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 one running back between RB6-RB20 in our consensus half-PPR RB ADP has the most league-winning upside?
Jonathan Taylor (IND)
“Jonathan Taylor isn’t as underappreciated as he was earlier in the offseason, but he’s still not receiving enough love. Taylor remains one of the few bell-cow backs in the league and went scorched earth on opponents late in 2024. Only Jahmyr Gibbs averaged more half-PPR points per game than Taylor over the last five weeks of the season. At an ADP of RB10, Taylor holds league-winning upside.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
James Conner (ARI)
“If you whiffed at running back early and are stuck wondering, ‘Is this guy even going to play?’ James Conner is your safety net. He’s as reliable as it gets and won’t leave your lineup empty-handed. The best part? The Cardinals can’t run quarterback sneaks with Kyler Murray inside the three-yard line, unless they want to see him turned into a pancake. That means automatic James Conner touchdowns and a weekly floor you can count on. He’s boring, dependable and exactly what your running back rotation needs to compete for a championship.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
“The easy choice is someone closer to RB6 than RB20, but I love a difficult path. RB19 is James Conner, and I think he could be the best value in your draft at any position. An ADP of 46 overall means he’s going in the late fourth round. That’s crazy to me. The only competition for touches is Trey Benson and Michael Carter, the same as last year, when Conner ran for 1,094 yards on 236 carries. I fully expect the Cardinals to be better this year, which should translate to Conner getting more quality touches to go along with the quantity he’s already locked into receiving. Sign me up.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)
Ashton Jeanty (LV)
“Is it cheating to pick exactly the RB6 in ADP, Ashton Jeanty? Maybe, but it’s also simply the right answer. I would even argue that Jeanty has more upside than most of the backs above him, too. He is a truly generational prospect, with the potential to be a difference-maker both on the ground and through the air. In a backfield with absolutely no competition, the sky is the limit for his debut NFL season.”
– Ted Chmyz (Fantasy SP)
“It has to be Ashton Jeanty at RB6. He’s an extraordinary prospect, somewhere on or near the Saquon Barkley/Bijan Robinson level. Jeanty has it all: Speed, vision, pass-catching ability and almost unfathomable contact balance. Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly likes to operate at a fast pace, and he doesn’t mind force-feeding his running backs. In Kelly’s first year in Philly, LeSean McCoy led the league in carries with 314 and in rushing yards with 1,607. The next year, McCoy had 312 carries for 1,319 yards. I’m giddy about Jeanty’s rookie-year outlook.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
“It feels like the easy answer, but it’s Ashton Jeanty. He is an elite-level rookie prospect with the college numbers to back up the physical tools. We know Pete Carroll loves to run the ball, and Chip Kelly will also use players in any number of ways. The Raiders addressed the offensive line, bringing in a couple of veterans and drafting a couple of potential starters, and they have a real quarterback. All great things for the versatile Jeanty.”
– Brandon ‘B_Don’ Myers (Razzball)
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