Earlier, I wrote about the 7 running backs with high risk for injury; today, I give you the 8 safest running backs with high upside. The eight running backs listed below all can rack up the fantasy points while presently not having many risk factors for injury.
When evaluating player injury risk, there are numerous different scientifically backed factors we can examine. There is no way to “predict injury” that is not a practice, but identifying risk factors, or the lack of risk factors, is one way we can hedge against the injury bug.
Below is a preview of my 2025 Fantasy Football Draft Injury Guide. If you want more, be sure to purchase the guide! Enjoy this free article while it lasts; all posts will be behind a paywall soon!
Bijan Robinson: ADP RB1/OV2
Age: 23 Position: RB Height: 5’11 Weight: 215 Exp: 2
Total Touches (college + NFL): 1,236
Injury Risk Rating
Bijan Robinson is electric, and with Arthur Smith out of town, we saw his true potential last season. Robinson will be just 23 years old when the 2025 season starts. This youth is highly protective against injury. Bijan also has a very clean injury track record, only missing two games in college with an elbow injury. The elbow is not a weight-bearing joint and therefore is not going to impact future injuries. Additionally, Robinson has only touched the ball 1,236 times between college and the NFL and will continue to share the backfield with Tyler Allgeier, which will reduce the total beating his body takes. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound back has no outstanding injury risk factors outside of being an NFL running back.
View Bijan Robinson’s full injury profile here.
Jahmyr Gibbs: ADP RB5/OV5
Age: 23 Position: RB Height: 5’9 Weight: 202 Exp: 2
Total Touches (college + NFL): 1,022
Injury Risk Rating
Gibbs hovers the line between “low” and “medium” risk. His age (23) is still protective against injury and not a risk factor. His injury list does contain two hamstring injuries, an injury with one of the highest recurrence rates, as well as a mild ankle sprain. While the hamstring may strike again at some point, his young age makes it more likely he has fully recovered from these injuries. He’s only missed two games in the NFL and has barely over 1,000 career touches between the NFL and college. The combination of youth, a relatively short injury list, and lower volume as his wingman David Montgomery helps offload Gibbs makes the 5-foot-9 202 202-pound back lower risk for injury.
View Jahmyr Gibbs’ full injury profile here.
Ashton Jeanty: ADP RB4/OV9
Age: 21 Position: RB Height: 5’8 Weight: 211 Exp: 0
Total Touches (college + NFL): 830
Injury Risk Rating
Jeanty enters the NFL as one of the most sought-after running backs since Saquon Barkley. The ultra-productive back out of Boise State enters the league at just 21 years old, which is absolutely not a risk factor for injury. Jeanty was a workhorse at Boise State, amassing 830 touches in college. This volume is not yet a concern for his future injury. The only notable injury on his resume is a calf injury from 2023 that forced him to miss two games. These injuries do carry 14-16% recurrence rates, but in his case, this did not affect him in 2024 and should not be a major concern for fantasy managers. At 5 feet 8 inches and 216 pounds, Jeanty is compact but sturdy. Of course, anything can happen, but fantasy managers can draft Jeanty with confidence as his profile does not possess many risk factors for injury.
View Ashton Jeanty’s full injury profile here.
Bucky Irving: ADP RB9/OV20
Age: 22 Position: RB Height: 5’10 Weight: 195 Exp: 1
Total Touches (college + NFL): 1,222
Injury Risk Rating
Bucky Irving popped onto the scene in his rookie season and is one of the hottest fantasy assets right now. Entering his second season, the 23-year-old’s age is not a factor that fantasy managers need to struggle over. Irving’s injury history is also clean for a running back, having played in every game last season and in college. Irving is smaller in stature, standing 5 feet 10, weighing under 200 pounds, and his lack of size is the only thing working against him.
Despite his smaller stature, he has proven to be a major playmaker in the NFL, and Tampa Bay will continue to ride him this season. Fantasy managers can see that Irving’s injury risk is low relative to most running backs.
View Bucky Irving’s full injury profile here.
Chase Brown: ADP RB11/OV 24
Age: 25 Position: RB Height: 5’10 Weight: 210 Exp: 2
Total Touches (college + NFL): 1,471
Injury Risk Rating
Brown showed he can handle the load and be productive, finishing 2024 as the RB 12 on the year. Brown will be 25 as he enters his third season in the NFL. His age alone is not a risk factor for injury. A high ankle sprain put an end to Browns’ 2024 campaign a game early, and while this will be fully healed for 2025, high ankle sprains are known to cause issues down the road. A hamstring injury that cost Brown 4 games in 2023 is the only other knock on his resume. These two injuries are notable and will increase his risk for future injury, but relative to the entire running back landscape, Browns’ injury resume is fairly clean. Brown has handled just shy of 1,500 touches in his career and should have plenty of tread left on his tires before injury rates begin to sharply increase. At present, he is one of the less risky running backs from an injury standpoint.
View Chase Brown’s full injury profile here.
James Cook: ADP RB14/OV39
Age: 26 Position: RB Height: 5’11 Weight: 190 Exp: 3
Total Touches (college + NFL): 1,010
Injury Risk Rating
Cook has shown his ability to be explosive and highly productive for fantasy managers over the past few seasons. Cook has also stayed fairly healthy so far in his career. He has a few injuries that on the surface would be concerning (high ankle sprain, toe); however, he missed very little time with these injuries, hinting that they were not very severe. High ankle sprains, in particular, can cause problems long term, but only when they are more severe. A mild high ankle sprain can easily return to normal function. At 26 years old, age is not yet a risk factor for Cook. Combine this with a fairly clean injury history and having handled only a tick above 1,000 touches between college and the NFL, James Cook is one of the safest running backs from an injury risk standpoint.
View James Cook’s full injury profile here.
Omarion Hampton: RB17/OV46
Age: 22 Position: RB Height: 6’0 Weight: 220 Exp: 0
Total Touches (college + NFL): 695
Injury Risk Rating
Hampton enters the league with essentially zero risk factors for injury. He is young (22), has never missed any time due to injury, great size, and has a low total touch volume (695). Hampton steps into a phenomenal opportunity in LA, where coach Harbaugh has made it clear he wants to run the ball. Hampton is one of the safer running backs from an injury standpoint, who also has excellent upside.
View Omarion Hampton’s full injury profile here.
Chuba Hubbard: RB18/OV49
Age: 26 Position: RB Height: 6’1 Weight: 210 Exp: 4
Total Touches (college + NFL): 1,514
Injury Risk Rating
The 26-year-old dealt with a few ankle sprains in college but has been largely healthy in the NFL, missing no time over the past two seasons. High ankle sprains can be a problem down the road, but Hubbard was only 22 years old when that injury occurred, and, unlike many others, has not shown any signs of that injury influencing future injury. Hubbard’s age is not yet a risk factor; his injury history does create some risk for future injury, but not enough to be alarming. His relatively low career touch volume and adequate size at 6 feet 1, 210 pounds make Hubbard a fairly safe running back from an injury risk standpoint.