1 of 5 | Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard totaled 1,366 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns last season. File Photo by Laurence Kesterson/UPI | License Photo
James Conner and Chuba Hubbard are among my five favorite sleeper running backs to target in your fantasy football drafts. Kyren Williams, Alvin Kamara and TreVeyon Henderson are my other favorite sleepers at the position.
My Top-75 running back rankings are available here. My quarterback, wide receiver and Top-200 overall rankings are also available and will be updated leading into Week 1 of the 2025 NFL campaign.
Finding sleepers, or players who outperform their average draft position, is key to fantasy football success. For example, owners who swooped in and snagged Chase Brown, who had an average draft position in the fourth or fifth round and was not among the Top 32 running backs picked in 2024, were rewarded with the 12th-best running back in fantasy football last season.
Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle were among other running backs who outperformed their average draft position.
Kyren Williams
Out of my five targets for 2025, Williams requires the biggest investment. The Los Angeles Rams running back currently carries an average draft position in the third round of 12-teams leagues. That placement is a steal for a player I rank at No. 7 at the position.
The third-year ball carrier started 16 games in 2024, when he produced a career-best 1,299 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught a career-best 34 passes for 182 yards and two scores for the Rams.
Williams totaled at least 1,350 yards from scrimmage and 15 scores in each of the last two seasons. This year, the Rams schedule features seven games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to running backs, including five such matchups within their first nine games.
The Rams also have four games against teams that ranked inside the Top 3 for the most points allowed to the position. That stretch includes two games against the San Francisco 49ers, a unit that allowed 228 yards to Williams last season and a matchup with the Carolina Panthers, who surrendered 148.2 rushing yards per game to the position.
The Rams, who ranked 14th in passing attempts and 16th in carries last season, also could be a bit more committed to the run this year after they split from wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The veteran pass catcher, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks, averaged 9.1 targets per game from 2019 through 2024. No. 1 option Puka Nacua and other Rams pass catchers should absorb some of those looks, but I also expect the Rams running game to be more emphasized. Look for a career-high in touches for Williams, who has a shot at Top 5 production at the position.
Williams is a sensational target for any team, but could give you a huge advantage if you are able to pair him with star wide receivers you selected in earlier rounds.
Alvin Kamara
Kamara is being drafted in the third- or fourth-round in many fantasy football drafts. That is great value for the New Orleans Saints star, who quietly produced 1,493 yards from scrimmage — including a career-high 950 rushing yards — and eight scores last season.
Kamara has more value in points-per-reception formats and shouldn’t be leaned on as a high-end RB1, but he could help your fantasy team as an RB2 or flex play, capable of elite production, throughout 2025.
The Saints, who I expect to trail often this season, will likely lean on Kamara during comeback attempts. They also have a schedule that features seven games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for allowing the most fantasy points to running backs last season, including six such matchups within the first seven weeks of the season.
Kamara is not only a solid season-long play, but also a great player to target if you want to get out to a good start this season.
Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard is a fourth or fifth-round target in fantasy drafts. The fifth-year ball carrier had an average draft position in the 10th round last season, but ended the campaign as the No. 14 running back in fantasy football.
The Carolina Panthers veteran sits at No. 17 in my Top 75 running back rankings, but should provide elite value throughout the 2025 campaign.
Hubbard and the Panthers will face one of the most running back-friendly schedules in the NFL this season. That slate includes six matchups against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to running backs last season. They don’t have a single game against a team that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest points allowed to the position.
Hubbard, who totaled 1,366 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in 15 starts last season, could improve on those statistics given the potential ease of his matchups. He is an ideal RB2 or flex play.
TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson might be listed as the second running back on the New England Patriots’ depth chart, but he could turn into one of the best sleepers from fantasy football drafts.
I expect the second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to start the season splitting carries with starter Rhamondre Stevenson, but the rookie should eventually earn a larger role. He is not a safe RB2 starting target, but an ideal candidate for your bench.
The Patriots’ schedule is also favorable, with five games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most fantasy points allowed to running backs last season, including four such matchups played consecutively from Week 4 through Week 7.
Henderson, who is inside the Top 25 of my running back rankings, is another fourth- or fifth-round draft day target.
James Conner
It seems like James Conner is undervalued every year. The Arizona Cardinals veteran is entering his ninth season and coming off one of the best years of his career. Conner totaled 1,508 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns over 16 starts lats season. He also averaged 4.6 yards per carry, the second-best mark of his career.
Conner had a fifth-round average draft position last season before ending the campaign as the No. 10 running back in fantasy football. This year, the Cardinals veteran is being taken in the fourth round.
Conner is a stellar target for those who prioritize wide receivers early in drafts. He should be paired with other low-end RB1/high-end RB2 candidates and played rotationally in favorable matchups.
The Cardinals upcoming schedule is also extremely friendly, with just one game against a team that ranked inside the Top 10 for the fewest fantasy points allowed to running backs last season. That matchup doesn’t come until Week 13. Conner and the Cardinals get six games against teams that ranked inside the Top 10 for the most points allowed to the position, including four such matchups within the first five weeks of the season.
Conner is my No. 18 running back.
NFL preseason: Indianapolis Colts defeat Cincinnati Bengals
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard throws under pressure during the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on August 23, 2024. The Colts defeated the Bengals 41-14 in their final preseason game. Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo
