The 2025 season is almost upon us, so it's time to make some stands.
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We asked the Footballguys staff to give their ride-or-die players for the first five rounds. Here's what they said.
RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England
Hutchinson Brown: TreVeyon Henderson will finish as an RB1 in fantasy football this season.
In college, he displayed elite fantasy football potential with a crafty receiving skill set, a perfect pass-blocking ability, and an electric and physical running style in between the tackles. He was my RB2 in this class, and he was in the Ashton Jeanty tier.
When you look at the setup for him, it's impossible to deny that this kid has serious fantasy football upside. He will likely immediately be the pass-catching back on this team, which will be valuable in Josh McDaniels' offense. In 11 of his 16 seasons as the Patriots' offensive coordinator, a running back on the team eclipsed 55 targets. Henderson should also lead the team in rushing this season. Rhamondre Stevenson has the contract to his name, but he has played mediocre football over the last couple of seasons, getting benched for Antonio Gibson multiple times. He will not hold off the elite talent in Henderson for very long, giving him the chance to be a dynamite asset for fantasy with great receiving and rushing volume, and many explosive plays.
Jeff Haseley: The Patriots' rookie running back has all but cemented himself as a contributor on offense, and he has likely overtaken Rhamondre Stevenson as the primary ball carrier. In addition to that, Henderson is an excellent receiver, which means he'll also be on the field on many passing downs. He has the talent and ability to make an immediate impact and the versatility to provide an extra boost to fantasy production as a receiving threat. He has the chance to be the top rookie running back this season, especially if the Patriots' offense continues to improve.
RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans
Gary Davenport: I can't quit Kamara this year, red flags be damned. He's old by running back standards. He's never rushed for 1,000 yards. The Saints will be terrible in 2025. All those things are true. But the Saints stunk last year, and Kamara set a career-high in rushing, flirted with 1,500 total yards, and finished ninth in PPR points among running backs and fifth in points per game. Kamara's Footballguys ADP is currently RB17. He's finished lower than that exactly never in his career. Kamara is the RB1 that lets fantasy managers go WR/WR, take Brock Bowers or an elite quarterback, and then still somehow wind up with an anchor in the backfield.
RB Kyren Williams, LA Rams
Devin Knotts: Kyren Williams is going as a consensus RB12 this season. Over the last two seasons, he has finished as RB7 in each, despite playing only 12 games in 2023 and missing one game last year. He's a volume workhorse with 350 touches and 85 red zone opportunities (carries+targets) last season. This backfield is going to continue to rely on Williams, as Blake Corum has yet to demonstrate the ability to succeed. While Davante Adams may have the Rams throw the ball slightly more than they did last season, this should provide a nice floor of red zone opportunities for Williams overall.
