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The 2024-25 fantasy football campaign is wrapped up, meaning it's time for dynasty managers to shine with offseason moves, trades, and draft picks. Whether you're at the bottom of your league and rebuilding or are fresh off a fantasy football title, rookies can make significant impacts for any "mode" you are in.
The 2024 NFL Draft class provided one of the weakest groups of running backs in years, but luckily, the 2025 class is much better. The consensus top three backs are Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina's Omarion Hampton, and Iowa's Kaleb Johnson.
Below, let's dive into the three ball carriers' rookie draft outlooks and potential areas to target them in drafts.
Ashton Jeanty Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook
Jeanty will go first overall in most setups after what could have been a Heisman campaign. And he's obviously a great running back. While RBs typically don't last as long in the league as receivers do, you don't really care here because this year's WR class is weaker than most.
People seem to forget that Ashton Jeanty is one of the greatest receiving back prospects of all time…
His receiving numbers in 2023:
• 578 receiving yards
• 5 receiving TDs
• 44 receptions
• 48 targets
• 0 drops
• 24 missed tackles forced
• 13.1 yards/rec pic.twitter.com/jOEoYs4G8W— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 2, 2025
Other than being 5-foot-8, which isn't the biggest concern, he's the complete package at RB. Elusiveness, burst, pass-catching ability, decent pass-protection skills, durability, tackle-breaking prowess, and more define his fantastic skillset. It also helps that great college RBs usually translate better to the NFL. It's position-dependent more on athleticism than on subtleties like route-running and explosiveness out of breaks, which receivers must excel at.
You're fine if you're at the 1.01, and while we don't hate trading down from here for a nice haul, it's not a necessity.
Target Around: Pick 1.01
Omarion Hampton Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook
Hampton is probably a workhorse back from his first day in the league. His top speed is a knock on his game, but he has most of what you want for a 15-20 touch-per-game guy at the next level.
UNC star RB Omarion Hampton listed as 6’0 220 pounds…putting this filthy dead leg on the alley defender 🤯 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4QJ9xbbI9h
— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) August 30, 2024
Top speed isn't the most important thing, though, and Hampton accelerates very well while changing direction and running in a straight line. He's a tank and looks a lot like Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs did in college. Hampton has a speed and tackle-breaking edge over Jacobs, though. This isn't a difficult evaluation. He's well worth an early first-round selection.
Target Around: Pick 1.04/1.05
Kaleb Johnson Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook
It's extremely difficult to watch his tape and try to understand how he became rated this high. He gets massive props for the elite run-blocking he enjoyed in college, but life isn't like that in the NFL unless you play for the Philadelphia Eagles or Baltimore Ravens. Ignoring the production and simply looking at the tape shows a very average-looking player who was in an ideal situation. He's maybe the seventh-best athlete of the running backs in this class as well. There's nothing that jumps off the tape as elite.
Kaleb Johnson has good vision and had a good feel for the flow of the defense. He will occasionally miss cut back lanes simply because he is going full throttle forward through open holes. He makes a good cut back against the flow of the defense here. pic.twitter.com/msT1jykTT2
— Thomas Martinez (@BoltsDraftTalk) January 6, 2025
And backs are often erroneously praised for their vision when the reality of the play was that the offensive line parted the sea like Moses and let the RB run free through some green grass. Getting caught by a hand tackle to the hip at the end is particularly hideous and outright damning. Unless he lands in a smash spot, Johnson could be a landmine in the early first round.
Target Around: Pick 1.09/1.10
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