PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out! Below, Ted Chmyz breaks down the fantasy potential of the Rookie Rankings: Top 10 Running Backs ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The running back position is one of the biggest strengths of the 2025 NFL rookie class. This is true for real football, and it is even more true for Dynasty Fantasy Football. Of course, landing spot and especially draft capital should play a massive part in our final rankings of these rookie backs. But it is often very helpful to put together rookie rankings before the NFL Draft, which can then be adjusted as needed once the Draft has passed. With that in mind, here are my pre-draft rankings of the top 10 rookie running backs for Dynasty Fantasy Football.
Rookie Rankings: Top 10 Running Backs
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
It really couldn’t be anyone else. Omarion Hampton is an excellent prospect, deservedly steaming up draft boards. But he’s still not in the same tier as Jeanty. The 2024 Heisman runner-up has everything going for him.
He’s a workhorse on the ground and a playmaker through the air. He’s likely to go not just in the first round of the NFL Draft but the top 10 overall. The question isn’t whether Jeanty is the best prospect this year. The question is whether he’s the best prospect we’ve seen since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Hampton would be the deserving RB1 in plenty of other draft classes. Following an excellent performance at the Scouting Combine, he has separated himself from every running back in this class who didn’t play on a blue field in college. In fact, it now looks more likely than not that Hampton will be a first-round selection. The fantasy hit rate on first-round running backs is pristine. And it’s not like this is a Clyde Edwards-Helaire situation, as Hampton checks every other box you can think of. Athleticism, production, receiving ability, size — he has it all.
Hampton checks all the boxes in terms of production and athleticism.
3. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Things get trickier now that we are past Jeanty and Hampton. For me, the next four backs make up a very tightly packed tier. However, someone has to go on top of that tier, and Henderson deserves that honor. In years past, weighing in at just 202 pounds might have knocked him down a few ranks.
However, smaller backs are finding more and more success at the NFL level, and a 91st percentile Burst Score means that Henderson has the athleticism to make up for what he lacks in size. His college total production marks aren’t elite because he split work with the next name on this list, but Henderson’s efficiency is excellent. Combine that with his projected second-round draft capital, and we have a very exciting prospect.
4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
As mentioned, Judkins shared the OSU backfield with Henderson in his final year in college. If Henderson is lightning, Judkins is undeniably thunder at 6’0” and 221 pounds. But don’t let that trick you into thinking he isn’t explosive. Judkins bested Henderson with a 94th percentile Burst Score. A solid 4.48 40 time at his size gave him a 91st percentile Speed Score.
On the downside, Judkins isn’t much of a receiver, and his breakaway run rate leaves something to be desired compared to the other top backs in this class. Judkins may need to rely on simply churning out yards to provide fantasy success. Luckily, he has proven that he is certainly capable of that, with 3,786 yards on the ground in his three NCAA seasons (two at Ole Miss before transferring to OSU).
5. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
In any other class, Kaleb Johnson‘s 102.7 speed score would be respectable, if not a plus for his profile. In this class, it’s a bit disappointing. However, speed was never going to Johnson’s calling card at 6’1” and 224 pounds. What is his calling card is the absurd production he posted in 2024. Johnson’s 48.9-percent 2024 Dominator Rating is easily the best in this class, as he racked up over 1,700 combined yards on an Iowa offense that ranked 117th out of 134 FBS teams in yards per game.
I should note that Johnson’s freshman and sophomore years weren’t very productive, but his junior season was dominant enough to make that something we can overlook. He may be just a two-down back at the NFL level, but Johnson has the skill set to turn that role into plenty of fantasy points.
6. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
This is my first time deviating from PlayerProfiler’s Dynasty Deluxe Rankings, which are much lower on Skattebo, but I honestly wanted to have him even higher. There are obvious downsides in his profile, most notably, athleticism. In a cursory glance at his profile, Skattebo seems like an above-average athlete: An 89th percentile Burst Score (thanks to good performances in the jumps at the Combine) is his only recorded metric. But those other numbers are conspicuous in their absence. Skattebo was widely expected to post a very slow time in the 40-yard dash. That he chose not to run means his time would likely have come in below even those low expectations. That’s a red flag, as there are precedents of backs being simply too slow to succeed in the NFL.
However, everything else about Skattebo’s profile is excellent. His production is pristine, especially in the receiving game, where he posted a 14.4-percent target share in 2024. Even a stats nerd like myself has to acknowledge that his tape is awesome, as he runs with both vision and absurd toughness. Draft capital will tell us a lot about Skattebo. If an NFL team is willing to overlook his flaws and spend an early Day 2 pick, I’m all in on the Sun Devil.
The most important numbers in Cam Skattebo‘s Workout Metrics are the ones that aren’t there.
7. Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Tuten was probably the biggest winner of this year’s Combine. He posted a blazing fast 4.32 40 time at a respectable 206 pounds for a bonkers 118.3 Speed Score, then proceeded to kill the jumps for good measure. That explosiveness showed up on the field, too, as Tuten posted elite numbers in terms of breakaway rate and yards after contact.
However, he is not without risk. Unlike every back before him on this list, Tuten is currently projected to be a Day 3 pick. He wasn’t a highly touted recruit, having spent two years as a North Carolina A&T Aggie before transferring to Virginia Tech for his junior and senior years. Although his receiving production was solid, he might be destined for an early-down role in the NFL. If I was ranking prospects based on their floors, Tuten might not make this list at all. But his absurd athleticism means his ceiling in the right offense is tantalizing, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least until we see his draft capital.
8. DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Giddens is an elite athlete, having posted marks above the 90th percentile in each of Burst Score, Speed Score, and good old-fashioned 40-yard dash time. He is in an interesting position as a receiver, as he racked up solid counting stats despite an abysmal 33.6 PFF Receiving Grade in 2024.
On the ground, however, it’s hard to argue with Giddens’s 1,343 yards on 6.5 yards per carry last season. He also ranked eighth in this class in yards after contact per carry in 2024. Giddens’ current consensus ADP has him landing just barely inside the third round; whether he hangs on or falls to Day 3 will be a big factor in whether he maintains this ranking after the draft.
9. Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Sampson’s main positive is his projected draft capital. He’s undersized at 200 pounds on the dot and skipped his chance to make up for it with speed by choosing not to run the 40 at the Combine. He did run at Tennessee’s pro day, posting a time that has been reported as low as 4.42, but we always have to take non-Combine numbers with a grain of salt.
For an undersized, hopefully speedy back, Sampson’s receiving numbers are also slightly disappointing. He peaked at just a 7.0-percent target share in his junior season. With all that said, Sampson is still a productive college back who is projected to be selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. With how important draft capital is for predicting fantasy success at the RB position, he deserves this spot for now.
10. Devin Neal, Kansas
In some ways, Devin Neal is comparable to Skattebo. Both are bigger backs who posted elite production, especially through the air, but lack athleticism. Unlike Skattebo, Neal ran the 40 at the Combine and posted an underwhelming 4.58 time. Even when we factor in his 213-lb weight, that gives us a 96.8 Speed Score. That’s not truly terrible, but it’s easily the worst of the players on this list who ran at the Combine.
That lack of speed shows up in the data, as Neal is nothing special in metrics like breakaway rate and yards after contact. However, where he is special is catching the ball out of the backfield. He posted at least an 8.1-percent target share in each of his final three seasons at Kansas. Once we add in the 34 rushing TDs Neal racked up over the last two seasons, it’s easy to see how he could put up fantasy points in the right situation. The question will be whether he gets that situation, as he is currently projected to be a late fourth-round pick.
Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
