• Jaydon Blue could be on the fast track to snaps: The new Cowboys running back averaged 5.4 yards per carry last season on 149 rushing attempts, with 517 yards after contact, while excelling as a receiver.

• Cam Skattebo is set to rise up the Giants’ depth chart: His production potential, draft capital and PFF grades all point to his usurping Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. sooner rather than later.

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Fantasy football managers are always looking for steals, and the constantly evolving nature of NFL backfields makes running backs a common target. These three rookies were selected outside the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft but offer enough upside to take over their teams’ backfields in year one.

The Giants leaned on a committee in 2024, splitting carries between Tyrone Tracy Jr. (192 attempts) and Devin Singletary (113). Neither back cracked the 1,000-yard mark, and both finished with PFF rushing grades in the 60.0s — serviceable, but far from spectacular.

Enter Cam Skattebo.

The former Arizona State standout led the Big 12 in nearly every major running back category:

• PFF Rush Grade: 94.6
• Rushing Yards: 1,712
• Missed Tackles Forced: 103
• Yards After Contact: 1,202
• PFF Receiving Grade: 79.8
• Receptions: 44
• Receiving Yards: 543

Simply put, Skattebo can do it all, and he proved it at a high level in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals when he recorded 143 rushing yards, 111 rushing yards after contact, two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown against Texas.

With rumblings of the Giants potentially releasing Devin Singletary and Skattebo already boasting better production, higher draft capital (one round earlier than Tracy) and elite grading, it’s not hard to imagine the rookie taking control of New York’s backfield sooner rather than later.

Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys drafted Texas’ Jaydon Blue with the 149th overall pick in the fifth round. With only Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in front of Blue on the depth chart, both of whom are on one-year deals, there is a wide-open path to becoming the lead back in his rookie season. 

Blue can fly, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine to rank second among running backs.

On top of the speed, Blue averaged 5.4 yards per carry last season on 149 rushing attempts, with 517 yards after contact. Fantasy managers will fall in love with Blue for his receiving work, as he led all SEC running backs in receiving yards (365) and receiving touchdowns (six) and ranked second in the SEC to teammate Quintrevion Wisner in receptions (41) and yards after the catch (400).

If Blue can have a strong training camp and can work his way up the depth chart, he could be a PPR beast in his rookie season.

Of the rookie running backs listed, Tuten faces one of the steepest climbs. He is currently buried behind Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby on the Jaguars’ depth chart. But despite the uphill battle, there’s a realistic path for Tuten to rise, especially under new head coach Liam Coen.

Coen’s track record with rookie running backs is worth noting. Just last year in Tampa Bay, he helped turnBucky Irving, also a fourth-round pick, into the Buccaneers’ lead back by midseason. And Tuten may offer even more raw athletic upside than Irving did.

Here’s how the two compare from a physical testing standpoint:

Tuten’s explosiveness was on full display at the NFL Scouting Combine, and that athleticism translated on the field. At Virginia Tech last season, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry, racked up 1,150 rushing yards and earned an impressive 80.9 PFF rushing grade.

With Etienne’s efficiency regressing in 2024 and a new offensive scheme coming to Jacksonville, there’s a chance the backfield dynamic could shift sooner than expected. While Bigsby may remain the short-yardage and goal-line option, Tuten has the tools to emerge.

If Coen sees shades of what he unlocked in Irving, don’t be surprised if Tuten starts pushing for meaningful snaps early in his rookie year.