The Candidates to Be the Overall RB1 in 2025

It’s easy to identify who will be some of the good running backs in fantasy football in 2025. It’s a lot harder to nail the guy who will finish as the top overall scorer at the position, but that’s the task we’re attempting today.

Jonathan Taylor (2021), Austin Ekeler (2022), Christian McCaffrey (2023) and Saquon Barkley (2024) are the last four players to finish as the overall RB1 on a fantasy points per game in PPR scoring. They have a few things in common. All four players played in 16 or 17 games. They all recorded 1,500-plus all-purpose yards, with all but Ekeler surpassing 2,000 all-purpose yards. Ekeler caught 107 of 127 targets in 2022, however. Each player scored 15 or more total touchdowns as well.

The following tiers of running backs aren’t a set of rankings. This is just a look at players with a chance, however slight, of finishing as the overall RB1 for the 2025 fantasy football season. The players in tiers below are just running backs with the ability to top the position in their range of outcomes, some much more than others, with the criteria set by those before them in mind.

Fantasy RB1 Candidates in 2025

Tier 1: The Favorites

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

After finishing as the overall RB1 in 2024, Saquon Barkley has a fantastic chance to repeat with minimal change to his environment. He is still the clear lead back on a potent Eagles offense. Barkley will continue to run behind one of the best offensive lines in football, as well. He may even get more goal-to-go scoring opportunities if the “Tush Push” is banned. Barkley’s biggest threat to claiming the 2025 overall RB1 title is health. He logged 482 total touches playing into mid-February on his way to a Super Bowl title. That’s the 10^th-most touches in a single season (including playoffs) in NFL history.

Jahmyr Gibbs is plenty talented and remains on a very strong Detroit Lions offense. Regardless of sharing the backfield with David Montgomery, Gibbs still racks up fantasy points. Since entering the league in 2023, Gibbs has played 30 games alongside Montgomery and just six without him, including playoffs.

According to the FTN Fantasy NFL Splits Tool, Gibbs averages 9.34 more total touches and 58.06 more total yards when Montgomery doesn’t play. More specifically, in three games without Montgomery last season, Gibbs had an average rushing line of 21.3 carries, 121.7 yards and 1.7 touchdowns per game. More importantly, Gibbs logged 32.6 PPR fantasy points per game in three games without Montgomery but still managed an impressive 19.5 points per game in 15 with him. The Lions will have a new offensive coordinator this season, but both backs should remain involved. Gibbs is still an RB1 for fantasy football with a much better chance at being the overall RB1 if Montgomery misses time.

Bijan Robinson’s 365 total touches in 2024 were second only to Barkley’s 378. Robinson is also one of just three running backs to catch 60 or more passes last season. It’s a small sample size, but Robinson maintained his already top-tier value in rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s three starts at the end of last season. With Penix under center, Bijan Robinson rushed for no less than 90 yards per game and scored exactly two rushing touchdowns in all three games. On what will hopefully be a more productive offense this season, Robinson has the talent and opportunity share to be the 2025 overall RB1.

Tier 2: The Contenders

Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 2025-26 season could be the last ride for Derrick Henry. He turned 31 years old in January and has 2,740 total career touches, 93% of which are rush attempts. Henry showed no signs of slowing down last season, however. He is one of just six running backs to log 300 or more carries in 2024. His 5.9 yards per carry in 2024 is a career-high and led the position. Henry doesn’t add much value as a receiver so he will need to push for closer to 20 touchdowns to have a shot to finish as the overall RB1. He should get plenty of opportunities in the red zone with only Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell and Rasheen Ali currently behind him on the depth chart.

After playing into mid-February and logging a career-high 417 total touches in 2023-24, Christian McCaffrey missed 13 total games due to injury last season. Though he’s now 29 years old, McCaffrey still possesses tremendous upside in PPR formats especially with the recent turnover in the 49ers’ wide receiver room. McCaffrey is a trusted weapon for Brock Purdy with no real legitimate competition for touches out of the backfield. He still possesses overall RB1 upside without the cost in 2025.

Kyren Williams’ 350 regular season touches in 2024 ranks third in the league behind only Barkley (378) and Robinson (365). That’s after the Rams drafted Blake Corum in the third round of last year’s draft as a perceived threat to Williams’ workload. This year, the Rams selected Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round. Both players provide adequate depth, but there’s no indication that Williams won’t maintain lead back duties in Los Angeles. Adding Davante Adams into the passing game mix could take pressure off Williams out of the backfield, as well.

Liam Coen is now the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars after spending the 2024 season as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Taking his place is Josh Grizzard, last season’s passing game coordinator. Regardless of if Grizzard was with the team or not, it should be clear to everyone that Bucky Irving in the best player in the backfield. It wasn’t until Week 13 that Irving logged his first game of more than 15 carries. From that point on, in six games that he started and finished, Irving averaged 21.3 touches per game. Irving ranks 27^th among running backs in offensive snaps played (43.8%) last season. An increase in playing time and opportunity will increase his value and chances to finish as the overall RB1.

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Tier 3: The Underdogs

De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
James Cook, Buffalo Bills

A big factor in De’Von Achane finishing as the overall RB1 is whether quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy. Over the last two seasons, Achane has far more success with Tagovailoa active. According to the FTN Fantasy NFL Splits tool, Achane averages 19.3 PPR fantasy points per game in 23 games played with Tagovailoa compared to 8.6 points per game in six games without him. Achane led all running backs with 78 receptions in 2024. He logged 6.1 receptions per game with Tagovailoa compared to just 1.8 per game without him last season. Drafting Achane comes with an overall RB1 ceiling, but a potentially disastrous floor.

Ashton Jeanty may be a rookie, but he’s stepping into a Las Vegas Raiders offense that should afford him 300 or more touches in his first season. Jeanty is no stranger to a heavy workload. He’s rushed 594 times over 26 games in his last two collegiate seasons. That includes 374 attempts for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. That level of efficiency would break fantasy football. Jeanty is still the real deal when it comes to shedding tacklers and churning out yards. The rookie could have similar success to Marshawn Lynch who had four straight seasons of 280 or more carries for the Seahawks under, now Raiders head coach, Pete Carroll.

According to FTN’s StatsHub, Josh Jacobs is one of just five running backs to play 60% or more of their team’s 2024 offensive snaps and log 300 or more rush attempts. Jacobs signed a four-year deal with the Packers last offseason. However, the contract is really structured as a one-year deal with three additional team options. There’s no guarantee Jacobs remains in Green Bay beyond 2025, which could lead to another heavy workload this season. Jacobs was fourth in red zone rush attempts (59) and first in goal line carries (22) among running backs last season. He will need every scoring opportunity he can get to finish as the overall RB1 due to his lack of involvement as a receiver out of the backfield.

Chase Brown survived the 2025 free agency period and NFL Draft in regard to competition for touches this season. The Bengals have made it clear they believe in Brown as a lead back. Behind him on the depth chart are Zack Moss, Samaje Perine and sixth-round rookie Tahj Brooks. Chase Brown was the RB3 in PPR points per game from Week 9 on last season following a neck injury to Moss. Brown averaged 20.6 points per game during that stretch. The Bengals should remain a top-10 scoring offense in 2025, if not top-five, and Brown should benefit as a result.

James Cook is in Tier 3 for this overall RB1 conversation, but the case can be made for him to be in Tier 2. Cook has been vocal on social media regarding his desire for a contract extension worth at least $15 million per year. Meanwhile, the Bills have signed six other players to three or four-year contracts this off season. Harsh. Though Cook tied Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs for the most rushing touchdowns (16), he logged just 239 touches for 1,267 all-purpose yards. That’s 42 touches and 300 total yards less than the 2023 season. It’s going to be hard for Cook to reach that next level if he doesn’t see a larger workload and with how prone Josh Allen is to taking off running himself.

Tier 4: The Sleepers

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Breece Hall, New York Jets

Alvin Kamara could lead the NFL in touches simply because the Saints need someone to give the ball to. There’s no telling what New Orleans’ offense will look like with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough expected to be the Week 1 starter in first time head coach Kellen Moore’s inaugural season. Kamara recorded 1,493 total yards last season in just 14 games, his highest total since his career-high 1,688 in 2020. Especially given the lack of passing game weapons, Kamara could end up catching 80 or more passes for the first time since 2020, as well.

A lot may be asked of Jonathan Taylor on the 2025 Colts as well. Whether it’s Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson Sr. at quarterback, Indianapolis will likely look to establish the run. Their 29.2 rush attempts per game in 2024 ranked seventh in the league. Taylor rushed 303 times in 14 games for a 21.6 attempts-per-game average. That’s more than his 19.5 per game average in 2021 when he finished as the overall RB1. The Colts can save $13 million with just a $2.5 million dead cap hit by moving on from Taylor in March of 2026. A healthy Taylor with a heavy workload could have big results in 2025.

Breece Hall leads a somewhat crowded backfield of he, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Consider, too, that quarterback Justin Fields is going to get some run of his own in 2025. An improved upon offensive line and run-heavy approach from a new coaching staff could help keep Hall in the overall RB1 conversation. If Fields frequently checks down to Hall in the passing game, it will only help the cause. Hall would have more upside if he were traded to a team like the Chiefs with more scoring opportunities.