One Week Season

Fantasy Football: Rookie RB Profiles

Dr. Roto

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas wasted no time using the sixth overall pick on the draft’s top running back prospect. Jeanty finished his final season at Boise State, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. His 374 attempts and 2,601 rushing yards were tops in FBS. The 5’8” 211lb playmaker immediately becomes the top dog in the Raiders’ backfield, rushing behind the league’s 18th-ranked offensive line—Jeanty’s ability to shed tackles and be a three-down back places him in RB1 conversations. During his three years at Boise State, Jeanty averaged 250 attempts, 1,589 yards, and 16 touchdowns. His usage in the passing game drastically decreased last season, finishing with 138 receiving yards compared to 569 in 2024. It is realistic to expect Jeanty to have a big role in Las Vegas’s passing game during his rookie season.

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Early in March, the Chargers signed former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris on a one-year deal. The signing didn’t prevent the team from selecting Omarion Hampton with the 22nd overall pick. Hampton finished his final season at North Carolina with 1,660 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. It was his second-straight season rushing for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. Hampton is a bruiser who thrives on yards after contact. Jim Harbaugh loves a run-heavy offense, and Hampton will flourish in Coach Harbaugh’s system. He will lose the occasional touches to Najee Harris, but Hampton should be viewed as a high-upside RB2.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

The second-round pick enters 2025 with a strong probability of winning the RB-1 tag over veteran Jerome Ford. Last season, Judkins gave Ohio State a two-headed monster with TreVeyon Henderson, finishing with a team-leading 1,060 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. The rookie will be the team’s goal-line back and should be expected to improve his pass-catching ability during the season. Quinshon Judkins has the makings of a top-producing RB2 during his first NFL season.

RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

Sean Payton is notorious for producing fantasy running backs that catch a high number of passes, and RJ Harvey could be a sleeper in 2025 fantasy football drafts. Harvey averaged 1,496 rushing yards, 19 rushing touchdowns, 252 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns over his final two seasons at UCF. He produced his best number during his final season with 1,577 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, 267 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. Harvey enters training camp competing with J.K. Dobbins, but second-round pick Harvey should run away with RB1 duties by week one. It wasn’t long ago when Sean Payton turned Alvin Kamara into a fantasy football commodity.

Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Jaylen Warren best fits a complementary role, and Pittsburgh’s receiving back, but Kaleb Johnson will have every opportunity to enter week one as the lead back for the Steelers. At 6’1 224lbs, Johnson is a big back who enters the NFL after posting his best collegiate numbers with 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. Of each player on this list, Kaleb Johnson has the most talented running back teammate in Jaylen Warren. Warren will see high usage, but Johnson will be Pittsburgh’s main goal-line back as well as early down carries.

TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

New England selected Henderson in the second round after the running back finished his final season at Ohio State with 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rhamondre Stevenson should enter the season as RB1, but he could have a short leash if his fumbling issues carry over into this season, as well as the running back’s decreasing yards per carry over the last two seasons. This leaves TreVeyon Henderson as an RB3 or FLEX option with upside. His athleticism is off the charts, and New England’s new head coach, Mike Vrabel, will love his pass-blocking abilities.

Honorable Mentions

The following rookie running backs may not produce immediately but will carry value if injuries occur to the running backs ahead of them on their team’s depth chart. They warrant late-round draft pick status.