4 Running Backs to Draft in Fantasy Football Based on Their Team's Betting Win Total

The tie between team strength and running-back production in fantasy is obvious.

You wanna grind clock late? You pound that rock, baby.

Thus, it should be clear why we'd want to target running backs on teams with high betting win totals. Even with that logic applying, you can still find under-the-radar players each year who are on teams likely to be icing victories late.

Who checks that box for 2025?

Let's dig into four running backs I think are worth drafting at their current slots who are on teams with high win totals in FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds.

Undervalued Running Backs in Fantasy Football

James Cook, Buffalo Bills

There's still some murkiness around James Cook's training camp involvement as he seeks a new contract from the Buffalo Bills. But he was at mandatory minicamps because he likes money, so a situation impacting his in-season availability and production seems unlikely. That should make us more comfortable pulling the trigger.

The Bills are one of six teams with a win total of at least 10.5 at FanDuel. Four of the others have a running back going in the first round in FantasyPros' half PPR average draft position (ADP) data. Cook is currently the RB14, coming off the board at 37 overall.

Those other four -- Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry -- all have better workloads than Cook's, but Cook takes full advantage of his favorable system. He averaged 87.5 yards from scrimmage per game in his full contests last year, and he went over 120 in 2 of 3 postseason games. He also handled 16 of 34 red-zone opportunities (carries or targets) in the playoffs, quality usage for someone competing with his quarterback for goal-line touches.

Cook will have down games because the Bills use a backfield rotation. The ability to get a spike week out of a third- or fourth-round pick is attractive, though, making Cook enticing in an elite offense.

RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins, Denver Broncos

There's a reason both RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins are going in the middle rounds: we don't know who will be the Denver Broncos' lead back, and head coach Sean Payton was more than happy to deploy a hot-hand approach last year.

I still think they're worth swipes.

A big part of it is the offensive line. They rank fourth in Brandon Thorn's preseason offensive line rankings on Establish The Run, and they especially excelled at creating space on the ground last year. They had above-average rushing efficiency despite poor talent in the backfield.

That's no longer the case. Harvey was a second-round pick after posting a 90th-percentile weight-adjusted 40 time at the combine. Dobbins had 100-plus yards from scrimmage in four of the Los Angeles Chargers' first eight games before a mid-season knee injury held him back. Both guys can do damage on the ground, especially when you give them quality blocking up front.

Dobbins' contract includes a little over $2 million in guaranteed money, which doesn't lock him into a firm role. It does, though, say he'll at least get a chance, and Dobbins -- when healthy -- has consistently been efficient. That's why I think he's worth a look as the RB38 at pick 111.

Harvey goes well before that at 58 overall. But given his combination of speed, draft capital, and college production, I'm willing to roll the dice at that cost. This is just a backfield I want exposure to, given the juice Payton, Bo Nix, and an elite defense have provided to this team.

Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

Look, I hate this, too. Isiah Pacheco was on this list last year, too, and we know what happened there.

I just think we need to ignore a lot of what happened for him in 2024.

Pacheco never regained his burst after returning from his broken leg. In seven games after, he averaged just 34.6 yards from scrimmage per game as Kareem Hunt took over as the Kansas City Chiefs' lead back. He was unusable in fantasy.

But in two games before the injury, Pacheco averaged 17 carries and 4 targets per game while handling 44.4% of the team's red-zone chances. He was likely on his way to another productive season in fantasy.

I entered the offseason skeptical of Pacheco, assuming the Chiefs would find a replacement due to the dip and with this being the final year on Pacheco's rookie deal. But Hunt and Elijah Mitchell are the lone veterans in the backfield, and they didn't pull the trigger in the draft until using a seventh-round pick on exciting-but-undersized Brashard Smith. For Pacheco, that was all best-case scenario.

Because Mitchell has talent when healthy and Smith could steal passing-game reps, we don't want to go nuts on Pacheco. Still, he's the 72nd overall pick right now, a slot that fully accounts for that risk. I think he's worth a shot again in order to get exposure to this offense.

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Which win totals grab your attention for 2025? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting win total odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.