Fantasy football player rankings are obviously very useful tools to help you draft a championship-caliber team. The next level of rankings, however, are what’s called “tiers.” This is a deeper look at rankings, putting players with similar value into groupings, which is very helpful in drafts.
For example, if you’re looking to get one of the elite running backs, tiers will tell you who is in the upper echelon (and who isn’t) so you don’t miss out on one. Knowing which players are in what tiers (and ultimately, what their draft value is) helps make more well-informed decisions in your quest to build a championship-caliber roster during the draft.
With that said, here’s a look at the running backs starting with the cream of the crop.
Fantasy Football RB Tiers
Tier 1 – The Elite
- Bijan Robinson, Falcons (ADP – 2)
- Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions (ADP – 4)
- Saquon Barkley, Eagles (ADP – 3)
- Ashton Jeanty, Raiders (ADP – 10)
Robinson is the top running back in my 2025 player rankings, and he’s likely to be no worse than a top two pick in drafts. Gibbs, last year’s RB1 based on points, could see touchdown regression. However, he’s an elite playmaker in one of the league’s most prolific offenses.
Barkley is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, so it’s hard not to list him as one of the elite running backs in fantasy football. Still, there are a lot of reasons to believe he'll experience some regression (and possibly more than just some) during the season.
I have Jeanty in this elite tier based on his talent and upside, but he clearly has a lot of expectations to meet.
Tier 2 – Next In Line
- De’Von Achane, Dolphins (ADP – 15)
- Derrick Henry, Ravens (ADP – 12)
- Christian McCaffrey, 49ers (ADP – 11)
- Jonathan Taylor, Colts (ADP – 22)
- Josh Jacobs, Packers (ADP – 18)
Achane is coming off a monster season that saw him finish fifth in points among running backs. His success should continue as one of the linchpins of the Miami offense.
Henry is entering his age-31 season, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down after an RB4 finish last season. He probably belongs in the elite tier, but you have to wonder if this is the year he starts to decline.
McCaffrey has been elite plenty of times in his career, and he’s coming into this season healthy. The concern is that he’s played seven or fewer games in three of the last five years, and he wasn’t great in his four 2024 games. CMC is also entering his age-29 season. There might not be a bigger risk-reward player in the entire 2025 draft.
Taylor and Jacobs both averaged more than 17 fantasy points per game last season, and the latter finished sixth in fantasy points at the position. You can expect them to come off the board in the second round of most traditional redrafts as attractive No. 1 runners.
Tier 3 – Youth Gone Wild
- Kyren Williams, Rams (ADP – 26)
- Bucky Irving, Buccaneers (ADP – 17)
- James Cook, Bills (ADP – 32)
- Chase Brown, Bengals (ADP – 24)
- Omarion Hampton, Chargers (ADP - 42)
- Breece Hall, Jets (ADP – 30)
This group of six running backs are among the best young players at their position. Williams has proven to be a touchdown machine in Los Angeles, and Irving busted out for an RB13 finish in his rookie campaign. Cook posted a career-best 18 total touchdowns last season, and, while he’ll experience some regression, he’s still a back to target in the third round. The same goes for Brown, who was a major sleeper last season and hasn’t yet reached his statistical ceiling. Hall was the RB2 just two years ago, and Hampton has a chance to make a major impact in Year 1 as the projected lead running back for head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Tier 4 – Value, Value, Value
- Alvin Kamara, Saints (ADP – 37)
- Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks (ADP – 45)
- Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (ADP – 46)
- James Conner, Cardinals (ADP – 49)
- RJ Harvey, Broncos (ADP - 52)
- David Montgomery, Lions (ADP – 56)
If you like to wait on running backs until the third or fourth round, there will be a number of good options. Kamara, last season’s RB9, is entering his age-30 season but has showed no signs of slowing down. He’s better served as a No. 2 fantasy runner, but another top-10 finish isn’t unreasonable to predict. Hubbard averaged more than 16 points per game in his breakout 2024 season, and he should remain Carolina’s top back even with the addition of Rico Dowdle. Conner is coming off a solid campaign and should once again lead Arizona in backfield touches, but he’s had a lot of carries and is entering his age-30 season so there’s a bit of risk. Harvey has RB2 upside, but the Broncos added J.K. Dobbins to the mix. Montgomery is always solid and a potential bargain as a fifth-round choice.
Tier 5 – Maybe, Baby…
- D’Andre Swift, Bears (ADP – 60)
- Tony Pollard, Titans (ADP – 72)
- TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots (ADP - 55)
- Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs (ADP – 64)
- Aaron Jones, Sr., Vikings (ADP – 63)
- Kaleb Johnson, Steelers (ADP – 70)
All of the running backs in this tier have a chance to lead their respective teams in touches and fantasy points, but they also have competition. Pollard could lose work to Tyjae Spears in Tennessee, and Pacheco will have to beat out both Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell in the Chiefs backfield. Jones Sr. was the RB14 in fantasy in 2024 and should open the season as Minnesota’s starting runner, but the addition of Jordan Mason means a committee could be imminent.
Johnson will replace Najee Harris in the Steelers backfield, where he will share work with Jaylen Warren. Fellow rookie runner Henderson enters a committee of his own with veteran Rhamondre Stevenson in the New England offense. Both of these situations are well worth watching during training camp so we can look for some potential trends and roles.
Tier 6 – Land of Confusion
- Joe Mixon, Texans (ADP – 48)
- Brian Robinson, Jr. Commanders (ADP – 81)
- Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants (ADP – 79)
- Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars (ADP – 88)
- Jaylen Warren, Steelers (ADP - 84)
- Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots (ADP - 108)
- J.K. Dobbins, Broncos (ADP - 119)
If you were into 80s music, you’ll remember the Genesis song “Land of Confusion.” Well, welcome to Tier 6. This group of runners can be starters, backups, in committees or a little bit of all three. Mixon is tough to rank, simply because we don’t know hs status for the start of the season. Mixon’s ADP is high (Round 4), but it’s falling fast. In fact, he’s more of a sixth rounder (at best). Robinson Jr., Tracy Jr, Etienne Jr., Warren, Dobbins and Stevenson are all likely to be in backfield committees, and each of their teams drafted rookies who could push for touches during the course of the season.
Tier 7 – Let’s Throw Some Darts
- Javonte Williams, Cowboys (ADP – 96)
- Jordan Mason, Vikings (ADP – 109)
- Quinshon Judkins, Browns (ADP - 71)
- Rachaad White, Buccaneers (ADP – 121)
- Cam Skattebo, Giants (ADP – 97)
- Tyjae Spears, Titans (ADP – 110)
- Tank Bigsby, Jaguars (ADP - 129)
- Austin Ekeler, Commanders (ADP - 133)
Tier 6 and Tier 7 have a lot in common, as both include players who could be starters, serve as backups, share work in a committee or a little bit of all three. Williams is the popular favorite to start for the Cowboys, but Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue loom. Mason will be in a committee with Jones Sr. in Minnesota, and Judkins (depending on when he signed with the Browns), Skattebo, Spears, Bigsby and Ekeler could (or will) find themselves in a shared workload situation for their respective teams.
Tier 8 – Handcuffs and More
- Najee Harris, Chargers (ADP – 92)
- Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks (ADP – 102)
- Nick Chubb, Texans (ADP – 151)
- Isaac Guerendo, 49ers (ADP – 132)
- Jerome Ford, Browns (ADP - 137)
- Trey Benson, Cardinals (ADP - 152)
- Braelon Allen, Jets (ADP - 176)
- Jaydon Blue, Cowboys (ADP - 128)
If you know fantasy jargon, then you know what a handcuff is … and if you subscribe to that philosophy, this tier is for you. Harris could wind up being insurance for Hampton in Los Angeles, and Charbonnet and Guerendo are close to strict handcuffs for their respective teams. Chubb could end up being the starter in Houston in Week 1 if Mixon is sidelined, and the same goes for Ford if Judkins isn’t an option for the Brown early on. Benson, Allen and Blue have deep sleeper appeal.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 Fantasy Football Running Back Tiers: Josh Jacobs in Tier 2 .
