Week 8 Running Back Rankings: Saquon Barkley Falls, Rachaad White Rises

In 2025, the NFL continues to shift to a more pass-heavy league, yet running backs still reign supreme in fantasy football. The elite workhorses—guys like Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jonathan Taylor—remain the ultimate cheat codes, piling up receptions, yardage, and touchdowns while leaving defenders in the dust.

However, with injuries hitting the position hard and six teams on bye this week – the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks – fantasy managers will need to get creative this week when setting their lineups. There are absolutely some bye-week replacement streaming options who could fill in admirably for the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs, Ashton Jeanty, Kyren Williams, and the rest of this week’s running backs who will be idle. Plus, if you have an injured running back on your roster such as Omarion Hamtpon or Bucky Irving, you may have to add a sneaky back off the waiver wire.

The Best Running Backs In 2025 Fantasy Football

After seven weeks of the season, here are the top 10 running backs in PPR formats:

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
James Cook, Buffalo Bills

With Week 8 underway after the Los Angeles Chargers crushed the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, let’s take a look at where all the running backs in the league stack up in our Week 8 rankings.

Rachaad White Remains In Top 5 Despite Lackluster Week 7 Showing

Rachaad White disappointed fantasy managers on Monday night against the Detroit Lions, finishing with just 38 rushing yards on 10 carries, and four receptions for six yards en route to 8.4 fantasy points in PPR formats. Despite the limited production, it was encouraging to see him log 14 touches in a game with a very negative script for the rushing attack. Not to mention, the veteran had three touchdowns and over 250 all-purpose yards in his previous two games. With Bucky Irving poised to miss another game before the Buccaneers’ Week 9 bye, White will serve as the RB1 for one more week.

In Week 8, the Bucs are slated to take on a New Orleans Saints defense that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. Despite playing on the road, Tampa are heavy favorites in this NFC South showdown. The Saints allow 132.1 rushing yards per game and while Sean Tucker will likely get some work, White will continue to operate as the RB1 in this backfield. Since taking over as the starter in Week 5, he has averaged 16.4 fantasy points per game. With Mike Evans sidelined, White is poised to rebound in Week 8 as the Bucs lean on their ground game.

Saquon Barkley Drops Out of Top 10

Fantasy Football Star: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagle — Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Barkley was on pace to shatter the single-season rushing record — even if it would’ve taken an extra game or two — but he sat out Week 18 to rest for the postseason. The Eagles gave him a massive 378 touches, which he turned into 2,283 total yards, the 13th-highest single-season mark in NFL history. His explosiveness was undeniable, averaging a career-best 5.8 yards per carry with 17 runs of 20+ yards and seven of 40+ yards, plus four explosive plays as a receiver. Barkley topped 100 rushing yards in 14 of 20 starts and tacked on another 574 yards and five scores in the postseason.

Fast forward to this fantasy football season, and Barkley hasn’t quite lived up to that elite standard. Through seven weeks, he ranks as the RB14 with 13.5 fantasy points per game — a far cry from his dominant 2024 pace of 125.3 rushing yards per contest. He’s averaging just 52.7 rushing yards per game and is on track for under 900 yards if the trend continues.

Barkley hit a season-low 5.2 fantasy points in Week 7’s win over Minnesota, and while his Week 8 matchup against his former team, the New York Giants, offers a glimmer of hope, he’s no longer the surefire top-five play he once was. The Eagles are still figuring out their offensive rhythm, which has capped Barkley’s reliability. Fantasy managers should still roll him out with confidence — the talent and upside are too strong to bench — but expectations need to be tempered until Philly finds its groove again. Plus, he only mustered 67 scoreless yards against the G-Men back in Week 6.

Rhamondre Stevenson Surges Into Top 20

Everyone continues to await the TreVeyon Henderson breakout but it’s Rhamondre Stevenson who continues to eat in New England’s backfield next to MVP candidate Drake Maye. The Patriots are hitting on all cylinders and Stevenson is coming off a big Week 7 showing against the Tennessee Titans. The veteran back finished with 90 all-purpose yards on 20 touches while finding paydirt. He tallied 16.8 fantasy points, the second-most he’s produced all season.

While the matchup on paper seems very tough against a Cleveland Browns defense surrendering the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, I’m anticipating another Patriots offensive explosion. Maye continues to move the ball effectively and Stevenson should get some goal-line opportunities. He’s a solid RB2 or Flex option in a week with so many teams navigating the bye week blues.

Let’s take a look at how the rest of the NFL’s running backs stack up in our Week 8 rankings.

Week 8 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

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