NFL Backfields Shaping Up to Be 2025 Fantasy Football Nightmares

Fantasy football managers often face the risk of their seasons turning into nightmares due to factors like player injuries, underperformance of early-round picks, and running backs failing to secure expected workloads. It is increasingly common for running backs to fall short of 300 touches or carries, which directly impacts fantasy point production. Paying a high price for a running back with reduced opportunity can lead to disastrous outcomes.

The Cleveland Browns serve as a prime example of such a nightmare scenario. After struggling in their running game in the previous season, the team drafted Quinshon Judkins in the second round and Dylan Sampson in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft to bolster their backfield. However, Judkins was arrested for domestic violence in the offseason, and although the case was dropped, he remains unsigned with potential NFL discipline looming. As a result, the Browns may seek a veteran running back, leaving Jerome Ford as the expected Week 1 starter with Sampson in a complementary role. The uncertainty has caused none of the Browns' running backs to be drafted within the top 100 picks on average in fantasy leagues.

This situation reflects a broader trend where backfields with unresolved workload questions inspire little confidence among fantasy managers, often resulting in their primary running backs being drafted in later rounds, such as Round 10, further emphasizing the risks involved.