Drafting the right players is key to winning your fantasy football league, but avoiding the wrong ones is just as important. Every year, certain running backs and wide receivers get overhyped, over-drafted, or simply don’t live up to expectations. To help you steer clear of potential landmines in your 2025 fantasy football draft, we asked our collection of Featured Pros to weigh in on players they’re avoiding at current ADP. Whether it’s due to workload concerns, injury risk, or inflated cost, these are the players our experts believe carry more risk than reward. Before you make your next pick, make sure these names aren’t on your draft board.
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Running Backs Fantasy Football Experts Avoid
What one RB inside the top 100 in our consensus ADP do you plan on avoiding in all your drafts relative to their price and why?
Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
“I’m passing on Josh Jacobs at his 2nd-round price tag. Everything went right for him last year. MarShawn Lloyd‘s season was wiped out by injuries, clearing the way for Jacobs’ workhorse role. Jordan Love also dealt with injuries, pushing the Packers to go run-heavy. And Jacobs played a full season for just the 2nd time in his career. I expect Lloyd to be a factor in 2025 and for Green Bay to throw more with a healthy Love. Plus, the last time Jacobs topped 300 carries as he did last year, he averaged a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry the following season.”
– Jared Smola (Draft Sharks)
Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
“Breece Hall is a risky pick for 2025 fantasy football drafts due to his declining efficiency and uncertain role in a potentially revamped New York Jets offense. In 2024, Hall averaged a career-low 5.1 yards per touch, down from 6.9 in 2022 and 5.3 in 2023, with only 876 rushing yards on 209 attempts, indicating a loss of explosiveness. His touchdown production dropped to five rushing scores in 2024 from nine total touchdowns in 2023, and his receiving stats fell from 76 catches for 591 yards to 57 for 483 yards, reducing his PPR value (which could further be limited with the arrival of Justin Fields at QB). The Jets’ coaching staff, led by Aaron Glenn, has hinted at a committee approach with Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, potentially limiting Hall’s touches. Additionally, the switch to Justin Fields as quarterback, who had a high check-down rate in 2024 but often runs instead of passing to running backs, could further decrease Hall’s receiving opportunities, making him a high-risk RB2 and a player that I will undoutbedly be passing on at his current ADP (36th Overall).”
– Brandon Murchison (RotoBaller)
“The one RB inside the top 100 in the consensus ADP that I plan on avoiding in all of my drafts relative to the price is Breece Hall of the New York Jets. He’s currently the highest-ranked running back that is scheduled to be a part of the dreaded running back by committee with Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Hall will be the primary back, but it may cut into his overall production numbers over the course of the season. You could play this from a different perspective and pass on Hall altogether and draft Braelon Allen in rounds 12-15 as a sleeper pick.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC)
“Imagine this: an RB fresh off his fourth straight season of 1k yards on the ground, a top 10 season in 10+ yard runs and MTFs, marks that are comfortably above average in PFF’s run grade, targets, and yards after contact. Now imagine taking his backfield mate at RB16. I don’t dislike Omarion Hampton, but he needs a capable Najee to ride the bench to make an impact for your fantasy team. I won’t be drafting Omarion anywhere at RB16 cost. Find me offering trades for him at a discount after week 7.”
– Seth Miller (Crossroads Fantasy Football)
“This answer is unlikely to be popular, but Omarion Hampton is going way too high in drafts. ADP’s RB16, Hampton, may have gone round 1 of the NFL draft, but Najee Harris still exists and will siphon too much work for Hampton to return value at that price. He should not be a rookie RB2, even, and I’d much prefer RJ Harvey or Kaleb Johnson a round or two later. Veterans Alvin Kamara, Chuba Hubbard, Joe Mixon, and James Conner all fall behind Hampton, but I’d expect all to outscore him in points per game.”
– Justin Frye (Pro Football Network)
“Omarion Hampton is abundantly talented, and I feel fortunate to have landed him in a couple of my dynasty rookie drafts. But if the redraft price is a late fourth-round pick (46th overall), I’m out. It’s inevitable that Hampton is going to share work with Najee Harris. Plus, running backs have never caught many passes in Greg Roman’s offenses, and his offenses usually operate at one of the slower paces in the league. The timeshare arrangement, slow pace, and modest receiving numbers are going to cap Hampton’s ceiling, and an RB16 ADP seems a little too optimistic.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO)
“Alvin Kamara has a modest 18 touchdowns the last three years, as he’s often overlooked for the chippies at the goal. This year, he has to navigate his age-30 season tied to a substandard offensive line and an inexperienced quarterback room. It’s not impossible for a running back to overcome a bad offense, but why run uphill when you don’t have to? Kamara also hasn’t played a full schedule since his rookie campaign of 2017.”
– Scott Pianowski (Yahoo! Sports)
RJ Harvey (RB – DEN)
“RJ Harvey, Broncos: I don’t doubt Harvey’s football ability or athleticism. But at 5’8, 205 pounds, can he escape a true timeshare with new Bronco J.K. Dobbins? That question has me shying away from Harvey’s RB22 ADP.”
– Kevin English (Draft Sharks)
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
“At the right draft position, there’s no such thing as must-have or must-avoid; however, it’s likely best to fade De’Von Achane. His breakout 2023 campaign was so dependent on big plays, and the Miami Dolphins didn’t do enough to overhaul their anemic offensive line. Achane is a great player and will have weeks when he delivers big points. My preference is for steadier, touch-heavy running backs.”
– Matt De Lima (Athlon Sports)
Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)
“I’ll be bypassing Kyren Williams at RB12 this season. Williams, at this point, is a bet on volume, and he remains the Rams do everything back. Jarquez Hunter will cut into his volume stranglehold this season. Last year, Williams was one of the most inefficient per-touch backs in the NFL. 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). If Hunter eats into his early down and red zone work, Williams doesn’t have the passing game usage and prowess to save his fantasy value. Last season, among 45 qualifying backs, he ranked 38th in target share, 41st in receiving yards per game, and 45th in yards per route run. I can’t pay an RB1 price tag with this profile.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
“It feels like Groundhog Day all over again – another offseason, another round of analysts fading Kyren Williams after he finished as the RB7 overall and RB8 PPG in half-PPR in 2024. But this year, the concerns are more justified, as it’s not just about Blake Corum joining LA’s backfield. Despite a monster workload in 2024 (nearly 400 touches, 87% snap share, both second to only Saquon Barkley), Williams was wildly inefficient – ranking near the bottom in explosive run rate, missed tackles, and YAC per attempt (akin to Najee Harris‘ numbers in 2024) with fumbles to boot. The Rams spent more draft capital on another rookie RB in the form of Jarquez Hunter (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 without a substantial role in the passing game. The Rams have ranked dead last in RB targets over the last two seasons.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
“Fading Kyren Williams is a tricky one, because he could very well just turn around and put up another great season. But at this point, he seems closer to a dead-zone projection than a league winner in my opinion – an RB whose ADP is only being supported by the elite volume drafters are expecting. As his efficiency waned towards the end of last season and Jarquez Hunter was brought in to join Blake Corum behind Williams, a scenario where Williams’ role becomes heavily diminished seems very possible to me, and this extreme downside risk isn’t being priced into his ADP currently.”
– Benjamin Klotz (Touchdown Squad)
James Cook (RB – BUF)
“Fantasy players should avoid drafting James Cook anywhere near his RB14 and 42.5 ADP capital. Last year, the former Georgia star finished as the RB8, averaging 15.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, totaling 16 rushing touchdowns and 18 offensive scores. However, he had only four rushing touchdowns and nine offensive scores over his first two seasons in the NFL. Furthermore, Cook saw a decline in rushing attempts (13.9 vs. 12.9) and yards (66 vs. 63.1) per game from 2023 to 2024, as the Bills gave Ray Davis a meaningful workload. More importantly, the veteran and the team are in the middle of contract talks, which could lead to a training camp hold-in. Kenneth Walker III, Alvin Kamara, and Joe Mixon have a later ADP than Cook. Yet, I will draft all three before the former Georgia star.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“James Cook is one running back inside the top 100 I’m avoiding in all drafts this season relative to his ADP of 41. He’s in the final year of his contract, skipped voluntary OTAs, and has recently been mentioned in trade rumors, raising questions about his long-term role in Buffalo. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has praised second-year back Ray Davis, hinting at a possible shift in workload that could eat into Cook’s touches. Josh Allen‘s significant involvement as a rusher in the red zone continues to limit James Cook’s touchdown upside, even if Cook remains the lead back. He was productive in 2024, but the combination of contract uncertainty, backfield competition, and situational usage makes his 2025 outlook far too risky at his current price.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)
“James Cook finished 10th among RBs in half-PPR points per game last season. But he checked in just tied for 24th in expected points per game. He trailed legends such as Kareem Hunt, Tony Pollard, Najee Harris, and Rhamondre Stevenson, among others. What does that mean? Cook got the usage of a low-end RB2 and wore extreme TD luck like a costume to sneak into the RB1 party. Just ask the Bills if their lead RB is worth what he thinks he is. I’ll gladly target RBs such as Breece Hall, Ken Walker, and Joe Mixon — or look to other positions — while leaving Cook for other drafters.”
– Matt Schauf (Draft Sharks)
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)
“Jaylen Warren has been an efficient and productive player on a per-touch basis, but his fantasy ceiling appears capped due to usage limitations. Despite Najee Harris‘s inefficiency in recent years, Pittsburgh’s coaching staff never fully committed to Warren as a workhorse, and the addition of Kaleb Johnson – a strong scheme fit and potential volume back – further clouds Warren’s path to a consistent role. While Warren may open the season as the nominal lead back, Johnson is expected to earn significant touches in Arthur Smith’s offense, potentially pushing Warren into a secondary role. Add in Warren’s curious lack of receiving touchdowns and a history of limited red zone work, and it becomes clear he’s more of a FLEX option than a breakout candidate.”
– Andrew Mott (Big Dogs Gotta Eat)
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
“Jonathan Taylor will not be considered in any draft this upcoming draft season. Prior to last year, Taylor had gone the previous two campaigns with less than 200 carries in both, combined with less than 10 touchdowns in both due to injury. Taylor is a workhorse who will get the ball; however, the health red flags stand out. Taylor is no PPR threat either, with 35 catches possibly being an optimistic outlook for the Colts running back. At the cost of a top-20 selection, the risk associated with Taylor is not worth it for 2025.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
“This has nothing to do with talent, and everything to do with the situation and the draft capital you have to spend. Ashton Jeanty is coming off a season at Boise State that saw him get 397 touches. That is an enormous workload. The Raiders had a bottom-third offensive line in the league last season, according to most advanced metrics, and an entirely new coaching staff. While HC Pete Carroll and new OC Chip Kelly like to run the ball and prefer a workhorse back, I’m afraid drafting Jeanty at his potential ceiling is too rich for my blood.”
– Lee Wehry (FantasyPros)
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