One of the best ways to get an edge over the competition in fantasy football is by taking the time to dig into the rookie class that will be pouring into player pools in between seasons. It can be extremely beneficial to know the molds of each important player and how quickly and effectively their game may or may not translate to the NFL. Some players may thrive better in certain systems or wind up in landing spots that don’t have as clear a path to fantasy success as others. Being in the know on which players have the ability to be a significant contributor on day one is a golden ticket to winning your leagues on draft day. Here, I’m going through the top running backs in this year’s draft class and seeing who may be the best for fantasy football out the gate. This is one of the best running back classes in the modern NFL era, and it has been a blast getting familiar with all the talented backs making the jump in 2025.

#1 Ashton Jeanty – Boise State

Player Comp: Frank Gore | Landing Spot: Chicago Bears

One of the best running back prospects of the modern football era, Ashton Jeanty is one of the few talents in this draft that have the potential to be franchise-altering players. Jeanty possesses many elite traits and does just about everything you could ask for in a starting running back. In both an era where running backs have had their draft value dwindled year after year and a draft class that is loaded with running backs, Jeanty is still getting mocked inside the top-10 picks on a consistent basis, and rightfully so. He is a formidable ball-carrier that almost feels like he could’ve been made in a lab, possessing top-shelf speed, power and elusiveness. There are some minor ball security concerns that surfaced late into the 2024 season, but across his career, he’s done a good job holding onto the football.

#2 Omarion Hampton – North Carolina

Player Comp: David Montgomery  | Landing Spot: Dallas Cowboys

A majority of consensus has Hampton slotted in as the top back beyond the generational prospect atop the list, and while he may not sniff the profile that Jeanty is, he has the tools to be a phenomenal fantasy running back. Hampton is a big, hard-nosed runner that has a knack for running through or over defenders, but he also has surprising acceleration for a ball-carrier of his stature. With solid pass-catching traits and decent pass protection reps, Hampton has the ability to handle a three-down role in the NFL immediately, which is one of the best ways to predict early success for rookie RBs in fantasy football. A truly well-rounded running back prospect, Hampton is slated to make major waves in fantasy football regardless of his landing spot.

Want to get access to the rest of Nathan’s article? You’ll need to have a FANTASYPASS membership. Click here to learn more and sign up!
Premium Access Required

#3 TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State

Player Comp: Chase Brown | Landing Spot: Las Vegas Raiders

Arguably the best third down back in the class, TreVeyon Henderson is a quarterback’s best friend. He’s excellent in pass protection and has a route tree that is expanded beyond what’s in the average rookie’s toolbox, despite not seeing a ton of volume in that area. Combine this with elite ball security, highlighted by Henderson’s zero fumbles across his last three collegiate seasons, and you have a squeaky clean prospect that seemingly does nothing but impact games in positive ways. Henderson is a home run hitter, possessing plenty of speed to outrun defenders when he’s off to the races, but also puts his head down when he needs to in the short-yardage situations. He’s a smidgen undersized, but might be able to bulk a bit after a complete off-season in the league. Henderson is so good at third downs, that it gives him a workload floor, making him one of the safer fantasy football bets before knowing his landing spot. He should be able to carve out that role no matter who selects him, at minimum, with the potential to take on more work as a runner.

#4 Cam Skattebo – Arizona State

Player Comp: Mark Ingram | Landing Spot: Denver Broncos

Cam Skattebo went to high school just up the street from me, and I’ve loved his game since he burst onto the collegiate football scene at my alma mater, Sacramento State, impacting the game on offense and special teams. He plays with an infectious, relentless physicality, with some awe-inspriing contact balance and toughness. Part of that balance comes from his compact, wrecking ball build that allows him to win as the low man against would-be tacklers time and time again. Among his rookie RB peers, Skattebo was simultaneously second in broken tackles forced and second in yards per route run as a pass-catcher. Arguably the biggest question entering the draft is whether his low top-speed will be significant enough to stunt his success at the pro level. I side that it won’t as I think he plays faster than his 40-time might suggest, he has great burst at the line of scrimmage, and is able to get to his sixth gear in a hurry with the ball in his hands. I should note he’s a bit hit or miss in pass protection, but should be capable enough to clean it up in the NFL.

#5 Quinshon Judkins – Ohio State

Player Comp: Joe Mixon | Landing Spot: Pittsburgh Steelers

The second OSU RB on the list, Quinshon Judkins has been a consistent ball-carrying threat in three college seasons since he ran for over 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman at Ole Miss, and he had at least 14 rushing touchdowns in all three years. While Judkins is a top-shelf pure rusher, he may not be able to secure a workhorse role until he improves as both as a pass protector and pass-catcher. Still, there aren’t many major flaws in Judkins’s profile, and should be nothing less than a great early-down runner with the potential to build on his responsibilities after finding out his landing spot. He has solid size and great patience as a runner, to go with a blistering burst at the line of scrimmage, accommodating for a lack of top speed when running downhill.

#6 Kaleb Johnson – Iowa

Player Comp: Matt Forte | Landing Spot: Cleveland Browns

Kaleb Johnson is a very intriguing RB prospect from this year’s group of rookie ball-carries, and one that is something of a foil to the previous nominee on this list. He is a unique prospect in that Iowa’s scheme utilized him as a zone runner roughly 75 percent of the time. While he has the tools to be a primary back in the right system in the NFL, he doesn’t project quite as much as someone who could play a workhorse role at the next level without addressing some areas of weakness. He has a slower acceleration but great top speed in the open field, fast enough to beat long angles as a potential home run hitter. Despite some decent size, Johnson lacks physicality as a runner that could limit his efficiencies in short-yardage situations, but he still has the natural size and some wiggle to create yards after contact. He saw limited usage as a pass-catcher in his three years of college ball, but he was successful in the limited sample and could feasibly make that a great part of his game in the NFL.

#7 Dylan Sampson – Tennessee

Player Comp: Warrick Dunn | Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs

Sampson has creeped up the RB rankings I’ve had in my head over the last couple of weeks, and I anticipate him to have a sky-high ceiling in the NFL. He’s a bit lacking in size, but handled his oversized role to great success with Tennessee en route to roughly 1500 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns in his first and only season as a full-time player in his 2024 junior year. He has a great understanding of speed control and being efficient as a runner, despite not having some of the same experience as others on the list. Sampson has the vision and agility desired in running backs, and despite being only 5’8″, he was elite in short-yardage situations, converting 33-of-36 opportunities for first downs at Tennessee in 2024, per Underdog’s Josh Norris. He has some ball security concerns, fumbling four times in his last seven games, which could ultimately be the only thing preventing him from succeeding in the NFL. He wasn’t utilized as a pass-catcher much beyond some screen work, and he was pretty rough in pass protection, so he may not be able to secure a workhorse role without some serious development in that area.

#8 Devin Neal – Kansas

Player Comp: Kyren Williams  | Landing Spot: New England Patriots

Another great, well-rounded ball-carrying prospect comes in the form of Kansas’s Devin Neal, who, despite having some lackluster athletic measurables, has a great chance at becoming a starting running back in the NFL. He has a very smooth handle of the football as a runner, and makes proper reads and efficient movements to make up for whatever he may lack physically. Despite lacking burst and quickness, he has a surprising ability to make defenders miss. He’s got great experience with four years of involvement in the Kansas offense, including three-straight seasons with at least 180 carries and 21 receptions. He’s a solid pass protector and a reliable receiving threat, implying he should have the potential to be a three-down back in the NFL. Neal is also a perfectionist in the ball security department, handling over 800 touches in his four-year college career without fumbling the ball a single time, despite having hands on the smaller side.

#9 Damien Martinez – Miami

Player Comp: James Conner | Landing Spot: Miami Dolphins

If you know anything about the 2025 NFL Draft, it might be that the running back position is a deep, loaded class this year. Martinez is no exception to the bunch that should be exciting to watch, bringing a pro-ready physicality to whatever team takes a shot on the former Miami and Oregon State RB. Martinez was able to develop a unique versatility that other RBs may lack, in that he was able to find success in both an outside zone-heavy rushing team in his first two seasons as a Beaver, but also in the shotgun and inside-zone heavy rushing offense after joining the Hurricanes for the 2024 season. Despite being such a physical runner that is accustomed to pulling YAC out of thin air by bulldozing through defenders and carrying piles, he also possesses great agility for his size. He has a lot of growing to do in pass protection, but he’s a fine pass-catcher and while he could have the potential to grow into a three-down runner, I see him most likely limited to an early down and short yardage guy, but a great one at that.

#10 RJ Harvey – Central Florida

Player Comp: Jalen Richard  | Landing Spot: Washington Commanders

Rounding out the list, RJ Harvey has arguably the most interesting collegiate story of the group. Harvey had a couple hurdles in his NCAAF tenure, starting his college career as an option QB at Virginia and overcoming a 2021 ACL tear after transferring to UCF. Long story short, Harvey put up back-to-back phenomenal seasons over the last two years, netting at least 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024. Harvey is an older rookie because of his extended college career, recently turning 24 in February. He’s on the smaller side but he’s got great downhill speed to cash in on explosive, long plays. He’s a reliable pass-catcher, with at least 19 catches and 200 yards in three-straight seasons to end his college career, but he has room to improve in the pass protection department. He’s not as flashy of a runner, but he is sturdy on contact for his size. Harvey feels a bit more like a change of pace back in the NFL, but there have been those that have found fantasy football succeess in a similar role.