The first week of the season is always the hardest to figure out in fantasy football. Who will regress from last season? Who will rise to the challenge? Which teams will be matchup nightmares, and which players are startable regardless of matchup? Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are going to be in your lineup every week, but what should you do about your other running backs? Here are some top starts and sits for the first week of the NFL season.
Start - James Cook, Buffalo Bills
This may seem obvious, but the matchup could give some fantasy owners pause. The Houston Texans were one of the best defenses in the NFL last season and stifled Buffalo’s offense when they faced each other last year. However, Cook still had a good day against the Texans with
over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown. With how talented a running back Cook is, he should be in your lineup no matter the matchup.
Start - Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
Tony Pollard has three things going in his favor for why he should be in your starting lineup. First, he is the unquestioned top back, so there is no one to take carries away from him. Second, the Titans have quarterback issues, so they'll run the ball a lot. Third, the New York Jets were terrible against the run last year and did nothing in the offseason to change that. He has the potential to put up a lot of fantasy points this week.
Start - Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Normally, I would never advocate starting a running back on the New England Patriots. However, TreVeyon Henderson is out. So, for once, there should not be a backfield split for the Patriots, and Stevenson should be the primary back. Seattle gave up the fewest fantasy points to running backs last season, so this is no easy matchup. But he could prove to be a decent start in deeper leagues, especially with his receiving upside for PPR leagues.
Sit - Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
Monday Night Football will be Kenneth Walker’s debut with the Chiefs, and he gets to face the Denver Broncos, who gave up the fourth-fewest points to running backs last season. The Broncos struggled to contain the run in the playoffs last year, but only allowed over 100 rushing yards in two games during the regular season. They also allowed only eight rushing touchdowns to running backs all year last season, which was tied for the fourth-least in the NFL. He can come back in the lineup in Week 2, but leave him on the bench for Week 1.
Sit - Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
A lot of uncertainty surrounds Jadarian Price. How often will Seattle actually run the ball? How much action is Emanuel Wilson going to see? Price is the starting back now, but how will his fantasy production change once Zach Charbonnet is back? The first two questions are more pressing for the season opener, and given how good the Patriots were against the run last season, the Seahawks may not run the ball as much.
Wilson is historically more of a pass-catching back, while Price has only caught 15 passes in his entire college career. Given the backup and uncertainty around how Price is going to be used in this offense, it is best to keep Price on the bench for now.
Sit - Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins is a good running back, but his quarterback is horrible, which will make the offense one-dimensional and ultimately hurt Judkins’ production. To make matters worse for the opener, Cleveland is facing one of the best run defenses in the NFL from last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs. It wouldn't be surprising to see Judkins have a very poor opening week; keep him on the bench.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Week 1: RB Edition
