NFL Running Back Opportunity Breakdowns: Workhorses, Committees, and Questions

When it comes to fantasy football running backs, one thing is for certain: Opportunity is King! After all, a player can have all the talent in the world, but they can’t score if they don’t touch the ball. While scouting for talent is also a crucial step in evaluating your draft rankings, it’s never a bad idea to bet on touches. In this article, I’m going to break down the running back landscape for every team, and break them down into the Workhorses, the Committees, and the Murky Situations.

A quick disclaimer, players in this article are NOT being ranked based on point projection. Rather, we are sifting them into categories based on how much of their team’s running back touches they are expected to receive. Within each group, they are being ranked based on the confidence in their role and volatility moving forward.

Fantasy Football Running Back Workhorse, Committees, and Questions

True Workhorses

The true workhorses are our set-in-stone guys. There’s really no threat to their opportunity, and they should dominate the vast majority of all the RB touches on their team in 2025.

• Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles: You probably already know that he was last season’s rushing yard leader who likely could have set the all-time record if he hadn’t gotten shut down in the last game. While I don’t expect him to repeat his absurd 348 carries for 2005 yards on the ground, there might actually be some opportunity for growth in the passing game. Last year’s 33 receptions were his career LOW for any season where he’s played at least 13 games. Yes, Jalen Hurts doesn’t check down the ball too often, and with the Tush Push alive for another season, Saquon will again lose out on some of the redzone carries to his QB, but there’s really no threat behind him to cut into his role between the 20s.
• Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens: You’re going to get all the same arguments as last year: Age, plays with a rushing quarterback, limited pass catching, yada yada yada. King Henry is the biggest outlier in the NFL, and despite this being his age-31 season, he shows no signs of slowing down. While he’ll never catch a ton of passes, the team schemes him well in the limited work, as seen by last year’s 10.2 yards per reception. You could point to his 57% snap share last year and claim that this is a committee, but in reality, the team just tried to keep him as fresh as possible when they don’t plan to run, considering he handled nearly 82% of the team’s RB carries. With a pedestrian backfield behind him, I would be more shocked if Henry doesn’t post a second consecutive 300+ carry season.
• Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: While he might have the best running mate of anyone on the workhorse list in Tyler Allgeier, Bijan still took 75% of snaps for the Falcons last season and will continue to carry the load in 2025 and for years to come. He might be the most complete back in the NFL and is still clearly in his prime at only 23 years old. While the jury may still be out on his quarterback, Michael Penix, one thing we do know for certain is that the dude likes to check it down to his running back. 350+ total touches seems like a lock, Bijan will EAT this year.
• Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: Green Bay got a new toy in Jacobs last year and wasted no time putting him to good use. While the Packers certainly hope that Marshawn Lloyd can stay healthy and provide some depth behind Jacobs, we should still expect another big year from Jacobs on a fairly run-heavy team. I feel like Jacobs has been undervalued since he played in the Hall of Fame game for the Raiders over two years ago. He’s probably going to be a value again this year.
• Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: Only five other players recorded at least 300 rushing attempts last year, four of whom appear above JT on this list. Of the group, Taylor was able to set this mark in the least number of games played at 14. Taylor is still one of the premier backs in the league. I feel like any shine that has been worn off is due to him being on a bad team with a mobile QB and some previous injuries. With all the QB uncertainty in Indy, I feel like the Colts will lean even more heavily on Taylor moving forward. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but cross your fingers for Daniel Jones to get the nod.
• Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders: Since he’s a rookie, I don’t have any stats to try and shove in here, but let’s be honest, I don’t need any. He’s touted as a once-in-a-generation prospect, playing for a coach who loves to pound the rock, and in a backfield where his biggest competition will be 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. The biggest knock may very well be the offensive line, but with Jeanty’s balance and shiftiness, maybe that won’t be much of a problem.

Probable Workhorses

These are the guys that should dominate touches for their team, but there’s a slight risk to them ceding more work than expected to the guys behind them in their backfield.

• Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers: Historically, CMC would be in the true workhorse category, but the past few injury-plagued seasons give me some worry that the 49ers might try to limit his touches so that he can potentially survive the season. They let Jordan Mason go in the offseason, which should free up some carries, but they still seem high on Isaac Guerendo. I don’t know if the team can keep ANY running back healthy, let alone CMC, but the fact remains that when he’s been on the field, he’s been the best fantasy weapon out there. Big risk with a potential league-winning reward.
• Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams: The only player with 300+ attempts last year that I haven’t mentioned yet. While he’s not the most efficient runner, he’s got the most rushing yards in the past two seasons behind only Saquon and Derrick Henry. Putting him this low on the list has less to do with Kyren and more to do with Sean McVay being a wildcard. I feel like McVay is the likeliest coach to have a new offensive focal point that nobody saw coming, and of course, he’s already talking up second-year back Blake Corum and new rookie Jarquez Hunter.  On the bright side, Kyren just got a new 3-year contract with over $23 million guaranteed, so I’d say his role is pretty secure. I think the Hunter hype is real, but it will probably only amount to him taking the #2 role, for now.
• Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints: Here’s one of the harder names to put on a list like this. On one hand, I expect Kamara to be a workhorse from a team/yardage perspective. On the other hand, I don’t know how many first downs this team gets this year, let alone touchdowns. It might not matter who’s behind him, as there may not be enough opportunities to go around regardless. Plus, with a new regime, maybe they want to know if Kendre Miller has any juice? Last year, Taysom Hill was the team’s second leading rusher, proving they had NOBODY behind Alvin. Sure, Kamara will still provide fantasy points this season, but I don’t expect consistency outside of PPR, and in a lost season, he may get shut down to give some young guys a look.
• Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown doesn’t look like your typical workhorse, but the Bengals have shown their hand with the moves (or lack thereof) they’ve made in their RB room this offseason. Zack Moss, who could have been a threat to steal goal-line work, was released, while the team added… pretty much nobody. Samaje Perine could steal some third-down snaps, but Brown is such a great pass catcher, I think it will be more for the occasional breather rather than having Perine as a fixture in that role. Seriously, the way Burrow checked it down to him last season seemed like the second coming of Tom Brady and James White. Even with how high he is in ADP, it still might not even be his ceiling.
• Breece Hall, New York Jets: I feel like I’m a little bit higher than most on Breece this year, a scary proposition considering I drafted him fifth overall just a season ago. On paper, Breece should be up in the workhorse list, and there’s a very good chance that he’ll be back up there when I write this article next year. Braelon Allen looked decent in his opportunities last season, but I don’t think he’s quite the same pedigree as Breece. With a new coach, a new rushing quarterback, and the same dudes nipping at his heels for touches, folks are scared of Breece this year. Let them be, I’ll buy him whenever there’s value (which should be often).
• James Connor, Arizona Cardinals: I feel disrespectful having Connor this low on a workhorse list, because he’s been nothing but a workhorse since entering the league, but Kyler Murray doesn’t check down much, and they have sophomore Trey Benson behind him who should see more work this year. Benson started to receive more work as the season progressed last year before being shut down in the final weeks due to injury. I don’t know if it’s possible for Connor to play a full season, so if Benson does get some work early on, I expect him to have a role all season.

Running Back Committees

Being in a committee doesn’t necessarily mean that some of these players aren’t top-tier, just that the lead back will receive closer to 50% of touches rather than 75%. For most teams, I’m going to just list the lead back, unless the backup is expected to have standalone fantasy relevance. The higher up on the list they are, the closer the lead back should be to the workhorses.

• Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, Detroit Lions: Don’t hear what I’m not saying, Gibbs should be a Top 4 RB this season. Full Stop. Putting him here is simply because of how the Lions operate. Last year, Gibbs and Montgomery averaged 14.7 and 13.2 rushing attempts per game, respectively. Monty also received 38 targets in only 14 games, compared to Gibbs’ 63 targets across 17. Montgomery had more targets per game than Saquon and a higher yards per reception. It’s easy to get distracted by the Gibbs upside, but both players will play big roles this year. While we may hope for this to be more of the Gibbs show this year, I’m expecting a similar split.
• De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: Achane certainly has the talent to be a workhorse, but his size and play style likely mean that he’ll never quite achieve that status on a touch basis. Obviously, his efficiency came down last year from his insane 7.9 yards per carry in 2023, but he received 87 (!) targets. With Jonnu Smith traded away and Tua’s tendency to throw as close to the line of scrimmage as possible, somehow, Achane could get even more receiving work in 2025. The Dolphins have never relied too heavily on just one back, and I expect a lot more out of Jaylen Wright in his second year as well as a potential goal line role for rookie Ollie Gordon. He’s never going to have a 300 attempt season (even 250 would be unlikely) but the ceiling for Achane remains sky-high.
• Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This is another case of me being afraid of the little guys. Bucky was a revelation last year. His pass catching was phenomenal, and he looked great on his feet. Unfortunately, while he was a much worse runner, Rachaad White was equally as good (and used as much) as Bucky through the air.  Bucky actually only cracked 50% of snaps six times last year, but five of those instances were in the final seven games. While this gives me hope that he’s already won the job moving forward, we’ll have to wait and see what the new OC has in store. My big concern is that the Bucs aren’t quite done with White yet, and the touches will be split a bit too much for fantasy managers’ liking.
• Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans: Pollard actually received the 8^th most carries in the league last year with 260, to go along with 57 targets. Spears got 84 carries and 35 targets in 12 games. I don’t expect Pollard to lose work so much as I expect Spears to gain some. A rookie QB might mean more run plays and checkdowns, but the team likely won’t be great. I expect a decent season for Pollard, but this will likely be closer to a true committee than last year.
• Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers: Full disclosure, I really like Chuba. Last year, the perception was that Chuba would be just a placeholder until Jonathan Brooks could play. Chuba just kept chugging along and was rewarded with a four-year extension, seemingly setting up a one-two punch for years to come in Carolina. Unfortunately, Brooks got hurt again, and now we may never see that. The big reason for this ranking is that we don’t know what the Panthers want to do moving forward. They signed Rico Dowdle to a one-year contract over the offseason, which would leads us to believe he’ll just be a complement. On the other hand, Dowdle put up extremely similar totals and efficiency numbers as Hubbard last season, so it’s certainly possible that the team views him as more of a 1b than a backup.
• Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker is one of the biggest breakaway run threats in the league, but health has always been an issue. Walker was the first guy up when he played, but he missed 6 games last year. Charbonnet looked good last year, and based on his draft capital, we would expect him to get more use this season. Add in the fact that every part of the Seahawks offense outside of the running backs has been upended, with a strong likelihood of the team taking a step back, and this is more than likely a recipe for disappointment.
• James Cook, Buffalo Bills: Currently, Cook is doing a “hold in” at training camp while he tries to negotiate a new contract. I don’t blame the guy for trying to get paid after what he did last season, but Cook could potentially be the worst regressor compared to last season. Far too many of his points came from touchdowns last year, something that hasn’t historically been a strong suit of his. Cook only received 207 attempts last year and 38 targets. Ray Davis got 114 carries last season and could eat even more into Cook’s work during his second year. Ty Johnson is getting hype for his 3rd down prowess. Also, make no mistake, Josh Allen (who rushed 102 times last season) is both the team’s RB1 and goal-line back.
• RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins, Denver Broncos: Before the Dobbins signing, Harvey looked like he was going to be just about every analyst’s draft darling. Dobbins looked good early on last season, but lost some steam towards the end. Maybe that’s due to him coming off an injury and still not being back to 100%, or maybe that’s just what his 100% looks like at this stage of his career. Either way, I expect a hot start for Dobbins, with Harvey coming along a bit later in the season. Sean Payton has always used multiple backs, so both could be valuable this season. RJ could be a league winner if Dobbins trails off towards the end of the season again, and will be someone I see myself targeting in trades with disgruntled managers after the first few weeks.
• Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: This actually feels more like a three-headed monster since they also have to share carries with Jayden Daniels. While I think this team will be above average, they still outperformed a bit last year, and could regress this season. Last season, they flip-flopped on snap share in most games, with neither surpassing 50% on the end-of-season totals. I like Robinson’s value a lot better if Ekeler goes down than vice versa. Both backs should likely be rostered, but will probably be more in the Flex/bye week fill-in category than starters.
• Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings: I can honestly see this as being one of the truest committees out there. I think Mason will receive the majority of the ground game, with Jones being more of the pass catcher. I think both are quality backs, but we have no idea how this split is going to shake out. Jones has never really been a back to handle a massive workload, while Mason is still relatively unproven. If one of them is able to grab the reins, they could be one of the biggest draft-day steals. More likely than not, though, this will be a true committee.

Murky Situations

Here are the teams that have the most uncertainty going into the year. There are plenty of players that could pop in this group, but without a clear-cut role going into the season, they could also be duds. Some of these backfields will turn into committees, and some may find a workhorse. The range of outcomes is just too high to definitively put them in one category or the other.

• Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars: This marks one of the biggest falloffs from this time last year, as Etienne was the ADP #6 RB taken off the boards in 2024. This year, he’s currently being drafted as RB #35, just 8 spots ahead of his teammate Tank Bigsby. The Jags also have a new coach in Liam Cohen. Those looking at the glass half full think Etienne might be able to be this year’s Bucky Irving thanks to his pass-catching abilities. The naysayers think he might not even be the first backup. For all we know, rookie Bhayshul Tuten could end up getting the most carries this year. Personally, this is a backfield that I want no part of. If one of them hits, I’ll be happy to have been wrong.
• Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb, Houston Texans: Mixon proved to be a workhorse for Houston last season, and barring injury, it would be a safe bet that he’d do so again. The problem is that he is currently sitting out at training camp while he deals with a foot injury. I fear this is a lingering issue from his ankle injury last season and could have him missing considerable time this season. He’s already an inefficient runner who needs volume to succeed, and what if his body can’t take it? The Texans added Nick Chubb in the offseason, but whether he can return to even a semblance of his former self remains a question. I think it’s fairly likely that Chubb has permanently lost a step, but maybe the team saw something when they decided to sign him. This will be one of the most important situations to monitor.
• Kaleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers: I love Kaleb Johnson if you can get him in the middle rounds, but I expect Jaylen Warren to receive some extra veteran touches early in the season. Current training camp reports suggest Warren is running with the first team while Johnson gets better acclimated to pass protection at this stage. Ultimately, I think Warren will continue in the role he’s had for the past few seasons, ceding the majority of the groundwork to Johnson at some point. The Steelers will likely be a run-first team under OC Arthur Smith, regardless of how Aaron Rodgers feels, and Johnson fits perfectly into his scheme. Our hope, of course, is that Kaleb becomes the guy after the first few weeks, but odds are this is a committee similar to last year.
• TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots: Yes, I listed the rookie first, but I think Rhamondre will be given his opportunity to fail to start the season. The new coaching staff got their guy in the draft, but Rhamondre is simply paid too much to keep him on the sideline. Henderson will be a great back in the years to come, but could have a frustrating rookie season where we see the flashes but not the consistency. I think everyone (Vrabel included) will be hoping that Stevenson fumbles his way out of the leading role, and he very well could.
• Quinshon Judkins and Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns: Like his old college teammate, TreVeyon Henderson, Judkins is the best back on his team. The offense is going to be terrible, though, with us potentially seeing four different starting QBs this season. Currently, Judkins has not signed his rookie deal and hasn’t reported to camp while he focuses on some off-field legal issues. Jerome Ford was already expected to play a role this season, but after agreeing to a much-reduced salary, it was unclear just how big that role would be. Now, with all the added Judkins drama, the situation has gotten even more unpredictable. If Judkins misses time at the start of the season, or a stretch due to a suspension, Ford should have a lot a value in those weeks. I had expected Judkins to take over as the primary runner at some point this season, but who’s to say if that is in the cards this year? Within all this uncertainty, it’s even possible that another rookie, sixth-rounder Dylan Sampson, could turn into a hidden gem this season.
• Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers: I would have had this in the committee section, as I had expected this to be the most even split of any team besides the Lions. Najee had the ninth-most carries last season, and the Chargers brought him in for a reason. Plus, he’s on a one-year contract, so the team could be inclined to ride him into the dirt without fear of overworking him. The naysayers will point to Najee’s efficiency and the fact that the Chargers got him before the draft, when they didn’t know Hampton would be there for them. Najee also had a firework mishap this summer, where he sustained a “superficial eye injury”. Nothing else is known at this time, but that could obviously cause some issues this season, and we will need to monitor any news through training camp. Hampton has some of the best odds of being in the workhorse section next year, but will probably be in a frustrating time split this season. With the amount we expect the Chargers to run the ball, both backs should have some value this season, but this really comes down to if Najee is ready in week 1. If Hampton gets to start the season as a bell cow, he may continue in that role all year.
• Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs: Last year, we were all ready to see Pacheco take a step up into a true workhorse role, which, even despite the injury, may have been wishful thinking as the Chiefs haven’t had a true workhorse since Kareem Hunt’s first stint with the team. Speaking of which, they brought Hunt back for another year despite last season’s inefficiency and also added Elijah Mitchell in the offseason. Pacheco had 80% of snaps in Week 1 last year, but never came close to that mark again. After returning from a lengthy injury, his top snap share was 46% in Week 14, and he was clearly the backup to Hunt in the playoffs. While I believe Pacheco is a strong candidate for a bounce-back and could be a draft-day bargain, this has all the markings of a convoluted rotation.
• Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo, New York Giants: No disrespect to Tracy after last year’s performance, but I don’t think the Giants have a huge amount of faith in him going forward. Skattebo, meanwhile, might have been one of the most polarizing RBs in the NFL draft. I have no idea what to expect, and I’m not sure the team does either. Tracy finished every game except one with at least a 60% snap share from Week 5 on last season, but that has likely more to do with a lack of depth behind him. Tracy could surprise us all again this year, but I can’t help but see him as this year’s James Robinson. With his pass-catching upside and the potential that he is in fact the dominator he was in college, Skattebo is probably worth a flier if the price is right.
• D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears: Who knows if I even picked the correct two players to highlight? I’m fairly certain this will be a committee all year, but this is one of the murkiest backfields there is. Swift is expected to be the leader, but new coach Ben Johnson never seemed to be a big fan of his back when they worked together in Detroit. Swift has always hovered around the RB20, and I think that might just be who he is at this point. With the upgrades to the offensive line, someone on this team could break out this season, but I have a feeling we’re more likely to see that a year from now when the team invests in someone new.
• Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, and Miles Sanders, Dallas Cowboys: There’s a reason this is the only team with three backs listed. It’s the same reason I put them last on this list. We have no idea what to expect out of this group. Two-thirds of them could have been completely washed before they even signed in Dallas. Blue might not even be the best rookie, with the team also taking Phil Mafah in the 7^th round of the NFL draft. Will Javonte look better another year removed from his catastrophic knee injury? It’s possible…I guess. Every year, Jerry Jones says he wants to bring in a true game changer at running back, and every year, we see signings like this. This could, and likely will, be the most frustrating committee in the league. I think there’s just as likely a chance that Ezekiel Elliot signs on again mid-season as any of these guys actually panning out.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!