ClutchPoints
For the first time in a while, the fantasy football running back landscape did not change much in the 2025 NFL offseason. However, despite the lack of movement, a few players are in for bigger roles in the coming season than they had in 2024.
With running back being arguably the most important position in the game, nailing the mid-to-late-round picks is essential. Elite players come at a premium, but leagues are often won or lost in the middle rounds. Finding the right so-called “sleeper” targets is typically the biggest indicator of draft success.
Like any other skill position, usage and volume are the backbone of a running back’s fantasy value. Analyzing that usage and identifying the players in the right situation to expand on their previous roles is the key to pinpointing the right breakout candidates.
The traditional list of top-tier players remains dominant in 2025, with Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Kyren Williams, Joe Mixon, and Josh Jacobs still leading the way. A few players joined them at the top — Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson and Bucky Irving, among others — but the traditional A-list talent made statements in 2024 despite growing age concerns.
Without much movement in the offseason, there are not as many breakout candidates in 2025 as there have been in previous years. Yet, with players like Irving breaking out down the stretch and others like Isiah Pacheco in line for big bounce-back years, multiple players are primed for improvement.
With the 2025 NFL season around the corner, reviewing the top five running backs who are on track to receive more touches is crucial for fantasy football success.
After three years of sharing a backfield with Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren is finally listed as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting running back to begin the 2025 season. Although he is a perfect example of a complementary, change-of-pace player, he is atop the list of players ready to absorb some of the usage Harris left behind.
Three years into the league, Warren has sandwiched one good year with two mediocre ones. He showed promise in a limited role as a rookie and built on it with a career-best season in 2023, but regressed in 2024. Despite some fans viewing him as a better player than Harris, Warren received just 28 percent of the running back carries on the year. It was a disappointing step back for those who wanted to see him surpass his former teammate on the depth chart.
The Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson to be the next lead back in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, and he is undoubtedly the team’s future. However, Warren will likely begin the year with a more substantial lead than some fans predict.
Warren might not have the ideal frame to be a traditional workhorse back, but Mike Tomlin and Smith both continue to tout him as the leader of the backfield. Perhaps they want to bring Johnson along slowly, but Warren certainly appeared to take over...
