Identifying separating factors for players in Fantasy Football can be key in making the right selections on your draft day. Understanding what metrics matter for each position and who can hit these specific metrics can be a huge factor in separating players. There is a long list of variables that can determine Fantasy Football success for the running back position: health, teammate competition, total touches, offensive line, rushing yard totals, receiving totals, touchdown totals, yards per touch, and the combination of these variables and other factors. Today, we look at running backs who catch passes and the specific impacts on Fantasy Football.
Running backs who catch passes have a higher “ceiling” or more “upside” because they do not score Fantasy Points on the ground but through the air. This can also create a safer scoring “floor”, because a running back can have a down game for Fantasy scoring rushing, but can be picked up by some receiving points. There are running backs who primarily just catch passes, there are running backs who rarely catch passes, and there are running backs who have balanced volume both on the ground and through the air, which goes back to the variables for Fantasy Football for this position.
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A baseline reception number of 50 was used for the data set I looked at from 2020 to 2024. I will then break down what 50 receptions means for Fantasy Football (points per reception leagues), and then who can hit this metric in 2025.
The Power of the Pass-Catching RB for Fantasy Football
50+ Reception Running Backs from 2020-2024
Notes:
- 49 running backs caught 50 or more passes from 2020-2024
- The average positional finish for Fantasy Football of these 49 players was 12.47
- The average total Fantasy Points scored of these 49 running backs was 246.58
- The average Fantasy points per game (PPG) of these 49 running backs was 15.56
- 40/49 (81.63%) of the running backs from the sample finished top 24 for the position in Fantasy Football
- 30/49 (61.22%) of the running backs from the sample finished top 12 for the position in Fantasy Football
- 14/49 (28.57%) of the running backs from the sample finished top five for the position in Fantasy Football
Concluding note: catching 50 passes is a near lock to finishing as a top 24 Fantasy running back, and creates a high chance of finishing as a top 12 Fantasy running back. Although the list of variables is long when it comes to Fantasy Football scoring, catching 50+ balls translates to Fantasy Football success.
2025 RB Projections: 50+ Reception Candidates
Knowing the impacts of catching 50+ passes on Fantasy Football, it is now important to project who can hit this metric in 2025. These players can have a boost in their Fantasy ceilings for scoring and odds of finishing as top 24 / top 12 Fantasy running backs in 2025.
Locks for 2025:
- De’Von Achane: Finished 2024 second in targets (87) and first in receptions (78)
- Alvin Kamara: 68 and 75 receptions the last two seasons, playing just 27 total games during that span
- Christian McCaffrey: Just four games played in 2024, but caught 67 and 85 ballsin the two seasons prior
- Jahmyr Gibbs: 52 receptions on the dot two seasons in a row
- Bijan Robinson: 61 receptions on 72 targets in 2024
- Chase Brown: 54 receptions on 65 targets while not having the clear lead job all season in 2024
- Ashton Jeanty: a workhorse running back who had a 43-catch season in 12 games for Boise State in 2023
Other Possibilities for 2025:
- Breece Hall: 57 and 76 receptions the last two seasons for the Jets
- Aaron Jones: 51 receptions last season for the Vikings. Caught 50+ in three of his last four years
- Rachaad White: 51, 64, and 50 receptions since entering the NFL
- RJ Harvey: 61 career receptions for UCF. The Broncos passed to running backs plenty last season
- Bucky Irving: 52 targets and 47 receptions as a rookie last season
- Jaylen Warren: 2.5 receptions per game in 2024 but 61 total catches the previous season
- Austin Ekeler: 35 catches in 12 games last season for Washington. 50+ in his previous five seasons played
- Kenneth Walker III: 46 catches last season in just 11 games would have extrapolated to 71.4 through 17 games
- James Conner: 47 catches last season as a workhorse through 16 games
- Javonte Williams: 52 receptions in 2024 and 47 in 2023. Looks like the new RB1 in Dallas
- Tyrone Tracy Jr: 38 catches as a rookie. Former wide receiver in college at Iowa
- TreVeyon Henderson: 77 career receptions for Ohio State show his dual-threat abilities
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