The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are starting. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
This is a look at the top ten rookie running backs to target in 2025 dynasty drafts.
1) Ashton Jeanty: Las Vegas Raiders
Ashton Jeanty is one of the most exciting players to watch this season, let alone among rookies or running backs. Jeanty was a superstar at Boise State, finishing second in the Heisman race last season. Jeanty’s game should immediately translate to the NFL and he will be the RB1 in Las Vegas from the jump. This offense should be much improved with Pete Carroll at head coach, Geno Smith at quarterback and fellow rookie Jack Bech at wide receiver, all added to an offense with the exciting Brock Bowers at tight end. This offense should have a well-balanced attack that slightly favors the run and allows Jeanty to thrive right away.
2) Omarion Hampton: Los Angeles Chargers
Omarion Hampton is an exciting prospect coming out of North Carolina. Hampton was an incredible player in college and will be given a great opportunity off the bat in Los Angeles. The Chargers overhauled their backfield from last season and brought in Najee Harris in free agency and Omarion Hampton through the draft to be their new one-two punch. Harris suffered an eye injury during the offseason, and while he is expected to be ready for the season, this could give Hampton an even bigger boost in touches. The Chargers ranked tenth in rush play percentage last season. With Jim Harbaugh in charge, they love to run the football. Hampton should get plenty of opportunities and excel from Week 1 in Los Angeles.
3) TreVeyon Henderson: New England Patriots
TreVeyon Henderson was taken in the second round by the Patriots. The Patriots also have Rhamondre Stevenson at running back, but Stevenson started to struggle last season. He led all running backs in fumbles and the Patriots might not feel confident with him taking a majority of the carries this time around. Henderson is a player with a ton of big-game experience, winning the national title with Ohio State last season. He is mature enough physically and mentally to step in and succeed right away. He could take over the primary running back role from Stevenson sooner rather than later and will almost certainly be the long-term guy in New England over the next couple of years.
4) Kaleb Johnson: Pittsburgh Steelers
Kaleb Johnson is set for a big workload as a rookie in Pittsburgh. Johnson ranked seventh in college football in rushing yards at Iowa last season and is NFL-ready. The Steelers moved on from Najee Harris and will be splitting carries between Johnson and last year’s RB2, Jaylen Warren. Warren has never been a primary back in his career, so it’s unclear how much of a workload he will be able to handle. Warren is also only on a one-year contract, so there is a chance they move on and give the keys to Johnson starting in 2026. That makes Johnson a very valuable dynasty pick. With offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers ranked fifth in the NFL in rush play percentage last season. Johnson should have a good rookie campaign and has the potential to be a top running back in the following years.
5) RJ Harvey: Denver Broncos
RJ Harvey is coming into a great spot in Denver. The Broncos took a huge jump last season and made the postseason with a rookie quarterback, Bo Nix. Denver had the league’s best defense last season, which allows their offense to be methodical and well-balanced. This keeps the pressure off Bo Nix and allows their running game to thrive. Harvey leads a running back duo alongside J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins has dealt with injury issues throughout his career and it’s hard to rely on him to play 17 games in a season. That only makes Harvey more valuable as there is likely to be a chunk of the season where he gets a large majority of the carries. Harvey ranked sixth in the country in rushing yards last year at UCF and should be ready to produce at the NFL level right away.
6) Quinshon Judkins: Cleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins is the most complicated prospect to rank on this list. From a pure talent perspective, there is an argument to put Judkins up there with Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson. Theoretically, Cleveland should also give Judkins the opportunity to thrive. They will either be starting an inexperienced quarterback or Joe Flacco. Either way, they will need to lean on their running game as they won’t have an elite passing attack. Judkins was expected to be splitting carries with Jerome Ford and get a decent workload. However, Judkins has been hit with serious criminal allegations off the field this offseason. It is unclear how this will affect Judkins’ rookie season and career going forward. It is worth drafting Judkins in case he never sees a suspension from the league. However, due to the risk of how his off-the-field issues will affect him on the field, I dropped him down these rankings to No. 6.
7) Cam Skattebo: New York Giants
Cam Skattebo is hoping to get a chance to shine in New York. The Giants will likely be giving a big share of their carries to Tyrone Tracy Jr. to start the year. Tracy excelled as a rookie in New York last season and earned the chance to be RB1 from Week 1 this season. Behind Tracy, it will be between the veteran Devin Singletary and Skattebo battling for the RB2 role. Singletary has a lot of experience but is getting up there in age and has hit a clear ceiling in his career. The Giants would likely prefer to give Skattebo more carries than Singletary if he proves that he is up to the task. A one-two punch of the speedy Tracy and the pounding Skattebo would be very exciting. The floor is questionable for Skattebo but the ceiling is incredibly high. In later rounds of dynasty drafts, it’s worth taking a chance on his great potential.
8) Jaydon Blue: Dallas Cowboys
Jaydon Blue was a great player at Texas and gets to stay in the state of Texas with the Cowboys. Blue is a dangerous receiving threat and should play a solid role in the Cowboys’ offense this season. The Cowboys also brought in Javonte Williams from Denver and Miles Sanders from Carolina this offseason. Sanders really struggled in Carolina and Blue should be able to beat him out for the RB2 role. Meanwhile, Williams is a good young back but is under a one-year contract in Dallas. Blue should get the chance to prove that he can be the guy in Dallas this season so that they can go with him as their RB1 in 2026. Blue is worth a shot in what should be one of the league’s best offenses.
9) Bhayshul Tuten: Jacksonville Jaguars
Bhayshul Tuten is an under-the-radar player in the running back market. He was a fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, where he never got a lot of national attention. That being said, he has high upside and could contribute for the Jaguars in the future. Jacksonville has a crowded backfield at the moment with Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby battling for the RB1 role. As long as they are both healthy, Tuten is likely resigned to the RB3 role. However, Etienne is in the final year of his contract. In 2026, the Jaguars will likely let Etienne walk and move on to a duo of Bigsby and Tuten. If Tuten hits his potential, he could start really producing in 2026-27 and be the main man there in the future.
10) Dylan Sampson: Cleveland Browns
Dylan Sampson could be the beneficiary of Quinshon Judkins’ off-the-field issues. The Browns also took Sampson later in the draft despite taking Judkins at running back in the early rounds. At the moment, Sampson is expected to be the RB3, but if Judkins can’t get on the field, Sampson would likely split carries with Jerome Ford. Simply from a perspective of that potential, it could be worth taking a late-round shot on Sampson. He was a fantastic running back at Tennessee and should produce if given the opportunity at the next level.
