A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft; grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. To point out this value, we asked our staff to identify players available in the top half of your draft who should outperform their draft position.
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Five underrated running backs quickly gathered interest. See what our staff has to say about each player.
Underrated RB Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Jason Wood: Aaron Jones finished as RB19 last season, and the Vikings saw fit to re-sign the veteran to a 2-year, $20 million contract with $13 million guaranteed in March.
There’s a cognitive dissonance surrounding the Vikings this offseason, where many are fading the offense due to concerns that quarterback J.J. McCarthy can’t match what Sam Darnold did in 2024. Yet those same people are treating Darnold as one of the worst fantasy options this year now that he’s signed with the Seahawks.
Either you believe the Vikings offense is a product of Kevin O’Connell’s system and Justin Jefferson’s dominance, or you don’t. You can’t have it both ways. I’m in the camp that McCarthy will be as good, if not better, at executing the offense this year. And Jones is being paid to reprise his role as the centerpiece of the rushing attack.
Ben Cummins: Minnesota’s offseason included signing guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly while also extending blocking tight end Josh Oliver. The Vikings aim to run more effectively in 2025, which makes sense as it will alleviate pressure on J.J. McCarthy, who operated in a run-heavy collegiate attack and has yet to take an NFL snap.
Yes, running back Jordan Mason was also brought in. He was very efficient last season, but the biggest beneficiary of this philosophy shift is Aaron Jones.
Jones will turn 31 years old during the season, but he has shown little to no signs of slowing down. Jones entered the NFL as one of the best athletes the league had ever seen and continued to showcase that electricity last year, consistently utilizing his speed to get to the edge and create plays in space.
He racked up 1,546 total yards and 7 touchdowns and ranked 11th in opportunities per game (18.8), 14th in total yards per game (91.9), eighth in running back targets (62), and seventh in running back receiving yards (408). The dual-threat will once again thrive in an offense that ranked sixth in Expected Points Added per Play in 2024.
Bob Harris: Aaron Jones thrived in his first year with Minnesota, setting career highs in touches (306), carries (255), and offensive snaps (700) while playing all 17 games. Despite battling hip, rib, and quad injuries, Jones posted 1,138 rushing yards and 1,546 scrimmage yards -- both top-tier numbers -- and scored seven total TDs.
He finished 2024 as RB12 overall and RB19 on a per-game basis (14.6 PPR). In addition, Jones remains one of the league's most versatile backs, ranking in the top 10 at the position in catches (51, tied for the eighth-most) and yards receiving (408, seventh-most).
Are there concerns? Sure. Jones wore down as the season progressed. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry over his first six games but dropped to 4.1 yards per carry over his final 11.
Other issues include Jones' age, injury history, Minnesota's QB situation, and an offseason trade for Jordan Mason, all of which could continue to depress his value. Still, fantasy investors able to land him as their RB3 should consider that a win.
Phil Alexander: The Vikings didn’t give Aaron Jones $13.5 million guaranteed to play second fiddle. He was signed to lead a backfield that should generate plenty of scoring chances with Kevin O’Connell calling plays and talented first-year starter J.J. McCarthy under center. Jordan Mason figures to see more work than Ty Chandler did, but Jones is the most complete back on the roster and remains a fixture in the passing game.
Jones has averaged 48 receptions per season since 2019 and continues to operate as one of the league’s most versatile backs, even while managing nagging injuries. In 2024, Jones ranked top-10 among running backs in routes run, targets, receptions, receiving yards, and red zone touches — all signs of a strong weekly floor and access to high-value volume.
Even at age 30, it’s wild to see a back this proven falling behind rookies in crowded backfields or veterans with murky roles. Jones is healthy and running behind one of the league’s most underrated offensive lines. The Vikings are counting on him to be a difference-maker.
If he stays on the field, he should deliver top-15 returns at a late-range RB2 cost. Draft him before the market catches up.
Andy Hicks: In his first season in Minnesota, former Packer Aaron Jones had a career year. He had never recorded more rushing attempts and yardage than he did in 2024. His work as a receiver was also close to career peaks.
What held him back in fantasy rankings was only seven total touchdowns. With the Vikings changing quarterbacks from Sam Darnold to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, expect the team to lean on the running game, allowing the inexperienced quarterback to find his feet.
Yes, Jones will be 31 this year, but he was relatively underused in Green Bay. With his strength as a receiver, I expect him to be as effective as he was last year, with a good chance that he will increase his touchdown total.
Much will be made of the arrival of Jordan Mason from San Francisco in a trade. He looked explosive in patches for the 49ers but struggled with workload and was invisible in the passing game.
Jones has proven to be durable, and his work as a receiver is a notable strength. At his current ADP, Jones not only presents as a good selection, but his chances to exceed the ADP are excellent.
Ryan Weisse: Aaron Jones is being drafted like a fading veteran, but his 2024 production tells a different story. He quietly finished as a top-15 fantasy running back, playing all 17 games and racking up 1,138 rushing yards, 408 receiving yards on 51 catches, and seven total touchdowns.
Those are solid numbers, and his situation in Minnesota hasn’t changed much. If anything, it may have improved. Yes, there’s a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, but the offense should remain largely intact, and rookie quarterbacks tend to lean on reliable backs in the passing game. That’s where Jones shines.
Unlike most backs being drafted near him, Jones remains a true every-down option. He’s not the flashiest name on the board, but few backs offer his combination of floor, usage, and versatility. The team added Jordan Mason, but he’s more likely to absorb the leftover carries from last year’s rotation, not eat into Jones’ workload.
Volume is king in fantasy, especially when it comes through the air, and Jones is a safe bet to see plenty of carries and targets again. With another 250-plus-touch season well within reach, Jones is a classic value pick being discounted for all the wrong reasons.
Jeff Haseley: There may be some pause among people pursuing Aaron Jones as an every-week starter for your fantasy lineup. The Vikings will have a young, inexperienced quarterback running the offense in J.J. McCarthy, plus Jones himself (age 30) is on the downward slope of his career.
He is coming off a productive top-15 season and may not be able to reach those heights again. The general rule of thumb for fantasy running backs is to avoid those who are 30 years of age or older.
As a result of all of these negatives, his draft position is falling further down the board. Is it a legit concern? If not, Jones could be one of the better running back value plays this season.
Minnesota was competing for the #1 seed in the NFC in the final week of the 2024 season. Sam Darnold is no longer in the picture, but what if the reason for their success is Kevin O'Connell's brilliant offensive mind and system? Insert McCarthy into that system, rinse and repeat. The Vikings are relying on Jones to produce again in a potent offense. If they are, it stands to reason that we can do the same for his fantasy outlook.
Matt Waldman: The age cliff boogeyman is scaring off the fantasy community once again with 30-year-old Aaron Jones. As was the case with Derrick Henry, backs who prove they can handle a large workload over time are good bets to continue doing so as long as they are healthy and remain explosive.
Jones had a career year with touches and yardage in 2024 while playing through a leg injury that didn't limit his explosion. Yes, the age cliff can come at any time after 29, but Jones didn't slow down at 29 and has had at least 250 touches three times during his eight-year career despite splitting time with another viable runner.
Jordan Mason could force a bigger split, but that's the best reason to downgrade Jones' potential volume. Until we learn that's the case, expect another 250-touch campaign for the veteran.
And remember, Jones has split time with another viable fantasy runner for most of his career in Green Bay and has been a top-15 RB in the four years he played at least 14 games and a top-24 option when he had at least 12 appearances.
Underrated RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Jason Wood: Kyren Williams was RB2 in 2023 when he emerged as the Rams’ starter, and then everyone worried he would be forced into a committee last year with Blake Corum. Instead, Williams finished as RB9 with 1,481 yards and 16 touchdowns.
We know Sean McVay prefers to feature one workhorse when he has a talented option on the roster, and nothing about Williams’ role, place on the depth chart, or performance warrants caution or circumspection.
In a world where most teams prefer committee approaches, Williams is on a short list of bankable, every-down tailbacks. Some are excited about rookie Jarquez Hunter and fear he’ll eat into Williams’ workload, but fourth-round running backs have a very low rookie hit rate.
Dave Kluge: Kyren Williams is a glaring example of why we sometimes must look beyond the numbers. A fifth-round pick, Williams took over as the Rams’ workhorse in 2023.
After an efficient (albeit voluminous) year, the team spent a second-round pick on Blake Corum. Despite that, Williams held onto his role. The inefficiency lingered, and the Rams added Jarquez Hunter in Round 4. The same doubts are circulating among fantasy drafters this offseason.
A soon-to-expire contract adds fuel to the burning discourse. But Sean McVay has made it clear that Williams is his guy. His efficiency metrics are rough: 67th in yards after contact per attempt, 63rd in EPA, 47th in yards per touch, 33rd in broken tackle rate.
But he excels in pass protection, runs hard through contact, and keeps the offense on schedule. His versatility as a runner, receiver, and blocker allows the Rams to stay in rhythm without changing personnel.
What Williams brings doesn’t always show up in the data, but his role creates rare opportunity. He led all running backs in snap share last year. The concerns are real, but they’re priced in, allowing drafters another offseason to draft Williams at a discount.
Bob Harris: Kyren Williams broke out over the past two seasons and became one of the best at his position. He ran the ball 316 times for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024, which set new career highs after he posted 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games during the 2023 campaign. He added 66 receptions for 388 yards and six more touchdowns over those two years.
Accounting for nearly 81 percent of the Rams' rushing attempts by running backs last year, Williams also proved to be one of the best tackle-breakers in the league. While he stands at just 5-9 and 202 pounds, Williams finished top-10 in broken tackles and missed tackles forced, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Rams' offense goes through quarterback Matthew Stafford, but they still ran the ball 450 times last year, which was dead-center in the NFL. With a clear path to workload in a well-defined role, I'm more comfortable with Williams near the end of the RB1 tier than I am with some of the prospects going ahead of him.
Andy Hicks: Late-round running backs have a poor track record in the NFL. Kyren Williams is an exception. He isn’t exciting to watch and can be viewed as a product of a system. But what a system it is. Williams has been productive.
He has 31 touchdowns over the last two years and can handle an excessive workload of 300 carries. In the final year of his rookie contract, the Rams have prepared for the future by drafting Blake Corum in the third round in 2024 and Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round this year. With the expectation that Los Angeles will move on after this season, Williams will work every day of his final year.
The situation reminds me of Alfred Morris, a sixth-round pick for Washington in 2012. He won the starting job unexpectedly under the master of using late-round running backs, Mike Shanahan. When Shanahan was sacked in Morris’s third year, his numbers tanked.
Sean McVay is going nowhere in 2025, and Williams is the rock the Rams offense will run through. I would carefully look at training camp reports to see if Hunter or Corum are close to challenging Williams.
Maurile Tremblay: Kyren Williams continues to be overlooked among the high-profile running backs despite his proven combination of dependable workload, touchdown potential, and strong team investment.
Over the past two seasons, Williams accumulated 2,443 rushing yards and scored 26 touchdowns on the ground in just 28 games, finishing each year as a top-six running back in fantasy points per game. His durability is notable, having missed minimal time due only to a single ankle sprain in 2023.
In 2024, Williams earned 316 carries (the third-highest total in the NFL) and a dominant 79 percent snap share. Meanwhile, his backups collectively managed just 71 attempts, highlighting Williams' undisputed workhorse status. That role remains unchanged heading into 2025, with Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter providing depth.
Williams’ impressive efficiency validates his volume. He ranked in the top five among running backs in both yards after contact (57.9 per game) and forced missed tackles (3.8 per game). Additionally, Williams remains involved in the passing game, raising both his floor and weekly consistency.
The Rams are actively negotiating a contract extension with Williams, signaling that they view him as a franchise engine through at least 2026. Consider him a bell cow at a discount in 2025.
Julia Papworth: Last offseason, when the Rams drafted Blake Corum, we kept saying, “Look, Sean McVay is finally going to take away some of the touches from Kyren Williams.” Egg, meet face, and the exact opposite happened.
Williams' snap percentage went up from 82% to 87%, as well as his running back attempt percentage. In 2023, Williams handled 76% of the team's carries, and in 2024, he handled a whopping 83%. He had 43% of the team's total touches.
I know we are nervous about Williams being overused and getting injured, but the only game he missed last year was due to rest, not injury. When McVay likes a guy, he really likes a guy, and even though the team drafted Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round of the NFL draft, I still think Williams’ ADP in the RB11 range is significantly undervaluing what he could give you, which is the definition of a bell cow.
After this year, the Rams will have to decide whether or not to extend Williams, making this, in my opinion, an audition year for Williams where he could really shine, whether for LA or another team.
Underrated RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Jason Wood: Alvin Kamara turns 30 years old in July and is the last remaining piece of the Saints’ peak offensive years under Sean Payton and Drew Brees. And while age is undefeated, I’d hope fantasy managers learned their lesson last year when they discounted Aaron Jones, James Conner, Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, and Josh Jacobs for being old and uninteresting.
The reality is that Kamara was RB5 last year on a per-game basis in PPR scoring. Not RB10, not RB15, but RB5. And with a quarterback duo of Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough looming, I see no reason why Kamara won’t continue to be peppered with a high target volume as a receiver.
Furthermore, our offensive line expert Matt Bitonti ranks the Saints’ unit 11th, and we know incoming head coach Kellen Moore is very comfortable building an offense around running backs, just as he did in Philadelphia and Dallas.
Ben Cummins: Alvin Kamara will be just 30 years old this season, and drafters should appreciate his greatness while they still can. Kamara entered the NFL as an amazing athlete at 214 pounds and has utilized his elite ability to become one of the best dual-threat running backs in league history.
In eight seasons, Kamara has racked up 6,779 rushing yards, 60 rush touchdowns, 728 targets, 573 receptions, 4,762 receiving yards, and 25 receiving touchdowns.
His historical career was not a thing of the past when analyzing his play last season. In 2024, Kamara ranked third in opportunities per game (22.6), sixth in total yards per game (106.6), first in running back targets (89), second in running back receiving yards (543), and third in running back yards per route run (1.75).
He’ll continue to be a staple for an offense that needs playmakers and for a new head coach who projects as an upgrade after winning the Super Bowl as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator.
New Orleans doesn’t project to win many games, but don’t overreact to that. Kamara has stated consistently that he loves the city of New Orleans and wants to finish his career with the Saints.
Julia Papworth: Drafters always tend to shy away from the older running backs, which might be why the Saints' Alvin Kamara is currently going close to RB20. However, Kamara at this current ADP is severely undervalued.
In the 14 games played last year, Kamara was only outside the top 20 three times, finishing the season as the solid RB12. Volume was king for Kamara, and I just don’t see it diminishing. Averaging almost 24 opportunities a game before his week 15 groin injury, the cast in New Orleans hasn’t changed enough for me to see this going down.
If anything, I could see the opportunities increasing for Kamara. Poor Kendre Miller still hasn’t been able to prove himself, and rookie running back Devin Neal doesn’t have the draft capital.
Always a PPR monster, Kamara’s pass-catching prowess should be especially appreciated by incoming rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Remember, the health of Chris Olave remains a concern, and tight end Taysom Hill is recovering from his ACL injury, leaving Rashid Shaheed as the potential WR1.
There is a world where Kamara returns to over 100 targets to go along with over 200 carries, and the only hesitation becomes his age.
Gary Davenport: Kamara appears to be falling victim to one of fantasy football’s cruelest and most insidious maladies—MTSSNLMA, or as it’s known in clinical terms, “My Team Sucks So Nobody Loves Me Anymore.”
Yes, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has run the team so far into the ground that all of the reserve offensive linemen in 2025 are mole people. The starting quarterback is probably going to be a 53-year-old rookie. Wide receiver Chris Olave blinks “Help Me” in Morse Code every time he’s interviewed on television.
There is a very real chance that the Saints will be one of the NFL’s worst teams this year. Not Cleveland bad, but Cleveland bad takes decades to do properly. The thing is—none of this is news.
The Saints were terrible for a big chunk of 2024, and Kamara actually set a career-high in rushing yards and posted his best yards per carry since 2020. Throw in 68 catches, and Kamara was ninth among RB in PPR points and fourth in points per game. Kamara is going to be a major part of what offense the Saints do have this year—and he’s going to be a value.
Dan Hindery: The key to winning in 2024 was capitalizing on the discounted draft prices of aging running backs. Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs all returned massive value, but in 2025, they are being drafted much earlier. Not Alvin Kamara, however.
A late-season injury has him flying under the radar. Before getting hurt, Kamara was on pace for 1,861 total yards and 84 receptions. He was the RB3 in PPR formats heading into Week 14, trailing only Barkley and Henry. He did it despite a struggling offensive line and poor quarterback play.
There is reason to believe the offensive situation improves in 2025. The Saints used a Top 10 pick on left tackle Kelvin Banks and return a healthier interior line. Kamara also suffered from brutal touchdown luck. Taysom Hill vultured six rushing scores before going down with an injury of his own.
With Hill’s health uncertain, Kamara may reclaim those valuable goal-line touches. He remains an elite receiver, a capable runner, and is now playing under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. If Moore can add some juice to the offense and the line takes a step forward, Kamara could be one of the biggest fantasy steals of the year.
Underrated RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Phil Alexander: Third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson must have the better PR man, but Jaylen Warren profiles as the most reliable Steelers running back.
Despite a part-time role, hamstring strain, and knee injury in 2024, Warren commanded an impressive 11.9% target share, ranking 13th among running backs. He also placed 9th in yards created per touch and 6th in yards per route run—elite efficiency numbers that made him a constant threat when on the field, especially late in the season as he returned to normal health.
Aaron Rodgers’ arrival at quarterback cements Warren’s value as a receiver out of the backfield. As Rodgers ages, he becomes less willing to take hits, which helps explain why his yards per attempt have dropped below career norms in recent seasons. He has long been effective throwing to backs in the flat and is now more likely than ever to use them as checkdowns. The 2022 Packers and 2024 Jets both ranked in the top 10 in running back target share.
Warren won't need a three-down workload to outproduce his current draft position. His receiving skills, efficiency, and veteran status give him a high weekly floor and significant upside in games when he gets loose for big plays.
Expect steady RB2 production with league-winning upside if Johnson struggles or gets hurt.
Ryan Weisse: Jaylen Warren is being undervalued in fantasy drafts, and his role in Pittsburgh’s offense makes him a strong bet to outperform his ADP. He’s one of the league’s most proficient pass-catching backs, and that skill set will remain a focal point in 2025.
Rookie Kaleb Johnson has generated buzz, but he’s more of a downhill, early-down runner, not a threat to Warren’s passing-down work. This backfield will look a lot like it did last year, except Johnson won’t command nearly the passing volume Najee Harris did.
Despite scoring just one touchdown all season, Warren still finished as a top-40 fantasy back in 2024. With Aaron Rodgers now under center, scoring chances should increase, and Warren’s targets could see a massive bump, potentially to 75 or more. That number would’ve ranked fourth among all running backs last season, and here’s the kicker: every back with 50+ targets in 2024 finished inside the Top 30.
As the more versatile and experienced option, Warren may also see more carries than he did last year. He’s not just a complementary piece—he’s a high-floor, high-upside value being miscast in drafts as a secondary option behind an unproven rookie.
Maurile Tremblay: Jaylen Warren is trying to shed the "other guy" label in Pittsburgh’s backfield, with all indications suggesting he is set for a featured role. The Steelers declined Najee Harris's fifth-year option, removing a running back who had consistently seen around 300 touches annually. This clears the path for Warren to shoulder the load in 2025, with only Kenneth Gainwell, a one-year signing, and Kaleb Johnson, a Day 2 rookie, providing backup.
This substantial opportunity perfectly aligns with head coach Arthur Smith’s run-first philosophy, as Smith openly targets 500 team carries per season and prominently features running backs in the passing game.
Warren’s explosive potential was already evident in limited touches last year: he ranked second in explosive-run rate and top-six in yards after contact and success rate, all accomplished in roughly 120 rushing attempts. Additionally, the Steelers have invested heavily in their offensive line with recent first- and second-round picks, expecting this youthful group to peak collectively this season. He also offers reliable receiving skills, providing an additional route to weekly fantasy points and enhancing his floor in PPR formats.
Simply put, Warren combines elite per-touch efficiency, a run-centric offensive scheme, and nearly uncontested workload.
Underrated RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Ben Cummins: James Conner will be just 30 years old this season and is coming off the best year of his career in terms of total yardage (1,508). Conner is one of the bigger running backs in the NFL at 233 pounds, and he plays like it.
He’s the heart and soul of an offense whose coaching staff keeps continuity with a defensive-minded head coach and an offensive coordinator who fed him the 15th most opportunities per game (18.2) on an offense that ranked ninth in Rush Expected Points Added per Play last season.
In 2024, Conner ranked 10th in total yards per game (94.3), fourth in 10+ yard runs (34), fifth in 15+ yard runs (16), third in Missed Tackles Forced (68), 11th in Yards After Contact (779), and 13th in standard FBG scoring fantasy points per game (12.8).
I’m significantly higher on Conner than the market, and the only logical explanation is fear regarding Trey Benson.
Benson is an exciting 216-pound elite athlete, but he didn’t hurt Conner’s value at all last season, and he never handled a large workload in college, totaling just 310 carries over his final 26 games (11.9 attempts per game). Conner’s job is solidified.
Colton Dodgson: Very few players fit the old reliable bill quite like James Conner.
There’s always caution with aging running backs. For good reason. The age cliff can be steep. It’s certainly a concern with Conner. He’s now 30, with 1,624 career touches to his name.
What stands out here, though, is the continuity on offense and the stability of the role. He’s entering year three with Drew Petzing at offensive coordinator. In 29 games with Petzing, Conner is averaging 14.45 Half-PPR points per game on 17.9 total touches.
His -0.02 expected points added per carry was the tenth-highest mark among NFL running backs last season. His +0.02 EPA/target was tied with Aaron Jones and Josh Jacobs for 17th.
While the age concerns can’t be ignored, the other options in Conner’s draft range will present risks of their own. It’ll be difficult to ignore Conner if he slips in drafts, especially when you consider the resume and that the only real knock on him is his age. You will likely see more Trey Benson in 2025. That doesn’t automatically eliminate one more mid-range RB2 season out of Conner, though.
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