NFL Backfields Shaping Up to Be 2025 Fantasy Football Nightmares

All fantasy managers share the same dream every year: winning their league's championship.

But for every manager who fulfills that dream, there is another whose season devolves into a nightmare. Stars get injured. Early-round picks fail to meet expectations.

Or running backs drafted as every-down workhorses wind up mired in value-draining committees.

It's becoming more rule than exception. Last year, fewer than 10 running backs had 300 touches. Just six had 300 carries.

Touches equal opportunity. Opportunity equals fantasy points. It's exceedingly difficult to score the latter without the former. And if managers pay retail for a back whose workload is lower than expected?

That's how seasons become nightmares.

There are warning signs usually that workload could be a question with running backs, and 2025 features more red flags than a Constitution Day parade in Denmark—a third of the NFL features backfields with some potential to become one of those fantasy nightmares.

So, read on and maybe save yourself some sleepless nights.

Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Dylan Sampson

We might as well start in Cleveland. After all, it is the birthplace of nightmares.

It wasn't supposed to be this way in 2025. After struggling mightily running the ball a year ago (29th in the league at just 94.6 yards per game), the Browns double-dipped in April's NFL draft. In Round 2, the team selected Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins, a prototypical three-down back. Then, in Round 4, the team circled back and picked the SEC's leading rusher in 2024 in Tennessee's Dylan Sampson.

But this is Cleveland, so you had to know the plan was going to fall apart.

Judkins was arrested in the offseason for domestic violence, and while the case was eventually dropped, he could still face discipline from the NFL. Due in part to that looming suspension, he remains unsigned, and there's no timetable for that to be resolved. In fact, recent reports indicate Cleveland is in the market for a veteran ball-carrier.

As things stand, fourth-year pro Jerome Ford (who led the team in rushing a year ago) is expected to start Week 1, with Sampson (who is explosive but undersized) mixing in as a change of pace.

But with no idea of when Judkins might sign and the possibility of a veteran addition in the days to come, there isn't a single Browns back being taken in the top 100 picks on average in fantasy drafts.

Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Javonte Williams

Another backfield where nobody is being drafted inside the top 100.

Nothing inspires confidence quite like a team's "RB1" being taken in Round 10 on average.

I hope Dak Prescott's arm is loose because he's going to be throwing the ball rather a lot in 2025.

Javonte Williams has essentially won the starting job in Dallas by default—rookie Jaydon Blue has been hurt, and veteran Miles Sanders has been, well, Miles Sanders. But as Griffin Wong pointed out at DraftKings, Williams' advanced metrics last year in Denver were—not good.

"In 2024, Pro Football Focus gave him the 10th-lowest grade out of 59 qualified running backs, including the fifth-lowest running grade. Of the 44 qualified ball-carriers by Pro Football Reference's criteria, his 3.7 yards per carry ranked third-to-last, and his 46.8% success rate ranked 13th-to-last. There's a chance that a change in scenery could benefit him, but Denver ranked 11th in run-blocking last season and Dallas 19th."

Williams showed promise as a rookie in 2021, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and eclipsing 1,200 total yards. But he tore up his knee four games into the 2022 campaign and hasn't averaged even four yards a tote since.

To be blunt, this backfield is just bad. And it won't be a bit surprising if Dallas is near the top of the league in pass attempts this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Tank Bigsby

Another backfield where not a single player is being drafted before Round 9.

Going "Zero RB" in 2025 takes a braver man than this guy.

The kicker with the muddied mess that is the Jacksonville Jaguars' backfield is that the first player being drafted in fantasy (former first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr.) doesn't appear to be the "lead" back.

Etienne and Tank Bigsby were listed as "co-starters" on the team's depth chart, but it's Bigsby who has received more first-team reps.

Bigsby was also more effective than Etienne in 2024, leading the league in yards after contact per attempt and gaining over 70 percent of his rushing yards after contact (a feat accomplished by just two backs with 150-plus carries).

However, Etienne is the far more proven receiver out of the backfield—Bigsby has eight catches in two years. Fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten may be the most explosive player of the lot, but he had major ball-security issues in college and has been the clear No. 3 back.

If Jaguars head coach Liam Coen uses Bigsby in a role similar to Bucky Irving in Tampa last year, he could be a league-winning bargain. But for every pundit sure Bigsby should start, there's another convinced the Jags should trade the third-year pro.

Anyone who says they know definitively how the Jaguars will divvy up touches at running back this year is either psychic or lying through their teeth.

Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

There hasn't been a more-hyped player in fantasy football over the past week than rookie running back Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt of the Washington Commanders.

The seventh-rounder from Arizona (via New Mexico) shined in training camp and the preseason, so much so that the Commanders traded 2024 starter Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers.

With Robinson gone, it's Croskey-Merritt's time to shine. He will be the lead back for one of the NFL's more potent offenses and a valuable fantasy asset! Right?

Well…here's the thing. Fantasy managers always want to anoint one running back as "the guy." Committee attacks are about as fun as an IRS audit.

But while speaking to reporters, Washington head coach Dan Quinn said that third-year pro Chris Rodriguez will be the team's short-yardage back.

"I would say there's also parts of our offense that are a little bit untraditional, where we're not traditional in using a lead blocker sometimes in short yardage," Quinn said. "So, but I do like knowing that Chris has that tackle-breaking ability, especially in a small space, but yeah, I would say that would be one that's at the front of the thinking first."

Add in veteran Austin Ekeler likely taking most of the passing-down work, and this looks a lot less like a Bill Bash than a full-blown RBBC.

Don't forget to bring your receipts for all deductions.

New England Patriots

AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

TreVeyon Henderson

Might as well stay on the preseason hype train.

On some level, it's almost amusing that so many fantasy managers appear taken aback by how explosive rookie second-rounder TreVeyon Henderson is with a football in his hands. After all, this is a guy who had a 66-yard scoring run against Oregon and a 75-yard screen pass for a touchdown against Texas—and that was just in last year's College Football Playoff.

Henderson has turbo boost.

For his part, he told reporters he's trying to tune out all the hoopla.

"I don't really pay attention to all the social media stuff," Henderson said. "The biggest thing I know, people praise me now because I have this success. But I feel like it doesn't come from true love. At the same time, people see me as a football player, so if things come crashing down, I know that love turns into hate."

Fantasy managers aren't. They have cranked the hype-meter up to 11. Henderson is being drafted as a top-20 fantasy back more often than not.

The problem with that is that Henderson had just 171 touches in 16 games last year at Ohio State—and that was by design. Durability was an issue for the youngster in college, and the Patriots would be wise to manage his workload.

That means more touches for veteran Rhamondre Stevenson, who has been relegated to RB4 status in drafts. And while some are predicting that Stevenson and Henderson could be the next David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, that's an awfully optimistic projection for the AFC's worst offense a year ago.

Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh

Omarion Hampton

The Los Angeles Chargers backfield is going to be a nightmare for anyone who drafts rookie Omarion Hampton as a top-15 running back.

It's not a matter of talent. Hampton was wildly productive at North Carolina. He handled a heavy workload the past two years and has a three-down skill set.

But even though he has missed training camp and the preseason after injuring his eye in a fireworks accident, Najee Harris lurks in the shadows like Freddie Krueger, ready to enter the dreams of fantasy managers and murder them. Harris has four straight 1,000-yard seasons on his NFL resume and has never missed a game that counted in the pros.

Even if Harris starts the season on the PUP list, Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman told reporters there isn't going to be one bell-cow back in L.A. this year.

"There will be rotation no matter what happens," he said. "The day of the one running back taking every rep, it's kinda gone the way of the prehistoric creatures."

There's also the myth that Roman's run-heavy offense is conducive to fantasy greatness. Yes, Roman likes to run the ball a lot. But in 10 years as an offensive coordinator, Roman's RB rooms have ranked in the top-15 in PPR points all of twice—in large part because he rarely schemes targets for his backs in the passing game.

Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

R.J. Harvey

Another AFC West backfield nightmare and another overvalued rookie back.

Death, taxes and overvalued rookies: life's three constants.

From the moment he was drafted in the second round, more than a few fantasy managers have been wild for R.J. Harvey. For a time, he was the No. 2 rookie running back on many boards. Even after the Broncos signed JK Dobbins, it was shrugged off. Sean Payton was recreating the backfields from his Saints heyday. Dobbins would be Mark Ingram, while Harvey would be Alvin Kamara.

No pressure.

The thing is, Harvey's season-high in receptions in college was 22. He's undersized (at least if Dylan Sampson is—they're the same size). His pass protection is a work in progress. And in camp and the preseason he's been less 1B and more No. 2 behind Dobbins.

For his part, Dobbins has talked up Harvey's talent. But he also told reporters he wants to be "the guy."

"I think all running backs want the ball like 25 times a game," Dobbins said. "If I stay healthy, you'll see, it'll be nice."

That "if healthy" caveat is a big one with Dobbins. And just because Harvey didn't tally a lot of receptions in college doesn't mean he can't catch.

But Harvey is coming off draft boards 3.5 rounds ahead of Dobbins on average.

That's nightmare fuel.

New York Giants

AP Photo/Pamela Smith

Tyrone Tracy Jr.

This one's a nightmare that stopped being a nightmare but could be a nightmare again.

Despite an impressive rookie season in which he topped 1,100 total yards and was a high-end fantasy RB2 over his time as New York's lead back, when the Giants spent a fourth-round pick on Cam Skattebo, some saw that as a portent of doom for Tyrone Tracy Jr.

But then Skattebo spent much of the summer banged up, allowing Tracy to strengthen his grip on the No. 1 role. Reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated and all that.

However, Tracy is another back that advanced stats aren't especially kind to. Per DKN's Sean Barnard, last year Tracy was 23rd in evaded tackles, 31st in explosive play rating, 33rd in true yards per carry, and posted -0.20 EPA per rush inside the red zone in 2024.

Some of the blame for that lies with an offensive line that was offensive. But four of last year's five matadors are back in 2025. Skattebo is also healthy now, making his debut in the Giants' preseason finale.

The good news is that Tracy isn't especially expensive—his ADP is the first pick of Round 8. And early in the regular season at least, he should be New York's lead back.

But the Giants aren't exactly an explosive offense. The line still stinks. And as the season wears on, it's not that hard to imagine Big Blue's backfield becoming a committee—especially if Tracy's fumbling issues (five in 2024) resurface.

New York Jets

AP Photo/Matt Ludtke

Braelon Allen

We might as well stay at the MetLife, which is a stadium doing its level best to be as depressing as Cleveland.

Almost.

There's a new head coach for the New York Jets in Aaron Glenn, and he has made two things clear: The first is he wants to run the ball, and the second is he's going to use more than one back to do it.

As a matter of fact, there have been a number of rumors that the Jets could trade Breece Hall, talk that Glenn denied (again) while speaking to the media recently.

"We have three good running backs, and I keep saying that," he said. "They all have different skill sets that we're going to utilize. And that does not mean I'm trading Breece (Hall). I just love having three good guys. I wish I had more."

Hall's ADP has dipped over the summer somewhat, but he's still coming off the board in Round 4 on average as a top-15 running back.

Meanwhile, 235-pound bruiser Braelon Allen has impressed his new coaches with his physicality, and he has arguably been the Jets' best back in the preseason. At this point, it appears that Allen is at the very least going to get some early-down and short-yardage work. And if that short-yardage work includes near the goal line, fantasy managers who have invested a pick in Hall will be waking up in a cold sweat on quite a few Mondays in 2025.

Houston Texans

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

There's no maybe about Houston's status as a nightmare backfield.

It's terrifying.

Starter Joe Mixon has missed the entire offseason with a lingering foot injury, and after Houston's preseason finale head coach DeMeco Ryans offered up quite the non-answer when asked about Mixon's Week 1 status.

"All of our guys are working, and everybody's on their own timetable," Ryans said. "When it comes to getting back from injury, we'll see where we are next week when we get back, and as we start to allow the roster to shape itself out, we'll see where we end up with those guys."

Translation: He isn't playing any time soon.

The Texans signed former fantasy star Nick Chubb in the offseason, but he has reportedly looked in Houston essentially the same as in Cleveland in 2024—which is to say slow. Rookie Woody Marks has failed to impress. Dameon Pierce is Dameon Pierce.

Oh, and Houston's offensive line may legitimately be the worst in the NFL.

Other than that though, everything is fine.

It's not generally a good thing in fantasy football to be an absolutist. Any player can be a value at the right price.

But this analyst wants no part of the Texans backfield in 2025.

Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Zach Charbonnet

This one's a potential nightmare not many saw coming this year.

When he's healthy, Kenneth Walker III is one of the more physically gifted backs in the NFL. Remember what was mentioned about Jacksonville's Tank Bigsby being one of two backs with at least 150 carries to gain 70 percent of rushing yards after contact last year?

Walker is the other.

But injuries have been an issue throughout Walker's first three seasons, including six missed games in 2024. And with him sidelined for much of the summer with an injured foot, the patience of head coach Mike MacDonald appears to be wearing thin.

"There's a lot of walkthrough reps that need to be had, but at some point, to your point, you've got to do it on the field so you feel confident to go out there and execute at a high level and play your best football," Macdonald told reporters. "So that's something that we're working through."

Meanwhile, Zach Charbonnet has done nothing but impress this summer.

"Zach, he's just a stud," Macdonald said. "He's just everything you want in a person and a football player, that's him."

At this point, it at least makes sense that the Seahawks would make a concerted effort to manage Walker's workload to keep him on the field—even in a contract year. Or, the Seahawks could decide that enough is enough and flip-flop starter and backup, relegating Walker to a reserve role.

Either way, some fantasy drafters could be headed for a nightmare.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.