Fantasy Football Sleepers: Ray Davis, Tyjae Spears, J.K. Dobbins

Finding the right fantasy football RB sleepers and breakout running backs can be the key to dominating your draft and winning your league. That’s why our collection of Featured Pros experts has put together this list of undervalued backs and potential league-winners for the 2025 season. From late-round steals who could deliver RB2 production to breakout running backs ready to become every-week starters, these expert picks are based on in-depth analysis of training camp buzz, preseason performance, and advanced stats. Whether you’re searching for fantasy football sleepers at RB, hunting for upside, or looking to lock in the next big breakout star, this list will give you the edge you need to build a championship roster.

Running Back Sleepers & Breakouts in 2025

Which one player inside the top 35 of our half-PPR consensus RB rankings has the greatest return on investment potential in 2025??

Ray Davis (BUF)

“James Cook only missed one game last year, and Ray Davis had 23 touches and 152 yards in that outing. Davis had a relatively quiet rookie season in Cook’s shadow, but he has the skill set and offensive environment we love in fantasy football. If Cook has to miss any time, Davis has the build to be a three-down back. He can plow through defenders near the goal line and has shockingly soft hands in the open field. While his projectable volume for 2025 isn’t significant, the contingent upside in the event of a Cook injury makes him a priority late-round target.”
– Dave Kluge (Footballguys)

Tyjae Spears (TEN)

“Tyjae Spears. The third-year RB showed out in his solo start back in Week 17, rushing 20 times for 95 yards. He is more than capable of being a starting NFL running back, and is being overlooked as the 1B in the Titans’ 2025 backfield. Spears scored more red-zone TDs (5) than Tony Pollard (3) despite fewer than half the touches in the red zone (15 versus 33). Spears also ranked 4th in target rate (25%) among RBs. The Titans’ No. 2 RB is a strong pass catcher who’s had 82 receptions in his first two seasons. Titans head coach Brian Callahan has hinted at Spears playing a bigger role in 2025, something we would have seen last season had it not been for all the injuries. From Weeks 15-17, Spears was a top-5 fantasy RB to end the season for the Titans. With Pollard coming off so-so seasons of 300-plus touches (also, the third-worst-graded running back per PFF in the second half of the 2024 season), we could see Spears carve out major touches in Tennessee’s backfield.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

“Tyjae Spears, the third-year running back out of Tennessee, has shown flashes of his explosive upside over the past two seasons. With Tony Pollard now 28 years old, new head coach Brian Callahan mentioned that the team could do a better job of splitting the workload more evenly between Pollard and Spears earlier this offseason. Spears holds more value in PPR and half-PPR formats due to his receiving upside, and he flashed some big games toward the end of last season. In the 3 games where he saw 50%+ of the snaps last year, he was RB5 in PPR points per game (Weeks 15 through 17). Currently going as RB42, I believe Spears has the potential to crack the top 30 running backs this year.”
– Brady Auer (BA Sports Podcast)

J.K. Dobbins (DEN)

“J.K. Dobbins has had an arduous climb back to fantasy relevance after a string of brutal injuries. But now, in Denver, his blocking abilities give him an edge over the other running backs for the vaunted role as Sean Payton’s pass-catching back. Rookie RJ Harvey has speed and quickness that Dobbins does not. But his inefficiencies as a blocker could set Dobbins up for a lucrative role. Bo Nix hyper-targeted his running backs last year, and Dobbins is set for a career year through the air, making him very likely to outperform his ADP.”
– Dave Kluge (Footballguys)

“J.K. Dobbins burst back onto the fantasy scene last year after two injury-plagued seasons in Baltimore. He was asked to carry the load for the Chargers and did so to the tune of 195 carries for 905 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. The knock on him is that he can’t handle a full-season load. That makes his signing in Denver perfect, where he will share the backfield with rookie R.J. Harvey in a committee that is run by Sean Payton, who has shown that he can make two running backs very fantasy-relevant. He is being drafted as RB43, making him a fringe FLEX start, and could ease into the discussion as an RB2 if Payton can reproduce some of his New Orleans RB Magic!”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)