ClutchPoints
The time all football fans have been waiting for is almost here. The 2025 NFL season is right around the corner, with training camps and the preseason underway. However, that also means that fantasy football managers are doing their due diligence as their drafts approach.
Every season, there are several breakout players who get drafted far later than they should. There are also duds who crash your season before it begins, whether that is due to injury or disappointment.
For many years, the running back position was king in fantasy football. But in recent years, fantasy managers have become more reliant on wide receivers for consistent production. The emergence of the zero-RB strategy has taken off over the last decade. I am a believer in that strategy in most instances. Part of that is because of how the game has changed. The days of 3,000 passing yards per season for a quarterback being the bar are long gone.
Not to mention, historically, receivers have been healthier than running backs.
But much like life, the NFL is cyclical. The re-emergence of the running game took center stage in 2024, while receivers dealt with far more injuries. In fact, wideouts had the worst season in recent memory.
Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and seemingly every Packers receiver all missed significant time, just to name a few.
As we look forward to 2025, getting the running back position has become even more critical. So, let’s take a look at the top five fantasy football breakout candidates at running back.
(For transparency, some players already have early ADPs but still need to be moved up your boards)
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown tops this list. Now, you might think to yourself, ‘he’s already going as a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2.’ But I am here to tell you he needs to be ranked higher.
Strangely, he is a post-hype sleeper. Last season was supposed to be his breakout year. But early on, it was newly acquired Zack Moss that stole the spotlight. But once Moss went down with an injury in Week 8, Brown took off. He played a staggering 88% of the offensive snaps.
Yes, you read that right.
Typically, most RB1 starters are on the field between 65-80%. But what he did on the field was just as eye-opening, finishing as RB4 from that point on.
But this take has far more to do than just opportunity. The Bengals have notoriously been slow starters, particularly on offense. This year, they are looking to break that trend. Quarterback Joe Burrow is getting extended looks in the preseason. Both stud receivers are healthy. The defense is still leaky, creating shootout potential.
The Bengals should produce one of the friendliest fantasy football offenses this year.
Players like Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, and De’Von Achane are consistently going in front of him. Jacobs has almost 2,000 career touches...
