Fantasy NFL: 2025 Running Backs to Avoid in 2025

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  • By Nathan Hernandez

    Last Updated on July 8, 2025 3:40 pm by Jon Mosales | Published: July 8, 2025

    Every year, there are a handful of fantasy football draft picks that disappoint in the worst way possible, proving to be an insurmountable blunder in selecting them. These picks can sometimes cost you your entire season, and being able to avoid them in fantasy drafts is arguably as important as nailing the picks that count and finding diamonds in the rough. Sometimes, players who bust can feel like obvious landmines in hindsight, and I’m here to try and shed some light on high profile running backs who could sink your chances of shipping 2025 fantasy football leagues on draft day. Let’s get into it, shall we?

    Kyren Williams – Los Angeles Rams

    Current ADP 33.9 | 2024 RB7 Overall Finish | 15.9 Half-PPR FPPG

    Kyren Williams is a workhorse running back, through and through, and it’s clear that coach Sean McVay likes him a ton given the opportunities Williams has seized and made the most of for a majority of his time as a Ram. He had a great season on the back of some immense volume, but he lost nearly a yard per carry over the year, averaging 5.0 YPC in 2023 and 4.1 in 2024. Williams, though, also had a couple of costly fumbles last year, including one in the Division round loss to the Eagles. Los Angeles also added another intriguing young ball-carrier in the fourth round of this year’s draft in Jarquez Hunter, pairing him with 2024 rookie second-round pick Blake Corum as the reserves in the RB room. He lacks explosiveness, and any loss of valuable touches to these young guns could be a noticeable loss for Williams’s fantasy profile. His longest carry last season was just 30 yards, and he had just two gains of 20-yards on 316 carries in 2024. The wheels are bound to fall off on Williams at this rate, and if they don’t this season, it’s likely due to a sacrifice of volume to the younger guys in order to preserve his health.

    James Cook – Buffalo Bills

    Current ADP 42.4 | 2024 RB8 Overall Finish | 15.7 Half-PPR FPPG

    James Cook is one of the easiest players to fade at this time, given the murkiness of his contract situation between him and Buffalo, with the young RB holding in with the Bills thus far. James Cook ran incredibly well on rushing touchdowns last season, cashing in on half of the team’s league-leading 32 rushing scores in 2024. Last year, rookie RB Ray Davis also flashed a ton of potential, and his talents may be part of the reason that Buffalo is hesitant to commit to Cook with a long-term extension. I’ve been vocal about my excitement for Ray Davis’s potential in his sophomore season. Back in May, it was reported that Cook was seeking a deal in the region of $15M per season, a mark that only three RBs in the NFL currently earn, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry. In my opinion, there is a massive difference in those guys and the going-on fourth-year ball-carrier. While Cook could find peace elsewhere by making his way to another franchise via trade, we can’t count on that until it happens, so until further notice, Cook has a glass floor beneath him as a fourth-round draft choice.


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    July 8, 2025, 3:40 pm