Running again breakout candidates for 2025

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Irving had an ideal rookie season, so qualifying him as a breakout means the expectation for Year 2 needs to be even higher. Irving completed as the general RB15 final season in PPR, and heading into 2025, the assumption is that he’ll not simply crack the top-12 fantasy working backs this 12 months, however push for a lot increased than that and compete to be a high-end RB1 this season.

Having management of the backfield from Week 1

Cracking the top-eight working backs or increased begins with a complete scrimmage yards goal of round 1,400 yards mixed as each a runner and receiver. This was a mark that Irving efficiently reached final season (1,430) with room to enhance, contemplating precisely half of his fantasy common season video games resulted in fewer than double-digit carries, largely coming from the primary half of the season earlier than he took over the backfield from Rachaad White.

Irving’s second half of the season will be thought of a breakout in and of itself, however projecting his utilization and manufacturing throughout a complete season is the place we are able to get optimistic sufficient to anticipate a real RB1 season. From Week 10-on final season, when Irving’s improved alternatives turned extra constant, he ranked seventh in each dashing yards (703) and receiving yards (218) because the PPR RB7. Continuing on that tempo in Year 2 would permit Irving to comfortably return that mid-range RB1 fantasy potential.

Maintaining the success of his rookie season

What thrust Irving right into a beginning position within the second half of final season, regardless of being an undersized Day 3 rookie, was a excessive degree of play too good and too environment friendly to disregard. Irving completed the 12 months as a top-10 graded working again in dashing (90.0) and receiving grades (90.5). Arguably, probably the most spectacular facet of Irving’s rookie season, when contemplating his stature, is that he led the place in yards after contact per try (3.93) and was top-five in missed tackles compelled per try (0.28). Continuing to play at a excessive degree in Year 2 would hold him within the workhorse position that may feed his alternatives at ending as a top-eight fantasy working again or increased.

From Week 10 and on final season, Irving averaged 18.8 alternatives (targets plus carries) per sport, which, contemplating his effectivity as a runner and receiver, would put him nicely in vary of this high-end fantasy potential. Helping issues for Irving heading into Year 2 is that these alternatives translated to the high-scoring areas of the sector, which isn’t a task usually given to a smaller again. However, Irving’s expertise and elevated workload continued into the purple zone and across the goal-line, clearing White on the 12 months in goal-to-go touches 25 to 16 and red-zone touches 50 to 32. The workforce persevering with to belief Irving on this key position will assist him construct on eight dashing touchdowns from final season and additional fulfill his RB1 potential.

Bucky Irving’s 2024 RB ranks in 2024:

Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

Walker has been on the precipice of breaking out for a number of seasons, however accidents have created a barrier to that RB1 potential. Heading into 2025, Walker’s RB1 potential has arguably by no means been larger, assuming he can keep wholesome sufficient to permit that potential to return to fruition. Walker’s harm historical past has taken him from ending because the PPR RB18 as a rookie to RB20 in Year 2 and as RB25 in Year 3. However, Walker’s position and underlying metrics level to 2024 as being his finest season as a runner with a workload to be a fantasy RB1 throughout a complete season.

A workhorse position in Klint Kubiak’s offense

Kubiak coming in because the offensive coordinator creates some optimism for the Seahawks’ high working again, as he’s beforehand been part of two offenses which have supported an general RB1 in 2023 and RB8 in 2024. A big a part of that working again success has come from involvement within the passing sport, as each 2023 Christian McCaffrey and 2024 Alvin Kamara ranked high 5 on the place in complete targets. That receiving down position was not usually an enormous a part of Walker’s sport throughout his first two seasons, however he took over that position final 12 months, setting a brand new profession excessive in complete targets (52), which led the Seahawks backfield regardless of Walker lacking six video games and Zach Charbonnet (47) enjoying in all 17. This was an enormous fantasy worth increase for Walker, as he went from simply 13.3 routes per sport and a pair of.2 targets per sport in 2023 to twenty.4 routes and 4.7 targets per sport in 2024. With Walker incomes a top-10 receiving grade (72.9) and yards per route run (1.33) for the place, each of which outperformed Charbonnet, there’s purpose to consider that he can proceed dominating that position for Kibiak’s Seahawks in 2025.

On early downs, Walker stays the clear favourite, additionally delivering a profession season in PFF dashing grade (91.3) – a top-five mark for the place final season. Walker additionally significantly improved at creating missed tackles, main the complete league (min. 100 carries) in missed tackles compelled per try (0.40). Walker’s elusiveness was and certain nonetheless is a necessity for him to search out success as a runner behind a below-average offensive line, as he ranked forty fourth amongst 46 qualifying working backs in yards earlier than contact per try.

Seattle’s offense ranked beneath common in yards per play (5.3), offensive success price (34.6%), offensive factors scored (228) and purple zone performs (122), although Walker nonetheless discovered RB1 fantasy success when lively, averaging 16.5 PPR factors per sport. The offense enhancing to even barely above common this 12 months is nicely throughout the realm of potentialities, and a wholesome Walker is usually a large a part of that.

Stay wholesome!

For Walker to ship on any of the above expectations, he should keep wholesome. He missed two video games in every of his first two seasons after which six video games in 2024. While accidents are a better danger for many working backs, coming off a season with two separate stretches of missed time, it’s unsurprising that many fantasy managers will really feel trepidatious about his RB1 potential, which is why he’s at the moment being drafted as a mid- to low-end RB2 in the mean time. While sustaining well being together with his expectedly bigger workload throughout a complete season gained’t be straightforward, Walker remains to be younger sufficient with loads of mileage left to show in an injury-free and environment friendly season to turn into an RB1 for the primary time in his profession in 2025.

Kenneth Walker’s 2024 RB ranks in 2024: