2025 Fantasy Football Breakout Running Backs: Isiah Pacheco Poised To Shine

Looking for breakout fantasy football running backs in 2025? These rising stars are primed to deliver big returns and elevate your RB room all season long.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Every year, a number of young stars go from good to great and turn their potential into a breakout season. These are the running backs that we believe are going to make that leap in 2025 and become breakout fantasy stars. For the sake of this article, we will not be including rookies.

Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

Pacheco looked like he was well on his way to a breakout season in 2024 after a strong finish to 2023. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in Week 2. The injury held him out until November 29. Even when he returned, he never looked close to the back that we've all come to expect when we see him. In those first one and a half games of the season, Pacheco was seeing all the work and looked unstoppable. In those games, he totaled 34 carries, eight receptions, 189 yards, and a touchdown.

Many are down on him based on the last thing we saw, but we're expecting to see that healthy running back who started the 2024 season. The volume might not be so massive this season, but he will be the lead back. We do not expect him to get beaten out by either an aging Kareem Hunt or a rookie Brashard Smith. Pacheco will be the lead back and will make the most of it with a breakout healthy campaign.  

Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings

Yes, we are projecting the downfall of Aaron Jones with this pick. Jones will turn 31 this season, and it already looked last year like the Vikings wanted to find another lead back so they can maximize what Jones has left in the tank when they need him most. They just didn't have anyone on the roster who was good enough to stay on the field. This year, Mason will take the reins. His career average yards per carry is 5.3. Not many will question how good of a running back Mason is. The concern with him, like always, is injury. If he can manage to stay healthy, he will have a breakout year in that explosive Vikings' offense.  

RB highest explosive run rates in 2024:

1. Jahmyr Gibbs (13.6%, duh)
2. Derrick Henry (11.4%, makes sense)
3. James Conner (11%, woah!)
4. JK Dobbins (10.8%, double woah!)
5. Jordan Mason (10.5%, he's good!)

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 7, 2025

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker III can't stay healthy. He has a long history of groin injuries and is already dealing with another this offseason. With Walker in a contract year, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Charbonnet doesn't take over this job. Either the team wants to move on, or they opt to run Walker into the ground, which he's proven he can't withstand. He has topped 4.2 yards per carry in both of his professional seasons with limited touches and showed he had a nose for the end zone last year, scoring nine times. It's also important that he caught 42 passes last season and is locked in as the PPR back as well. This season, he grabs that RB1 spot.