There are several NFL fantasy football running backs who bring question marks into the season. Included in that mix is Derrick Henry. However, here are five undervalued running backs based on their 2025 ADP.
At the top of that list is a player who is getting quite a bit of interest. But he deserves even more.
No. 1 — Bucky Irving, Buccaneers
More touches are baked into the equation for Irving. His workload increased dramatically down the stretch, and it should carry over into 2025.
There’s nobody scary behind him to steal touches. And he should sail over the 300 mark this year. And that means his overall ADP of 23 is too low. He should be taken as one of the elite backs because that’s what he will be this year.
The Buccaneers have big plans for Irving, according to ESPN.
“His vision,” Mayfield said when I asked what makes Irving special. “His timing of when he's supposed to hit the gas. He's patient, patient, and then hits it. I just think he's always looking to score. It's tough to see in practice. Like, last year at this time, I was like, ‘Eh. We'll see. It looks good.' But didn't expect it to be like it was.
“He's just tough to bring down. He's strong, he's got great vision. (And) he understands it. And then also you add in the ability to catch, too. He's well-rounded.”
No. 2 — Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions
This is a tight one because Gibbs has an overall ADP of 5. To exceed that, he needs to be grabbed ahead of Bijan Robinson or Barkley. A case can be made for taking Robinson over Gibbs, but not so for Barkley over Gibbs.
Barkley was overused in 2024, totaling 482 touches, including the playoffs. That’s 378 in the regular season, and an additional 104 in the postseason.
Meanwhile, Gibbs should gain touches even with David Montgomery still in the mix. The Lions likely won’t have the luxury of as many explosive plays without the creative genius of Ben Johnson. That means they’ll want Gibbs on the field more often, according to Pro Football Focus.
“(Gibbs’)playing time has been limited the past two seasons as he splits time with David Montgomery,” Nathan Jahnke wrote. “[Still] he’s managed to be an elite fantasy option with the most fantasy points per carry over the last two seasons of any running back.
“When Montgomery was injured late last season, [Gibbs] showed he could be the best running back in fantasy football if given enough opportunity. The Lions have a new offensive coordinator and new running back coach, which could lead to an increase in chances for Gibbs, pushing him closer to the top of the fantasy draft board.”
No. 3 — Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
Say what you want about his injury history. But when McCaffrey gets on the field, he can be a championship winner for fantasy managers.
He played in only four games in 2024 and totaled only 65 touches. But he’s healthy now and ready for a big season.
Even with the trade for Brian Robinson Jr., the 49ers will need to lean heavily on McCaffrey. Robinson is a plodder, while McCaffrey is a big play waiting to happen. And McCaffrey is still a fantasy elite. He’s going at No. 7 overall, but should be ahead of Barkley.
“Christian McCaffrey has been the most dominant fantasy running back of the past decade, given his success in both the pass game and the run,” Jahnke wrote. “However, he’s missed over 50% of the season during three of the last five years due to a wide variety of injuries. It’s hard to know exactly how predictive those injuries are of future injury, but there is also a risk of the 49ers limiting his snaps, or his play simply declining from all of the injuries and age. This makes McCaffrey one of the riskiest early draft picks.”
Even if the 49ers let Robinson shoulder some of the load, McCaffrey will still be more touch-heavy than he was last season.
No. 4 — Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants
Many people expect the Giants to struggle this season. But their offense should be improved.
After totaling 232 touches in his rookie season, there’s a clear path to more for Tracy this year. Backup Devin Singletary is aging, and Cam Skattebo doesn’t figure to be a touch monster. So Tracy should be going higher than his average pick of 79.
Tracy performed well in 2024 despite the team’s struggles. Four times, he produced starting numbers, according to Fantasy Pros.
“Upon taking over the backfield in Week 5, Tracy was the RB26 for the rest of the season in the second-lowest scoring offense in the NFL, including four weeks of RB1 production,” Chad Workman wrote. “The loss of Daniel Jones took the Giants’ offense from bad to putrid. But in his six games with Jones, Tracy tallied 516 rushing yards on 95 carries, good for nearly 5.5 yards per carry.
“As much as the fantasy community wanted to view this as a running back competition, reports out of New York suggest it was never a competition. Tracy has stood as the No. 1 RB all summer.”
No. 5 — Jordan Mason, Vikings
He signed a two-year contract worth up $12 million. That means the Vikings are going to use him. Mason has only six career starts, but this should be his breakout season, according to KFAN via draftsharks.com.
“Jordan Mason was a massive part of our offseason plan,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Bringing Aaron Jones back was a massive part of our offseason plan. We feel like we’ve got one of the best combinations of 1A-1B RBs in the National Football League. Not only just the impact that they have individually, but when you collectively put Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason together, you’ve got power, you’ve got speed, you’ve got two guys that catch the ball out of the backfield, two guys that can protect in the play pass or dropback pass game.”
Mason is sailing in as pick No. 102, and he should easily eclipse that level.
Add in the fact that starter Aaron Jones will play in his age-31 season, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Mason could take over the lead role before the year is over.
“With Jones closing in on age 31, he’s nearing the age cliff and has a lengthy injury history,” Workman wrote. “While he should remain the preferred option on passing downs, there’s potential for Mason to lead the team in carries and touchdowns. On top of that, he carries immense contingent upside if Jones misses time. The two running backs should be going much closer to one another in drafts, making Mason a value.”
