2025 Fantasy Football RB Exit Interview: Lack of chaos saw operating…

2025 Fantasy Football RB Exit Interview: Lack of chaos saw operating…

When it got here to fantasy operating backs, a bizarre factor occurred in 2025 in that effectively… nothing occurred.

What I imply is that nearly every single yr the operating again place sees big, large, seismic shifts. It’s the most unstable place in soccer because of accidents and the comparatively brief prime years the game’s stars take pleasure in.

Advertisement

[Upgrade to Fantasy Plus and gain your edge in player projections and much more]

It’s the entire premise behind handcuffs and the zero-RB motion; those methods work when there’s chaos at the operating again place. But for the last couple of years, the place has actually loved so much of stability.

2025’s top RB scorers (by 17 weeks)

The Other Shoe Never Dropped

All the unhealthy stuff zero-RB’ers had been ready on largely died on the vine. Christian McCaffrey was purported to be an enormous injury danger. He didn’t miss a single game and completed in a well-known spot as the game’s top-scoring operating again in PPR codecs.

Advertisement

“There is absolutely no way in hell James Cook is going to score at the rate he did last year!” He had 18 touchdowns last yr, he has 14 by 16 games this yr. He was the RB8 in 2024, he completed as the RB6 in 2025. That’s an enormous DX crotch chop to you regression nerds!

The Curse of 370 was a darkish, shadowy spectre looming over the shoulders of Saquon Barkely and Derrick Henry coming into drafts. And while there’s no query each backs saw noticeable dips in effectivity, the chunk was largely de-fanged.

Sure, Saquon was a disappointment, drafted as the RB2 he completed as the RB14, however he wasn’t the purpose why you misplaced. He performed 16 games and while he whiffed during championship week, he had fewer than 8.5 PPR factors in just three games this yr. He wasn’t a league-winner like he was last yr however he was a constant contributor with a few spike weeks. You would’ve preferred more given his value however general he was still a superb participant.

Advertisement

Derrick Henry had 16 touchdowns last yr, another 16 this yr and tacked on another 1,600 scrimmage yards onto his Hall of Fame tally. Henry’s largest downside was really that his coach forgot he existed for large parts of games. Oh by the method, he did this at the age of 31! Henry handled the 2025 season like he did the 2018 Jags, stiff-arming TWO destructive narratives into the filth.

Young Players Never Materialized

Rookies or sneaky second-year gamers always appear to leap to the forefront of the fantasy panorama, assume Bucky Irving and De’Von Achane last yr. But this yr? There was a surprising lack of season-long, high-end manufacturing from younger gamers.

Advertisement

Ashton Jeanty’s season was rocky as he posted 5 games of fewer than 8.5 PPR factors, and while I believed he confirmed really elite upside for stretches of games, the Raiders’ offensive line and training insanity was an excessive amount of for him to beat.

Drafted as a top 6-7 operating again (6 7) he completed as the RB13 on the season. Like Saquon, he wasn’t unhealthy, he just wasn’t fairly what we needed in fantasy.

I used to be told Travis Etienne Jr. was really horrible and that Tank Bigsby was going to take over the Jags backfield. Then Tank was traded and then I used to be told this was a transfer to truly get Bhayshul Tuten the rock more so that he might overtake ETN. Meanwhile Etienne just saved plugging away.

TreVeyon Henderson was downright dominant from Weeks 10-15 averaging 22.6 PPR factors across those 5 games, however other than those handful of games, he was largely unplayable as Rhamondre Stevenson constantly held onto the beginning gig.

Advertisement

I believed Quinshon Judkins was going to take off however after a sizzling start, he cooled significantly. He averaged 15.5 PPR PPG from Weeks 2-5, 10.8 PPG from Week 6 on, 5 occasions scoring single-digit PPR factors.

Cam Skattebo might have been that man however sadly he obtained damage. Omarion Hampton and RJ Harvey had been terrific down the stretch however had been unplayable until distressingly late into the season.

Woody Marks, Kyle Monangai and Jacory Croskey-Merritt had their moments and might be intriguing gamers going into next yr, however had been at best position gamers this yr.

And bear in mind Kaleb Johnson??? Drafted as a high-upside, top-30 operating again prospect, a participant that ought to have been an ideal schematic match apparently evaporated after Arthur Smith did his yearly nonsense.

Advertisement

The Biggest Surprises

Javonte Williams, Cowboys

I discussed Etienne earlier and there’s no query him ending as the RB10 by Week 17, after being drafted round RB30, is one of the season’s largest surprises. That being said, there was no greater out-of-left-field season than Javonte Williams in Dallas.

EVERYONE thought he was toast after injury-ravaged seasons in Denver however he announced his arrival in Week 1 in an island game with a 20-spot and just saved on producing. He carried groups to early-season successful information and even though he slowed a contact in the again half (going from 17.3 to 12.4 PPR PPG), he hardly ever crushed your team. He only had one single-digit PPR game after his Week 10 bye and completed the season as the RB11.

Advertisement

Rico Dowdle, Panthers

From Week 5 to fifteen, Uncle Rico was a top-10 fantasy again averaging a whopping 17.4 PPR PPG. This was all discovered cash as effectively contemplating Rico was a operating again taken outdoors the top 55 at the place. In the overwhelming majority of leagues he was a waiver wire hero. Before you take into account this a flukey season, have in mind, Dowdle has now put together BACK-TO-BACK 1,300 yard seasons for 2 different groups. Give this man his correct due.

Kenneth Gainwell, Steelers

It’s unlucky Gainwell flopped during championship week (6.8 factors in PPR) because in any other case he was insanely productive. He’s still arguably the waiver wire pickup of the yr contemplating he’s the RB9 since Week 11. Despite the big end, I’ve actually zero clue what this operating again rotation seems to be like next yr. It’s because of this lack of readability I think about he’ll still go in the later rounds of drafts next yr, however we’ll see.

Advertisement

The Busts

Speaking of fantasy flameouts, Kaleb Johnson was the most notable rookie bust however despite all the consistency I’ve been yapping about, you possibly can’t inform the story of a fantasy soccer season without harping on the guys who torpedoed your numerous groups.

Bucky Irving, Bucs

It’s typically a gentleman’s settlement that skilled fantasy analysts don’t convey up injured gamers when speaking about season-long disappointments but it surely’s price noting that Bucky misplaced so much of juice this yr.

After impressing with a 5.4 yards per carry common as a rookie, Irving averaged a lowly 3.4 YPC this past yr. That’s an enormous dropoff. And this wasn’t just an injury issue. He averaged 3.3 YPC before the injury.

Advertisement

Add to Bucky’s hunch was the fact that new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard refused to provide him goal-line carries late in the yr. Between Weeks 13-17, when Bucky returned from injury, he had three carries inside the 10-yard line; Sean Tucker had seven such carries. Bucky, across 9 games this yr, scored just ONE speeding landing. Something to remember for 2026.

Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs

A top-25 operating again choice, of us thought they had been investing in a stable ground man contemplating he was the clear lead again in what was purported to be a more explosive KC offense this yr. Well… none of that occurred. Pacheco averaged an terrible 6.7 PPR PPG in the 13 games he performed this yr. Kareem Hunt was arguably the better again in each real life and in the pretend game.

Advertisement

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers

After a stunning breakout season in 2024, compiling 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games, the team added Rico Dowdle in the offseason. That, mixed with an early-season injury that lingered, tanked Chuba’s complete 2025 campaign. He saw a virtually 50% discount in yards (717) and scored just 4 occasions across 14 games. Drafted as a top-20 RB, he completed as the RB37.

David Montgomery, Lions

If you had been anticipating 2024 Ben Johnson usage in 2025 for Montgomery, you performed your self. He was stable early when the offensive line was healthy however from Week 6 on, he averaged just 8.2 PPR factors per game; the RB35 in per game scoring. He cracked double digits in just 4 of his last 11 games performed.

Advertisement

It’s a slow drip however as Jahmyr Gibbs has ascended, Montgomery has gotten barely fewer snaps, saw barely fewer targets and most importantly saw a slight discount in goal-line carries. That mixed with fewer scoring alternatives typically (DET went from 33.2 PPG to twenty-eight.9 PPG), meant he wasn’t scoring touchdowns at an absurd charge. It’s exhausting to see any of that bouncing again in 2026, particularly as Montgomery is coming into his age-29 season.

Way-too-early fantasy RB rankings for 2026