• The Chicago Bears rebuilt their offensive line: The Bears made two trades, signed one free agent and drafted a tackle in the second round. They should be one of the better run-blocking offensive lines in the league.
• Jaylen Warren is in store for a bigger role: The Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from Najee Harris after giving Warren a larger role in December. The team clarified that he can be a three-down back this offseason.
• Subscribe to PFF+: It’s quick and easy. You’ll unlock industry-leading rankings, unlimited Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator use, Live Draft Assistant and weekly our Start/Sit Optimizer. It’s time to win.

Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes

Editor’s note: Enjoy this PFF+ article and explore others free until Aug. 29.

Around 20 running backs are expected to be their team’s clear leader at the position with an ADP in the first four rounds. After that, there is nearly a two-round gap — the only player with an ADP in that range is David Montgomery. You’re then stuck with a handful of running backs who are in some kind of committee or competing for playing time.

These are the five running backs being drafted from rounds 6-10 who have the most upside to surpass their ADPs. The average draft position listed is from a consensus between ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.

Last updated: Monday, Aug. 25

R.J. Harvey, Denver Broncos (ADP: 6.05)

Harvey barely played in 2021 at UCF but was efficient as a backup in 2022 and further improved in a much larger role in 2023 and 2024. That all came with UCF jumping from the AAC to the Power Five’s Big 12. He earned a 93.4 PFF rushing grade against Power-Five opponents over the past three years, which was just ahead of Blake Corum, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, and just below Cam Skattebo, Damien Martinez and Bucky Irving.

Harvey’s receiving numbers were generally high throughout his college career. His PFF receiving grade notably declined in 2024, but that was mainly due to a fumble and two drops. On a small sample of 22 receptions and 31 targets, one fumble can tank a grade.

PFF’s 2025 Draft Guide focused mainly on the positives, including great elusiveness that led to avoided tackles in both the run and pass games. When PFF draft analysts were asked to name their favorite prospects, lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema listed Harvey. He has unique size for a running back, measuring at 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. Devonta Freeman was the most notable running back of that size to find NFL success, with Darrell Henderson and Michael Carter also showing flashes.

Helping Harvey’s prospects is that he gets to play in Sean Payton’s offense. Broncos running backs have caught 214 passes over the past two years, which is more than any other team. Back with the New Orleans Saints, Payton had Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Alvin Kamara, all of whom were fantasy-relevant at times, even in part-time roles. For example, Kamara was selected 67th overall compared to Harvey’s No. 60 draft slot. Kamara was a backup as a rookie and played 44.9% of his team’s offensive snaps over the season. He finished fourth in fantasy points per game that season after logging 120 carries and 81 receptions.

That said, the Broncos’ backfield has been highly volatile in recent seasons. Predicting which back would lead in carries from week to week was nearly impossible, and Payton’s public comments about player roles often didn’t align with usage. Even preseason rotations proved misleading when it came to final depth chart decisions. While the hope is that Harvey and J.K. Dobbins can stabilize the backfield, there’s no guarantee history won’t repeat itself.

Even though Payton’s preseason usage hasn’t always led to regular-season usage, Harvey played all but one snap with the starters on first and second downs in the team’s first preseason game, while Dobbins was restricted to a third-down role. There should be more of a rotation for the regular season, but that deployment at least points to Harvey’s potential to lead the team in carries while catching a lot of passes.

Harvey was arguably the biggest winner among rookie running backs, landing in a situation where his skill set could translate to fantasy stardom. A top-10 finish is within reach if he secures the passing-down role and averages eight or more carries per game. Still, Denver’s backfield has been notoriously volatile in recent years, and there’s a chance that unpredictability will continue.

D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears (ADP: 6.02)

The Lions drafted Swift with the 35th overall pick in 2020, and once Ben Johnson was elevated to offensive coordinator in 2022, Jamaal Williams began playing more snaps than Swift. Justin Jackson also played more snaps. Swift remained the two-minute drill back but played less on third downs. He also played less on early downs and in short-yardage situations. Williams tended to play more early in the game while Swift played more late, but it was not as extreme as recent Lions teams. Swift set a career low in rushing attempts per game but a career high in rushing yards per attempt.

Swift was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles after the team drafted Jahmyr Gibbs. The Eagles had a four-man battle between Kenneth Gainwell, Rashaad Penny, Boston Scott and Swift. Gainwell won the battle but suffered an injury, allowing Swift to start Week 2. He ran 28 times for 175 yards and a touchdown, 16 times for 130 yards the following week and didn’t look back. However, those were his only two 100-yard rushing games of the season, and by the end of the season, he was in more of a 50-50 split rather than playing over 60% of the team’s offensive snaps like he had most of the season.

The Eagles signed Saquon Barkley in free agency, so Swift went to the Chicago Bears. Swift played more in Chicago, taking the clear early-down back role while Roschon Johnson played on third downs. While his rushing attempts and routes run improved, his efficiency declined. His 61.3 offensive grade was the third-lowest among running backs with at least 500 snaps. He’s generally played better in gap schemes, and the Bears had the fifth-highest rate of using gap last season, so he, at least, had that working for him.  

Swift’s role has been all over the place throughout his career, as each offensive play-caller has used him differently. Currently, Roschon Johnson is his primary competition for snaps for a second straight season. Travis Homer has been a third-down back at times but has typically been more of a special-teams player.

While Swift was an early-down back and Johnson a third-down back last season, those roles may reverse. The Bears now have Ben Johnson as their head coach, and Swift’s one season with Johnson at offensive coordinator was in 2022, when he was the third-down and two-minute drill back. From a measurables perspective, Johnson is much more like David Montgomery and Jamaal Williams, while Swift is more like Jahmyr Gibbs.

Johnson has typically had a high zone run rate, which is the opposite of the Bears’ strategy last season. His role was reduced in his one year with Johnson, but his fantasy value was higher than in seasons where he had a bigger role, thanks to high efficiency. It’s a big concern that after one year as Swift’s offensive coordinator, the Lions decided to upgrade from him.

This means Swift has a wide range of outcomes. If the Bears don’t add any running backs, there’s a chance Swift could play in his recent larger role but with more efficiency, allowing him to be a top-10 back. There is a chance his efficiency doesn’t come back, and Johnson keeps him in a smaller role like in 2022, in which case, fantasy managers can’t start Swift. Another running back could come in, and Swift could potentially fall to third on the depth chart.

As the offseason has progressed, Roschon Johnson’s threat to Swift’s playing time has decreased. Swift’s ADP hasn’t subsequently risen enough, considering the potential reward. However, the Bears could still make a trade for a notable running back before the deadline this season.

Whoever ends up leading the Bears in carries will get significant help from a reworked offensive line. The Bears’ tackle duo is in the top 12 in terms of PFF grade among tackles 26 or younger. They both rank in the top eight in run blocking, and Chicago added Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. The team also traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signed Drew Dalman in free agency. Jackson has experience playing under Ben Johnson in Detroit. The Bears’ PFF run-blocking grade was average last season, but they should be among the better lines this season. They don’t have the dominant force on the line like Penei Sewell or Frank Ragnow, but there are no weaknesses.

Swift has been a low-end fantasy starter in recent seasons. The Bears’ offense has been greatly improved with a new offensive line, more receivers and a new head coach. This could lead Swift’s fantasy production to notably improve, but it could also be a matter of time before they also want to upgrade at running back, which could leave Swift behind.

Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 10.02)

Mason was an undrafted rookie who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. By midseason, the 49ers completely changed their backfield, trading for Christian McCaffrey and elevating Mason to the primary backup. Mason did an excellent job on his limited snaps, earning a 90.6 grade and averaging 6.0 yards per carry. In 2023, Mason fell to third on the depth chart with Mitchell’s return. Mitchell missed some time, allowing Mason to be a primary backup, and he played at a high level, like in 2022. There was talk heading into 2024 that Mason would replace Mitchell as the primary backup to McCaffrey. Mitchell ended up suffering a season-ending injury, allowing Mason to be the primary backup.  McCaffrey was dealing with an Achilles sprain to start the season, elevating Mason to the top back on the depth chart.

Mason was a top-six fantasy running back over the first five weeks of the season. He fumbled three times over the season, which lowered his PFF rushing grade, and there was some expected regression in his rushing efficiency over a larger sample size, but for the most part, he continues his electric play. He broke long runs at an elite rate, ran for at least 70 rushing yards in six of his first seven games and averaged at least 4.1 yards per carry each week. He didn’t develop much as a receiver, finishing with one or two receptions each week.

Unfortunately, Mason suffered a shoulder injury in Week 6 and re-injured it in Week 7. McCaffrey was able to return for a four-week stretch, bringing Mason to a backup role. It’s worth noting that any of his per-game metrics from 2024 include him being a backup for nearly half of his games. McCaffrey suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13, leading Mason to run 13 times for 78 yards, but then Mason was dealt a season-ending high-ankle sprain.

Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, allowing him to no longer back up McCaffrey with a chance for more playing time. The Vikings‘ lead running back last season was Aaron Jones Sr., who spent most of his career in a two-back committee. Jones has dealt with hamstring, MCL, hip, rib and quad injuries over the last two seasons and is 30 years old.

Mason has been an early down back throughout his NFL career, while Jones has been more well-rounded. Jones gained 408 receiving yards last season, which was the most for him since 2019. While Jones has graded very well as a runner for most of his career, he’s shown signs of decline to an average runner in recent seasons. It seems likely that the backfield split will include Mason seeing significant work on early downs and Jones seeing significant work in passing situations.

If Jones were to get injured, we could see Mason having a similar role to his five weeks as a starter with San Francisco. C.J. Ham has taken significant work on third downs as a pass protector in recent seasons, and he would probably take the third downs from Mason. Ty Chandler would be Mason’s backup, but Mason would probably be given as much work as the Vikings think he could handle in that situation.

The Vikings had a relatively average offensive line last season, which should be notably better this season, depending on how quickly the line can gain chemistry. Their best run blocker, Christian Darrisaw, missed more than half of last season. The Vikings’ guards were underwhelming last season, so they upgraded with Will Fries in one spot. It’s hard to predict exactly how well a rookie offensive lineman will do in their first season, but first-round rookie Donovan Jackson should be an upgrade at the left guard spot. The 49ers always had a top-10 offensive line when Mason was on the team, so if anything, this could be a step down for him.

It’s yet to be determined exactly how snaps will be distributed between Mason and Aaron Jones Sr., but there is a chance Mason is the better fantasy back if both are healthy, and he is likely to be a fantasy starter if injuries continue to disrupt Jones’ career.

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers (ADP: 8.04)

Warren was an undrafted rookie in 2022 who immediately found a role in the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense as the No. 2 running back and third-down back. He played 23 snaps in his first game and averaged over 30% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps throughout the rest of the season. He slowly but surely earned more touches, finishing two games with double-digit carries over the last four weeks.

In 2023, Warren entered a near 50-50 split with Najee Harris, but Warren’s playing time increased in every situation. Naturally, Warren tended to play more when the Steelers were losing and less when they were winning. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry thanks to a very high rate of making breakaway runs. He was much more involved in the run game. He finished 22nd in fantasy points for a running back, but his situation and playing time made it difficult to ever start him unless it was a flex spot or a league where fantasy managers start three running backs.

Warren started the 2024 season with a hamstring injury in the preseason and a knee injury in Week 3. He was back playing in Week 6, but it wasn’t until Week 8 that his quality of play started to return to normal.  He was RB25 from Week 10 until the end of the season. Once Week 14 hit, Warren started to consistently play at least 50% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps. 

Warren spent the first three years of his career competing for offensive snaps with Najee Harris, whom the Steelers opted not to re-sign. The Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the draft, and he will be Warren’s primary competition. The Steelers also added Kenneth Gainwell, as well as multiple former Indianapolis Colts, but most of those players will likely only see playing time if someone gets injured.

Johnson is unlikely to take Warren’s snaps on third downs. Considering how much the Steelers moved toward Warren in the two-minute drill, his snap count in those situations is also likely safe. While Johnson is a bigger back than Warren, the gap between them isn’t large, so there is a chance Warren will see more goal-line opportunities.

Warren’s value compared to Johnson will largely depend on how quickly Johnson can develop. We can expect both players to play at least 30% of the early-down snaps and carries, but there will be a big difference between Warren playing 70% of the early-down snaps and 30%. 

Throughout the preseason, it was clear Warren was at the top of the depth chart, as he sat out the first two preseason games, with Gainwell playing ahead of Johnson. In the third preseason game, Warren started and basically played in Harris’ old role while Gainwell played on third down. Johnson didn’t play until the other two running backs were done. While it’s unclear if this will be the exact rotation in the regular season, it does suggest Warren will have a significant role on early downs.

Warren will have Arthur Smith as his head coach for a second straight season. This is a big benefit for Warren because Smith’s offenses have always been more run-heavy than most. In the last two seasons, he’s had no problem throwing to running backs. When Smith was asked if the split between Johnson and Warren would be similar, Smith said it wouldn’t, suggesting Warren would play more on early downs than he did last season. He also talked about the need to run over 500 times, a mark only six teams hit last season, including the Steelers. The Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, which could lead the team to be less run-heavy. However, Rodgers has a high rate of throwing to running backs both with the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers, so this should help ensure Warren sees plenty of targets.

Warren has been a borderline fantasy starter when healthy the last two seasons, and that should continue this year. His upside is higher this time around because there’s a chance Warren stays ahead of Kaleb Johnson in both the run and pass games. However, there is also the risk that Johnson plays better than Harris, in which case Warren could lose playing time.

The Patriots changed coaching staffs and gave Stevenson a new backup in Antonio Gibson for 2024. He started the season as the clear focal point of the offense, finishing with 46 carries for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the first two weeks. However, he fumbled four times in the first four weeks. He didn’t start in Week 5 but ended up running for 89 yards and a touchdown anyway. He was inactive for Week 6 with a foot sprain.

The Patriots eased him in one week and then went back to relying heavily on him, as he received at least 15 touches per game and finished three games with at least 20 carries. However, he averaged 4.0 or fewer yards per carry in each of his first six games back from injury. Stevenson started playing better for a three-game stretch in December, finishing with 73-94 yards per game, but he also fumbled twice during that stretch. The Patriots were blown out 7-40 the following week, and they turned more toward Gibson again due to Stevenson’s fumbles. Stevenson was one of the veterans the Patriots opted not to play in Week 18.

Stevenson didn’t have a problem with fumbles in the first three years of his career, and most of his fumbles occurred in the first four weeks last season. Fumbles aren’t consistent from one season to the next, so that shouldn’t be a major problem this season.

The Patriots retained Antonio Gibson, who is experienced on both early downs and passing downs, but also added TreVeyon Henderson with the 38th pick in the NFL draft. Henderson was the passing-down back for Ohio State last season. Henderson has been praised for his receiving and pass protection, and he will likely take most of the third-down work away from Stevenson. There is a decent chance that Henderson will also take a lot of the two-minute drill work, which will also cut into Henderson’s value.

Throughout the preseason, Henderson has been the third-down back with the starters. Stevenson played in the first preseason game and was the starter. He took the majority of snaps on early downs, but Henderson mixed in on early downs while also taking the third downs.

Josh McDaniels is the new Patriots offensive coordinator after spending two years as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach, over a decade as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick, a brief stint as the Denver Broncos head coach from 2009 to 2010 and serving as the St. Louis Rams‘ offensive coordinator in 2011. 

Throughout McDaniels’ coaching career, he has consistently utilized a committee at running back. In 18 years as a head coach or offensive coordinator, there has only been one season where the back leading the team in carries was also the back receiving the most third-down snaps. The exception was in 2011 with three-time Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson. His last running back was Josh Jacobs, who played more third-down snaps before McDaniels arrived and after McDaniels left than when McDaniels was there.

McDaniels has often turned to three-back committees. This included his last season with the Patriots, where Stevenson and Harris both played on early downs and Bolden on third downs. The ideal case for Stevenson is that he’s in a two-back committee with Henderson, where Stevenson is the early down back and Henderson gets the passing-down work, but Stevenson may need to rotate with Gibson in the same way he once had to rotate with Harris.

Stevenson’s rushing production relies heavily on his offensive line, more so than nearly any other running back. He averages 8.0 yards per carry on perfectly blocked runs and 3.1 on non-perfectly blocked runs. All running backs are better with better blocking, but his yards per carry gap on the two is among the largest in the league. His 3.2 yards after contact per attempt rank seventh-best among running backs, suggesting he is a better back than his recent stats suggest, but his offensive lines have been the problem. The Patriots’ offensive line was in the top 10 in his rookie season when he ran for 4.6 yards per carry. They ranked at the bottom of the league last season, leading Stevenson to average 3.9 yards per carry. This left his fantasy value relatively low despite a career-high in rushing attempts per game.

While the Patriots had the lowest team run-blocking grade last season, they’ve taken some steps to improve. This includes selecting Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick and bringing in veterans Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury. Both Moses and Mike Onwenu had down years last season. It seems unlikely the line will be average next year, but the Patriots have hopefully done enough not to be in last again. Even a small difference could lead to a big difference in Stevenson’s rushing production.

While some are assuming Stevenson will be a complete non-factor after the TreVeyon Henderson selection, Stevenson should still receive double-digit carries each week and be more effective on those runs than last season. However, his receiving work might not be enough to make him someone worth starting every week. He could be very game script dependent, making him someone to start if the Patriots are expected to win, and someone to sit if not.