kenneth Walker III needs a lot of touchdowns to justify his current lofty ranking (RB16). And when you factor in that Walker might have to cede some snaps to teammate Zach Charbonnet, this fantasy pie slice is simply too small for Mark Ringo’s big appetite.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)

“Kenneth Walker III may sit at RB16 in the consensus top 24, but he carries significant bust potential heading into the 2025 season. Despite Klint Kubiak’s zone-heavy scheme seemingly suiting his running style, Walker faces a perfect storm of red flags: A new system to learn in a contract year, a concerning injury history and one of the NFL’s worst run-blocking offensive lines. He’ll also compete with Zach Charbonnet, who fits the scheme well and could steal passing-down and red-zone work. With Sam Darnold leading what’s expected to be a struggling offense, touchdown opportunities will be scarce. All signs point to a frustrating running back by committee (rbbc) situation with a capped ceiling for Walker.”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)

Chase Brown (RB – CIN)

“One player I was all in on last year that I am nervous about drafting this year is Chase Brown. Brown finished as the RB14 in fantasy points per game last year, but his points per game pace when Zack Moss was on the field would have been good for RB32. Tahj Brooks, whom the Bengals selected in the sixth round, had more missed tackles forced than Ashton Jeanty during the 2023 season. Brooks is also a natural pass-catcher. There is a chance Brown could be a high-end RB2 again, but there is also a solid chance he is splitting time when everyone on the roster is healthy, which caps his ceiling.”
– Nick Penticoff (Fantasy Football Astronauts)