Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football in 2025

Even in a league well-stocked with running back talent, Jeanty is likely the position's best prospect in many years. That doesn't mean he'll be the best in the NFL -- Trent Richardson showed how things can go wrong even for seemingly infallible prospects -- but Jeanty nonetheless ranks on that level. At 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, he's naturally anchored and densely built, seemingly nailed to the floor and floating at the same time. He breaks tackle attempts with minimal effort, and his top on-field speed last season (21.7 mph) was the best of any RB from the incoming draft class, allowing him to skip pre-draft testing without hurting his stock. Jeanty dominated in two different roles at Boise State, thriving as a dual threat in 2023 (18.3 carries, 3.6 catches per game) before serving as more of a pure rushing workhorse in 2024 (26.7 carries, 1.7 catches). This means Jeanty likely can thrive as a Bijan Robinson-style workhorse or as more of an in-space specialist like early career Alvin Kamara. Large workloads won't take long to materialize in Las Vegas, where the No. 6 overall pick joins a backfield that was arguably the league's worst last season. The other new addition, 33-year-old Raheem Mostert, is unlikely to stand in Jeanty's way. Concerns about team context will be justified until the Raiders prove otherwise, but there is real hope for a competent offense under the guidance of new coordinator Chip Kelly and starting QB Geno Smith. For all of Kelly's other shortcomings, his four years as an NFL head coach produced offenses ranked first, ninth, 14th and fourth in rushing yards. Jeanty figures to step right in as the engine of the offense, with him and TE Brock Bowers being centerpieces of the Raiders' latest rebrand.

Ashton Jeanty tends to hog the headlines, but if Hampton were in any other draft there might have been more spotlight to properly appreciate him. Hampton is either blue-chip or close to it in his own right, heading to Los Angeles as the 22nd overall pick after topping 1,500 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons for UNC. At 6-feet, 221 pounds, Hampton logged excellent athletic testing at the combine, running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash with strong jumps (38-inch vertical, 130-inch broad jump) to finalize a standout prospect profile. He averaged 23.4 carries and 3.2 catches per game in 2024, and more than 20 touches per game in 2023, boasting elite efficiency in both samples without missing any games. Hampton may eventually rank among the league leaders in touches, but he'll first need to compete with Najee Harris, who signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Chargers this offseason. While not on Hampton's level as a pure runner, Harris offers an unusual combination of size, durability and passing-down competence, making him a threat to handle high-value touches even if/when the rookie takes over as the Chargers' lead back.

McMillan's college career was about as good as it gets, starting with a 702-yard, eight-TD showing in 2022 as a true freshman at Arizona. He then put up 90-1,402-10 in 2023 and 84-1,319-8 in 2024, maintaining his massive production last season even as the rest of the Wildcats offense fell off a cliff (no other player had more than 323 receiving yards or three receiving TDs). McMillan is one of the NFL's largest wide receivers, having measured in at 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, at the 2025 Combine. He didn't work out at the combine, instead waiting until his pro day, where reports put his 40-yard dash between 4.48 and 4.55 seconds. That's below average for a WR in general, but above average for a receiver his size, and it didn't dissuade the Panthers from drafting McMillan eighth overall. It's an ideal landing spot to earn immediate playing time, especially after the Panthers traded Adam Thielen to Minnesota in AUgust.. The biggest question, apart from McMillan needing to prove himself at the next level, is whether Bryce Young's improvement from the latter portion of last season will continue into 2025 and give Carolina decent QB play for the first time in years.

At 5-foot-10, 202 pounds, Henderson may lack the frame to be a workhorse, but he should offset any usage limitations with speed (4.43 40) and pass-catching skills. Henderson and 2024 teammate Quinshon Judkins were both overqualified as they evenly split the workload for the National Champion Buckeyes, with Henderson's usage trending toward big-play and pass-catching setups while Judkins primarily worked between the tackles. It's possible Henderson will find a similar roadblock in New England from Rhamondre Stevenson and even Antonio Gibson, but both veterans are more fallible than Judkins, who was selected 36th overall by the Browns. Henderson went two picks later, 38th overall to the Patriots, after piling up 4,614 yards from scrimmage and 48 TDs in four seasons at OSU, where he twice led the Big Ten in yards per carry. It may not be long before Henderson jumps ahead of both Stevenson and Gibson on New England's depth chart.

Harvey originally was recruited to Virginia to play quarterback, but at 5-foot-8, 205 pounds, that would have been a disorienting sight. He found his true calling upon transferring to UCF, where he moved to running back and caught fire. After an initial redshirt season, Harvey went nuts the next three years, turning 576 carries into 3,789 yards (6.6 YPC) and 43 touchdowns in 38 games. Harvey was also lethal as a receiver, turning 79 targets into 61 receptions for 720 yards and five touchdowns (77.2 percent catch rate, 9.1 YPT). While he might look small at a glance, Harvey is densely built for his height, with a low center of gravity that makes him difficult to tackle. He thrived as a workhorse the last two years, and he may quickly emerge as a starter for the Broncos after they drafted him in the second round, 60th overall, this spring. His prospects took a bit of a hit when the Broncos signed J.K. Dobbins in June, but the team doesn't have much else in the backfield, returning Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin. Perhaps Harvey was a surprising second-round pick, but no one should be surprised if he takes over the Denver offense in 2025.