NFL Fantasy Football 2025 Early-Round Value Picks: Running Backs

Last week we broke down the best wide receivers in the first four rounds, the best value picks in the mid-rounds, and the late-round value picks of upcoming fantasy football drafts, kicking off our Betting News Fantasy Football series. Today, we will begin part one of our running back value picks. This position has become more and more scarce to find true bell-cow’s, so let’s find the best in the first four rounds.

I know, I know. I’m the hockey guy at Betting News. I go by Gretzky Betzky, I host PUCK IT and I eat, breathe and sleep puck. But I’m also an AVID fantasy football nerd who is in two dynasty leagues, partaking in 5+ leagues annually and been addicted to being a fake GM for over 15 years now. In fact, I won the Betting News staff fantasy league last season and came in second place in two other leagues. From draft day on I will watch player ADP like they are stock tickers, hunting down value. And while the NHL is snoozing, I’ll be contributing my NFL expertise in the fantasy football realm.

This will become an ongoing series where I highlight players who REEK of value in fantasy drafts. We aren’t talking about grabbing Ja’Marr Chase with the first overall pick, but instead we are going to be finding gems and value. Each article will feature a position within a range of draft rounds (we will always skip the first round). We will assume that these picks are for 12-team leagues with .5 PPR and will not be discussing in terms of Superflex. On top of that, I’ll highlight a futures bet that corresponds with each player, all of whose odds can be found on BetOnline.

So without further ado, let’s kick it off with NFL fantasy football 2025 early-round value picks: the running backs. It’s mock draft season baby!!!

1. NFL Fantasy Round 2 Value Running Backs: Christian McCaffrey

I am all about BUYING THE DIP. Last year McCaffrey was often selected as the first pick in NFL fantasy drafts. Then disaster struck. CMC missed all but four games and frustrated owners who used top draft capital to select him. But that was 2024. And while the top RB is another year older and recovering from another major injury. I’m willing to take him as my RB1 if I go WR in round one.

Let’s not forget, CMC is an running back who has two top finishes for his position and two second place finishes in his career. In fact, he has been a league winner in four seasons, and has had a 21 TD season in San Fransico before. While I don’t expect him to be the top RB this year, I think a top 5 finish is not out of the question, and he may only be a few fantasy points behind the top backs, if he can stay healthy.

In 2022, his first year as a 49’er, CMC had 13 touchdowns, 741 receiving yards and 1,139 rushing yards. This was also the season after coming off a major injury that sidelined him for all but 7 games. McCaffrey is a true dual threat, which makes him even more valuable in PPR leagues. And with Deebo Samuel being shipped to D.C and Kittle being another year older, it would not be a surprise to see CMC unleashed in unique receiving situations.

Afterall, this is a Superbowl caliber team, coached by one of the most offensively gifted minds in the NFL. I much prefer CMC over Bucky Irving and Achane in the 2nd round, as both backs may have their roles cut into them by committees. I’ll buy the dip here and hope that we get a full healthy season of CMC making him a top NFL fantasy pick. And I absolutely will take his handcuff as backups in San Franscio have been VERY productive before.

Christian McCaffrey 8+ Rushing TD’s for -120 on BetOnline:

Removing last year’s injury plagued season, CMC has had 22 touchdowns in his first two seasons with San Fransico. And while he has only eclipsed this line three times in his career you have to factor that he was on the lowly Carolina Panthers for his first five seasons. If CMC can remain healthy this should be a slam dunk. In fact his 12+ rushing touchdowns for +195 is tempting if you want to max out value on a season long bet.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

2. NFL Fantasy Round 3 Value Running Backs: Chase Brown

Few running backs can be considered a true bell-cow in 2025. But the 25 year old RB for the Cincinnati Bengals is in a unique situation where his backups aren’t all that clear. And it would not surprise me to watch him take a heavy workload once again. Brown finished as the 10th best running back in his first season being the lead RB. With 990 rushing yards, 360 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns this is Mr. Consistent. And as a player that can be had in the third round, he is the perfect RB1 for those who reach for a QB or go WR-WR in the first two rounds of their NFL fantasy picks.

In the last half of the NFL season, Brown became one of the highest volume running backs in the league. He took at least 50 snaps and 15 touches in each of the last 8 games of the season. The Bengals have one of the top offenses, with arguably the best two wide receiver threat in the league, which allows Brown to exploit open boxes. In PPR he will shine as well, as he averaged 4.8 receptions for 37.4 yards over those last 8 games of the season.

And now we are getting a HEAPING spoonful of offseason hype. Just last week offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said he wants to make Brown a household name. He dropped comparables to the shifty and receiving heavy Austin Ekeler. It seems like Brown’s role could expand, and that he will be used in a way to highlight quarterback Joe Burrow’s strength, which is dishing out the ball. Brown has that rare chance of catapulting up fantasy ranks and cracking the top 5 with an expanded role and healthy season. He is only 25 and doesn’t have much milage, making him a fantastic NFL fantasy pick.

Chase Brown 8+ Rushing TD’s for +100 on BetOnline:

Brown would just need a single additional touchdown to hit this even money season long bet. And considering he did not have a touchdown until game four last season, the young RB should have a chance to surpass this with his increased role on the Bengals top offense. In fact, the Bengals struggled out the gates. A more well-oiled start to the season and this should be a grand slam. You could even take him at 10+ touchdowns for +200.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

3. NFL Fantasy Round 4 Value Running Backs: Alvin Kamara

Who else is going to run this New Orleans Saints offense, besides one of the GOATS. Yes, the Saints could be TERRIBLE. Yes Kamara is on the wrong side of 30. But we’ve already been warned about both of these situations for several seasons. He was 9th in PPR leagues last year and 11th the season before. In both of these seasons he missed at least 3 games. So let your league mates pass on Kamara while you reap the benefits of this sneaky NFL fantasy pick.

Kamara is a proven, duel-threat commodity in NFL fantasy. I have taken him in the last two seasons as my RB1 or RB2 and have not been disappointed. Every year he delivers high-volume usage—with 68+ receptions in each of his last two healthy seasons, and well over 1,300 scrimmage yards consistently. Under head coach Kellen Moore, the Saints are moving toward a run-heavy, outside-zone attack, well-suited to Kamara’s strengths. Moore has a history in running high-usage RB systems that elevate production.

If you are worried about the Saints offense as a whole, than let their piece of cake schedule help balance that out. According to CBS Sports, Kamara enjoys one of the most favorable RB schedules in 2025, with multiple games against NFC South defenses and other softer matchups that bolster upside. Add all of this up and it’s easy to see why I will once again be targeting Kamara in all of my NFL fantasy drafts. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Alvin Kamara over 775.5 Rushing Yards for -110 on BetOnline:

FEED ME THIS PROP. Kamara has missed this prop only TWICE in his ENTIRE career. That happened in his rookie season (728 yards) and two years ago when he missed 4 games due to suspension (694). My only concern here is if backup Keandre Miller begins to eat into Kamara’s workload. However, some of Kamara’s most productive seasons were when he was in a tandem with Mark Ingram, which ran very similarly to how Detroit utilizes both Gibbs and Monty.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

Interested in More Content?

More NFL Content on Betting News:

• NFL Expert Betting Guide
• Top 3 Wide Receiver Picks for Fantasy Football
• Mid-Round Value Picks for Fantasy Football: Wide Receivers
• Late-Round Value Picks for Fantasy Football: Running Backs

Follow me on X @gretzkybetzkys for daily plays and find me every Tuesday on the Puck It show 5:30 pm Eastern from the Betting News Twitch.

Make sure you are following Betting News on X and Twitch to keep up with everything we have going on! Notifications ON to stay on top of all the action.

Also tune in to one of our many streams during the week! Comes for the vibes, stay for the winners!

In need of a sportsbook? Check out one of our favorites below and sign-up for a bonus!