With the 2025 fantasy football season on its way, making sense of new rookie landing spots remains a tall task for fantasy managers. This is especially true at the running back position, which is extremely volatile from season to season. The ability to diagnose which rookie running backs will excel in their inaugural campaigns is a skill that can lead to fantasy championships.
This article will provide several rookie running back options in 2025 redraft fantasy football leagues who can be selected outside of the first round of drafts. Don’t be afraid to use a late-round pick on a young running back who could completely change your team.
After all, fantasy football is an unpredictable sport. These players could end up as massive value selections for your squad, so let’s get into the list!
Omarion Hampton
(Los Angeles Chargers)
Omarion Hampton is one of my favorite running backs in this entire class. His balance of power, strength, and elusiveness makes him a remarkably complete prospect. He even has the ability to shine as a receiver.
As a rookie, Hampton will be fighting with veteran running back Najee Harris for snaps, but don’t be surprised if the first-round pick is able to dominate the backfield by the end of the year. Harris is only on a one-year, $5.25 million contract, and the team’s investment in Hampton has made it clear that Harris is not in their long-term plans at the position.
Overall, Omarion Hampton has a serious chance to make an instant impact as a rookie and should be drafted with confidence in 2025 fantasy football.
Quinshon Judkins
(Cleveland Browns)
Quinshon Judkins is in a very interesting spot in 2025. At first glance, Cleveland may not seem like the greatest landing spot. Judkins won’t be in the best offense in the world and won’t have much of a passing attack to take pressure off of him, but there is a silver lining here. Judkins will likely get a ridiculous amount of volume in his first season due to the lack of talent at quarterback, making him an early candidate to have a strong rookie season in 2025.
While Cleveland also drafted Dylan Sampson in the fourth round, Judkins will have the opportunity to earn the starting job during training camp. The Browns obviously believed that Quinshon Judkins was a good enough player to be selected in the second round of the draft, signifying that the Browns truly believe that he can be their bell-cow back of the future.
Quinshon Judkins is a great prospect, and I like this landing spot; he’s worth a pickup in the middle of 2025 fantasy drafts,
TreVeyon Henderson
(New England Patriots)
New England drafted TreVeyon Henderson, Judkins’ college teammate, just a few picks after Cleveland’s selection of their future starting running back. Henderson ends up in a positive situation with a quarterback who can get him involved in the passing game while also setting up the offense for success on the ground.
Henderson is a true home-run threat, totaling 1,300 scrimmage yards at Ohio State this past season, and I believe that his fit with teammate Rhamondre Stevenson in this backfield will be a great one. The pair should operate similarly to Henderson’s final year at Ohio State when he shared the field with Quinshon Judkins.
I expect Henderson to have a very solid rookie season and to fit well in New England’s backfield as a rusher and a receiver.
Kaleb Johnson
(Pittsburgh Steelers)
Kaleb Johnson is a high-floor prospect with good size and physicality, as well as very solid burst. He has exemplary vision at the line of scrimmage and runs through contact well.
Pittsburgh is an excellent landing spot, allowing him to share a backfield with veteran Jaylen Warren at first but also giving him a chance to take the starting role later on. I think that Johnson is the team’s long-term answer at running back, and I think getting him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft was elite value.
Warren isn’t exactly workhorse material, so Johnson should find himself in the starting spot by December.
RJ Harvey
(Denver Broncos)
UCF product RJ Harvey found himself in one of the best landing spots for a running back in the NFL after being selected by Denver in the second round of this year’s draft. The Broncos were missing a true starting running back in 2024, but Harvey should give their offense the chance to take a more balanced approach.
Harvey is a quick accelerator with the speed to rip off big runs outside of the tackles. He’s an explosive player who Denver thought highly enough of to give him the first shot at the starting role. If he earns it, he will be a very valuable fantasy asset in 2025.
Jaydon Blue
(Dallas Cowboys)
Similarly to Harvey, Jaydon Blue ended up in one of the best landing spots available for a rookie running back. The ground attack in Dallas was non-existent in 2024 before Rocio Dowdle was given the starting job. Dowdle has since left in free agency, which created a massive hole at the position that needed filling.
Jaydon Blue was taken in the fifth round by Dallas and provides strong skills as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Blue logged 368 receiving yards in 2024, which could get him on the field in Dallas fast. He’s a big-play threat at all times and has been able to thrive on the ground and through the air over the last few seasons as a Texas Longhorn.
If he’s given a fair shot to take on the job, Blue could be an absolute steal in fantasy football next year, especially in PPR leagues.
Jordan James
(San Francisco 49ers)
Jordan James could prove to have more fantasy value than expected in 2025. Currently behind Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo on San Francisco’s depth chart, James could find himself in a significant role if McCaffrey goes down with an injury yet again this season. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system has allowed countless running backs to thrive over the years, so if James begins to earn snaps, he’s worth rostering.
James is the true definition of a physical runner with elite contact balance and good vision to match. He isn’t afraid to run over defenders and could earn snaps if his physical running style gets him opportunities on the goal line early on.
During his final year at Oregon, James rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, becoming a centerpiece of the team’s offense.
Brashard Smith
(Kansas City Chiefs)
Brashard Smith found a very solid landing spot in Kansas City. Not only does he benefit from one of the best play-callers in football, Andy Reid, but he should also get a chance to earn the starting job as a rookie.
Incumbent starter Isiah Pacheco didn’t look the same after returning from a fractured fibula late in the season, and if he continues to struggle with efficiency, Smith could be given an opportunity sooner rather than later.
Smith switched positions to running back and transferred to SMU in 2024 after spending the previous three years as a receiver at the University of Miami. His skill set as a receiver could earn him a role in the passing game as a rookie, giving him the chance to earn the trust of the coaching staff quickly.
Brashard Smith was also very productive as a runner, posting 1,332 rushing yards along with 327 receiving yards this past season.
DJ Giddens
(Indianapolis Colts)
DJ Giddens didn’t land in the greatest spot after being selected by Indianapolis in the fifth round. However, the Kansas State product will be one of the top handcuff options in fantasy football this season when he serves as the backup to star running back Jonathan Taylor.
Giddens is an extremely dynamic and elusive runner with the speed to be considered a true big-play threat. He will be a valuable pick at the end of fantasy drafts.
Woody Marks
(Houston Texans)
Woody Marks will serve as veteran Joe Mixon’s primary backup in 2025 after being selected in the fourth round by the Houston Texans. Mixon only played 14 games in 2024, so if he misses a bit of time in 2025, Marks could become fantasy-relevant quickly.
Marks displayed solid skills as a receiver at the Reese’s Senior Bowl and could make this a split backfield if Mixon shows any signs of slowing down. Watch out for Woody Marks in 2025 fantasy football.