ClutchPoints
The 2025 NFL season is just days away. In fact, there will be real NFL football between the Eagles and Cowboys on Thursday night. That means it is now time to get back into the rhythm of setting a weekly fantasy football lineup.
Running backs have seen a resurgence over the past few seasons, at least in the actual NFL. As for fantasy football, the running back is just as important as it has always been. The scarcity of the top running backs alone make them a valuable part of any team.
It can be tricky to create a lineup in Week 1, mostly because there is so little information to go on. Sure we can extrapolate what might happen based on last season, but every new season brings its own unknowns.
But it is still possible to gain an edge over your opponents.
Below we will take a look at our fantasy football running back rankings ahead of Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
Forgive me, but it is incredibly tempting to go chalk during Week 1. After all, we still have little new information to work with after the offseason.
Let’s start with Saquon Barkley.
It would be impossible to leave Barkley off this list after his incredible 2,000-yard season last year.
Barkley will certainly be a big part of Philadelphia’s offense again in 2025. And they could not have asked for a better opponent in Week 1.
The Cowboys are now without Micah Parsons after trading him to the Packers. They do gain Kenny Clark, which should help their defense against the run in the long term. But in Week 1, Clark may not be ready to make a huge impact.
If the Cowboys play anything like they did in 2024 on defense, Barkley could be in for a huge game.
Dallas ranked bottom five in most statistical categories against the run last year. They also allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL at 25.
Barkley’s the best running back in the league and going against a soft run defense. Easy decision in Week 1.
Next there’s Falcons superstar Bijan Robinson.
Robinson took his game to another level in 2024. He boosted his rushing numbers to 1,456 carries and 14 touchdowns, a huge improvement from his rookie season.
Bijan did see some slight regression in the passing game, but he was still a priority target.
The Falcons go up against a stingy Buccaneers defense in Week 1, which is not ideal. But Robinson is still a must-start.
Trust the talent with Bijan Robinson. And the fact that he’ll be the focal point of Atlanta’s offense, regardless of game situation.
Finally, there’s Jahmyr Gibbs.
Sonic had a great 2024 campaign of his own, leading the NFL with 20 total touchdowns.
Gibbs is right up there with Saquon and Bijan as the best running backs in the league. But Gibbs has a few unique situations that have raised...
