Will Jahmyr Gibbs Finish As The RB1 In Fantasy Football This Season?

Put simply, Gibbs may just be the most talented running back in all of football. When watching the tape, he makes it clear he’s the best player on the field. With almost every touch, he does something special. When he’s on someone’s fantasy team, every touch fills their heart with excitement. When he’s on the opposing roster, every touch fills it with fear. Just about everyone would be happy to have Gibbs on their fantasy roster. With a first-round price tag, some are destined to hesitate.

Despite the departure of a large portion of the coaching staff, one specific arrival may serve as a strong benefactor for Gibbs in 2025. In the offseason, Tashard Choice was hired as the running back coach for the Detroit Lions. This serves as a beneficial factor for Gibbs, due to the fact that he was his running back coach at Georgia Tech. 

By no means does the coach’s arrival insinuate the dissolution of David Montgomery’s involvement, but it would be foolish to disregard the correlation in the signing. 

How Gibbs Could Fall Short?

Despite his irrefutable talent, Gibbs faces a handful of obstacles that may stifle his success this season. The departure of the Lions’ previous offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, has Detroit fans wondering if the offense will maintain the same productivity as in years past. After finishing as the highest scoring offense in 2024, some doubt that the team will be able to replicate the 33.1 PPG they put up last season. 

Aside from the offensive regression concerns, the biggest deterrent for Gibbs in 2025 is his counterpart in Montgomery. Fantasy managers watched last year as Montgomery received much of the early game work. Gibbs rarely saw the field on the first drive. To repeat the positive, he is the best back on the team. If the Lions find themselves more desperate for points than in years past, he should be set up for a larger workload. 

Another concern worth noting for Gibbs is potential touchdown regression. After scoring 20 touchdowns in 2024, it’s reasonable to doubt he’ll be able to do it again.  

The final restraint for Gibbs heading into 2025 is the downgrade in offensive line play. The surprising retirement of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow caught NFL fans by surprise. Guards Kevin Zeitler and Jonah Jackson also left the team in free agency. What was once the staple for the team now serves as a potential pain point heading into 2025.

End Of My Fantasy Football Rant

To put it simply, yes. Gibbs is more than capable of finishing as the RB1 in 2025. If he sees a slight uptick in workload or an injury to his counterpart in Montgomery, the running back is bound for fantasy football greatness. Even if he doesn’t manage to finish as the overall RB1, the running back is set for major fantasy football success heading into 2025. 

*The statistics used in this article are based on the half-PPR format provided by fantasypros.