Welcome to the first of many college football fantasy (CFF) draft articles on SportsEthos. I am proud to bring these fresh vibes to this amazing platform, while continuing to tell the world that CFF absolutely rocks.

CFF is easily the most underrated fantasy sport and I have mastered the art and cracked the code. Over the last six seasons in the highly competitive “ATL Radio League”, I lost the championship game, then won three straight titles, then lost in the semis, and last year I lost in the championship game.

The primary keys to winning are big-time quarterbacks and bell-cow running backs.

College football is the wild, wild west of fantasy sports. From the lack of media access to injury information to constant depth chart movement to the whims of 19-20 year old young men, this is the ultimate land of opportunity with a never-ending waiver wire.

Kam’s Top 25 CFF Running Backs

The most important thing to know heading into your CFF draft is determining the bellcow backs from the timeshare backs. There is nothing worse than taking a running back in the third round and then watching his new co-star play half the dang game–all season long!

As I explained in my Top 25 CFF Quarterbacks piece (now available at SportsEthos.com), dual-threat QBs and bellcow RBs are the foundation for every CFF championship. You have to have them, so hammer those positions early in your drafts.

I prefer loading up on backs over wide receivers because there is way more consistency with rushing attempts than targets. Let’s go bellcow hunting…

1. Darius Taylor, Minnesota: After rushing for 799 yards and five scores as a freshman, Taylor raised his stat line to 986 and 10, respectively, as a sophmore. Entering his junior season, Taylor is primed for a breakout with the potential for 2,000 total yards and 15 scores because Gophers’ coach PJ Fleck prefers a bellcow over a committee. Taylor caught 54 passes for 350 yards and two scores in 2024 and that involvement will billow as he looks ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft.

2. Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh: Reid is a Marshall Faulk or Alvin Kamara type of player in terms of all-purpose ability. As a freshman, he rocked a rushing line of 184-955-5 with a receiving line of 52-579-4 in 11 games. His potential is enormous and he should be a first round target in every CFF draft.

3. Sire Gaines, Boise State: One of my favorite CFF angles is targeting an in-program returnee who was the involved backup to the stud the year before. Gaines was basically in the on-deck circle and now it’s his turn to hit. Ashton Jeanty bogarted literally every RB stat last season with an historic rushing line of 374-2,601-29. I still can’t believe those numbers are real. As you can see, Gaines is stepping into a launching pad and I love his chances for a big-time season after averaging 7.8 yards per carry as a Freshman.

4. Anthony Hankerson, Oregon State: This dude is a banger who scores touchdowns. After two seasons as a part-time player in Colorado, Hankerson exploded his first season at Oregon State with a rushing line of 232-1,082-15 and 27 grabs to boot. Entering his senior season, he has 20-touchdown upside as the money man in the Beavers’ offense.

5. Isaac Brown, Louisville: Brown made the 247Sports True Freshman All-American team last season thanks to a rushing line of 165-1,173-11 and 30 catches for another 152 and one. He led his conference with a per-carry average of 7.1 and he enters his sophomore season with 1,500-total-yard, 15-TD potential.                                                                                                   
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