Biggest Fantasy Football Running Back Breakouts: Top RBs to Target in 2025 Drafts

The 2024 fantasy football season is in the rearview mirror. While last year is in the past, it’s important to look back at the biggest busts, surprises, and storylines. Learning from the past is an excellent way to improve as a fantasy football player. Unfortunately, multiple big-name running backs busted in 2024 because of injury.

Christian McCaffrey only played in four contests because of multiple injuries, ending the year as the RB72, averaging 10.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Nick Chubb finished as the RB59 last season, averaging 7.6 fantasy points per game because of two significant injuries. Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken fibula in Week 2, limiting him to seven contests. He finished as the RB63, averaging 7.3 fantasy points per game.

However, let’s focus on the positives from the 2024 season. Here are eight of the biggest fantasy football surprises from last year at the running back position.

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Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

Some fantasy football experts called Jacobs a bust heading into last season. While the star running back signed a massive contract with the Packers in free agency, his deal was written to give the team options after the first year. However, the veteran played well in 2024, ending the season as the RB5, averaging 16.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.

Furthermore, Jacobs had over 1,300 rushing yards for the second time in his career. He also set a career-high with 16 offensive touchdowns, including his first receiving score. More importantly, fantasy players could start the star running back every week with confidence. Jacobs scored double-digit fantasy points in all but two games last year.

Josh Jacobs with all the moves for a 38-yard rushing TD!

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— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

Cook was a popular high-end RB2 in most fantasy experts' rankings heading into last season. The former Georgia star finished the year as the RB8, averaging 15.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. While the top-8 finish was a career-high, fantasy players shouldn’t have been too surprised with Cook.

However, the big surprise came from how he averaged 15.7 fantasy points per game. Cook led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns last season while ranking second in offensive scores (18). By comparison, he had four rushing touchdowns and nine offensive scores over his first two years in the league. Cook put up massive numbers despite Josh Allen having 12 rushing touchdowns.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

The second-year pro was a popular sleeper candidate heading into last season. The Bengals replaced Joe Mixon with Zack Moss, giving Brown an easier pathway to taking over as the starting running back. Unfortunately, he had little production to start the year, averaging 4.7 rushing attempts for 34.7 yards and 4.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the first three weeks.

Yet, Brown became a league winner once Moss started to lose his grip on the starting role. The former Illinois star was the RB6 from Week 4 through Week 17, averaging 16.4 fantasy points per game, totaling seven rushing touchdowns. He had six games with 100 or more scrimmage yards, including two with over 140.

Chase Brown scores to even the score!

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— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024

Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Some had high hopes for Irving as a rookie. Rachaad White has never been an efficient runner, opening the door for the rookie to take over as the starter. While both ended the year in the top 24 running backs, Irving was the far better player. He finished as the RB14, averaging 13 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.

Despite splitting the backfield work with White, the rookie was unstoppable after the Buccaneers’ Week 11 bye. Unfortunately, Irving left the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders after playing only 10 snaps. However, the rookie averaged 17.8 rushing attempts for 104.5 yards and 19.3 fantasy points per game in the other six contests following the team’s bye.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

Fantasy players expected Hubbard to begin the 2024 season as the starter until Jonathon Brooks was ready to play after tearing his ACL at Texas. Unfortunately, the former Longhorn star took longer than anticipated, missing the first 11 weeks before tearing the same ACL again in his three career games. However, Hubbard stepped up and earned a significant contract extension.

Last year, the former Oklahoma State star finished as RB15, averaging 14.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Hubbard had 1,195 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, setting career highs in both categories. While the Panthers still have high hopes for Brooks, Hubbard will be their starting running back again next season.

Chuba Hubbard finds the end zone to extend the @panthers lead to 10

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— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024

J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Dobbins should have won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. The former Ohio State star missed 64.2 percent of the games over his first four years in the league because of multiple severe injuries, including a torn Achilles in 2023. He had to sign a one-year prove-it deal with the Chargers in the offseason with little guaranteed money in the contract.

Yet, Dobbins was outstanding in Greg Roman’s offense. He finished as the RB23, averaging 13.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game despite missing four contests with a knee injury. He set career highs in rushing attempts (195), yards (905), and touchdowns (nine) while accounting for 52.9 percent of the team’s rushing scores.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants

While Tracy was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the former Purdue star was one of my favorite running backs to draft last season. The Giants signed Devin Singletary in free agency after losing Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the veteran was never going to hold onto the starting role all season.

The former wide receiver-turned-running back ended his rookie year as the RB26, averaging 9.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Tracy had five rushing touchdowns and six offensive scores despite playing on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. The rookie star had three games with over 100 rushing yards, totaling more than Breece Hall (one).

Tyrone Tracy Jr. turns on the speed for a 45-yard TD!

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— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024

Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Fantasy players didn’t have Hunt on their radar heading into last season. The veteran running back signed with the Chiefs in Week 3 after Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken fibula. Hunt wasn’t the most efficient running back, averaging 3.6 yards per rushing attempt and 56 yards per game. However, he led the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

More importantly, the veteran ended the year as the RB30, averaging 11.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Hunt wasn’t a league winner, scoring single-digit fantasy points in nearly half of the contests. However, he was a solid waiver wire pickup for fantasy players struggling with injuries at the running back position.

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