Underdog’s NFL best ball drafts for the 2025 season have been in full swing since just before the Super Bowl. Thus, I’ve already drafted 23 teams in The Little Board ($3 entry fee). It’s a unique time in the NFL calendar. Free agency hasn’t begun, and the NFL Draft is approximately two months away. Furthermore, the NFL Draft Combine hasn’t started. There will be a ton of player movement.
Yet, my experience drafting at all points of the NFL offseason is helpful when navigating Underdog drafts. For instance, as a general rule of thumb, rookies will move up in average draft position (ADP). They won’t all rise, but many will, namely the top performers at the NFL Draft Combine who generate buzz. Many free agents will also climb when it’s clear where they’ll play in 2025. Obviously, some free agents will land in unfavorable spots and fall, but the nature of uncertainty suppresses most free agents. Connecting dots on where free agents will land can be a sneaky way to build stacks at ADPs gamers will be unable to after ADPs adjust to free-agent activity.
Let’s look at the players I’ve drafted at the highest percentage of my rosters. I’ve drafted all the following players at least four times (17% of rosters).
Most-Rostered Underdog Best Ball Players
Running Backs
Most-Rostered RBs (2/25)
Table with 2 columns and 13 rows.
Player (Team) Underdog Roster%
LeQuint Allen (FA) 57%
Ray Davis (BUF) 48%
Alvin Kamara (NO) 30%
James Conner (ARI) 30%
Jaylen Warren (FA) 30%
Derrick Henry (BAL) 26%
J.K. Dobbins (FA) 26%
Blake Corum (LAR) 26%
Will Shipley (PHI) 26%
Bucky Irving (TB) 22%
Christian McCaffrey (SF) 17%
James Cook (BUF) 17%
Ty Johnson (BUF) 17%
Readers shouldn’t be surprised to see Alvin Kamara, James Conner, Jaylen Warren and J.K. Dobbins on the table if they’ve followed my offseason content. In early February, I highlighted Kamara and Conner as must-have running backs and discussed Warren and Dobbins as RB3s with RB1 potential in the middle of the month.
Blake Corum also shouldn’t come as a surprise. I analyzed Kyren Williams as one of three running backs to avoid this year, making Corum a player I’m leveraging against my disinterest in Williams.
LeQuint Allen is tied for my highest-rostered player at all positions. Draft pundits have raved about the depth and quality of running backs in this class, and Allen has fans in the space, such as Todd McShay. Two weeks ago, McShay gushed about Allen’s receiving chops and featured him fifth in his running back rankings and 70th on his overall big board. Understandably, McShay is still working through his rankings, and he’s since moved Omarion Hampton to second. Nevertheless, Allen’s ADP (229.6) is too low. Field Yates has also spoken glowingly about Allen on ESPN’s First Draft podcast and shared a highlight of Allen on an option route.
Furthermore, Allen is young.
Buffalo’s mauling offensive line opened holes and helped fuel rushing production for James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. Cook is posturing for a contract extension in the final year of his rookie contract. The Bills could buck their trend of churning and burning running backs during Brandon Beane’s tenure as General Manager, let Cook play out his deal or trade him. Thus, Davis is a handcuff with some helium potential if the Bills trade Cook or Buffalo’s incumbent starting running back holds out into the season. Johnson’s best skill is his receiving, but he also has some explosiveness as a change-of-pace runner. He’s a free agent, but Allen referred to him as the best third-down back in the NFL, making Johnson a viable 20th-round speculative stacking option with Allen, assuming he’ll return as Buffalo’s third-down and two-minute-drill running back.
Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey are picked at the top of the second round. King Henry nearly ran for 2,000 yards for the second time in his career in his first season with the Ravens and tied for the NFL’s most rushing touchdowns (16). CMC’s 2024 season was lost to injuries. I don’t have medical expertise and defer to more knowledgeable people about injuries, and Stephania Bell is optimistic about CMC’s outlook for 2025.
Bell’s rosy outlook is grounds for me to take the plunge on McCaffery at the top or middle of the second round after he was often the first pick in Underdog’s 2024 best ball drafts.
Bucky Irving was explosive and efficient last year, shredding teams on the ground and chipping in through the air. I’m not concerned about Liam Coen leaving to take Jacksonville’s head-coaching gig. Finally, Will Shipley is Saquon Barkley’s direct backup. Barkley handled a massive workload in 2024, and Kenneth Gainwell is a free agent. Therefore, Shipley is a cheap piece of Philadelphia’s offense who would have value if Barkley missed any games in 2025.
