Wild Card Round Fantasy Football Running Back Projections, Updated Rankings

Our Wild Card Round fantasy football running back projections break down updated rankings, recent usage trends, and the top backs to trust as the NFL playoffs begin.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) looks on before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Over the final two games of the season, the New England Patriots gave Rhamondre Stevenson only 22 touches. Surprisingly, he scored 2.84 fantasy points per touch in PPR formats, giving him the top running back outcome in Week 18 (153 combined yards with three touchdowns and two catches) while ranking fifth in fantasy points in Week 17 (27.20).

Only four other running backs scored over 20.00 fantasy points. 

• Tyrone Tracy (28.90)
• Ray Davis (25.40)
• Kenneth Gainwell (21.40)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (20.30)

Davis took advantage of James Cook (two snaps) resting in Week 18. He posted his best NFL game (21/151 with two catches for 23 yards and a touchdown).

Best Running Backs in 2025 Fantasy Football Leagues

Here are the final top 12 running backs in 2025, ranked by fantasy points in PPR formats:

• Christian McCaffrey (416.60)
• Bijan Robinson (373.80)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (367.90)
• Jonathan Taylor (363.30)
• De’Von Achane (322.80)
• James Cook (305.20)
• Chase Brown (283.40)
• Derrick Henry (282.50)
• Kyren Williams (265.30)
• Travis Etienne (253.90)
• Ashton Jeanty (246.10)
• Javonte Williams (244.80)

Saquon Barkley was the third running back drafted in many fantasy leagues this summer, but he finished 14th in running back scoring (233.50). His failure hurt fantasy teams, but at least he stayed upright for 16 games before sitting out in Week 18.

Top 2025 Running Backs By Average Draft Position

Here are the top 12 running backs and their final ADPs over the last week of drafts in the National Fantasy Football Championship:

• Bijan Robinson (2.5)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (3.6)
• Saquan Barkley (5.0)
• Christian McCaffrey (7.1)
• Ashton Jeanty (11.6)
• Derrick Henry (15.4)
• Chase Brown (16.2)
• De’Von Achane (18.5)
• Bucky Irving (19.9)
• Jonathan Taylor (19.9)
• Josh Jacobs (21.3)
• Kyren Williams (29.7)

The only running back in this grouping who ended up being a bust was Bucky Irving. Based on his close ADP with Jonathan Taylor, the coin toss between the two running backs was a 223.80 fantasy point mistake (363.30 to 139.50) in favor of the Colts’ running back.

Overall, 11 of the top 12 running backs provide enough production to keep fantasy teams in the hunt in their leagues. 

James Cook (RB15 with an ADP of 41.6) proved to be the best RB2 value based on price point. Travis Etienne (RB33 – 92.1) proved to be the top late running back drafted, just ahead of Javonte Williams (RB35 – 100.3). 

Kenneth Gainwell (RB83) was the deep sleeper running back of the year. He finished 16th in fantasy points (222.40) in PPR formats while having a free ADP (239.0). Rico Dowdle (RB59) was winning late running back selection (ADP – 160.4). He finished 17th in running back scoring (217.50).

---

Each week, I’ll release my depth charts and projections on Wednesday, with a neutral eye informed by hints from previous results or in-season injuries. These statistics represent baseline outlooks, with their potential already factored in. Touchdowns create impact scores and winning fantasy days, especially in non-PPR formats. Who scores them each week is the Holy Grail that the fantasy market searches for weekly.

My projections will be ranked, and they won’t resemble the weekly consensus in any way. My man, Matt Brandon, is in charge of finding a balance between my player outlooks and the public view of each week's rankings.

Wild Card Weekend Running Back Projections

Here’s a look at the running back projections for the first week of the playoffs:

Shawn Childs

Click HERE to view out full Wild Card Weekend Running Back Projections!