With the 2025 Fantasy Football season coming up and drafts approaching fast, it's time to dive into the tiers and value behind different positions, starting with running backs.
With all the hype surrounding the rookie running backs this year, a refresher on what determines an elite running back is helpful when going into your upcoming drafts.
In this article, I will guide you through the various tiers of running backs and provide insights on evaluating these players based on their roles and usage to help you win your fantasy leagues in 2025.
Understanding Tiers
You may be wondering, why tiers instead of pure rankings? Pure rankings assign linear spacing between all players, even though some players are significantly better than those following them. At the same time, tiers allow for players to be accurately grouped and valued depending on their skill level.
Utilizing these tiers makes sure that you can avoid cliffs in value and better prepare your draft board to make the best possible team available.
Running Back ADP
The 2025 Running Back Average Draft Position (ADP) from the Sleeper Fantasy app shows us how these players are all being selected in drafts currently.
Taking a look at the ADP gives us a basis of these tiers and where these running backs should find themselves eventually, but to really discern the tiers let's take a look at the stats to come up with fulfilling RB tiers.
Tier Standards
When looking through and evaluating running backs, certain metrics stick out as indicators of successful running back options.
First, we have opportunities. Opportunities are the combined touches and targets that a running back has throughout a game, with these numbers being an indicator of active usage in the offense.
The following opportunities are target share and snap share for both normal and red zone snaps. Having a higher threshold of these metrics means that a running back is consistently on the field and has a constant opportunity to score if often used in the red zone.
Targets are a huge factor when it comes to running backs particularly in PPR scoring formats, as it's an easy way for players to boost their scoring ability every week, through checkdowns and designed plays.
Players who are often targeted tend to score more points, which is something to look for when drafting and placing running backs in tiers.
And finally, there is offensive success and reliability. Having a set offensive scheme deriving from a successful coaching staff benefits these players as they are schemed for and provided with opportunities.
Again, offensive success is a driving factor, as the overall better offenses allow for the running back to produce at a higher level.
The Tiers
The metrics described above give a good baseline for placing players into tiers, but not every player will match tiers perfectly, as some will excel at certain pieces of the metric while missing others entirely for that tier.
Deciding where players are placed in tiers eventually ends up in your hands as the player. Your gut choices for where tiers end and begin is always what you should believe in, and the metrics I describe for each are a tool to use to help you evaluate players to the best of your ability.
With that being said, when looking through the production and stats from running backs, 5 tiers emerge. These 5 tiers determine where value drop-offs occur and where you should be taking these players to best capitalize on value.
Tier One, also known as the “set and forget” tier are elite running backs boasting high-tier upside and production, often worth the first and second-round draft capital they are receiving.
These players provide 20+ opportunities per game, paired with 70%+ snap share, high red zone usage, and a high-powered stable offense to run behind, typically top 10-15 in the league.
Players that met this criteria last year include big names like Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs. These high-level players are all being taken in the first round and are deserving of the draft stock they currently have.
These Tier One players give a positional advantage week in and week out, and are the true game changers within the position.
Moving on into Tier Two, these players are still high-end RB1’s but have something that pushes them out of Tier One, whether that be injury, offensive scheme or competitive backfields.
The players in Tier Two will still produce at an elite level, garnering 15-18 opportunities per game and a 60% or more snap share, but may be limited within the red zone or passing game, dropping their overall usability.
Notable Tier Two running backs from last year include Kyren Williams, Derrick Henry, and De’Von Achane, all of whom had plenty of opportunities but struggled with either snap share or red zone usage, which dropped them out of Tier One.
Dropping into Tier Three we find many running backs that split carries or carry high injury risk. These players tend to be a good option for a RB2 for your team but be careful drafting them as lead backs for your team.
These backs still offer 12-15 opportunities per game and a limited target share, but not enough to rely on for consistent weekly production. These players are better used as RB2s and FLEX options rather than RB1 on your fantasy team.
Some players that fit into the Tier Three mold from last year would include: David Montgomery, Rachaad White, and D’Andre Swift. All of these players are startable but they are not going to provide an advantage during your weekly matchups.
Tier Four and Five make up the remaining RB2's along with players whose only upside comes after the starter becomes injured and they replace them for the week that they are out.
The players in this tier are great for team depth but don't expect to garner consistent points out of these players, or to be able to start these players every week.
Conclusion
When you look through the running backs for this year, take a look through what they have to offer and create your tiers based on the value you believe in.
When you use these tiers you can recognize where value is to be held and where the value dips between players. Trusting your tiers on draft day, rather than the provided ADP, gives you the advantage when creating a team as you can discern where value is at.
Remember, make your tiers, trust your gut, and go draft a championship-winning team in 2025 Fantasy Football.