12 CFL Fantasy running backs for 2025

Brandon C. Williams

CFL.ca

For all the banter about pivots and receivers, let us be reminded championships – both in the CFL and in CFL Fantasy – are won by sound ground games.

There are new faces in new places entering the 2025 season but there is no debate as to who sits atop the rankings at the position:

1. Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg ($13,700 Salary): One of four players to bring home Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian (and what a club he’s in, residing with Russ Jackson, Tony Gabriel, and Jon Cornish), Oliveira is showing no signs of slowing down entering his sixth season. He’s ripped off three straight 1,000-yard seasons while accumulating a staggering 3,845 yards from scrimmage the past two campaigns. The return of Dalton Schoen to the Bombers’ offence will take some of the focus off Oliveira, who will be a sure bet to exceed the surprisingly low four majors he tallied in 2024.

2. Greg Bell, Hamilton ($7,700): Bell averaged 6.6 yards per carry and finished ninth in the league with 625 yards despite playing only eight games in 2024. That would average out to 1,406 yards over an 18-game season. Bell benefits from a Ticats passing game that will provide him plenty of opportunities to run free as defences focus on stopping the aerial threat of Bo Levi Mitchell. He’ll also add fantasy points with his pass-catching skills, reeling in 23 receptions for 230 yards and a touchdown. He’s a monster value play whose salary will continue to climb, so start Bell while he’s not taking up much of your salary.

3. AJ Ouellette, Saskatchewan ($12,000): The move to the prairies from Toronto didn’t work out as well as expected in year one as Ouellette battled injuries that saw him play just eight games. The human battering ram still finished tenth in the CFL in rushing, putting up 558 yards and three touchdowns. Ouellette is set for a rebound campaign that will more than justify his salary. The Riders will count on him near the goal line, meaning his visits to the end zone will see a sharp uptick this season.

4. James Butler, BC ($12,300): Like Ouellette, Butler spent far more time on the injured list than he cared in 2024, missing seven games. The emergence of Bell led Butler to find a new home, landing out West to join a Lions offence brimming with talent. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher is one of the best all-purpose backs in the league, having caught 198 passes in his four seasons up North. Quarterback Nathan Rourke now has a great safety valve when he can’t stretch the ball downfield, further bolstering Butler’s fantasy bona fides.

5. Walter Fletcher, Montreal ($12,500): Perhaps the league’s best pass-catching back, Fletcher caught 71 passes for 682 yards and three touchdowns. Oh yeah: he also rushed for 764 yards and four scores to help the Alouettes capture the East Division regular season title. Fletcher had four games of at least 65 receiving yards, including a season-best 104 yards on a perfect 9-for-9 targets against Calgary in Week 5. He is a steady performer who piles up the yards from scrimmage and will continue to be one of the focal points of a productive Montreal offence.

6. Justin Rankin, Edmonton ($7,500): Rankin led the league with 7.8 yards per carry while producing four 100-yard outings in just 11 games and would have finished with 1,305 yards had he kept his pace for an entire season. He and Javon Leake will be a Thunder and Lightning combo. But make no mistake, Rankin can flash, having ripped off 10 carries of at least 20 yards. Astute fantasy users will seek to pair them together, and I guarantee doing so will hit big at least 2-3 times this season.

7. William Stanback, Ottawa ($12,100): Seriously, does it matter where Stanback shows up? The veteran bulldozer comes back East after spending 2024 with the Lions, where he rushed for 1,175 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Stanback will look for his fourth 1,000-yard season with his third team as he’s now the top ground churner for the REDBLACKS. Surprisingly, he has just 14 rushing majors in his previous six seasons, which hurts his fantasy value. With so much attention on the Ottawa passing game, Stanback could become a more frequent visitor of the end zone this year.

8. Dedrick Mills, Calgary ($10,500): He’s bettered his yardage totals in each of his first three years, finishing with 923 yards last season. A 1,000-yard campaign is definitely in play for Mills along with more trips to the end zone, having managed just one major on a combined 194 touches from scrimmage in 2024. The addition of Vernon Adams Jr. will take a lot of the offensive pressure off Mills, and there is every chance he finishes much higher among the fantasy rankings at the end of the season than at the start.

9. Ka’Deem Carey, Toronto ($13,500): The league’s third-leading rusher last season will have to share time with newly acquired Kevin Brown, hence his ranking. Carey shows no signs of slowing down and will continue to be a valued piece of the Grey Cup champs’ offensive plans. But if Brown reverts to his 2023 version, the Toronto timeshare might tilt in his direction. Carey’s fantasy salary is steep for someone who will see a reduction in touches.

10. Javon Leake, Edmonton ($8,500): Leake showed he could be more than just a return specialist when he lit up the Roughriders for 169 yards and three majors on just 12 carries in Week 9 last season. He added a 128-yard outing in the regular season finale that included an 88-yard run. Touches will be split up in Edmonton as he will share the backfield with Justin Rankin, but if the Elks truly commit to maximizing Leake’s big-play potential, don’t be surprised to see him rack up at least 1,500 all-purpose yards.

11. Kevin Brown, Toronto ($5,500): Well, speaking of Brown…the Argos didn’t add him just to watch Carey carry the load. Brown got off to a slow start last year and by the time he started to hit his stride, the Elks had Leake and Justin Rankin stealing his thunder. He did have a 105-yard game against the Als in Week 12 and a 91-yard effort in Week 14 against the Stampeders. Yet it felt like the Brown that tore through defences in 2023 wasn’t there. If the Argos decide to make a regime change in the backfield, fantasy users will love what Brown can do for them.

12. Jaylen Samuels, Ottawa ($2,500): The former Pittsburgh Steeler has shined in training camp and produced 39 yards and a major on five touches in a preseason win over the Alouettes. Samuels was an all-purpose back in his three seasons in the Steel City, and despite having played his last NFL game in 2021, the elusiveness and ability to make things happen are still there. If Stanback is sidelined for a spell, Samuels’ skill set would make him an intriguing play.

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