In 2025 fantasy football, finding the best strategy for your draft can make the difference between a playoff run and a frustrating season. Every year, managers debate whether to load up on wide receivers early, prioritize a top quarterback, or chase elite tight ends. But for this year, the most reliable approach is clear: draft two running backs within the first four rounds.
Why? Because running back value falls off a cliff after Round 4, while wide receiver depth stretches well into the double digit rounds. This isn’t just a hunch it’s a pattern seen across average draft position (ADP) data, positional scoring trends, and the evolving NFL offensive landscape.
Why Running Back Value Disappears So Quickly
Running backs have always been volatile assets in fantasy football. Injuries, committee approaches, and changing offensive philosophies make it hard to find weekly starters after the top tier. In 2025, this problem is magnified.
Early in drafts, you can grab workhorse backs like Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, or Jahmyr Gibbs, players with elite usage and high volume and efficiency equity. But once you get beyond Round 4, the options shift to timeshare backs, uncertain roles, or players with low efficiency.
For example, in Underdog Fantasy’s current ADP, the running backs going in Rounds 5–8 include names like RJ Harvey, Tony Pollard, Joe Mixon, and Aaron Jones who are all talented, but with legitimate workload concerns. These aren’t the kind of players you want as your RB1 or even your every week RB2.
Positional Scarcity vs. Wide Receiver Depth
The reason the best strategy is RB heavy early is because wide receivers are far more plentiful throughout the draft. This year’s rookie class added instant depth at the position, with Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter, Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden an already loaded pool of talent.
Even in the middle rounds, you can still find elite wide receivers like Courtland Sutton, Calvin Ridley, and Jameson Williams who all have high upside. Later in the draft, sleepers such as Keon Coleman or Josh Downs could easily return WR3 value or better.
This depth means that if you pass on receivers early, you can still build a competitive WR corps without sacrificing quality at running back.
Round by Round Breakdown of the Strategy
Rounds 1–2: Secure an Elite RB1 and a Top WR or RB2
The first round should be about grabbing your cornerstone RB1. Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, or Jahmyr Gibbs are ideal targets. If those are gone, Christian McCaffrey offers RB1 upside thanks to his elite receiving role and efficiency.
In Round 2, you can either double up on running backs or grab a top tier wide receiver like Drake London or A.J. Brown. If you start RB, WR, you’ll still have the chance to get a strong RB2 in Round 3 or 4.
Rounds 3–4: Finish Your RB Core
By the time Round 3 starts, there are still quality RB2 options like Kyren Williams or Omarion Hampton. This is your last chance to grab a back with a role with volume.
Round 4 is the cutoff point. After this, running backs with weekly security vanish quickly. That’s why locking in two RBs now like Kenneth Walker or Alvin Kamara is essential to executing the best strategy in 2025 fantasy football.
The “Hero RB” Trap in 2025
Some managers love the “Hero RB” approach by taking one elite back and then hammering wide receivers. While this can work in certain years, 2025 is not one of them.
The problem is that the RB2 tier this season is much weaker than in years past. Waiting until Round 5 or later for your second back leaves you vulnerable to injuries and inconsistent production. If your lone RB1 misses time, you’re left scrambling for waiver wire scraps.
How to Build the Rest of Your Roster
Once your RB1 and RB2 are set, you can focus heavily on wide receivers, tight end, and quarterback.
The middle rounds (5–9) are a goldmine for WR depth. Players like Courtland Sutton, Stefon Diggs, Jordan Addison, and Ricky Pearsall all have WR2 upside without costing premium picks. If you prefer youth, Xavier Worthy and Tetairoa McMillan offer breakout potential.
At quarterback, unless you’re taking Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, or Josh Allen early, you can wait until the later rounds for value like Dak Prescott or Brock Purdy. This aligns perfectly with the RB early approach, freeing you to maximize WR depth before addressing QB.
At tight end there are guys like Evan Engram and Jake Ferguson that offer plenty of value while not sacrificing depth at other positions.
Adjusting in Case of Draft Chaos
Every draft is different, and sometimes the board won’t fall exactly as you’d like. If you miss on the RBs you want in the first four rounds, the next best move is to load up on high upside backups like Trey Benson, Cam Skattebo, Isaac Guerendo or Zach Charbonnet.
Pair them with strong wide receiver depth and play the waiver wire aggressively for breakout backs. But ideally, you don’t want to rely on in season miracles to fix a weak RB core. That’s why this strategy focuses on securing those backs early.
Example Draft Following the Strategy
Here’s how a draft from the 5th spot might look using the two RB in four rounds approach in a mock draft on Yahoo:
1. Jahmyr Gibbs – RB1
2. A.J. Brown – WR1
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba – WR2
4. Alvin Kamara – RB2
5. Courtland Sutton – WR3
6. Tetairoa McMillan – WR4
7. Jordan Addison – WR5
8. Dak Prescott – QB1
9. Zach Charbonnet – RB3
10. Jake Ferguson – TE1
This build gives you a stable RB foundation, elite WR depth, and flexibility for the rest of the season.
Conclusion: The RB Heavy Start is the Best Strategy in 2025
In 2025 fantasy football, the best strategy is clear: draft two running backs within the first four rounds. Running back value collapses after Round 4, leaving managers who wait scrambling to fill holes.
Meanwhile, wide receiver talent runs deep into the later rounds, allowing you to stack quality pass catchers after you’ve locked down your RB core. Follow this approach, and you’ll start the season with a roster built to dominate from Week 1 to the championship.