5 Overrated RBs

Read on to find out why these 5 popular running backs are just way too overrated this fantasy season… in two minutes or less.

5. D’Andre Swift (CHI), ADP 60.2, RB22

D’Andre Swift ranked 7th in opportunity share and logged 305 total touches last year — more than Alvin Kamara or Bijan Robinson. But despite all that volume, he finished last in zone run success rate and 28th in yards after contact among 30 qualifying RBs and now enters the NFL’s 6th-toughest rushing schedule.

So even with Ben Johnson calling plays and a retooled offensive line, you’re paying RB22 prices for a player who couldn’t crack the Top-20 in fantasy points per game with elite usage — and who might already be looking over his shoulder at Roschon Johnson.

4. Joe Mixon (HOU), ADP 45.2, RB18

Joe Mixon ranked 4th in red zone touches and averaged 23.3 fantasy points per game for 11 straight weeks last year. But the moment his ankle flared up, his efficiency plummeted. That’s when Mixon dropped to just 3.2 yards per carry and ranked 45th in true yards per carry, 41st in zone run success rate, and 30th in yards per touch. He’s now battling a “foot and ankle aggravation,” rehabbing in a brace, and locked into the NFL’s 7th-toughest rushing schedule behind a line that just lost Laremy Tunsil.

So while the Texans might still force-feed him early, that role comes with red flags everywhere: durability risk, declining burst, and a coaching shift away from Bobby Slowik’s RB-centric game plans. Mixon is a pure volume trap at RB18.

3. Rhamondre Stevenson (NE), ADP 108.2, RB36

Rhamondre Stevenson ranked 49th in true yards per carry and 53rd in yards per touch and just got leapfrogged by second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson, the most explosive player at Patriots camp. But Stevenson isn’t just inefficient, he’s been mistake-prone too. Seven fumbles last year cost him playing time, and his 0.66 yards per route run ranked 34th out of 37 backs. Third-time OC Josh McDaniels may be familiar with Stevenson, but this offense just added Henderson for a reason. They also operate behind a line that used 13 different starters last season, which tied for 2nd-most since 1999.

So even if Rhamondre opens the season as a co-starter, you’re betting on one of the NFL’s least efficient backs to suddenly hold off a premium rookie in a Mike Vrabel system that just signed a workhorse in waiting. That’s a BAD bet.

4. Javonte Williams (DAL), ADP 106.4, RB35

Javonte Williams ranked DEAD LAST in yards after contact per attempt and logged the 42nd-worst yards per carry out of 46 qualifying backs. But Dallas is led by Brian Schottenheimer and brought in a new OC with a documented history of rotating THREE backs every year. Even if Javonte “feels like himself” again, he’s in a committee with Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue, whose athletic upside already has created buzz.

So unless Williams rediscovers pre-injury form and beats out two teammates and survives a shaky offensive line, he’s just a placeholder in one of the NFL’s least exciting backfields, and you're drafting him like a locked-in starter.

Tap HERE for the #1 OVERRATED RB

So that’s it. Now you know why I’ll be avoiding these backs in my drafts unless they fall.

As promised, in two minutes or less.

Over 12,000 players used this to prep last season. My 2025 Draft Kit is open now, but only a few dozen spots are available this year. I’m keeping it limited so I can give members my full attention.

See you tomorrow,

-Joe

P.S. Not ready for the full kit? You can still grab my updated Top-150 rankings for free.