Each year, we are presented with one or two critical swing picks in fantasy football drafts — moments at which one choice leads to season-long success, and another to despondence and ruin.
Just think of last year’s Breece Hall vs. Bijan Robinson choice, or Garrett Wilson vs. Saquon Barkley. The prior season, it was Tony Pollard vs. CeeDee Lamb.
Advertisement
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
In recent fantasy history, there is perhaps no greater example of the swing pick phenomenon than Robert Woods vs. Cooper Kupp in 2021. That year, Woods delivered nine good-but-not-spectacular games for the Rams before tearing an ACL during practice, ending his season. Kupp, meanwhile, produced one of the greatest individual seasons in NFL history, winning the receiving triple crown.
(Today, absolutely no one will admit to having favored Woods over Kupp in 2021, even though Bobby Trees was the community’s slight preference in terms of ADP. So it goes. Revisionist history and whatnot.)
Unfortunately, we can’t typically identify the league-tilting swing picks months in advance each season. But attempting to do so is a useful exercise.
Advertisement
Ranking and analysis has only just begun around here, so it’s a bit early to pretend we have a complete understanding of the fantasy landscape in the season ahead. However, if you made me attempt to pinpoint the neighborhood within 2025 fantasy drafts that’s likely to determine league winners, I’d direct your attention just outside the top-50 overall picks.
When the first of the non-Ashton Jeanty rookie running backs is taken, four or five others will fly off the board inside the next dozen-or-so selections. That’s exactly how it went down in our most recent Yahoo staff mock draft. Nailing the best option from that tier of first-year RBs seems like one of the key choices ahead of us in 2025.
And this, at last, brings us to Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson. He’s my preferred non-Jeanty rookie back, if I can only take one.
You won’t find clear industry consensus on Johnson, because … well, because the incoming class of rookie running backs is pretty awesome. Just in case you somehow hadn’t heard. Also, multiple talented rookies landed in terrific spots in terms of both team context and projected workload.
Advertisement
If you happen to be an R.J. Harvey enthusiast, I get it. Fun player, terrific environment in Denver. You won’t need to scroll far down the list to find Harvey in the early Yahoo RB ranks. Quinshon Judkins, Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson are close behind, too. It’s tough to believe there isn’t a potential league-winning answer in that group of rookies — possibly more than one.
Again, however, Kaleb Johnson is my priority. This is simply a perfect storm of opportunity, talent and fit.
Let’s begin with the team’s enthusiasm for the player, conveyed here by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith:
For anyone who isn’t familiar with Smith’s general vibe, this is about as outwardly geeked as you’re gonna see him. By his public standards, this is unrestrained hype.
Advertisement
Also, Smith is definitely not wrong about overlap between Iowa’s run concepts and his own. Johnson was an absolute monster as an outside zone runner at the college level and he’s about to receive a steady diet of such carries with the Steelers. Last season, Najee Harris handled 189 zone rush attempts according to PFF, the third highest total in the league. Johnson is stepping into a workload of exactly the right size and shape.
[2025 Fantasy Draft Rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers]
Pittsburgh spent a Day 2 pick on Johnson — the team’s second selection in the 2025 draft — so he was clearly a target. He’ll now do his running behind a young and talented offensive line, featuring emerging star Zach Frazier at center. Everything about his situation seems pretty close to ideal. He’ll share backfield touches with Jaylen Warren, but every other rookie back who isn’t Jeanty is likely headed for some sort of committee arrangement (Harvey included, although the zealots won’t acknowledge it).
As for Johnson’s actual talent, please understand that he’s the guy who inflicted this sort of pain on Nebraska:
Absurd.
Advertisement
Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards last season at 6.4 YPC, scoring 23 touchdowns while never fumbling and gaining 4.4 yards after contact per attempt. His film is full of wow plays:
Johnson reached the end zone in every game for Iowa last year, despite the fact that opposing defenses were focused entirely on him. In fact, he saw eight or more defenders in the box on over 50% of his collegiate snaps, a level of attention that was unmatched among top prospects.
If you are the type of ball-knower who thinks an unsatisfactory 10-yard split at the combine invalidates a collegiate career, then you are probably out on Johnson and can’t be convinced to rethink your position. We will simply mention the fact that this 225-pound back has reached 22-plus mph on the field; his tape is full of breakaway runs and humiliated defenders.
Advertisement
So yeah, when the timer is ticking down and I’m staring at the names of six rookie running backs in the draft queue, Kaleb is my guy. He’s about to receive a huge slice of the workload that previously belonged to Harris — 263 carries and 299 touches last season — which gives him a path to 1,400 total yards and double-digit touchdowns.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Pete Rose, other deceased players removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list
Major League Baseball removed Pete Rose and other deceased players from MLB’s permanently ineligible list on Tuesday, an extraordinary twist to a saga that has gone on for more than three decades. The decision, announced by commissioner Rob Manfred in a letter to the Rose family’s attorney Jeffrey Lenkov, makes the sport’s all-time hit king eligible for election to the Hall of Fame.AdvertisementRose, who died from a heart condition last September at 83, was placed on MLB’s permanently ineligible list in 1989 for gambling on his team, the Cincinnati Reds, while he managed them. Rose, who collected a record 4,256 hits, has never been considered for the Hall of Fame because of a 1991 rule change that barred players on the ineligible list from election.According to a statement from Major League Baseball, in a letter to Lenkov, Manfred wrote, “In […]
Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera diagnosed with left ankle fracture after home-plate slide
New York Yankees infielder Oswaldo Cabrera suffered a left ankle fracture in Monday night’s devastating slide at home plate, the team announced Tuesday as they moved him to the 10-day injured list.The injury occurred in the ninth inning as the 26-year-old’s leg buckled when he dove for home in an eventual 11-5 Yankees win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.AdvertisementCabrera, tagging up on an Aaron Judge flyout to left field, succeeded in avoiding the tag from Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, but twisted his ankle in the process. As he fell to the ground in pain, Cabrera slapped home to score the run and lay on the plate in pain while trainers tended to him.Medical personnel later loaded Cabrera onto a stretcher and transported him via ambulance to Harborview Medical Center, about a mile away from the ballpark.In a corresponding IL […]
Za týrání olympionika navrhuje jeho otci státní zástupkyně dva a půl roku vězení
Jakob Ingebrigtsen vypovídal před soudem v březnu krátce po zisku double na tratích 1500 a 3000 metrů na halovém mistrovství světa v Nan-ťingu. Vylíčil několik případů fyzického násilí, facky a kopance do břicha. Některé se podle něj staly v době, kdy mu ještě nebylo osm let. Dětství popsal jako plné strachu a manipulaceDevětapadesátiletý Gjert opakovaně popřel, že by se na svých potomcích dopouštěl násilí. V případě usvědčení mu hrozí až šest let vězení.Státní zástupkyně Ellen Gimreová řekla televizní stanici NRK, že v podobných případech je „jasným výchozím bodem nepodmíněné odnětí svobody“. Podmínka podle ní nepřipadá v úvahu.
Ex-Schalke-Boss – Neuer Job für Wilmots
Acht Monate nach dem Aus auf Schalke hat Marc Wilmots (56) wieder einen Job.Am Dienstag gab Standard Lüttich bekannt, dass der ehemalige Schalker Sportdirektor beim Belgien-Klub seine Arbeit beginnt. Für Wilmots ist es ein Comeback beim Ex.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Der Belgier in einer Klub-Mitteilung: „Die Rückkehr zu Standard ist wie eine Heimkehr. Ich empfinde große Emotionen, aber auch eine große Verantwortung.“Bereits in der Vergangenheit war Wilmots für die Belgier tätig, als Spieler lief er zwischen 1991 und 1996 163 Mal für Standard Lüttich auf. 1993 gewannen sie gemeinsam den Pokal, 80 Tore erzielte er insgesamt für den Klub. Jetzt ist er wieder da. An dieser Stelle findest du Inhalte aus Instagram Um mit Inhalten aus Instagram und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. soziale Netzwerke aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung […]
For Steph Curry’s Warriors, these playoffs are a cruel trick — and he can only watch
A cruel trick is being played on Steph Curry. The basketball gods have taped open his eyes and forced him to watch a precious chance slip away.In one sense, every day the odds seem to increase, the prospect looks brighter, for something that once felt so far away: A fifth championship for Curry’s Golden State Warriors. It feels even more possible as these playoffs unfold.AdvertisementThe Oklahoma City Thunder don’t look so inevitable after a 68-win season. However resilient, the Denver Nuggets are beatable. The Boston Celtics were already vulnerable and now have lost Jayson Tatum — and Curry feels good in Boston anyway. The Cleveland Cavaliers, the East’s top seed, are down 3-1.Four months ago, the Warriors were clinging desperately to a Play-In spot. Now, a path to a fifth championship of the era is glowing like a runway.But Curry […]
Už moc nechodí, potřebuje invalidní vozík. Nemocné trenérské legendě se na MS bouřlivě aplaudovalo
Herning (od našeho zpravodaje) - „Obrovský zážitek. Nečekal jsem, že se po takové době takhle sejdeme, zvlášť když jsme tu skoro všichni. Mám obrovskou radost,“ prohlásil Lindström pro švédský Hufvudstadsbladet a přiznával, že má slzy na krajíčku.Lindström, jenž byl coby asistent Tommyho Sandlina i u švédského titulu mistrů světa v roce 1987, skončil s trénováním před 19 lety. Na veřejnosti se ukazuje jen zřídka, většinu roku žije v Thajsku, rodné zemi své manželky.Sestřih utkání Finsko - ŠvédskoVideo: Česká televizeNavíc mu byla před několika lety diagnostikována polyneuropatie, chronické nervové onemocnění, které oslabuje svalovou sílu a ovlivňuje schopnost fungovat. Lindström tráví velkou část dne na invalidním vozíku.„Nemohu chodit nikam daleko, mám problémy s rovnováhou. Navíc mi přestává fungovat motorika v prstech. Nedá se s tím nic dělat,“ posteskl si Lindström, který je rovněž téměř slepý na jedno oko.„Nechci si ale stěžovat. Měl jsem dlouhý a zábavný život, na který mám spoustu skvělých vzpomínek. […]
Related
Pete Rose, other deceased players removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list
Major League Baseball removed Pete Rose and other deceased players from MLB’s permanently ineligible list on Tuesday, an extraordinary twist to a saga that has gone on for more than three decades. The decision, announced by commissioner Rob Manfred in a letter to the Rose family’s attorney Jeffrey Lenkov, makes the sport’s all-time hit king eligible for election to the Hall of Fame.AdvertisementRose, who died from a heart condition last September at 83, was placed on MLB’s permanently ineligible list in 1989 for gambling on his team, the Cincinnati Reds, while he managed them. Rose, who collected a record 4,256 hits, has never been considered for the Hall of Fame because of a 1991 rule change that barred players on the ineligible list from election.According to a statement from Major League Baseball, in a letter to Lenkov, Manfred wrote, “In […]
Yankees’ Oswaldo Cabrera diagnosed with left ankle fracture after home-plate slide
New York Yankees infielder Oswaldo Cabrera suffered a left ankle fracture in Monday night’s devastating slide at home plate, the team announced Tuesday as they moved him to the 10-day injured list.The injury occurred in the ninth inning as the 26-year-old’s leg buckled when he dove for home in an eventual 11-5 Yankees win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.AdvertisementCabrera, tagging up on an Aaron Judge flyout to left field, succeeded in avoiding the tag from Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, but twisted his ankle in the process. As he fell to the ground in pain, Cabrera slapped home to score the run and lay on the plate in pain while trainers tended to him.Medical personnel later loaded Cabrera onto a stretcher and transported him via ambulance to Harborview Medical Center, about a mile away from the ballpark.In a corresponding IL […]
Za týrání olympionika navrhuje jeho otci státní zástupkyně dva a půl roku vězení
Jakob Ingebrigtsen vypovídal před soudem v březnu krátce po zisku double na tratích 1500 a 3000 metrů na halovém mistrovství světa v Nan-ťingu. Vylíčil několik případů fyzického násilí, facky a kopance do břicha. Některé se podle něj staly v době, kdy mu ještě nebylo osm let. Dětství popsal jako plné strachu a manipulaceDevětapadesátiletý Gjert opakovaně popřel, že by se na svých potomcích dopouštěl násilí. V případě usvědčení mu hrozí až šest let vězení.Státní zástupkyně Ellen Gimreová řekla televizní stanici NRK, že v podobných případech je „jasným výchozím bodem nepodmíněné odnětí svobody“. Podmínka podle ní nepřipadá v úvahu.
Ex-Schalke-Boss – Neuer Job für Wilmots
Acht Monate nach dem Aus auf Schalke hat Marc Wilmots (56) wieder einen Job.Am Dienstag gab Standard Lüttich bekannt, dass der ehemalige Schalker Sportdirektor beim Belgien-Klub seine Arbeit beginnt. Für Wilmots ist es ein Comeback beim Ex.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Der Belgier in einer Klub-Mitteilung: „Die Rückkehr zu Standard ist wie eine Heimkehr. Ich empfinde große Emotionen, aber auch eine große Verantwortung.“Bereits in der Vergangenheit war Wilmots für die Belgier tätig, als Spieler lief er zwischen 1991 und 1996 163 Mal für Standard Lüttich auf. 1993 gewannen sie gemeinsam den Pokal, 80 Tore erzielte er insgesamt für den Klub. Jetzt ist er wieder da. An dieser Stelle findest du Inhalte aus Instagram Um mit Inhalten aus Instagram und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. soziale Netzwerke aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung […]
For Steph Curry’s Warriors, these playoffs are a cruel trick — and he can only watch
A cruel trick is being played on Steph Curry. The basketball gods have taped open his eyes and forced him to watch a precious chance slip away.In one sense, every day the odds seem to increase, the prospect looks brighter, for something that once felt so far away: A fifth championship for Curry’s Golden State Warriors. It feels even more possible as these playoffs unfold.AdvertisementThe Oklahoma City Thunder don’t look so inevitable after a 68-win season. However resilient, the Denver Nuggets are beatable. The Boston Celtics were already vulnerable and now have lost Jayson Tatum — and Curry feels good in Boston anyway. The Cleveland Cavaliers, the East’s top seed, are down 3-1.Four months ago, the Warriors were clinging desperately to a Play-In spot. Now, a path to a fifth championship of the era is glowing like a runway.But Curry […]
Už moc nechodí, potřebuje invalidní vozík. Nemocné trenérské legendě se na MS bouřlivě aplaudovalo
Herning (od našeho zpravodaje) - „Obrovský zážitek. Nečekal jsem, že se po takové době takhle sejdeme, zvlášť když jsme tu skoro všichni. Mám obrovskou radost,“ prohlásil Lindström pro švédský Hufvudstadsbladet a přiznával, že má slzy na krajíčku.Lindström, jenž byl coby asistent Tommyho Sandlina i u švédského titulu mistrů světa v roce 1987, skončil s trénováním před 19 lety. Na veřejnosti se ukazuje jen zřídka, většinu roku žije v Thajsku, rodné zemi své manželky.Sestřih utkání Finsko - ŠvédskoVideo: Česká televizeNavíc mu byla před několika lety diagnostikována polyneuropatie, chronické nervové onemocnění, které oslabuje svalovou sílu a ovlivňuje schopnost fungovat. Lindström tráví velkou část dne na invalidním vozíku.„Nemohu chodit nikam daleko, mám problémy s rovnováhou. Navíc mi přestává fungovat motorika v prstech. Nedá se s tím nic dělat,“ posteskl si Lindström, který je rovněž téměř slepý na jedno oko.„Nechci si ale stěžovat. Měl jsem dlouhý a zábavný život, na který mám spoustu skvělých vzpomínek. […]
Be the first to leave a comment