I keep saying it, but it finally feels real: we are, indeed, so back. It’s the biggest fantasy football draft weekend of the year. It’s the second Fantasy Football Friday of the year here at DraftKings Network. And I’m here to get you set, in this inaugural 2025 Five Lists of Five, with breakout running backs (some of them deep) for your fantasy football drafts this weekend.
And let’s just roll back into the common refrain, shall we? All I want is for you to be better than your friends. You’re going to be surrounded by them on Sunday, probably. How sweet would it be if you could be sure you’ve checked every box possible that might guarantee you a resounding victory this week? Some kick-your-feet-up insights? I’ve got some.
I know my audience. The smoke-break audience. The quick-scan-of-the-phone-on-the-way-to-the-fridge audience. The give-me-as-much-info-as-possible-as-fast-as-possible audience. I’m a man of the people.
And so: the Five Lists of Five series. Think of these as byte-sized, two-minutes-to-yourself lists to scan during your weekend as you foam at the mouth for any competitive fantasy edge. As much relevant analysis as I can fit into, like, 250 words per player.
Below: Top five breakout running backs for 2025.
Here are the other offerings from my Five Lists of Five: 2025 Fantasy Football Draft edition:
– Top five league-winners to draft for 2025 fantasy football
– Top five undervalued unsung heroes to draft for 2025 fantasy football
– Top five breakout wide receivers to draft for 2025 fantasy football
– Top five fantasy football sleepers in 2025 fantasy drafts
Follow my handle @dansby_edits for all preseason and fantasy draft kit content—as well as plenty of NFL betting goodies—all summer long. All my other fantasy football draft kit content is at the bottom of this list!
Top five breakout RBs to target in 2025 fantasy football drafts
RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos (ADP RB25)
RJ Harvey isn’t just another rookie backfield flier—he’s Sean Payton’s handpicked weapon. Denver spent a premium Round 2 pick (60th overall) to secure him, signaling intent to make Harvey “the guy” in a backfield desperate for stability. At UCF, Harvey was absurdly productive, piling up nearly 3,000 rushing yards and 38 total touchdowns across his final two seasons. He blended burst with contact balance, averaging 3.7 yards after contact per attempt and forcing 83 missed tackles in 2024 alone, metrics that put him in rare company with recent breakout rookies. More quietly, he developed as a receiver, snagging 39 passes in that stretch and earning an 81.0 PFF receiving grade, hinting at untapped three-down upside.
That’s exactly what Payton has teased, dropping hints of a “Joker” role for Harvey—shades of how Alvin Kamara was deployed in New Orleans. The early camp reports back it up: Harvey has run with the starters, handled goal-line drills, and even flexed into passing sets. Veteran J.K. Dobbins is in town, but his durability issues and declining efficiency (career-low 3.5 YPC in limited 2024 action) make him a complementary piece, not a roadblock. Denver’s line graded as a top-12 unit in run-block win rate last year, and Payton has vowed to tilt back toward an old-school run-heavy philosophy.
With an RB25 ADP, Harvey offers a rare rookie blend of volume floor and explosive ceiling. If he sticks in the Kamara-lite role Payton envisions, 250 touches with RB1 upside isn’t just plausible—it’s squarely on the table. In PPR formats, his pass-catching profile gives him a weekly safety net, while his red-zone chops could swing fantasy playoff weeks. This is the archetype worth planting a flag on: young, versatile, and backed by a coach with a history of unleashing multipurpose backs.
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (RB33)
Zach Charbonnet is not just Kenneth Walker’s insurance policy—he’s a breakout waiting to happen. Seattle leaned on him heavily whenever Walker missed time last year, and the results were undeniable. Across 2024, Charbonnet logged 909 total yards and nine touchdowns despite limited starts, and in games where he played over 50% of the snaps, he averaged 16.4 PPR points per game. His role as a pass-catcher is already carved out: he finished with 42 receptions on 53 targets (79% catch rate), leading all Seattle backs and cementing his status as the preferred passing-down option.
The advanced metrics back the eye test. Charbonnet averaged 3.2 yards after contact per attempt, a top-15 mark among backs with 100+ carries, and he forced 38 missed tackles on just 156 touches. He also earned an 81.7 PFF rushing grade, higher than Walker’s, and logged one of the league’s best success rates on inside-zone carries (54%), which happens to be Seattle’s bread-and-butter under coordinator Ryan Grubb. Simply put: when Charbonnet got volume, the offense didn’t skip a beat.
Walker’s health concerns keep lingering—he’s missed multiple games in each of his three NFL seasons—and Seattle has no reason to hesitate expanding Charbonnet’s role. His size (6’0”, 215), receiving reliability, and goal-line power give him paths to value even in a 50/50 split. He handled 67% of Seattle’s red-zone snaps when Walker sat, converting six inside-the-five touches into touchdowns. That usage screams breakout if it sticks.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (RB38)
Tank Bigsby steps into 2025 with one of the cleanest breakout paths of any RB outside the top-25. Jacksonville’s new coaching staff has been blunt: Travis Etienne’s role is no longer locked, and Bigsby has consistently rotated with the starters in camp. Last season, even in limited usage, he flashed the traits of a difference-maker—766 rushing yards, seven touchdowns, and two top-12 PPR weeks despite playing fewer than 40% of the snaps. The advanced stats back up his upside: he averaged 4.0 yards after contact per attempt (fourth in the NFL) and logged a 52% success rate on inside-zone carries, a scheme that new OC Liam Coen plans to emphasize.
The Jaguars desperately need red-zone production, and Bigsby already looks like their answer. He out-touched Etienne 7–3 at the goal line when both were healthy and converted three of those looks into scores. His physicality and balance translate to sustained drives and finishing ability, while Etienne’s efficiency dipped to a career-low 1.72 yards per route run last season. If Bigsby’s role expands to even 50% of the backfield pie, he’s an RB2 by default with real RB1 weeks when game script tilts positive. At his ADP in the RB30s, Bigsby is one of the most underpriced breakout bets in fantasy football.
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (RB42)
Judkins is a classic high-upside stash. A rookie with workhorse talent who could inherit a feature role in the Browns’ backfield. The Ole Miss product went undrafted due to a domestic violence case that kept him unsigned through much of the summer, but as of mid-August he’s no longer facing charges and is expected to officially join Cleveland. With Nick Chubb gone from the Browns, the depth chart is ripe for a new lead. At 5’11”, 220 lbs with a 4.48 speed, Judkins offers an enticing blend of power and burst. Cleveland’s coaching staff reportedly viewed him as the clear top option before his off-field issue delayed things.
In his two years of college, Judkins was a superstar (2,967 scrimmage yards and 32 TDs in 2022–23 at Ole Miss) and showed three-down ability. The Browns have journeyman Jerome Ford and scatback Dylan Sampson, but neither has Judkins’ pedigree. There is admittedly risk. Judkins will have to play catch-up after missing camp, and a suspension could still be possible. But the ceiling is immense. If/when he gets up to speed, Judkins’ powerful running style could thrive behind Cleveland’s stout O-line, making him a potential late-season league-winner. Think of him as this year’s lottery ticket breakout: he might start slow, but by year’s end we could be looking at the Browns’ new RB1. For a player in the RB4-RB5 draft range, that kind of upside is well worth the gamble.
Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys (RB50)
Jaydon Blue is this year’s rookie RB the market hasn’t caught up on. Drafted by Dallas after a strong career at Texas, he’s already turning heads with his burst, versatility, and readiness. At Texas, Blue posted 1,138 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns in his final season, flashing dual-threat chops with 42 catches across two years. He’s a plus athlete too—4.38 speed and a 106.5 Speed Score—and it shows up on film when he hits the second level. Dallas’s veterans, Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, bring shaky résumés of inefficiency and injuries, leaving the door wide open for Blue to surge.
What makes him especially intriguing in PPR is his receiving profile. Blue earned an 89.2 Breakout Score in JJ Zachariason’s LateRound Fantasy’s ZAP model, typically reserved for backs projected to handle high-value passing work. His hands are natural, his routes polished, and in camp he’s been spotted splitting wide or working angle routes against linebackers. Yes, his five fumbles in 2024 are a concern, but the Cowboys are banking on his explosiveness outweighing rookie mistakes. OC Brian Schottenheimer’s offense already leans on quick passes and outlet reads, meaning Blue can become a safety net for Dak Prescott from Day 1.
At his dirt-cheap ADP outside the top 40 RBs, Blue has one of the cleanest paths to league-winning upside if attrition hits the veterans ahead of him. He’s not just a dynasty stash—he’s a 2025 breakout candidate who could be starting by October.
Dan Johnson’s full fantasy football draft-kit (Fantasy Frontlist 2025)
If you’re interested in my other rankings, which do inform some of my departures from the industry consensus (FantasyPros) rankings here, check them out:
Fantasy football 2025 WR ranks: Top 30 wide receivers to target on draft day
Fantasy Football 2025 QB ranks: Top twelve quarterbacks to target on draft day
Fantasy Football 2025 RB ranks: Top 25 running backs to target on draft day
And, of course, here’s my Fantasy Football Frontlist for 2025—full rankings, big-board, cheatsheet, everything you need. The white whale!
