We’ve officially just started to dive into some 2025 fantasy football content, which means it’s time for some running back rankings! If you followed me for my defense content last year, we’ll get to that, but let’s first start with the running backs.

In order to take things slow, we’ll be starting off with the top five, which will allow me to give an in-depth breakdown of each player. Even though the fantasy football season is a long way away, it’s never too early to start doing research. These rankings will be for a PPR format.

2025 Running Back Rankings

1. Saquon Barkley (PHI)

At the RB1 position, it’s tough to put anyone but Saquon Barkley here. Barkley had one of the best seasons for a running back of all time, running for 2,005 yards in 2024.

Not only that, but Barkley scored 15 total touchdowns, caught 33 passes and had 278 receiving yards. This resulted in a 22.2 PPG season for Barkley.

The only knock on Barkley is that he’s 28 years old, but we didn’t see any downward trend last season. With Barkley stepping into almost the same situation for 2025, it wouldn’t make sense to rank him anywhere else.

2. Bijan Robinson (ATL)

After a disappointing year one with only 14.5 PPG, Bijan Robinson more than made up for it in year two. The former 8th overall pick in the NFL Draft dominated, scoring 20.1 PPG in 2024.

Especially in PPR formats, Robinson has a chance to become the RB1 due to his three down skillset. Robinson was a better receiver than Barkley, as he caught 61 passes for 431 yards last season.

As a believer in Michael Penix Jr, I believe that this offense will be getting an upgrade over Kirk Cousins for 2025. That should result in longer drives and more scoring opportunities for Robinson.

3. Christian McCaffrey (SF)

Everyone has a different philosophy, but personally, I play to come in first or last place. If you agree with that mindset, it’s very easy to understand why Christian McCaffrey would be ranked here.

McCaffrey is a 28 year old running back coming off a series of injuries that kept him to only four games last season. If you just go back a year though, McCaffrey was a game changer, scoring 24.5 PPG.

Even though the 49ers offense has declined since then, with Brandon Aiyuk suffering a major injury, Trent Williams turning 36 and losing Deebo Samuel; they’re in for a bounceback. The last time we saw McCaffrey at full strength, he won fantasy leagues and I’m not missing out on that opportunity.

4. Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)

If you’re avoiding McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs is the safer option. Gibbs is entering his third season in the NFL and he’s only 23 years old.

Last season, Gibbs took a massive leap, scoring 21.3 PPG due to the fact that he had 1,412 yards on the ground, 20 total touchdowns and 52 receptions. However with Ben Johnson leaving there’s some minor concern around this offense taking a step back.

On top of that, David Montgomery is going to limit Gibbs’s upside every year. Last season, Gibbs’s stats were boosted by week 15-18, where Montgomery went down early in week 15 and then was out for the last three games.

Those four games were all but one of his top performances of the year. Nonetheless, Gibbs is one of the most talented running backs in the NFL and he’s a top five lock in fantasy football.

5. Derrick Henry (BAL)

It would just feel wrong to leave Derrick Henry off this list after what he did last season. Despite being 31 years old now, Henry had 19.8 PPG with the Baltimore Ravens last year.

Typically, older running backs tend to fall off at this age, but Henry is an anomaly. With Henry actually improving from 2023 to 2024, we can’t knock his age too much.

The Ravens offense has stayed almost the same since last year, meaning we shouldn’t see much change with Henry’s workload. Lastly, Henry just got a contract extension from the Ravens (two years – $30 million dollars), meaning that the team doesn’t believe he’s going to fall off in 2025.

While a lot is going to change in the fantasy football landscape, I don’t expect these top five running back rankings to change dramatically.