Finding the right running backs can make or break your fantasy football season, and in 2025, the margin for error is smaller than ever. Whether you’re drafting early-round studs or searching for mid-to-late-round gems, identifying the running backs who can truly swing a league is the key to building a championship roster. To help you make those crucial decisions, we’ve gathered insights from our collection of Featured Pros experts, who have analyzed every angle — from offensive schemes and depth charts to advanced metrics and historical trends.
Below, you’ll find the running backs our experts believe have the upside, opportunity, and talent to become true league-winners in 2025. These are the players who could outperform their average draft position (ADP) cost and carry your fantasy football team to the title.
- Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2025 Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football ADP
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football League-Winning RBs to Target
What RB outside the top 20 in our consensus half-PPR RB ADP has the most league-winning upside?
D’Andre Swift (CHI)
“D’Andre Swift is the perfect post-top-20 target for Zero RB drafters. Assuming this Bears offensive line even slightly improved (and they did), Swift is in for a healthy workload. He hasn’t logged an RB1 season yet… but he’s got everything in place to do it now. If Caleb Williams can jumpstart this passing game even a little, Swift could finally get the space he needs to break out. The Bears haven’t exactly been known for a strong running attack in recent years. But with a real offensive structure, a dynamic rookie QB, and minimal backfield competition, Swift could easily outperform his ADP.”
– Josh Hall (IDP Army)
“I understand the hesitation with drafting D’Andre Swift this year. Roschon Johnson is supposed to take the next step in his development, and Swift is frequently being drafted as an RB3. However, Swift is only 26 years old and not nearly washed up yet. He’s primed to disprove the naysayers in Head Coach Ben Johnson’s exciting new offense. If he plays up to his potential, he’ll be a steal in the Top 60.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
“My deeper selection is D’Andre Swift at RB24 in ADP. In half-PPR or PPR leagues, catches and targets matter a lot, and Swift got 42 catches on 52 targets last year on a very bumpy Bears offense. This year, he gets Ben Johnson calling the plays, which is quite the boost. I think Swift will be used in the Jahmyr Gibbs role, which should see a ton of new volume. If he can finish as RB19 without that offense, I think RB12 is firmly in the range of outcomes for Swift with Johnson this year. I love grabbing him as my RB in any format that rewards pass catching.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)
“D’Andre Swift is the running back just outside the top 20 consensus (currently going as RB24) that I believe has the most league-winning upside. He’s never finished below RB21 in a season, so he’s being drafted below his floor – and in Ben Johnson’s offense, he could easily push into the top 15-20 range. I expect him to take on the Jahmyr Gibbs role, and with Johnson’s play-calling, Swift will be put in a position to succeed. At a low 5th-6th round cost, he has a real shot to deliver RB1 production.”
– Brady Auer (BA Sports Podcast)
“We keep sleeping on D’Andre Swift for some reason. He has a past with his new coach, Ben Johnson. He also shares the running back room with a lack of talent in Chicago. Swift should become a volume back within the offense, and volume is king at the running back position.”
– Joe Pepe (Beyond The Gridiron)
TreVeyon Henderson (NE)
“TreVeyon Henderson is gaining serious traction in fantasy football drafts with potential to take over the Patriots’ backfield by midseason. New England landed a home-run hitter with 4.43 speed and soft hands, and he’s already carving out third-down work behind Rhamondre Stevenson. If Stevenson’s durability issues flare up, Henderson’s blend of explosion and pass-blocking excellence makes him a seamless plug-and-play in a scheme built for zone breaks and screen game darts. Coaches love his maturity, and the reps he’s stacking early could pay dividends by October. Henderson may be RB23 by ADP, but he’s pacing like a top 15 finisher if the volume finds him.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)
“Maybe I’ve got rookie fever, but I can’t stop drafting TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson brings legit 4.4 speed, averaged 11.1 yards per catch at Ohio State, and never fumbled on over 650 touches. That’s exactly the type of explosive, sure-handed weapon Josh McDaniels loves to feature in the passing game. Case and point, at practice today (8/4), he caught two touchdowns from Drake Maye down the sideline and then added five more receptions, three receiving scores, and a rushing TD during red zone work, per Patriots Beat writer Mark Daniels. Rhamondre Stevenson should still handle early-down work in a David Montgomery-esque role. If Henderson can carve out a Jahmyr Gibbs-type role, he can be a league winner as a rookie.”
– James Emrick-Wilson (Armchair Scouting)
“I don’t have this RB much higher in my rankings vs ADP, but if we’re talking about league-winning upside, give me TreVeyon Henderson. Sure, it’s the Patriots, and they’ve always split work among RBs, but Mike Vrabel has not. Once upon a time, there were high hopes for Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. However, Rhamondre was a plodder as a prospect, and a few injuries later, the speed and quickness don’t seem the same, and on top of that, he has yet to play a full season. Gibson didn’t have a position coming out of college, and he still doesn’t. Treyveon is fast, he can catch passes, and most importantly for a rookie RB, he can pass block.”
– Brandon ‘B_Don’ Myers (Razzball)
“Everything coming out of Patriots camp right now revolves around how special TreVeyon Henderson looks. Yes, he has Rhamondre Stevenson there as well, but Mike Vrabel did not bring Henderson in just to be an understudy. He is there to take this job over, and in an offense that lacked true difference makers in 2025, Henderson could be exactly the kind of fresh air that the Patriots, and Drake Maye, have been looking for. The current RB23 in half-PPR, Henderson is a fantastic target in the middle of drafts for those looking for someone with unlimited potential in 2025.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
RJ Harvey (DEN)
“Ignoring injury-contingent upside, I’m going to go with another rookie in RJ Harvey. The Broncos’ backfield ranked 12th in the NFL in expected Half-PPR points last season, and their offense should only be better in year two for Bo Nix. Veteran J.K. Dobbins will probably be involved, but it’s not outside the range of outcomes that the 60th overall pick consolidates the vast majority of the valuable work in Sean Payton’s offense. We don’t know Harvey’s true talent level yet, but we do know that he is an explosive athlete and a capable pass-catcher, two keys to an elite upside season.”
– Ted Chmyz (Fantasy SP)
“Tough call, but I’ll cast a vote for RJ Harvey. Historically, RBs in Sean Payton’s offenses have generated immense fantasy value, even though it’s often a two-way backfield. Harvey could cede some work to J.K. Dobbins and still smash. He’s a good pass catcher, he’ll be operating behind one of the better offensive lines in the league, and the Broncos should have no trouble scoring touchdowns this year.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
“If we are strictly talking league-winning upside, it is tough to beat what RJ Harvey could be in fantasy this year, particularly in the 2nd half of the season. Generally speaking, in order to be a league-winning back, you need to catch passes, something coach Sean Payton has provided throughout his career. I expect Harvey to have a slower start to the season, splitting time with J.K. Dobbins. Following the bye week, however, we often see rookies get more involved, which would put Harvey in a prime position heading into the fantasy playoffs. Additionally, Dobbins has an extensive injury history, and should he go down, Harvey should be expected to immediately handle a heavy workload.”
– Charlie Sisian (The Fantasy DC)
“Let’s not make this difficult. The answer here has been and remains RJ Harvey. Harvey is set to explode in his rookie season. The runway is clear for takeoff. Sean Payton just put second-round capital behind a back that enters a room with Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, and J.K. Dobbins. No, I’m not worried about Estime or McLaughlin when they couldn’t carve out consistent roles last year with only the ghost of Javonte Williams standing in their way. Dobbins will assist Harvey on early downs so Denver doesn’t run their talented rookie into the ground, but I don’t project him taking away passing down work or high-leverage opportunities. It’s hard not to love a player like Harvey, who has ranked inside the top 20 among FBS running backs in each of the last two seasons in breakaway percentage and elusive rating (per PFF). Add in Payton’s running back usage, and Harvey looks primed to smash. Over the last two years, Payton has ranked fifth and first in running back target share. Harvey could finish as a top-shelf RB1 this season.”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)
Kaleb Johnson (PIT)
“Kaleb Johnson seems very cheap with his current ADP at RB 27. He’s got size (6’1″ 225 lbs.) and plays faster than his 4.57 forty time suggests. Despite the possibility that Kaleb might not be a big factor in the passing game, he’s still very talented. Maturity issues caused him to slip to day two, but he’s considered to be a first-round talent by many scouts. Ringo’s comp- Kaleb Johnson reminds me of former Chiefs’ all-pro RB Larry Johnson.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“The Steelers are a dream fit for rookie RB Kaleb Johnson to deliver league-winning upside. The 6-foot-1 and 224-pound RB fits Arthur Smith’s scheme perfectly and has ample backfield touches to soak up in Pittsburgh. Smith’s offense feeds running backs, and with Najee Harris gone (nearly 300 touches vacated), Johnson will EAT once he climbs the depth chart. He led this entire rookie class in career dominator rating (33%) and posted 1,500+ yards, 21 TDs, and 6.4 YPC in 2024 (zero fumbles). The former Iowa Hawkeye running back is an ideal 1-2 punch with incumbent Jaylen Warren.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Isiah Pacheco (KC)
“Beyond the unique situation of Quinshon Judkins (with obvious upside if he gets on the field), I’m collecting lots of Isiah Pacheco. The fourth-year Chief was less than a full season into controlling backfield work when he broke a leg in Week 2 last year. I’m ignoring the post-injury production, because Andy Reid already told us Pacheco returned too early. Instead, I’ll look back at Pacheco’s RB15 finish in points per game in 2023 — the last time he was healthy. And I’ll look at how the Chiefs added only Elijah Mitchell and Brashard Smith this offseason, indicating they believe that Pacheco is back. Yes, I know he has shared first-team work with Kareem Hunt. But c’mon. Hunt delivered the fifth-worst rush yards over expectation per attempt last year, ranking right between Gus Edwards and Alexander Mattison. Hunt makes sense as a security blanket. But I’m happy to bet Pacheco pulls ahead during the season. Finally, the Chiefs look poised for a scoring rebound. The team finished seven of the past eight years among the top 9 in yards, but enters this year off two straight No. 15 ranks in scoring. A stronger, healthier WR corps — plus Pacheco’s return — raises the ceiling for the whole unit.”
– Matt Schauf (Draft Sharks)
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