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Isiah Pacheco RB | DET
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Leading rusher in win
Pacheco carried the ball 12 times for 62 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-21 win over the Cardinals.
Most of his production came in the second half after Kansas City has already built a big lead, but it was still an impressive NFL debut for the 2022 seventh-round pick. All three members of the team's backfield saw significant action, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire turning 10 touches into 74 scrimmage yards and two receiving TDs while Jerick McKinnon added 49 scrimmage yards on seven touches, so Pacheco's big showing doesn't catapult him to the top of the depth chart. With Kansas City flashing a more diverse scheme without having Tyreek Hill to lean on, however, there could be enough work for multiple backs to be fantasy assets in any given week.
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David Montgomery RB | HOU
Bears' David Montgomery: Inefficient in victory
Montgomery rushed 17 times for 26 yards and caught three passes for 24 yards in the Bears' 19-10 win over the 49ers on Sunday.
Not only did Montgomery have a difficult matchup while running behind a revamped offensive line, but he played on a rain-soaked field that limited both offenses. Unlike last year, he didn't completely dominate carries, as Khalil Herbert had nine rushing attempts while scoring a rushing touchdown. We'll learn if the backfield split is going to be a trend when the Bears travel to Green Bay next week.
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB | KC
Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Finds end zone twice against Cards
Edwards-Helaire carried the ball seven times for 42 yards while catching all three of his targets for 32 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 44-21 win over the Cardinals.
The running back didn't end up being Kansas City's leading rusher -- that honor went to rookie Isiah Pacheco -- but Edwards-Helaire's contributions as a receiver more than made up for it. The third-year player came into 2022 with only three career receiving TDs in 23 NFL games, but with the team's passing game promising to be more spread out in the wake of Tyreek Hill's departure, Edwards-Helaire could have a much bigger role through the air this season.
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Austin Ekeler RB | WAS
Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Inefficient despite win
Ekeler tallied 14 carries for 36 yards and also corralled four receptions for 36 yards in Sunday's 24-19 win over the Raiders.
The veteran running back registered the bulk of the opportunities out of the backfield, but he wasn't able to make much headway in what was a difficult matchup overall on the ground. Perhaps more crucially for fantasy managers, no one behind Ekeler on the backfield depth chart did much of anything in this contest either as both Joshua Kelley (six touches, 35 yards) and Sony Michel (seven carries, 12 yards) were stymied. Expect Ekeler to rebound against a shaky Chiefs defense next week.
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Aaron Jones RB | MIN
Packers' Aaron Jones: Logs only five carries
Jones rushed five times for 49 yards and caught three of five targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Vikings.
Jones was rather efficient on the ground, helped by a game-long rush of 29 yards during the second half. However, he surprisingly garnered only a handful of carries all game, whereas teammate AJ Dillon rushed 10 times, led Green Bay in receiving and scored the team's only touchdown. While Jones and Dillon are likely to split snaps all year, the Packers could aim to get Jones more touches in Week 2's matchup versus the Bears.
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Josh Jacobs RB | GB
Raiders' Josh Jacobs: Efficient with light usage
Jacobs ran for 57 yards on 10 carries and caught his only target for 16 yards against the Chargers on Sunday.
The Raiders never gained scoreboard leverage over the Chargers in this game and as a result maintained a catch-up mentality for almost the entire contest. Jacobs' rushing usage suffered as a result, even with his solid efficiency on the ground. The Raiders lost with this approach, so new coach Josh McDaniels might have reason to involve Jacobs earlier in a Week 2 matchup against Arizona.
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AJ Dillon RB | CAR
Packers' AJ Dillon: Leads offense in defeat
Dillon rushed 10 times for 45 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Vikings. He also caught five of six targets for 46 yards.
Dillon was Green Bay's most productive offensive player, leading the team in rushes and receiving yards while scoring its only touchdown. Although running mate Aaron Jones topped him with 49 yards on just five carries, Dillon saw the larger workload and was trusted near the goal line. After being stuffed on a fourth-down play at the one yard line during the first half, Dillon rebounded by scoring from two yards out in the second half. As the Packers adjust to life without superstar wideout Davante Adams, Dillon and Jones should remain key contributors both on the ground and in the air.
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Travis Etienne RB | NO
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Just six touches in loss
Etienne rushed four times for 47 yards and caught two of four passes for 18 yards in Sunday's 28-22 loss to the Commanders.
Etienne ripped off a couple of big runs despite getting just four carries in his 2022 debut. The 2021 first-round pick did cough up the ball once, but it was recovered by Jacksonville, so this wasn't a "doghouse" scenario with new head coach Doug Pederson. In fact, Etienne had been touted as the Jaguars' lead back heading into the season, even when James Robinson (Achilles) returned from his major injury. The latter made a speedy recovery and not only suited up Sunday but may have taken the starting job away from Etienne after getting 12 touches for 69 yards and two short touchdowns. Etienne's managers have to anxiously wait for next week's matchup against the Colts to see if the back's fantasy value can recover from this surprising dud.
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Dalvin Cook RB | DAL
Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Tops 100 from scrimmage
Cook rushed 20 times for 90 yards and caught three of five targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 23-7 win over the Packers.
Cook garnered a healthy workload in his first game under new coach Kevin O'Connell. Although he didn't manage to find the end zone, Cook looked quick while topping 100 scrimmage yards to begin the campaign. He'll next face an Eagles defense that surrendered 175 yards and a touchdown to D'Andre Swift in Week 1.
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Ke'Shawn Vaughn RB | SF
Buccaneers' Ke'Shawn Vaughn: Inactive for opener
Vaughn is inactive for Sunday's season opener against the Cowboys.
With Vaughn not in the mix Sunday night, Rachaad White and Giovani Bernard are slated to work behind starter Leonard Fournette in Tampa Bay's Week 1 backfield.