4 Best Late-Round Running Back Picks for 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts

Hitting on dart throws at running back can be one of the biggest game-changers in fantasy football, and it's part of the reason "Zero RB" has become a popular strategy in recent years.

Season after season, we see starting running backs miss time, opening the door for backups to slide into featured roles and soak up those vacated touches. Outside of injuries providing a path to volume, talented RBs in committee backfields can also emerge as top-tier fantasy assets by playing their way into more touches.

With all this in mind, let's take a look at four running backs who are going late in drafts but could have major upside if given more opportunities. We'll be looking at backs typically going outside the top 100 overall picks, per FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP) data.

Best Late-Round Running Back Picks in Fantasy Football

Jordan Mason, Vikings

ADP: 106.3 (RB36)

Jordan Mason should already have some standalone value in a committee with Aaron Jones, and if something were to happen to Jones, we already saw Mason have success in a starting role filling in for Christian McCaffrey last season.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has suggested that Mason will be the "1b" in this backfield, specifically noting that he envisions utilizing him near the goal line. Considering the Vikings reportedly told Jones' agent that they wanted a committee backfield in 2025 before he re-signed only further backs a near-even split.

Jones was Minnesota's featured back last year and scored just five rushing touchdowns across 18 games (including playoffs) in 2024, so O'Connell is likely being truthful about Mason playing a vital role in the red zone, as well.

And while Jones avoided any missed games last year, he played through a variety of injuries that caused him to miss portions of weeks, and he was no stranger to injuries during his Green Bay Packers tenure, which included playing just 11 games in 2023. Now entering his 30s, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see Jones sidelined at some point.

In Mason's six healthy games as a starter for the San Francisco 49ers last year, he averaged 14.6 half-PPR points, 111.8 scrimmage yards, 19.8 carries, and 1.7 targets. Although the 26-year-old is unlikely to be a huge factor in the passing game, his effectiveness purely as a rusher is likely what drew Minnesota's attention. Among backs with at least 100 carries, Mason ranked first in missed forced tackle rate (37.3%), third in rushing yards over expected per carry (1.4), and third in the rate of rushes for 10+ yards (15.0%), per NFL Next Gen Stats.

It also doesn't hurt that the Vikings could have a strong offensive line this year, as PFF ranks them inside their top 10 this offseason.

With Jones having a 64.7 ADP as the RB26, Mason is looking like a quality value as the much cheaper half of this committee while being both younger and having more touchdown upside.

Tyjae Spears, Titans

ADP: 127.3 (RB41)

The Tennessee Titans' backfield could have a similar dynamic to Minnesota's, as head coach Brian Callahan similarly wants a more balanced split between running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Callahan has also praised Spears for an "unbelievable offseason," further pointing to a bigger role.

Hamstring and concussion issues derailed Spears' 2024 season, ultimately limiting him to 12 games and putting him firmly in the backseat behind Pollard.

However, he showed promise as a rookie in 2023, accumulating 838 scrimmage yards on just 152 touches. Much of that production came through consistent usage as a receiver, too, as his 70 targets and 52 receptions both cracked the top 10 at the position. Spears was still utilized as a pass-catcher last season when healthy, so a return to his rookie numbers should be his floor under a full campaign.

Of course, when targeting Spears, what we really want to see is him eating into Pollard's workload on the ground.

This isn't necessarily a big hurdle when looking at Pollard's efficiency last year, as he averaged -0.15 expected points added per carry, a 35.0% rushing success rate, and a 21.2% missed tackle forced rate, all of which were well below league average. In comparison, Spears averaged -0.06 expected points added per carry, a 42.9% success rate, and 31.0% missed forced tackle rate. Most notably, that missed tackle forced rate placed him inside the top 10 among backs with at least 80 rushes.

Pollard is being drafted as the RB28 with a 68.7 ADP, so Spears comes at a massive discount compared to his teammate despite the potential for this to be a more even committee this season.

Tank Bigsby, Jaguars

ADP: 134.0 (RB43)

The Jacksonville Jaguars' backfield could ultimately be a three-way headache with Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, and rookie Bhayshul Tuten all in the mix for touches.

However, the early buzz in camp is that Bigbsy has "stood out" and seen the "bulk of the key reps." It's worth remembering that this is a new coaching regime running the show, so Etienne is hardly guaranteed to remain the starter again, particularly after an underwhelming 2024 season.

Bigsby was the far more effective player last year across several metrics. Among backs with at least 100 rushes, Bigsby ranked 4th in yards after contact per carry (4.0) while Etienne was 30th (3.2). Etienne also posted the fourth-worst expected points added per carry (-0.22) compared to Bigsby being above league average (-0.06). Further, Bigsby was inside the top 10 in rushing yards over expectation per carry (0.7), whereas Etienne was in the bottom 10 (-0.3).

According to PFF, Bigsby ranked 5th in elusive rating and Etienne was 44th out of 46 players.

There were spring reports that team leadership was "not so high" on Etienne, too, which likely has some truth considering they used a fourth-round pick to draft Tuten.

And speaking of Tuten, while his involvement can't be ruled out, an untimely hamstring issue has him day-to-day this week, which could further help Bigsby emerge as the top dog in training camp.

Etienne gets more usage as a pass-catcher than Bigsby, so chances are he won't go away completely. But between Bigsby's 2024 efficiency and the positive reports surrounding him thus far, there's a chance he emerges as the Jags' lead back, and that's definitely worth taking a chance on at this ADP.

Trey Benson, Cardinals

ADP: 154.7 (RB52)

Unlike the other backs I've listed, Trey Benson seems less guaranteed to enter the year with standalone value, but he's also going much later in drafts.

As a rookie, Benson didn't get a ton of work as James Conner's backup in 2024, logging a mere 62 rushes the entire campaign. However, Conner now enters his age-30 season and has a long history of injuries. While he started 16 games in 2024, he ultimately finished the year on injured reserve with a knee injury, and he's missed multiple weeks in most seasons over his career.

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has expressed optimism when talking about Benson, too, noting that he thinks Conner and Benson can be "two starting backs." The Arizona Cardinals picked Benson 66th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, so it's logical that they still have high expectations going forward.

In limited time last year, Benson produced a promising 3.6 yards after contact per carry and 15.9% rate of rushes for 10+ yards, both of which would've been top-10 marks if he qualified. He also ranked 10th in PFF's elusive rating among RBs with at least 50 carries.

In 2024 drafts, Benson had an 117.3 ADP as the RB40, showing how high people were on him coming out of college. Benson's essentially in the exact same situation entering 2025 but comes at a much bigger discount this time around.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.