Fantasy Football Week 1 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Running Backs: Two rookies start hot as potential week winners
Running backs you want in Week 1 lineups and those you should avoid
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1 min read
Week 1 is here, and I'm excited to see the rookie running backs perform. All eyes will be on Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson and RJ Harvey, among others, as they make their NFL debut.
Two of them are listed here as starters in the Start 'Em & Sit 'Em running backs with Henderson and Harvey, and I like Ollie Gordon II as a sleeper. As for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, I would try to sit him this week until we see his role in Washington.
Jerome Ford has the chance to be a difference maker for the Browns and Fantasy managers against the Bengals while Quinshon Judkins remains unsigned. And Kaleb Johnson isn't expected to have a big role for the Steelers, which is why I like Jaylen Warren in Week 1 against the Jets.
Aside from the rookies, one of my favorite running backs for Week 1 is Aaron Jones, who has an amazing history against the Bears. And I would only use Breece Hall as a flex in Week 1 given his difficult matchup with the Steelers.
You can read all about these guys in the Start 'Em & Sit 'Em running backs below. And don't forget to check out all of my Week 1 suggestions when the entire Start 'Em & Sit 'Em column is published by Wednesday night.
RBs to Start
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Henderson might not start for the Patriots since Rhamondre Stevenson could get the first carry. And Stevenson might even get more total touches than Henderson in his NFL debut. But the rookie is going to get plenty of opportunities to make plays, and you'll want him in your lineup in Week 1 against the Raiders. He looked electric in the preseason, and I'm expecting the New England offense to have success against Las Vegas at home. On FanDuel, I'm going to take the over on his receiving yards of 21.5 since Henderson should be a primary target for Drake Maye in this game.
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I don't love the matchup for Swift against the Vikings, but I do love his potential workload. Chicago could go into this game with backup running backs Roschon Johnson (foot) and Kyle Monangai (undisclosed) out or limited, which would give Swift the opportunity to do it all. For example, he played one preseason game this year and was on the field for 20 of 21 snaps with the first-team offense against the Chiefs. Swift faced the Vikings twice last year and failed to reach double digits in PPR in both outings, so keep that in mind. But with Ben Johnson as the new coach, I expect Swift to have better production, making him worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. He should definitely be involved in the passing game, and I'll take the over on his 2.5 receptions for his prop on FanDuel.
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I'm worried about Jones being a consistent No. 2 Fantasy running back for the season, and we'll see how he splits the workload in Week 1 with Jordan Mason. But I'll start Jones with confidence in this matchup against the Bears. He owns Chicago. In his past 12 meetings with the Bears going back to 2019, Jones has averaged 18.3 PPR points per game against Chicago, including both games last season with the Vikings. I'll take the over on Jones' rushing yards prop on FanDuel, which is 49.5. He ran for at least 86 yards in each game against the Bears last season.
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We'll find out this week how the Browns plan to use their running backs, at least until Quinshon Judkins is signed, and Ford and Dylan Sampson should share touches against the Bengals. I expect Ford to get the majority of carries, and I would use him as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, with Sampson as a potential flex. Last year, Ford faced Cincinnati in Week 16 and had 11 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 39 yards on five targets for 24.1 PPR points. It would be great if he could repeat that performance this week.
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Harvey might not start in Week 1 against the Titans because of J.K. Dobbins, but Harvey should play a lot. And I like the setup for him at home against Tennessee since Denver is favored in this game by 7.5 points. Harvey looked explosive in the preseason, and he should have the chance to make plenty of plays for Sean Payton and Bo Nix. Dobbins could also be a flex in deeper leagues, but I like Harvey as a No. 2 running back in all formats. I'll also take the over on his rushing yards on FanDuel, which is 34.5 yards.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Warren signed a two-year contract extension Monday, and coach Mike Tomlin made it clear Warren will be No. 1 on the depth chart ahead of Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell going into Week 1 at the Jets. "Certainly, he'll be our feature running back," Tomlin said. "We're not opposed, obviously, to utilizing Kenny G and Kaleb, and I'm sure you'll see them. At what time, and to what degree, will be determined how the game unfolds." Warren should be considered a flex option in most leagues until we see how the touches are distributed, but Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will hopefully give Warren 15-plus touches in this matchup. I'll take the over on his 2.5 catches for his reception prop on FanDuel.
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Tracy is worth using as a flex with his matchup against the Commanders. He should lead the Giants in touches, but we'll see how much Cam Skattebo works in. Tracy didn't fare well in his last meeting with the Commanders in Week 9 with 16 carries for 66 yards and one catch for 3 yards, but I'm hopeful for more work in the passing game with Russell Wilson under center. On FanDuel, I'll take the over on his 11.5 receiving yards, and he had at least 14 receiving yards in five of his past seven games in 2024.
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Ekeler should be the best Washington running back in Week 1 against the Giants, and we'll see what happens moving forward with the other guys in Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Even if one of those guys steps up, Ekeler will stay in his role as a change-of-pace rusher and work on passing downs. He did great against the Giants in Week 9 last season with 11 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 41 yards. Ekeler is worth using as a high-end flex in PPR, but he can be a flex option in all leagues given the matchup. And I'll definitely take the over on his receptions for Week 1 on FanDuel, which is 2.5.
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We're waiting to see what's going to happen with this backfield when it comes to Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr., but it appears like Etienne will get the chance to lead the way against Carolina in Week 1. Coach Liam Coen said "we've got to use him as a guy that can help make plays." I'll trust Etienne as a flex option in all leagues against the Panthers, who were No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs last year. His rushing yards prop is 38.5 on FanDuel, and I expect him to outperform that at home.
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Mike McDaniel on Wednesday said about the expectations for Gordon in Week 1 at the Colts that Gordon will "have zero plays or all the plays, zero yards or all the yards — or somewhere in between." De'Von Achane (calf) is expected to play in Week 1 despite missing time during training camp, but Gordon should get enough touches to be a potential flex option in deeper leagues, especially with Jaylen Wright (leg) injured. If the Dolphins are cautious with Achane then Gordon could get "all the plays" and be a nice surprise for anyone planning to use him. His rushing yards prop on FanDuel is 28.5, and I'll take the over, even if Achane is 100 percent.
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RBs to Sit
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Jets starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps) won't play in Week 1 against the Steelers and could miss a significant amount of time, which will hurt the entire offense for the Jets, including Hall. We'll finally get to see how much the Jets will use Hall in a committee with Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, but I would only start Hall as a flex in this matchup. The Steelers will make Justin Fields try to win this game as a passer, and Hall will be a focal point for Pittsburgh. I'd love to see him have a big game, but I'm skeptical, especially with Vera-Tucker now injured. I'm going to play the under on his 12.5 rush attempts, which is his prop on FanDuel.
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I'm curious to see how the Cowboys will use their running backs in Week 1 with Williams, Jaydon Blue and Miles Sanders, and Williams is going to start. Fantasy managers should treat him as a flex option at best against the Eagles, who were No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs last year. It would be great to see Williams dominate touches, but this backfield could be messy all season. And in Week 1, given the matchup, you might want to avoid the headache. It's a low number, but I'm still going to play the under on Williams' rushing yards prop on FanDuel, which is 36.5
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Chubb is expected to start with Joe Mixon (foot) out, but we could see a committee approach with Dameon Pierce, Woody Marks and Dare Ogunbowale as well. It might be messy against the Rams, and hopefully you don't need to start Chubb in Week 1 in the majority of leagues. Since we don't know how long Mixon will be out, it would be nice if one of these running backs emerged as a Fantasy asset moving forward, and Chubb could be that guy. But don't start him if you can avoid it in Week 1 on the road. I'll play the under on Chubb's rushing yards prop on FanDuel at 42.5, and he only went over that total four times in eight games last year.
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The bad news is Croskey-Merritt was listed as the No. 4 running back on Washington's depth chart for Week 1 behind Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols. The good news is depth charts can be irrelevant, and during practice Wednesday, Croskey-Merritt was second on the team in running back drills behind Ekeler. We'll see how this plays out against the Giants, but I would try to avoid Croskey-Merritt in Week 1 if possible in the majority of leagues. At best, he can be a flex option given the matchup, but don't be surprised if his playing time is limited.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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It's exciting that Pacheco appears back to his old self after suffering a broken leg last season in Week 2. When he returned to action in Week 13, he struggled, but his performance in training camp and the preseason has been encouraging. We'll see how Kansas City uses its running backs in Week 1 against the Chargers along with Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell and Brashard Smith, but I expect Pacheco to be the lead the team in touches. That said, this is a tough matchup against the Chargers, who finished No. 6 last season in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. And the Chargers were No. 1 in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed to running backs with four. I'm fine with Pacheco as a flex in this game in Brazil, but I would temper expectations for him in this matchup. I'm also worried about Pacheco's role in the passing game, and I'll take the under on his reception total prop on FanDuel, which is 1.5.
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