Fabs' Five Fantasy Football Sleeper RBs for 2025 Include Omarion Hampton, Audric Estime

Michael Fabiano | Feb 13, 2025

Omarion Hampton (28) could make an instant fantasy impact as a rookie, if he lands in the right situation at the NFL level. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Super Bowl is in the books, putting a bow on the 2024 NFL season. But for me, it also signals the start of the next fantasy football season!

All offseason, I’ll get you set to take home your next league championship! I already laid out my early 2025 rankings for QB, RB, WR and TE plus a mock draft. Yesterday, I posted my sleeper quarterbacks, and today I’ll follow up with running backs.

In 2024, we saw backs like Bucky Irving and Chuba Hubbard emerge out of nowhere. Both were later-round draft picks but went on to finish as fantasy starters. Here are five of my early favorites to do the same, including a prospect who could become a star if he lands with the right team.

2025 Fantasy Football Sleeper Running Backs

Omarion Hampton, Rookie: NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has Hampton ranked as this second-best rookie running back prospect behind only Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. If he lands in the right situation, the North Carolina product could thrive in Year 1. He rushed for 1,660 yards (5.9 yards per rush) and 15 touchdowns in his final collegiate season, and he caught 38 passes. Hampton also has the skills to pass protect, so he has sleeper upside.

Audric Estime, Broncos: The Broncos current brass drafted Estime last year, and I see him taking over the team’s backfield in 2025. Javonte Williams, who has failed to meet the expectations of fantasy managers, is slated to become a free agent. If Denver decides to let him walk, Estime would be next in line to be the lead runner for head coach Sean Payton. This pick, of course, assumes the team doesn’t take an impact back in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sincere McCormick, Raiders: Las Vegas could use one of its first five picks (all in the top 107 overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft on a new featured running back. But for now, McCormick has to be considered the favorite to lead this backfield. Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah are both free agents. New head coach Pete Carroll likes to use the ground game, and OC Chip Kelly’s running backs have had fantasy success in the NFL.

Trey Benson, Cardinals: Benson had a quiet rookie year, as James Conner avoided injuries for the majority of the season. In fact, he played 16 games for the first time in his career! While he showed no signs of slowing down, Conner will also be entering his age-30 campaign. If he’s unable to have another (mostly) injury-free season, Benson would step in and take over more work in an offense that figures to score plenty of points in 2025.

Jaylen Wright, Dolphins: Wright isn’t going to affect the fantasy value of De’Von Achane, but he could be moved up to second on Miami's depth chart next season. The Dolphins could decide to part ways with Raheem Mostert, who saw his stats fall off a cliff last year, and Jeff Wilson Jr. is slated to become a free agent. That would mean more work for the explosive Wright, who averaged 4.5 yards per rush in his limited time as a rookie.