You don’t need to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft to emerge as a top Fantasy football breakout. The running back position may not be as highly coveted in the NFL Draft as it was decades ago, but it remains a vital position in Fantasy football drafts, and rookie running backs selected in the second half of the NFL Draft could become a league winner for Fantasy football players. There were just as many running backs selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft (six) as the first three rounds combined, including Cam Skattebo, who was second in college football in rushing yards (1,711) last season before being selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., who the Giants selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, rushed for 859 yards and five touchdowns with 1,123 total yards as a Fantasy football breakout despite his later selection in the NFL Draft. Bengals running back Chase Brown, a fifth-round pick the year before, was RB10 in Fantasy football last year, so what young running backs should you target in 2025 Fantasy football drafts to feature in your 2025 Fantasy football strategy? Before crafting your 2025 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2025 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels would comfortably outperform his ADP (QB13). The result: Daniels threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with only nine interceptions and added 891 rushing yards with six more scores on the ground to take home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He finished as QB5 in CBS Sports PPR leagues and was a great addition to Fantasy football lineups.

The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021 and correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.

 The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy Football sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The 2025 Fantasy football PPR rankings and 2025 Fantasy football standard rankings update multiple times daily, so you’re always getting the best Fantasy football advice.

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2025, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

Top 2025 Fantasy football breakouts

One of the 2025 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten. Jacksonville selected Tuten in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft despite already having Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby in its backfield. Etienne was one of the biggest busts in Fantasy football last year, totaling 812 yards (558 rushing) and two touchdowns on 3.7 yards per rush despite high expectations as a top-20 pick in many Fantasy football drafts. 

Tuten rushed for 1,159 yards on 6.3 yards per carry with 15 touchdowns over 11 games at Virginia Tech last season. He rushed for at least 120 yards in five of those games with big-play ability, and Tuten displayed his home run speed at the NFL combine with a 4.32 40-yard dash time, the fastest time by any running back by .06 seconds. After Etienne’s struggles last year, he could be on a shorter leash and with Bigsby unable to claim the RB1 spot even with Etienne’s struggles, Tuten could have the opportunity at a large role.

Another potential breakout that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2025 have identified: Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter, who has an over/under of 750.5 receiving yards. A lot is being made about how much he’ll play on both sides of the ball and how it may cut into his production offensively. However, Hunter regularly handled well over 100 snaps per game at Colorado and the Jaguars desperately need a receiver opposite Brian Thomas Jr. to balance the passing attack.

Hunter led the Big 12 in receptions (96) and receiving touchdowns (15) while also ranking second in the conference and fifth nationally in receiving yards (1,258). He’s got high-level body control and proven athleticism, and the model predicts that he outperforms receivers like Jameson Williams and Darnell Mooney, who both finished top 25 in the NFL in receiving yards last season. See which other Fantasy football breakouts 2025 to pick here.

How to find proven 2025 Fantasy football rankings

SportsLine is also extremely high on a rookie running back to make an immediate impact. The model ranks this player as a top-10 option ahead of more established stars like Christian McCaffrey and Bucky Irving. You can only see who it is, and the 2025 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.

So which 2025 Fantasy Football breakouts should you target, and which RB shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2025 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Jayden Daniels’ breakout rookie season, and find out.

2025 Fantasy football ADP

(PPR, via CBS)

1. Bijan Robinson (1.92)
2. Ja’Marr Chase (2.23)
3. Saquon Barkley (4.00)
4. Jahmyr Gibbs (4.92)
5. CeeDee Lamb (5.92)
6. Justin Jefferson (6.77)
7. Christian McCaffrey (9.23)
8. Ashton Jeanty (9.38)
9. Malik Nabers (9.85)
10. Amon-Ra St. Brown (10.77)