Anyone who says “it’s too early for fantasy football” is not like us. They don’t have the love of the game that we have. Or maybe they just don’t know that Best Ball exists. They still think every league has to have waivers and trades, and lineups. If you’re one of those people, let me open your eyes to the greatest fantasy football invention since PPR!

In Best Ball, you get to do the funnest part of fantasy football - the draft. You can collect all the stars and sleepers while avoiding all the fades and busts. And that’s it. That’s all you need to do. An algorithm sets your lineups for the rest of the season while you sit back, watch, and collect your winnings. You can build a whole portfolio of players while you get in tune with the current trends of fantasy football all summer!

Regardless of whether you are a new player or a veteran, we are here to help you out. We have our full rankings with our favorite values to take and players to fade already published in our 2025 Best Ball Guide. So grab a copy of that if you truly want an advantage. For the time being, here is a quick snippet of some of our favorite early running back values for 2025 Best Ball drafts. Best Ball Mania V on Underdog is already open, so get in there and take your shot at winning millions of dollars!

 

 

Jonathan Taylor, RB Indianapolis Colts

Last year, the Indianapolis Colts dealt with some well-documented quarterback troubles. Despite that, Taylor still put up a total of 1,567 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Jonathan Taylor is one of only four backs in the NFL to average over 100 yards from scrimmage (along with Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley). 

Which is why I find it so surprising that Taylor is pretty easily attainable in the second round of best ball drafts. Adding Daniel Jones to the room with Anthony Richardson gives them a reasonable pivot if Richardson doesn’t take the next step. They still have Bernhard Raimann and Quenton Nelson to lay the lumber on that left side of the offensive line. And they have the weapons to move the football with a healthy Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and newly acquired tight end Tyler Warren. Taylor currently goes as the RB8 on underdog, but he’s a threat to finish RB1 

 

 

Alvin Kamara, RB New Orleans Saints

We just mentioned above that four backs have averaged over 100 yards from scrimmage per game for their entire career - Alvin Kamara is one. He was actually on pace for his first 1,000-yard rushing season last year as well before injuries derailed his season. But we really don’t care about how he gets the yards. In fact, receptions are more valuable.

In 2023, Alvin Kamara was a top 5 back in points per game. The following year, in 2024, his ADP was RB16. He was then once again a top 5 back in fantasy points per game. This year, on Underdog, his ADP is RB18. It just doesn’t make sense. Mickey Loomis gave him a two-year extension last year that included $20 million. They didn’t draft any running back help until RB17 in the 6th round, and they brought in a new coach in Kellen Moore, who helped orchestrate the Eagles' Super Bowl. I am in. 

 

 

 

Kenneth Walker, RB Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker is a talented player. And he can be an every-down player, as we learned last year under offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. He had plenty of games last year with double-digit carries, but he also had three different games where he got eight targets. Injuries derailed his season a bit, but when healthy, he put together some solid tape.

And that was with a dysfunctional team and an offensive line that lacked cohesion. I mean, Connor Williams retired mid-season. This year, they brought in Klint Kubiak and his trusted offensive line guru, Rick Dennison, to correct those issues. Not only did they draft lineman Grey Zabel in the first round,d but they also drafted a fullback in Robbie Ouzts to run the scheme that Kubiak brought with him from the 49ers to the Saints and now to the Seahawks. We mentioned that Alvin Kamara was on pace for his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season - that was under Kubiak, despite a ton of injuries on that offense. We are excited to see what Kenneth Walker can do in this scheme. The only problem is that he and Alvin Kamara go back to back in ADP, so you need to reach for one a bit to get both. If you see where we have them ranked in the 2025 Best Ball Cheat Sheet, it’s actually not that hard to get both.

 

 

 

RJ Harvey, RB Denver Broncos

Ashton Jeanty is the rookie RB1 - everyone is in agreement there. After him, there is some discussion to be had. And guys like Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson might be more talented than RJ Harvey in a vacuum. But fantasy football isn’t played in a vacuum. Scheme matters and opportunity matter from year to year. And Harvey has a golden opportunity.

Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has been an offensive coach for the last 18 years in the NFL. For all 18 years, the offense he has worked on has been top 5 in passes to the running back. All 18. They have AVERAGED 164 targets to the RB group. Last year, Javonte Williams was a top-five back in targets. And now Williams is gone. Harvey is a former quarterback who converted into a stud running back, and Sean Payton and company hand-picked him in the second round to be their guy. Prior to this, Joe Lombardi orchestrated seasons for guys like Austin Ekeler, Alvin Kamara, and Reggie Bush. RJ Harvey is my rookie RB2 in best ball once Ashton Jeanty is off the board.

 

 

 

Nick Chubb, RB Free Agent

It’s May. We have to take SOME risks. Most of the players you drafted in the last couple of rounds won’t do anything for you or anyone. One of my teams finished in the top 0.03% of Best Ball Mania V (226th out of 672,672) with Greg Dulcich and Deshaun Watson as my last two picks. And I won’t stop taking high-risk, high-reward players with those last couple of picks.

So why not give Nick Chubb a try? He claims he’s healthy, posting crazy workout videos. Someone is going to sign him. It could be the Dallas Cowboys, who just made a bold move for George Pickens. It could be Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears, looking for the David Montgomery in his split backfield. I think Nick Chubb will be playing football in 2025. And no one being drafted in the last couple of rounds of a best ball draft has more upside than Nick Chubb. Forget about the floor.