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RB Sleepers 2025: Find This Year's Bucky Irving

Did you land Bucky Irving or Chase Brown or Tyrone Tracy in 2024? If so, then you're probably very familiar with their stories:

• Tracy came off the board as RB57 in late summer but finished on the RB2 fringe. From Week 5 on, only 15 RBs outscored him.
• Brown went from RB36 in ADP to RB10 in total PPR points for the season – and a top-5 producer over the final month.
• Irving leaped from an RB5 starting point to an RB1-level scorer over the season’s second half and now typically goes in Round 2 of drafts.

Now it's time to find the RB sleepers ready to make a similar impact on your 2025 season. Let’s get to it.

2025 Sleeper Running Backs

These five RBs are going too cheaply in drafts right now and carry the upside to define your season:

• Isiah Pacheco
• Tyrone Tracy Jr.
• Jaylen Warren
• Jaguars RBs
• Justice Hill
• Kendre Miller

Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

You probably should have expected Pacheco to lead this article. I started by targeting him (even earlier than I apparently needed to) in my first best ball draft of the year and have since talked him up multiple times on the podcast.

Last time we saw a healthy Pacheco, he finished top-15 in both total points and points per game across formats (unless your scoring subtracts points for the non-traditional spelling of “Isaiah”). Now? He’s going just 24th among RBs in ADP.

We can quibble over whether that qualifies for "sleeper" status. But you'll want to draft Pacheco either way.

Ignore His Late 2024 Performance

You said last time we saw him healthy … but didn’t Pacheco return last year and stink pretty bad?

Yep, and that’s why I said healthy.

Pacheco returned to the field in Week 13 last season and proceeded to average just 7.75 carries per game, 26.5 yards per game, and 3.4 yards per rush across eight contests – including the playoffs. He fell behind Kareem Hunt in work and trailed him badly in performance.

But that also came after Pacheco missed nine games – across 10 weeks – with a broken leg. I’ve never played NFL running back, but it looks pretty tough even when you’re at full strength. Imagine spending 2.5 months recovering from a leg fracture and then doing it.

Of course, I’m not a doctor, and I’ve never even been to Kansas City. I’m probably just a Pacheco apologist. So we should probably check another source.

Andy Reid and the Chiefs Aren’t Worried About Pacheco

“He was forcing that thing coming back [when he did]. Most guys probably wouldn’t have come back. If you know him for a minute, you know he wasn’t going to be held back. I think we’ll get a better player this year.”

That was Reid talking about Pacheco back in early April. And his words match the team’s actions. Here’s how K.C. has addressed RB this offseason:

• March 10: Signed Elijah Mitchell for one year, $2.5 million
• March 14: Signed Kareem Hunt for one year, $1.5 million
• April 26: Drafted Brashard Smith in Round 7
• April 27: Signed Elijah Young as an undrafted free agent.

That sure doesn’t look like a team worried about its lead back. It looks like a team confident in his rebound and trying to secure a better insurance plan than it had last year.

And if you’re still worried about Hunt’s return challenging Pacheco, then you’re almost adorably foolish. The Chiefs signed him after Mitchell, for less money than a guy who missed the entire 2024 season. He’s duct tape on a safety net.

But What Are We Actually Chasing Here?

Part of the fun – and perhaps the fear – is that we don’t really know what the ceiling is.

Pacheco flashed enticing rushing upside as a 2022 rookie but saw little receiving usage while sharing work with Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon. Pacheco then opened 2023 still sharing with CEH but took control in Week 4.

From then through Week 2 of last season (including the 2023 playoffs), Pacheco actually played 17 games. He racked up:

• 285 carries (16.8 per game)
• 60 targets (3.5 per game)

That would have ranked seventh in carries and ninth in targets among last year’s RBs.

That kind of volume for a 26-year-old averaging 4.5 yards per rush for his career – including last year’s post-injury struggles – in one of the league’s perennial top offenses?

That’s a ceiling well worth chasing from an RB24 ADP.

We highlighted Pacheco as a player to target in this RB Rankings video ...

Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants

How can Tracy qualify for this list two straight years? Well, even we were underrating him through the early part of draft season.

We all know that Tracy emerged as last year's top Giants back despite arriving as a mere fifth-round pick and opening the season behind veteran Devin Singletary, in the first season of a multi-year deal.

So why didn't he start this year in higher regard?

Valid Reasons for Skepticism

Tracy scored impressively as a rookie, especially after the light work of his first month as a pro. But his efficiency lagged.

Among 47 RBs who carried 90+ times last season, Tracy ranked:

• 33rd in rush yards over expected per attempt
• 35th in yards after contact per attempt
• 28th in PFF elusive rating.

And despite playing receiver before a late-college move to RB, he didn't impress in the passing game:

• 29th in yards per route among 37 RBs with 30+ targets
• 35th in PFF receiving grade.

The Giants then added a challenge by drafting RB Cam Skattebo in Round 4, a guy who delivered highlights both as a bruising runner and high-level receiver  across two years at Arizona State (69 receptions, 12.9 yards per catch).

So What Changed?

Tracy didn't appear on this list when I originally posted this article. Why? Skattebo's a pretty fun prospect. And when you import a bruising runner with big receiving production, it's easy to worry about an incumbent with unimpressive advanced metrics.

But then we got this from ESPN's Jordan Raanan:

We can't know how much of that is Raanan's speculation and how much comes from talking to coaches. But the confidence in that role split sure says we should at least expect Tracy to hit September as the backfield leader.

It certainly didn't help Skattebo that he missed nearly two-thirds of August with an apparent hamstring injury.

Aren't We Just Watching a Remake of Last Year's Story?

Maybe.

What if Tracy opens with the starting gig but remains inefficient? And what if Skattebo -- who brings a lot more RB experience than Tracy did -- steps in sometime in October and proves more effective?

Could happen.

But what if Tracy continues to develop in his second NFL season and just his third overall playing RB? What if he boosts those efficiency metrics and benefits from his offense upgrading at QB?

"Tracy has made strides from what he's played last year as a rookie," coach Brian Daboll told Raanan recently. "There's usually a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2. Time will tell when we're on the field and the games count, but his preparation habits, his professionalism, understanding what he needs to do out there, blitz pickup, run reads, route technique, he's improved."

Chuba Hubbard similarly delivered worthwhile production on shaky advanced metrics early in his career. Now he's Carolina's lead back on a second contract. (And Hubbard played RB in college.)

Bottom Line: Tracy's Worth the Modest Risk

Tracy's not a sure thing. But that's why we call this "RB Sleepers" instead of "RBs who are definitely gonna work out." (Also because the first phrase is catchier.)

As long as his ADP doesn't climb too high -- currently at RB29 -- there's more upside than risk to drafting him as your RB3-4.

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

If you’ve been reading along this offseason, then you might remember Warren’s inclusion among our fantasy football breakouts. But you don’t need to believe in that vaulted ceiling to find him worth your draft attention in 2025.

Warren doesn’t need to suppress third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson to deliver helpful fantasy production in 2025. He could just repeat 2023.

Warren Leads Rookie Mate in Vital Area

That season saw Warren cede the team carry lead to Najee Harris by 106, averaging just 8.8 rushes per week. But Warren’s 74 targets tied for fifth among all RBs.

Even last year’s disappointing campaign found Warren edging Harris in receptions, yards per catch, receiving success rate, and yards per touch, despite losing two games and parts of others to injuries.

Johnson comes off limited receiving experience on three poor-passing Iowa teams.

If Warren could spend his second NFL campaign usurping the receiving lead from a dude who caught 70 passes across his final two seasons at Alabama, then he should easily keep that work away from a third-round rookie.

The Market’s Too High on the New Guy

We like Kaleb Johnson around here. Just check out Shane’s pre-draft evaluation.

But drafters are still taking Johnson a full round ahead of Warren in PPR ADP. That's goofy.

• Warren's a fourth-year vet with the seventh-most receptions among RBs over the past two years.
• Johnson has been running third among Pittsburgh RBs this preseason, drawing just-OK reviews, and arrived with questions about his pass-game value.

Steelers RBs collectively ranked 13th and seventh in scoring the past two years. Landing the top scorer of that backfield as the second Steelers RB drafted makes lots of sense.

Jacksonville Jaguars RBs

The target here might change by the week. You can simply call that frustrating and avoid the whole situation if you want, but there's opportunity in the uncertainty.

Tank Bigsby led the early camp buzz and started to look like the guy we should target most.

"Bigsby seemingly got the bulk of the key reps for Liam Coen's offense," SI.com's John Shipley wrote after a Friday practice early in camp, "and as a result stood out quite a bit more than Travis Etienne."

But Etienne has caught up on that front, most notably leading the backfield in the preseason opener.

"Etienne not only got the nod at starting running back last night, but he is the only running back who touched the ball on the first drive as a whole," Shipley wrote after the game. "By the time Tank Bigsby took the field for his first carry, Nick Mullens was at quarterback.”

Market Apprehension Presents Opportunity

Committee backfields can frustrate you in season, and that might be where we're headed with this group. But as long as the draft prices remain modest, there's upside in targeting any Jags RB -- or even all three.

Check out the best ball ADP movement for all three since this article first published:

First of all, I'm sticking with Underdog Fantasy ADP here for two reasons:

1. That's what I used initially.
2. The volume of drafts makes that the most reactive market.

Notably, the half-PPR scoring on Underdog should also make Bigsby even more attractive vs. Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten than he would be in full-PPR formats. That's because it de-emphasizes the importance of receptions, Bigsby's weakness through two pro seasons.

Their current placement looks similar on full-PPR Drafters:

• Etienne RB32
• Bigsby RB37
• Tuten RB45

I'd bet we see similar valuations across lineup-setting formats.

Now let's dig into why we should bother drafting any of these guys ...

Liam Coen Brings a Nice RB Record

New HC Liam Coen coordinated Tampa Bay’s offense last year. That crew ranked second in the league in RB PPR points per game.

The year before, he coached a Kentucky offense that jumped from 3.3 yards per rush to 4.9 (and fell to 3.9 last year after Coen left).

His 2021 Kentucky offense featured the biggest season of RB Chris Rodriguez’s career, including 6.1 yards per rush on 225 carries. Even Coen’s 2022 stint as Rams OC coincided with the best season of Cam Akers’ career.

We don’t know that Coen’s a RB whisperer, but he sure seems like a positive influence.

But What’s to Like About His New Crew?

Just last year we saw Coen run an offense that turned fourth-round rookie Bucky Irving into an RB1-level, late-season producer. So why isn’t the draft market excited about at least one of these Jacksonville RBs? For much the same reason it wasn’t excited about Irving …

Etienne’s a former first-round pick with two top-15 fantasy seasons behind him. But he stunk last year. Draft markets have trouble escaping recency bias, but Etienne’s 2024 also positioned him as a less-efficient rusher than Bigsby.

The latter enticed us by leading all RB scorers in Week 5 last season, an apparent backfield flippening. But Bigsby then finished just two more weeks higher than 29th among PPR backs, amid six weeks at RB50 or worse.

Enter Tuten, who hasn’t given us anything to dislike on the pro level yet but arrived as just a fourth-round pick. The market wants to like him best and temporarily boosted the rookie ahead of Etienne in ADP. But all it took was positive words from Coen in early June about the vet to move Etienne back ahead.

Ignore Jaguars RBs, and You’re Giving Away Points

You don't need to target any specific member of this backfield more than the others. We could even ignore the whole group and let other drafters figure it out. But that’s a weak strategy when the entire trio is going no earlier than low-RB3 range.

Look back at last year’s Bucs one more time. Irving was the breakout star, but a declining (in relevance) Rachaad White also finished 21st in PPR points per game. Even Sean Tucker, a 2023 undrafted free agent, popped for a RB1 overall Week 6 finish.

There will be RB points from a Liam Coen offense. So choose your fighter, get shares of all three Jags if you’re drafting at high volume, or simply grab the guy who best fits your flow in a particular draft.

Just don’t cede those points to your league mates simply because you aren’t sure how the situation will play out.

Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens

Hill has set career highs in fantasy points and points per game each of the past two seasons. That’s not really why he makes this list. But the reason does reside within that.

Hill managed only 47 carries across 15 games last year. That 3.1 per contest ranks just fourth among his five seasons of NFL activity. But his receiving work has shot up. Hill jumped from 0.6 receptions per game and 5.9 yards per catch through 2022 to:

• 1.8 receptions per game and 7.4 YPC in 2023
• 2.8 receptions per game and 9.1 YPC last year

Despite running as the distant No. 2 RB in Baltimore last season, Hill ranked 21st among all RBs in route share and 12th in target share. That propelled him to six top-30 PPR weeks – including three among the top 12 – even alongside a healthy Derrick Henry.

That helps Hill as a best ball asset, but it doesn’t make him startable in most redraft outfits. Of course, that’s not why we’re targeting him.

Hill’s an Injury Away from a Points Bonanza

The 27-year-old will remain unpredictable as long as Henry’s healthy. And Henry has sat out just one game among the past three seasons. But the year before that saw a broken foot end his 2021 after just eight contests.

I’m not rooting for a Henry injury, of course. But when you carry 19.1 times per game as he did last year, sheer luck says there’s a chance something goes wrong. And if Henry goes down, Hill’s stock would shoot up.

He’d go from the lead receiving back in a run-heavy offense to the overall backfield leader on a team that has run 50% or more of the time in five of the past six seasons.

Hill as Baltimore lead back would at least make for a weekly RB2 starter, with upside into RB1 range.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints

If you really wanna find a post-hype sleeper, look for a guy who has let fantasy drafters down for two straight years.

That's where we start with Miller, who logged just 80 total carries and 15 catches across his first two seasons after arriving as a 2023 third-round pick.

Miller dealt with multiple lower-body injuries, but he also reportedly fell out of favor with former HC Dennis Allen. That said, we need more than coaching turnover to deliver a breakthrough here.

First Step: Prove Your Body's Ready

Miller dragged a late-college knee injury into his first NFL offseason and never seemed to reach full strength. Last year's camp opened with an injury that wound up sidelining him through August. And other dings followed.

"I feel normal now, finally," Miller told reporters after a training-camp practice. "This is the most healthy I've been since I've been in the NFL."

Miller also said he's in the "best shape of his career," according to Saints Wire (feel free to roll your eyes), aiming to play this season at 215 pounds after weighing 220 or heavier the past two years.

If that health holds, it'll open the gate for the prospect that first impressed us in college.

Second Step: Remind People That You're Talented

The Saints drafted Miller as the fourth RB in 2023, ahead of Tyjae Spears, De'Von Achane, Tank Bigsby, Roschon Johnson, and Chase Brown.

That followed a college career in which he delivered 6.7 yards per rush and a solid 29-229-1 career receiving line. His Pro Football Focus run grades improved each year, with a high of 88.5 in Miller's lead-back final season.

He also delivered a strong 119.9 elusive rating and forced 0.31 missed tackles per rush. And that tackle evasion has continued this preseason, according to my pal Jared ...

Kendre Miller this preseason: 5 missed tackles forced on 12 carries https://t.co/xHYkb9zbrW

— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) August 20, 2025

That runner would make a nice complement for the 30-year-old Alvin Kamara, in an offense that'll need the backfield to make up for a rough QB situation.

Finally: Give the People a Favorable Price

The biggest reason you should consider giving Miller another chance: an ADP that leaves him undrafted most of the time.

Of course, that's never actually the primary selling point. You're not drafting any player simply because he's cheap. But Miller's price leaves you betting solely on upside while incurring basically no risk.

If he hurts another hamstring or falls behind rookie Devin Neal on the depth chart, dump Miller for some waiver-wire savior of the week. No sweat.

Want More Sleepers?

Late-round players with huge upside are the key to your fantasy football season. That’s why we focus so much on them throughout the spring and summer. It’s why we do ceiling projections for every player.

And it’s why your Draft War Room comes equipped with Upside Mode to capture those difference makers.

Jared's been curating his list of fantasy football sleepers all offseason. Check them out before your next draft. 

Next Up

Fantasy Football Sleepers 2025: Sneaky Good, Stupid Cheap

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Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.