5 Running Backs Experts Avoid (Fantasy Football)

When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy football average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable fantasy football players below. And you can check out which experts are higher or lower than our expert consensus rankings using our Fantasy Football Rankings Comparison Tools.

Fantasy Football Draft Advice

Let’s dive into players Derek Brown likes less than the expert consensus rankings.

Players to Avoid

Running Backs DBro Likes Less Than ECR

Expert Consensus’s Rank	Player	Derek Brown’s Rank	Diff.
8	Jonathan Taylor IND – RB	13	5
12	Kyren Williams LAR – RB	19	7
14	Omarion Hampton LAC – RB	18	4
16	Breece Hall NYJ – RB	22	6
18	Chuba Hubbard CAR – RB	24	6

Jonathan Taylor posted another RB1 season (RB7 in fantasy points per game) while dealing with a high ankle sprain. He racked up 321 touches and 1,567 total yards with 12 scores. While I think Taylor should post another top 12 season in 2025, I do have some concerns. The quarterback play for Indy is a worry with how often they could be in the red zone this year, as well as his lack of pass-game involvement. Last year, Taylor ranked sixth in red zone touches. I don’t know if he comes close to that number this season, but I could easily be wrong. I don’t see more check-down opportunities for Taylor this season with Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson under center. It’s not like he’s demanding those looks either, with his per-route performance in 2024, anyway. Last year, among 45 qualifying backs, Taylor ranked 37th in target share (7.4%) and 43rd in yards per route run and first downs per route run. Taylor is a solid pick again this year, but I struggle to see a ceiling outcome for him in 2025.

Last year, Kyren Williams pulled off his best yesteryear Rachaad White or Leonard Fournette impression. A volume gobbling inefficient back who turned in an RB1 season (RB10). Williams ranked first in snap share, second in opportunity share, and first in red zone touches. Williams had 350 touches and 1,481 total yards. With all that said, 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). Williams could retain his stranglehold on the volume again with the new contract secured, but it’s also possible that Blake Corum or Jarquez Hunter could eat into his workload. Williams is a top 15-20 running back who could easily be an RB1 again or see his stock come crashing down.

Omarion Hampton lands with the Bolts after hearing his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft. The only uncertainty around Hampton’s 2025 outlook is the division of the workload between him and Najee Harris. Harris has been a steady but uninspiring backfield option over the last few years. This could impede Hampton’s initial take-off, but with the uncertainty of Harris’s availability after the eye injury Hampton could hit the ground running earlier than anticipated. Drafting Hampton is a bet on his talent and draft capital taking over as time rolls on. Across his final two collegiate seasons, Hampton ranked 12th and 11th in yards after contact per attempt and 16th and 26th in elusive rating (per PFF). There should be plenty of rushing volume to go around, even if Harris hangs around in a supporting role. In Greg Roman’s 11 years of coordinating NFL offenses, he’s never finished lower than 11th in rushing attempts (last year). Hampton is best viewed as a borderline RB2 with some risk that could massively outplay his ADP if things break right.