6 Fantasy Football League Winners: Running Backs (2025)

Finding league-winning upside in your fantasy football draft is what separates contenders from champions. In a recent FantasyPros podcast, Ryan Wormeli was joined by Derek Brown (DBro) and Jake Ciely to break down the 2025 players they believe can tilt fantasy leagues. The crew organized their picks into tiers by draft range, from early-round anchors to late-round flyers with explosive upside.

Let’s dive into their top calls across every phase of the draft.

Fantasy Football League Winners to Draft

Trey Benson (RB – ARI)

James Conner is aging and rarely finishes a season healthy. If (or when) he misses time, Benson steps into a valuable role behind a strong offensive line.

“He should be in the handcuff conversation with Mason, Allgeier, and Roschon,” Ciely said. DBro agreed, placing Benson in the RB40 range with room to rise if Conner misses time.

Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)

Walker burned some managers last year with injuries and a timeshare, but the Seahawks beat writer Michael-Shawn Dugar told Ciely four words that changed his outlook: “KW9 is bell cow.”

With Zach Charbonnet likely returning to a backup role, Walker has clear RB1 potential. He finished top 12 in fantasy points per game in 2024 despite missing time and now enters a post-Metcalf world where he could even be the No. 2 option in the passing game. DBro has him ranked RB10, and both hosts agree he’s a value in the third round, or even worth a late second.

Kaleb Johnson (RB – PIT)

Kaleb Johnson could be this year’s Kenneth Walker III, a rookie runner stepping into a massive role that drafters are sleeping on. The Steelers spent a third-round pick on Johnson despite limited draft capital and clearly view him as more than a backup.

“The Steelers are trying to tell us, again, that Jaylen Warren is not a full-time guy,” DBro said. He projects Johnson for 250+ touches even in a reduced role and sees top-15 upside. Ciely agrees: “He’s inside my top 25.”

Cam Skattebo (RB – NYG)

If you’re throwing darts at ambiguous backfields, make one of them Cam Skattebo. DBro believes Brian Daboll is signaling that Skattebo could lead this backfield: “What has Daboll shown us in his career? He’s not a committee guy.” The Giants have a history of heavy snap shares for their RB1, and Skattebo profiles as a volume-capable three-down back with underrated pass-catching skills.

Ciely is also Team Skattebo: “They drafted him for a reason. He’s a better version of what they wanted Tyrone Tracy Jr. to be.”

More Names to Know

In closing, the hosts tossed out a few more late-round or undervalued names to circle:

Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL) – Proven talent who would step into a massive role if Bijan misses time.
Jaydon Blue (RB – DEN) – Could be the best piece in Denver’s backfield.