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Week 1 Running Back Preview: James Conner Poised For A Huge Game

Top 50 Fantasy RBs for Week 1

Let's dig into the reasons you should -- or shouldn't -- play these guys ...

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers

In Brazil

Omarion Hampton, Chargers

Najee Harris (surprisingly) seems on track to play in Friday night's opener, adding some risk to Hampton's volume projection. We'd be surprised if Harris played a big role, though, after doing very little since his July 4 fireworks accident. Expect 15+ touches for Hampton. But the matchup is tough against a Chiefs defense that ranked first in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs last year.

Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs

Pacheco played sparingly this preseason -- but he looked explosive on the few touches he got. We're expecting him to operate as Kansas City's lead back in Friday night's opener, perhaps ceding some short-yardage work to Kareem Hunt and passing-down snaps to Brashard Smith. Pacheco gets a Chargers defense that ranked eighth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs last year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson, Falcons

Robinson reached 90 rushing yards in ten of 17 games last season. He was extra busy down the stretch, registering 20+ touches in eight of his final nine contests. While he’ll be without RT Kaleb McGary, the third-year rusher remains an elite RB1 vs. Tampa Bay. The Bucs allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards – and saw the second-fewest attempts – in 2024.

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers

Irving concluded his rookie season with 16+ touches in eight of his final nine games. That type of workload is likely again vs. Atlanta, especially in what’s projected as a close game (Bucs -1.5). The Falcons supplied a neutral fantasy matchup in 2024 but lost long-time DL Grady Jarrett in free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

Chase Brown, Bengals

Once he became Cincinnati's feature back last season, Brown showed elite production. He rattled off six consecutive top-10 weekly finishes starting in Week 9. In Week 16, Brown produced 109 scrimmage yards against Cleveland, and Brown's three-down skill set assures he'll see plenty of opportunities to get off to a fast start in Week 1. 

Jerome Ford, Browns

Ford is listed as Cleveland's starter heading into Week 1. Ford scored double-digit fantasy points in 4 of the 5 games in which he received double-digit carries last season. He also offers solid pass-catching ability, making him a good flex option with a decent floor. 

Dylan Sampson, Browns

Jerome Ford is listed as Cleveland's starter, but Sampson is expected to be plenty involved. Sampson had a solid preseason showing, even starting ahead of Ford in the finale. The rookie brings a three-down skillset and offers flex value in what could be a split backfield in Week 1. 

Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts

De’Von Achane, Dolphins

Achane practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, putting him in line to start Sunday’s game vs. the Colts. We wouldn’t expect his calf to severely limit his workload, but look for Ollie Gordon to mix in and potentially take a goal-line opportunity. Ultimately, Achane’s pass-catching upside makes him a fantasy RB1.

Ollie Gordon II, Dolphins

A sixth-round rookie, Gordon showed off his power-based skill set this preseason. He’s set to play the backup role to De’Von Achane with Jaylen Wright sidelined. Gordon’s still best left on fantasy benches, as we don’t expect him to see more than 6-8 touches.

Jonathan Taylor Colts

Taylor hit 20 carries in ten of 14 games last season. He draws a Miami unit that's much stronger up front than they are in the secondary, especially after adding mammoth Round 1 DL Kenneth Grant. Still, volume and TD upside keep Taylor in the RB1 mix.

Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers

We talked plenty this offseason about Hubbard's potential to lose passing-down work to new RB imports. But he's a fairly easy start for a team paying him $8 million a year, and against a Jacksonville D that went second-friendliest on RB scoring last season.

Travis Etienne, Jaguars

Jacksonville's initial "unofficial" depth chart lists Etienne and Tank Bigsby as co-starters. We're projecting Etienne just ahead across fantasy formats because he's the far more accomplished receiver of the two. There's mystery to the workload split, though, including how much rookie Bhayshul Tuten will be involved. That makes it tough to trust any Jags back initially, though an upside matchup makes Etienne OK to start if he makes sense for your situation.

Tank Bigsby, Jaguars

Bigsby trails Travis Etienne in our Week 1 rankings across formats because Etienne's been the far more productive receiver. But Jacksonville's initial depth chart calls them co-starters, and Bigsby drew some early-camp buzz. There's room for him to surprise in a nice matchup with Carolina. The workload uncertainty makes him a risky option, though.

Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots

Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

The Raiders drafted Jeanty sixth overall in April after an incredible college season at Boise State. He forced tackles on 33% of his carries, which ranked second in the rookie RB class. Raiders OC Chip Kelly ranked first in pace of play every season when he was HC of the Eagles and 49ers. More plays mean more carries for Jeanty, who is locked in as an RB1 this week against a Patriots team that gave up 4.6 yards per carry last season, ranking 26th. 

TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots

Henderson exploded in the first week of the preseason with 50 yards on eight touches and a kickoff return for a TD. OC Josh McDaniels loves using RBs in the passing game, with RBs receiving 22.3% of the team’s targets when he is the play caller. Henderson may sit behind Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 1 in terms of snaps, but the receiving upside and potential for a big play make Henderson a low-end RB2 this week. 

Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots

Stevenson struggled last season, only having 3.9 yards per carry, which ranked 27th out of 31 RBs with 150+ carries. His only preseason appearance included rushing five times with Drake Maye over center, so he should be on the field. Rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson will be utilized as a receiver, so Stevenson may need a TD to pay off. He should be viewed as a low-end RB3.

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints

James Conner, Cardinals

Conner averaged 15.5 carries and 3.5 targets in 15 healthy games last year and should remain a workhorse for this Cardinals offense in 2025. He opens in an excellent spot with his Cardinals 6.5-point favorites with a 25-point implied total vs. the Saints, who ranked 28th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs last year.

Trey Benson, Cardinals

The Cardinals are 6.5-point favorites with a 25-point implied total against the Saints, so there should be plenty of fantasy points to go around for Arizona. But we're expecting Benson to operate well behind RB James Conner. He'd be a desperation Week 1 fantasy start.

Alvin Kamara, Saints

A fresh Kamara should be the focal point of New Orleans' offense in Sunday's opener against the Cardinals. The Saints are 6.5-point underdogs with an 18.5-point implied total -- but that's less of a concern for Kamara, who relies on volume, particularly in the passing game. Arizona ranked 22nd in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs last year.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets

Breece Hall, Jets

We’ve seen Hall slowly take steps backwards after his rookie year. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie. Over the last two seasons, Hall has averaged 4.5 and 4.2 YPC. The fear is that he will cede playing time to Braelon Allen in 2025, but Hall did play 47% of the preseason snaps with Justin Fields, compared to 29.5% for Allen. Hopefully, new OC Tanner Engstrand’s scheme can work to Hall’s talents.  In PPR, the hope is that Hall gets enough catches to put together RB2 numbers this week.

Jaylen Warren, Steelers

Warren signed a two-year extension this week, locking him in as the starter for the Steelers. With rookie Kaleb Johnson listed third on the depth chart, Warren should get plenty of work this week. Last year, a hamstring and knee injury limited him, but Warren appears ready to go. He should be a solid PPR flex option with RB2 upside.

Kaleb Johnson, Steelers

Johnson currently sits third on the depth chart for the Steelers, but he should be folded into Week 1 with a few carries. If Jaylen Warren falters in short-yardage situations, Johnson could get a shot in those situations, including at the goal line. It’s likely best to bench Johnson this week and get more information about his role.

Braelon Allen, Jets

Allen garnered some hype this offseason with rumors he could pass Breece Hall. The preseason told a different story with Hall playing 47% of snaps with Justin Fields compared to 29.5% for Allen. He could get short yardage work and should be involved, but will be TD dependent. With little PPR upside, Allen lands as an RB4 this week. 

New York Giants at Washington Commanders

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants

In his lone start versus Washington last season, Tyrone Tracy Jr. logged 16 carries and ran 8 pass routes en route to an RB35 finish in Week 9. He should get the first crack at the early-down work here in the opener, with Cam Skattebo still ramping up his participation after a preseason hamstring injury. Tracy is on the RB3/flex radar. 

Cam Skattebo, Giants

In his lone start versus Washington last season, Tyrone Tracy Jr. logged 16 carries and ran 8 pass routes en route to an RB35 finsih in Week 9. He should get the first crack at the early-down work here in the opener, with Cam Skattebo still ramping up his participation after a preseason hamstring injury. Tracy is on the RB3/flex radar. 

Austin Ekeler, Commanders

The Commanders list Ekeler as their starter, and he thrived in that role last season. In games where Brian Robinson was out, Ekeler averaged over 15 PPR PPG. Washington's backfield rotation is a little muddled, but Ekeler will get first crack and remains a solid fantasy option due to his pass-catching prowess. 

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Commanders

We're eagerly anticipating seeing how Washington's backfield rotation shakes out. "Bill" Croskey-Merritt's strong preseason showing allowed the club to ship off Brian Robinson. The seventh-round rookie looks like a major value and has the opportunity to make an instant impact against a New York defense that allowed the fifth-most PPR points to RBs last season. 

Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos

Tony Pollard, Titans

Pollard will suit up without backfield mate Tyjae Spears (ankle). In four games without Spears last season, Pollard handled 18, 23, 31, and 27 touches. Just note: OC Nick Holz said this week that Pollard “wore down a little bit” in 2024 while mentioning the backups as candidates to “take some of the workload” from Pollard. We’ll see about that. Ultimately, we’re more worried about an excellent Denver defense that figures to limit scoring. Pollard settles in as a back-end RB2.

RJ Harvey, Broncos

Harvey will make his regular-season debut against a strong interior DL duo of Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat. The good news? Harvey’s speed should be utilized on edge runs and in the passing game. We’ll just have to wait and see how touches are distributed between the rookie and J.K. Dobbins. We’re expecting something close to a 50-50 split in the opener, leaving Harvey a FLEX option.

J.K. Dobbins, Broncos

Denver’s Week 1 depth chart shows Dobbins as the starter. But that doesn’t mean he’s locked into a clear lead-back role for HC Sean Payton. We expect a near-even split here, with rookie RJ Harvey seeing more work in the passing game. That leaves Dobbins as a FLEX option against a Titans unit with questions at LB.

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

Uh oh. Popping up on the injury report with a Week 1 calf issue is one of the worst signals we could get on McCaffrey, after the way last season went. We'll obviously track his status throughout this weekend, and you'll obviously start him if he's active. For now, let's all cross our fingers. There at least hadn't been any indication before the Thursday "limited" status that CMC's calf trouble was carrying over.

Brian Robinson, 49ers

If Christian McCaffrey's calf issue turns into something we need to worry about, then Robinson could become an immediate factor. For now, he's the handcuff and is well worth rostering. The 49ers wouldn't have traded a draft pick for him if they planned to use Isaac Guerendo as they did after Jordan Mason's injury last year.

Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks

Walker's summer rest days for foot soreness were annoying. But he doesn't even appear on the Week 1 injury report. So confidently start the guy new OC Klint Kubiak has raved about on multiple occasions. San Francisco ranked just 23rd in run-defense DVOA last year and remains questionable at the DT spots.

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks

Walker's summer rest days for foot soreness were annoying. But he doesn't even appear on the Week 1 injury report. So confidently start the guy new OC Klint Kubiak has raved about on multiple occasions. San Francisco ranked just 23rd in run-defense DVOA last year and remains questionable at the DT spots.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions

Gibbs led all RBs with at least 300 touches in yards per touch at 6.4. But he averaged 10.5 more PPR points per game last year with David Montgomery inactive. With Montgomery back, and the Lions offense itself potentially regressing without OC Ben Johnson (along with losing two interior OL this offseason), expectations should be tempered a bit. Even with the downside, Gibbs' dynamic tackle-breaking ability and athleticism make him a threat to score every play, and he is easily a must-start.

Josh Jacobs, Packers

Jacobs debuted with a strong season for the Packers,s rushing for 1,329 total yards and 15 TDs on 301 carries. He’s also had at least 30 catches in five straight seasons now as well. The Packers could lean a bit more to the pass this season, but Jacobs is expected to be the lead back with a lack of depth behind him in RBs Christopher Brooks and Emanuel Wilson. Expect a solid day out of Jacobs with upside for multiple TDs. 

David Montgomery, Lions

Montgomery averaged 83 yards per game last season with 12 total TDs, despite a knee injury costing him the final three games of the season. He even excelled as a receiver, with his PFF receiving grade and yards per route exceeding those of Jahmyr Gibbs. He should be the leading runner near the goal line again, but we could see regression without OC Ben Johnson and the loss of two interior OL this offseason. Even so, trust Montgomery’s consistency as a low-end RB2 this week.

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams

Kyren Williams, Rams

We'll see if the Rams are serious about scaling back Williams' snaps and touches this year. But expect plenty of volume in Sunday's opener with the Rams three-point favorites over the Texans. Williams averaged 21.4 carries for 89.4 yards and 0.9 TDs in wins last season.

Nick Chubb, Texans

Chubb is the favorite to lead the Joe Mixon-less Texans in carries this weekend, but it's tough to get excited about in fantasy lineups. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last year, will be running behind a bad offensive line, and gets a Rams defense that ranked ninth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs in 2024. The Texans are also three-point road favorites, so game flow could work against Chubb.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Derrick Henry, Ravens

Henry’s 5.9 yards per rush were the best of his career, and there was no indication that the 31-year-old will slow down anytime soon. The downside for Henry was only having 19 catches all season, his lowest since 2021. He will need to maintain his rushing and TD efficiency to remain a high-end RB1 weekly. Until Henry proves otherwise, trot him out there as your top RB.

James Cook, Bills

After only two rushing TDs in each of his first two seasons, Cook exploded for 16 last season. That fueled an RB9 finish in PPR. Cook is due for some TD regression, especially if the Bills put the ball in Josh Allen’s hands even more. Don’t expect the same TD explosion, especially since he scored no TDs in two games against the Ravens last year. He is a solid RB2 in case the game turns into a shootout.

Justice Hill, Ravens

Hill locked down a receiving role last year, catching 42 of 51 targets for 383 yards and 3 TDs. He should hold the same role this year and should have a high floor in PPR leagues. The Bills allowed a league-high 11.9 receiving points per game to running backs in 2024, so Hill could be a flex play in deep leagues. 

Ray Davis, Bills

Davis had a solid rookie season, rushing for 442 yards and 3 TDs as the backup to James Cook. When Cook missed time, Davis showed he can be effective as the lead back, rushing 20 times for 97 yards in Week 6. He should get a smattering of carries behind James Cook.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

D’Andre Swift, Bears

We wonder about Swift's viability as Chicago's feature back all season -- but he's set up to play that role in the opener. RBs Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai missed significant time in August and are listed on the Week 1 injury report. Swift should get enough touches on Monday night to deliver for fantasy owners, despite a tough matchup against a Vikings defense that ranked fourth in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs last year.

Aaron Jones, Vikings

Last year's Bears ranked 13th in pass defense DVOA but 31st in run defense DVOA. With QB J.J. McCarthy making his first start, expect the Vikings to lean on the run in this matchup. That's good news for Jones, who could also see a target boost with WR Jordan Addison out. Jones drew six targets in both of the games Addison missed last year.

Jordan Mason, Vikings

The Vikings are 1.5-point favorites on Monday night against a Chicago defense that was much tougher against the pass than the run last year. The 2024 Bears ranked 24th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. It's a nice matchup for Mason's Vikings debut. He's a viable RB3 or flex play.

Next Up

Week 1 Wide Receiver Preview: Jaylen Waddle Highlights WRs Set to Score

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Jody Smith, Analyst

Jody Smith has been playing fantasy football for over 30 years, the last 15 as an analyst, writer, and editor. Jody's rankings have been among the most consistent, placing him inside the top-10 in multi-year accuracy.