Fantasy Football Week 2 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Running Backs: Expect an Omarion Hampton breakout game, more
Running backs you want in Week 2 lineups and those you should avoid
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The rookie running backs were the story heading into Week 1, and they will likely command the spotlight again in Week 2. This class has immense talent, and we want all of them to be Fantasy stars right away. But you might have to be patient with several of these guys.
Ashton Jeanty, Dylan Sampson, and Jacory Crosky-Merritt were the only rookie running backs with quality production in Week 1, and Sampson was a nice surprise since we didn't know what to expect from the Browns backfield with fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins out. You can read below what I expect from Sampson in Week 2.
Jeanty didn't have a great game at New England in Week 1, but he found the end zone. And Croskey-Merritt looked solid in his debut against the Giants.
Omarion Hampton dominated the workload for the Chargers, which was awesome, but he struggled against the Chiefs. TreVeyon Henderson had six catches, but he had minimal production overall against the Raiders. And RJ Harvey had a 50-yard run against Tennessee, but he was outplayed by J.K. Dobbins, who led the Broncos in playing time.
For Week 2, I'm going to start Hampton and Henderson as No. 2 running backs, which you can read about here. Harvey is more of a flex, but Dobbins should be considered the better Broncos running back for Fantasy managers this week.
And while you can't start Bhayshul Tuten yet in most Fantasy leagues, his outlook did improve since Jacksonville traded Tank Bigsby to Philadelphia. As you'll read below, that's also great news for Travis Etienne heading into Week 2 at Cincinnati.
RBs to Start
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Etienne was impressive in Week 1 against Carolina with 16 carries for 143 yards and three catches for 13 yards on three targets. He scored 18.6 PPR points, which was his best game since Week 17 of 2023. The Jaguars traded Tank Bigsby on Monday, and now Etienne could get even more work, although I do love the long-term potential for Bhayshul Tuten. For this week, Etienne should be considered a standout No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
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I'm not expecting Williams to score 20.4 PPR points again like he did in Week 1 at Philadelphia, but there are some things working in his favor for Week 2 against the Giants. It doesn't sound like Jaydon Blue is ready to contribute for the Cowboys, and he was inactive in Week 1. Miles Sanders also fumbled against the Eagles, which is a plus for Williams. And the Giants just lost linebacker Micah McFadden (foot) in Week 1 against the Commanders in a game where Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Austin Ekeler, and Jeremy McNichols combined for 20 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. Williams had 15 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns against Philadelphia and two catches for 10 yards on three targets, and 15-plus touches feels safe against the Giants, making him a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Warren will likely continue to share touches with Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson, and Gainwell actually played more snaps than Warren in Week 1 at the Jets (30-25). But Warren had a solid outing with 11 carries for 37 yards and two catches for 22 yards on two targets, including the first receiving touchdown of his career. This week, he's facing a Seattle defense that was abused by Christian McCaffrey in Week 1 for 142 total yards on 31 touches, including nine catches. I like Warren as a solid No. 2 PPR running back, but he's also worth starting in all formats given the matchup.
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Hampton played 80 percent of the snaps in Week 1 against the Chiefs in Brazil, and we'll see what happens with Najee Harris in Week 2 at the Raiders. I'm going to start Hampton as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and I expect him to improve on his season debut when he had 15 carries for 48 yards and two catches for 13 yards on two targets. Las Vegas shut down the run in Week 1 by limiting TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Antonio Gibson to 13 carries for 45 yards and no touchdowns, but the Chargers are a tougher test. This could be Hampton's breakout game if he gets 15-plus touches once again.
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Henderson got engaged to his fiancé on Tuesday night, and hopefully, he'll put on a show Sunday at Miami. I like him as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues for his matchup with the Dolphins. Mike Vrabel said about Henderson after the loss to the Raiders in Week 1 when the rookie had five carries for 27 yards and six catches for 24 yards on six targets that "We gotta use that as a weapon ... (He's) gonna keep working, and he'll be a big part of what we do." I hope that means more touches, and the Dolphins just allowed Jonathan Taylor and D.J. Giddens to combine for 30 carries for 122 yards and three catches for 27 yards in Week 1. This could be Henderson's breakout game in the NFL in this outing.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I'm very much in the RJ Harvey camp, and I will use him as a flex option in most leagues in Week 2 at Indianapolis. Harvey looked explosive in Week 1 against Tennessee with six carries for 70 yards, which included a 50-yard run, along with one catch for minus-1 yard on one target. His time is coming, but Dobbins should again lead Denver's backfield against the Colts. He had 16 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown against the Titans and two catches for 5 yards on two targets. Dobbins is a borderline No. 2 running back in all leagues against the Colts.
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This will be an interesting week with the Seattle backfield after what happened in Week 1 against San Francisco. Charbonnet played more snaps than Kenneth Walker III (30-21), and Charbonnet had 12 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown and no targets, while Walker had 10 carries for 20 yards and three catches for 4 yards on three targets. The Steelers run defense was abused in Week 1 by the Jets with Breece Hall, Isaiah Davis, and Braelon Allen combining for 37 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown, and hopefully Charbonnet and Walker can follow suit. But based on what happened in Week 1, I would lean toward using Charbonnet ahead of Walker as a flex option in most leagues.
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Montgomery had a rough game in Week 1 at Green Bay with 11 carries for 25 yards and four catches for 18 yards on four targets. But he should rebound this week against the Bears, and he has scored at least 15.4 PPR points in two of three career meetings against his former team. Since joining the Lions in 2023, Montgomery has gone consecutive games without scoring a touchdown when healthy only one time, which was Weeks 14 and 15 in 2023. I'm counting on him to find the end zone in Week 2, and he's worth using as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
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We told you all offseason to expect a timeshare for the Vikings between Mason and Aaron Jones, and that's what happened in Week 1 at Chicago. Mason played 30 snaps, and Jones had 28. Mason led the team in carries with 15 for 68 yards, while Jones had eight for 23 yards. And Jones had three catches for 44 yards on three targets, while Mason had one catch for 7 yards on one target. I'll still use Jones as a No. 2 running back in all leagues for Week 2 against Atlanta, but Mason is a high-end flex. He could end up as the better running back in Minnesota if this usage continues all year.
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We don't know what's going to happen with Quinshon Judkins, who was meeting with the NFL on Wednesday and not at practice. There's no guarantee Judkins will play in Week 2 at Baltimore, which could mean more work for Sampson and Jerome Ford. Based on Week 1 against Cincinnati, I like Sampson as a flex in that scenario, especially in PPR, given his role in the passing game. He led the Browns with 12 carries for 29 yards, but more importantly, had eight catches for 64 yards on eight targets. The Ravens just allowed James Cook to catch five passes for 58 yards on five targets in Week 1 against Buffalo, and Sampson should continue to be a weapon out of the backfield for Joe Flacco in this game.
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RBs to Sit
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Croskey-Merritt looked fantastic in Week 1 against the Giants with 10 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown, and he should have the chance for a standout rookie campaign. But he had no targets in Week 1, and he might struggle on the ground against the Packers on Thursday night. Green Bay just completely dominated the Lions' running game in Week 1 when Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 20 carries for 44 yards and no touchdowns. Now, Gibbs and Montgomery combined for 14 catches for 49 yards on 14 targets, which bodes well for Austin Ekeler as a flex option in PPR. But if Croskey-Merritt fails to find the end zone, then he might post minimal stats in this game. At best, he's a flex option in non-PPR leagues.
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If there's a positive that can come out of Xavier Worthy (shoulder) getting injured while Rashee Rice (suspended) is out, then maybe it's Pacheco getting more touches as the Chiefs lean on their ground game. While he led the Chiefs in snaps in Week 1 against the Chargers in Brazil at 51 percent, Pacheco only had five carries for 25 yards and two catches for 3 yards on three targets. Kareem Hunt replaced Pacheco in short-yardage situations, and we can't trust him in this role moving forward. In Week 2, Pacheco is also facing an Eagles defense that gets Jalen Carter back after he was ejected in Week 1 against Dallas for spitting. Kansas City's backfield of Pacheco, Hunt, and Samaje Perine combined for seven carries for 24 yards and no touchdowns in Super Bowl LIX against Philadelphia and two catches for 10 yards on four targets. There's few scenarios where I want to start Pacheco in any Fantasy format in Week 2.
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Chubb had a solid debut as the No. 1 running back for the Texans in Week 1 at the Rams with Joe Mixon (foot) out. Chubb had 13 carries for 60 yards, and his 4.6 yards per carry was better than any game he had in 2024 with the Browns. But he only had one target and no catches, and Chubb won't help Fantasy managers if he fails to find the end zone. Tampa Bay struggled against Bijan Robinson as a receiver in Week 1 when he had six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, but Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for 22 carries for 48 yards on the ground. I would only consider using Chubb as a flex option in non-PPR leagues in Week 2.
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Tracy had a rough game in Week 1 at Washington with 10 carries for 24 yards and two catches for 11 yards on five targets. He dominated playing time with 74 percent of the snaps, but the Giants offense couldn't move against the Commanders. We'll see if things change against the Cowboys, but it's hard to trust anyone for the Giants as a Fantasy option aside from Malik Nabers while Russell Wilson is starting, especially if left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) remains out. At best, Tracy is a flex option in the majority of leagues, and hopefully, he can find the end zone in this game on the road.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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We might be talking about Walker as a bust for the season after what happened in Week 1 against San Francisco. Zach Charbonnet played more snaps than Walker (30-21) and had more carries (12-10). Walker did have three catches on three targets compared to none for Charbonnet, but this could be awful for Walker if he's in the back half of a timeshare. The Steelers struggled to stop the run in Week 1 against the Jets with Breece Hall, Isaiah Davis, and Braelon Allen combining for 37 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown, which could bode well for Charbonnet and Walker. But I have more faith in Charbonnet heading into Week 2, and Walker is just a flex option at best in the majority of leagues.
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