Hubbard leapt from a forgettable RB43 ADP to a RB12 finish last season, yet 2025 drafts still slot him at RB19. Joe Beldner thinks the market is too hesitant, pointing out that Hubbard earned his production by winning an "ambiguous backfield" outright, not by fluky scoring spikes. Because he was undrafted in many leagues a year ago, managers seem reluctant to believe the breakout, but Beldner argues the workload evidence—and the lack of significant Panthers additions—makes Hubbard one of the cheapest paths to a reliable three-down back this summer.

Joe Beldner urged fantasy managers not to let "age cliff" narratives scare them off Alvin Kamara. Despite slipping to RB17 in 2024 drafts, Kamara delivered a RB9 finish and was one of five backs at or past age 27 who ended inside the top-12. With managers again discounting him in 2025 redraft leagues, Beldner sees a repeat path to value: Kamara’s passing-game role remains intact and the Saints have not added a serious challenger for touches. Dynasty worries aside, Beldner considers Kamara a clear profit play in one-year formats.

Beldner warned that James Cook’s RB8 finish is a mirage built on an unlikely 16 rushing touchdowns. Cook had scored exactly two rushing TDs in each of the previous two seasons, so quadrupling that number screams regression in 2025. With drafters now chasing last year’s box scores, Cook’s price has crept toward the fringe of the RB1 tier, a range Beldner is unwilling to pay given the Bills’ long-standing tendency to siphon goal-line work through Josh Allen. The advice: let someone else take the negative-regression risk.

After a disastrous RB62 finish in 2024, Isiah Pacheco is now being drafted outside the top-20 at the position. Joe Beldner encouraged readers to scoop the discount, noting that Pacheco was part of last year’s first-two-round ADP for a reason: he is the primary early-down runner in Patrick Mahomes’ offense and had delivered useful RB2 numbers the year before. With managers still stung by the bust, Beldner believes the market overcorrected and now offers a low-risk, high-upside path to a starting back tied to one of the league’s highest scoring attacks.

Beldner labeled Travis Etienne an easy bounce-back bet now that 2025 drafts push him outside the top-20 backs. Etienne fell from RB3 in 2023 to RB38 in 2024 even though he was healthy for 15 games, a drop Beldner called "jarring" but unlikely to repeat at his new cost. Because managers no longer have to spend a first-round pick, the author sees minimal downside: if the Jaguars runner reclaims anything close to his 2023 efficiency he smashes ADP, and if the struggles continue the cheaper price tag limits the damage.

Joe Beldner said drafters should keep Christian McCaffrey locked into the opening round even though he cratered to RB67 last season. McCaffrey missed nine of 2024’s first nine weeks, appeared in only four total games, and was shut down after Week 13, yet Beldner reminded readers that the 49ers back had finished RB1 and RB2 the previous two seasons. The article stresses that nothing in Kyle Shanahan’s offense has changed—San Francisco still funnels touches and scoring chances through its lead back—and McCaffrey’s current RB6 Sleeper ADP already bakes in the durability risk. Beldner framed the pick as paying late-first cost for the one back who has repeatedly shown overall-RB1 ceiling whenever he is healthy, a trade-off he is willing to make in 2025 drafts.