Fantasy soccer RB rankings: Which backs are probably the most dependable TD scorers?

With regards to operating again fantasy manufacturing, touchdowns are paramount.

Final season, 24% of the place’s fantasy scoring got here from touchdowns. The highest eight operating backs in PPR fantasy factors additionally comprised the place’s high eight in touchdowns. And all however one of many place’s single-game 30-point performances had been multi-touchdown efforts.

That mentioned, year-over-year landing manufacturing on the place will be notoriously tough to foretell. Twelve operating backs scored double-digit touchdowns in 2023, however solely seven of them did so once more in 2024, with the dozen averaging 3.2 fewer touchdowns and 29.9 fewer PPR fantasy fantasy factors.

It is a class of prognostication, of analyzing participant abilities and bodily traits and, sure, even some guesswork. Beneath, we break down the place’s almost definitely sources of landing manufacturing. The next lists consider operating backs’ measurement, power, pace, situational statistics and previous historical past.

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The eight greatest RB landing bets

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions: He is each pace demon and goal-line dynamo, main the league in explosive play fee (15.7% of his carries went for 10-plus yards), whereas additionally putting third in landing conversion fee contained in the 3-yard line (72.2%, or 13 of 16). No operating again has a better mixture of touchdown-generating abilities. — Cockcroft

At 5-foot-9, 202 kilos, Gibbs does not have the bodily profile of a traditional goal-line again, however he can function in tight quarters, utilizing his lateral quickness to dart by creases of daylight, whereas dropping his pad degree on the doorstep of the top zone. Plus, along with his short-area burst, Gibbs can bounce the ball exterior to slice by pursuit angles on the purpose line or out within the open area. He’s electrical with the ball in his palms. — Bowen

2. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams: Williams lacks the sudden motion traits of an elite zone scheme runner, however along with his imaginative and prescient and get in touch with stability, he can discover the top zone at a excessive fee. Williams has sufficient decrease physique wiggle to sift by site visitors, and his capability to bounce off defenders results in landing manufacturing. Williams is a constant and dependable fantasy starter. — Bowen

Solely three operating backs had greater than Williams’ 21 touchdowns in goal-to-go conditions the previous three seasons, and he transformed 40% of these tries into scores, a testomony to his dominant nature when in scoring place. — Cockcroft

3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens: If not for his age and a couple of,529 profession touches, he’d rank increased, however Henry is pretty much as good a wager to steer the league in touchdowns as anybody. Inside 3 yards of the purpose line, he led in touchdowns (22) and first downs over expectation (5.6) from 2022 to ’24, and his seven scores from exterior the purple zone had been second to solely Saquon Barkley‘s 9. — Cockcroft

Nonetheless one the league’s greatest at age 31, Henry’s 6-foot-2, 247-pound body and lower-body energy are each sport changers on the purpose line. Henry runs behind his pads, which permits him to fall ahead on contact, whereas additionally forcing defenders to make some enterprise selections on the level of assault. A protracted strider within the open area with a deadly stiff arm to drop defensive backs into the turf, Henry can hit residence runs, too. Time to strike up the band when Henry will get rolling. — Bowen

4. Josh Jacobs, Inexperienced Bay Packers: I felt that Jacobs was one of many high runners within the low purple zone final yr primarily based on the tape. He can play with each energy and foot quickness inside a telephone sales space, and he has thunder in his pads. A straightforward match for the Packers’ goal-line run schemes, Jacobs’ bodily play model creates scoring alternatives in your lineup. — Bowen

Solely two gamers with no less than 5 such makes an attempt had better than Jacobs’ 71% landing conversion fee inside the 3-yard line final season. — Cockcroft

5. James Cook dinner, Buffalo Payments: He is as more likely to break off an extended achieve for a rating as anybody, his seven touchdowns from exterior the purple zone the previous three seasons matching Henry’s second-place quantity (Barkley led), however Cook dinner was additionally a superb 5-of-8 changing his goal-line carries final season, swiftly adapting to the function he inherited to start 2024. — Cockcroft

Cook dinner’s 16 dashing scores final season tied for the league lead with Henry. He is a decisive runner with little wasted motion on the purpose line. Decide a north/south operating lane to speed up by or assault the perimeter. It is fast, now. And a poor defensive angle goes to result in six factors. Plus, Cook dinner can rating from anyplace on the sphere, ripping off explosive performs as a runner. — Bowen

6. David Montgomery, Lions: A downhill runner with glorious contact stability and decrease physique management, Montgomery is a hammer on the purpose line. Whether or not Montgomery is operating from shotgun units or I-back alignments, he retains his shoulders sq. and makes use of a fast leap minimize to get out of bother. A part of the most effective backfield combo within the league with Gibbs, Montgomery will get his touches in scoring place, making him a stable RB2/Flex within the lineup. — Bowen

It is outstanding that the Lions have two of the sport’s greatest operating backs at discovering the top zone, however right here we’re. Montgomery was 18 of 29 (62%) changing for scores inside the three from 2022 to ’24. — Cockcroft

7. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans: I liked this signing for the Texans a yr in the past, as Mixon has been one of many league’s most quietly reliant in scoring place, his 16 scores inside the three from 2022 to ’24 tied for sixth most within the league. — Cockcroft

A savvy runner in scoring place, Mixon blends endurance, imaginative and prescient and energy on goal-line performs. Mixon has the leg power to push the pile on inside schemes, and he’ll assault the perimeter on exterior zone ideas. Plus, Mixon can redirect shortly to evade defenders and create a brand new path to the top zone. — Bowen

8. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: Sudden and elusive, with a artistic ingredient to his sport, Robinson is a dynamic runner in scoring place. Robinson can hit the accelerator on perimeter schemes, play with power on a downhill observe and his capability to vary instructions is high-level. Robinson has all of the traits of a difference-maker with huge play potential. — Bowen

Robinson is as more likely to break off a long term for a rating as anybody, as Subsequent Gen Stats has clocked his common pace at 13.4 mph throughout his two NFL seasons, second-fastest amongst operating backs with no less than 100 carries. — Cockcroft

4 RB landing sleepers, and the teammates they influence

1. Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars: Bigsby has the profile to function on the purpose line in Jacksonville, which may take away scoring alternatives from Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Bhayshul Tuten. Bigsby scored seven touchdowns in 2024, utilizing his 5-foot-11, 215-pound body to run by contact, and he has extra big-play juice than you assume. There’s open-field capability right here, too. — Bowen

Bigsby is 5-for-9 changing his probabilities contained in the 3-yard line, and he has pressured a missed sort out on three of these performs. He ought to start 2025 because the Jaguars’ first alternative when in scoring place. — Cockcroft

2. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots: Early fantasy drafters appear to like rookie operating again TreVeyon Henderson, however Stevenson’s observe document as one of many league’s extra dependable goal-line backs may make him one among 2025’s high landing vultures. Stevenson is 9-of-17 changing contained in the three from 2022-24. — Cockcroft

There was a number of offseason hype for the Patriots’ rookie RB, given his versatility and pass-catching talent set. However do not forget about Stevenson right here. At 6-foot, 207 kilos, he’s constructed for the purpose line: energy and pad degree to get six. — Bowen

3. J.Okay. Dobbins, Denver Broncos: Dobbins seemed extra explosive on tape in 2024, which translated to some big-play landing runs. On the purpose line, he can observe the highway map to the top zone on hole schemes. Bodily with the ball. RJ Harvey figures to be the lead runner in Sean Payton’s backfield, however Dobbins has the traits to steal touches on the purpose line. — Bowen

Dobbins’ 57% missed tackles pressured fee (4 on seven performs) contained in the 3-yard line from 2022-24 led the league, and he scored seven occasions on 18 goal-to-go performs. He may very well be a possible headache for Harvey’s managers. — Cockcroft

4. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I am as pro-Bucky Irving as anybody getting into 2025, however White scored 9 occasions on 12 tries inside the three the previous three seasons, successful fee the crew is likely to be unable to miss. — Cockcroft

Irving ought to enter camp because the No.1 in Tampa, however White will nonetheless get his touches. He has the physique management to slither by cracks of daylight when the sphere shrinks close to the purpose line. — Bowen

Different RBs worthy of point out

Gus Edwards was 19 of 39 (second-best 49%) changing his goal-to-go carries into touchdowns from 2022-24, portray the image of a short-yardage again for any crew that considers signing him within the coming weeks. … Ezekiel Elliott, presently a member of the Los Angeles Chargers‘ apply squad, is 16 of 38 (second-best 42%) scoring in goal-to-go conditions over the previous three seasons.