Fantasy Football with Ian Hartitz artwork

Week 1 RB Fantasy Football Rankings and Tiers: D'Andre Swift to the MOON

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.

25 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 7, 2026
Published
Mon, September 7, 2026
37
Player insights
35
Players mentioned
Topics
J.K. DobbinsTyjae SpearsAaron JonesBraelon AllenBreece HallBucky IrvingChase BrownChris BrooksChristian McCaffreyD'Andre SwiftDavid MontgomeryDe'Von AchaneDerrick HenryJahmyr Gibbs
Player analysis

Player insights

37

Aaron Jones

NegativeProjection20:13

Ranked as RB41, Aaron Jones is noted for his high touch volume at the end of last season, though Ian Hartitz expresses some skepticism regarding his immediate outlook compared to Jordan Mason, admitting he may be too optimistic about Mason.

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Braelon Allen

PositiveRole17:44

Ian Hartitz expects Braelon Allen to serve as the lead back for his team, particularly on early downs.

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Breece Hall

NegativeInjury11:38

Ranked as RB14, Hall faces a Titans defense anchored by Jeffrey Simmons. Hartitz notes that while he is confident in Hall's performance, he is still monitoring his recovery from a groin injury to ensure he is 100%.

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Bucky Irving

NegativeUsage9:31

Ranked as RB26, Bucky Irving faces a tough Browns defense that ranked in the top five last year. Ian Hartitz expresses concern regarding his team's 28th-ranked offensive line and notes that Chris Rodriguez Jr. may see significant work on early downs and in goal-to-go situations. There is ongoing uncertainty regarding whether the Tampa Bay backfield will be a committee or the Bucky Irving show.

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Chase Brown

PositiveProjection3:27

Ian Hartitz ranks Chase Brown as the RB4 for Week 1 against the Buccaneers, highlighting that Tampa Bay allowed an NFL-high 860 receiving yards to running backs last season and Brown finished last year with 10 straight top-14 PPR finishes.

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Chris Brooks

NegativeUsage15:57

Ian Hartitz indicates that Chris Brooks is projected to have less backfield usage compared to MarShawn Lloyd.

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Christian McCaffrey

PositiveUsage0:47

Ian Hartitz ranks Christian McCaffrey as the RB3 for Week 1, emphasizing that his high volume of receptions (over 100 last season) makes him matchup-proof. Hartitz also highlights McCaffrey as a strong target for reception props against the Rams, noting his 4.5 reception over/under is favorable given he recorded eight catches in both games against the Rams last season and may see increased volume if George Kittle is limited.

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D'Andre Swift

PositiveUsage9:52

Ranked as RB12, Swift is expected to perform well against a Panthers defense that ranked 27th in EPA allowed per rush. Ian Hartitz confirms that Swift's recent practice injury was merely a cramp and expects him to be available. Hartitz views Swift as a workhorse back in a favorable matchup against a zone-heavy defense, suggesting the over on his reception prop if the line is under 4.5.

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David Montgomery

PositiveProjection9:17

Ranked as RB18, David Montgomery faces a Bills defense that struggled against the run last year, though Ian Hartitz is monitoring Woody Marx's involvement in the new system.

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De'Von Achane

PositiveUsage5:13

Ian Hartitz ranks Devon Achane as the RB7 for Week 1 against the Raiders, expressing confidence in the Dolphins' offense. Hartitz is high on Achane's fantasy outlook, citing his high snap-share potential and noting he is one of the few running backs who consistently stays on the field, which should help him overcome potential offensive inefficiencies.

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Derrick Henry

PositiveProjection4:11

Ian Hartitz ranks Derrick Henry as the RB6 for Week 1 against the Colts, noting that Henry performs significantly better as a favorite, averaging 117 rushing yards and over one touchdown per game in Ravens wins over the last two seasons.

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J.K. Dobbins

NegativeProjection16:14

Ranked as RB29, J.K. Dobbins is the clear lead back in Denver. Ian Hartitz notes that while he is the primary starter, external projections may be overly optimistic about RJ Harvey's involvement in the passing game.

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PositiveRole19:43

Ian Hartitz projects the Chargers backfield to be primarily the JK Dobbins show, suggesting he will lead the team in usage.

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Jahmyr Gibbs

PositiveProjection0:21

Ian Hartitz ranks Jahmyr Gibbs as the RB1 for Week 1 against the Saints, citing his 25.1 half-PPR points per game average in eight career contests where David Montgomery was either out or limited.

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Javonte Williams

PositiveMatchup8:54

Ranked as RB11, Williams faces a Giants defense that ranked last in EPA allowed per rush last season. Ian Hartitz notes that despite the Giants' defensive talent, Williams has significant touchdown upside in this matchup.

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Jaylen Warren

NegativeUsage16:08

Ranked as RB28, Jaylen Warren is in a near-even split with Rico Dowdle in both the run and pass games. While Ian Hartitz personally prefers Warren, he acknowledges that the coaching staff may prioritize Dowdle, leaving both as RB3 flex options.

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Jeremiyah Love

NegativeInjury8:05

Ian Hartitz notes that Jeremiah Love is highly questionable for Week 1, making him a risky start despite his potential role in the Cardinals' offense.

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Jonathan Taylor

NegativeProjection6:07

Ian Hartitz ranks Jonathan Taylor as the RB10 for Week 1 against the Ravens, expressing concern about the Colts' offense with Anthony Richardson coming off injury. Taylor's production dropped from 27 PPR points per game in weeks 1-10 to 12.6 points (RB23) in weeks 12-18 last season. However, Hartitz remains optimistic about his volume, as the Colts led the league in 90% snap-share games for running backs at 29%, making him a must-start regardless of concerns.

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Jonathon Brooks

NegativeInjury18:28

Ian Hartitz notes that Jonathan Brooks is dealing with general soreness, which impacts his early-season ranking and leads to Chuba Hubbard being ranked ahead of him.

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Keaontay Ingram

PositiveSleeper24:11

Ian Hartitz recommends stashing Keaontay Ingram as a handcuff running back, noting he is rostered in under 20% of leagues on both Yahoo and ESPN.

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Keaton Mitchell

NegativeInjury13:24

Ranked as RB42, Keaton Mitchell is in a good spot for 8-10 touches, but Hartitz expresses significant concern regarding his availability due to an undisclosed injury.

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Kendre Miller

NegativeInjury10:02

Ian Hartitz considers Miller doubtful for the upcoming game due to a knee injury with a week-to-week designation.

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Kenneth Walker III

NegativeMatchup8:15

Ranked as RB15, Walker faces a Broncos defense that allowed the fewest PPR points per game to running backs last season. Hartitz expects the team to lean on him, but warns that fireworks may be limited in this tough matchup.

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Kyren Williams

PositiveProjection13:57

Ranked as RB16, Williams has a strong historical track record against the 49ers, having scored nine touchdowns in five career games against them.

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MarShawn Lloyd

NegativeDepth Chart15:57

Ranked as RB25, MarShawn Lloyd is expected to be the primary back, though Ian Hartitz notes uncertainty regarding the rotation with Chris Brooks, Pierre Strong Jr., and Caleb Johnson. Hartitz expresses concern for Lloyd due to a tough matchup against the Vikings and a Green Bay offensive line that does not deserve the benefit of the doubt, despite RotoWire projections giving him a comfortable advantage in usage.

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Nicholas Singleton

NegativeRole16:25

Ian Hartitz notes that Nicholas Singleton will maintain a role in the Tennessee backfield and will not be a complete afterthought, alongside Tyjae Spears.

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Rachaad White

NegativeUsage18:57

Ian Hartitz views Rachaad White as a potential PPR option if he maintains a role in passing downs, but advises waiting a week before starting him with confidence due to uncertainty regarding the backfield split.

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Ray Davis

PositiveSleeper22:52

Ranked as RB47, Ray Davis is considered an amazing handcuff stash, especially if Ty Johnson is ruled out; Ian Hartitz recommends him as a bench stash due to his low roster percentage (under 16% on major platforms).

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Rhamondre Stevenson

PositiveUsage17:59

Ian Hartitz expects Rhamondre Stevenson to lead the backfield early in the season due to TreVeyon Henderson's injury status; Hartitz also recommends Stevenson's reception prop (over 2.5) on FanDuel, citing his history of five receptions against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl and the expectation that running backs see increased targets against zone-heavy defensive schemes.

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Rico Dowdle

NegativeDepth Chart16:08

Ian Hartitz ranks Rico Dowdle as RB27, giving him a slight edge over Jaylen Warren due to Mike McCarthy's familiarity and his projected role in the goal-line and passing game, though he acknowledges the backfield is essentially a split in both run and pass work.

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Tank Bigsby

PositiveSleeper23:03

Ranked as RB48, Tank Bigsby is viewed as a high-value handcuff if Saquon Barkley were to go down; Ian Hartitz recommends stashing him, noting he is rostered in 35% of Yahoo leagues and 19% of ESPN leagues.

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Tony Pollard

NegativeDepth Chart16:23

Ranked as RB30, Tony Pollard remains the clear lead back in Tennessee. However, Ian Hartitz notes that preseason signs suggest Tyjae Spears could see increased involvement compared to previous years, with Nicholas Singleton also potentially factoring into the rotation.

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Travis Etienne

PositiveUsage10:34

Ranked as RB13, Etienne is expected to serve as a featured every-down workhorse against the Lions. Ian Hartitz anticipates a potential shootout where Etienne will be heavily involved in both the run and pass game.

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Tyjae Spears

NegativeRole16:25

Ian Hartitz notes that Tyjae Spears will maintain a role in the Tennessee backfield and will not be a complete afterthought, even with Tony Pollard identified as the clear lead back.

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NegativeUsage22:22

Ranked as RB45, Tajae Spears is noted as having an uncertain backfield situation against the Jets, similar to others in his tier.

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Tyler Allgeier

PositiveUsage22:24

Ranked as RB46, Tyler Allgeier would move into low-end RB2 range if Jeremiah Love is ruled out, according to Ian Hartitz.

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Woody Marks

NegativeUsage22:19

Ranked as RB44, Woody Marks is a player Ian Hartitz is curious to monitor regarding the backfield split against the Bills.

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Full transcript

Episode Transcript

232
0:00It is a great day to break down my week one running back rankings and tiers along with the bigger picture question
0:06that often during the season will be along the lines of upcoming strength of schedules, buy lows, sell highs, best wave for wire pickups, things of that
0:13nature. But week one's here, everyone absolutely jacked up. Let's talk some football and start off with our tier one, the big three. Same guys we've been
0:21talking about throughout the offseason, but yes, RB1 Jir Gibbs going up against the Saints. 25.1 half PPPR points per game in eight career contests with Dave
0:30Montgomery being out or limited wheels up for Mr. 101. RB2 Bejan Robinson against the Steelers would be a lot cooler if we had, you know, a good
0:38possibility of having a decent quarterback under center, but alas, we cannot all have nice things. Either way, guys, Rotoire projections have Bejon
0:45racking up the most touches of week one.
0:47Yeah, got to feel good about that at least. And RB3 is going to be Christian McCaffrey in Australia. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi. Gonna be again a
0:56Thursday night game, so make sure you get those lineups set early. But yeah, guys, I don't know how well the running
1:01room is going to be in San Fran. It wasn't great last year, but guess what?
1:04In full PPR, particularly when you're catching nearly 100 passes or over a 100 passes, doesn't really tend to matter.
1:10CMC did catch eight balls for 82 yards in the score and then eight more balls for 66 scoreless yards in his two
1:15matchups against the Rams last season.
1:17My key question for this tier is just what does Vegas have to say about these offenses? One thing you're going to hear
1:23me talk about a lot this season, Vegas implied team totals. Every game we're going to have obviously our spread and our overunder. So through that we can
1:30actually calculate what Vegas is saying about each and every team and how many points they are expecting to score. So this was kind of the nucleus for
1:37drafting Jir Gibbs over Bjun Robinson guys because as we're seeing in week one, the Lions are implied to score the second most points of any offense this
1:44week. The 49ers are tied for 16th. I would expect that to be higher in future contests, not against Miles Garrett and
1:50company. The Falcons though just 28. So coming in as a bottom five offense.
1:55Again for me that was a tiebreaker for Gibbs and Bejon. Still my RB2. Not expecting to be bad or anything but just
2:01certainly something to keep in mind about the overall firepower of these offensive environments.
2:07Tier two. I got no doubt RB1. Starting off with RB4 Chase Brown going up against the Buccaneers. Tampa allowed an NFL high 860 receiving yards to opposing
2:16RBs last season. Chase Brown ended last season with 14 I should say. Sorry. 10 straight top 14 PPR finishes. Pretty pretty pretty pretty good if you ask me.
2:26RB5, I got Saquon Barkley going up against a Commander team that he has owned for basically his entire career, but specifically since he joined the
2:33Eagles. Seriously guys, four games against this group. Buck 46, two touchdowns. Buck 50, two touchdowns. 118 yards and three touchdowns in that NFC
2:42Championship game. And then last year at the end of the season, 132 yards and another touchdown. Saquon owns this group. expecting big things for this
2:49Eagles offense at least for week one.
2:51RB6, I got Derrick Henry going up against the Colts. We do have Baltimore sitting as comfortable three and a half point favorites. And when Derrick Henry
2:57is a favorite, guys, things usually do go quite well. When Baltimore has won over these past two seasons, he has averaged 117 rushing yards and over one
3:05rushing touchdown per game. When they've lost, that's dropped to 84.8. So, not horrible by any stretch in the imagination either way. But yeah,
3:12Derrick Henry, RB6 for me, even higher than where you probably drafted him. RB7 Devon Aan no longer on that RB1 borderline because guess what? We get to
3:22face the Raiders in week one. If there was a week to feel confident about Malik Willis and Devon Achan, it is certainly
3:27this one. RB8 Omar and Hampton now at home against the Cardinals. Just a great spot overall. Okay, we have Keaton Mitchell banged up. Who knows if he's
3:35even going to be able to play and the Chargers are sitting pretty as doubledigit home favorites against the Cardinals defense. That was actually the
3:41third worst group in PPR points per game allowed the position. Just please, please, injury gods, we beg you, leave this offensive line alone. RB9, I got
3:50James Cook against the Texans, and this is lower than usual because it is the Texans. But even then, man, ferocious Will Anderson le defense aside didn't
3:58stop Cook from going for over 100 yards and scoring a touchdown against them last year. RB10, Jonathan Taylor against the Ravens got him a little bit down
4:05there because I'm scared about what this group could look like with Daniel Jones coming off the Achilles. Also do have a
4:10lot of respect for Jesse Mentor and that Ravens defense as well. So obviously as Jonathan Taylor, we're starting no matter what. But seriously guys, last
4:17year, weeks 1 through 10, 27 PPR points a game for JT. Weeks 12 through 18 though, once Daniel Jones was injured,
4:25just 12.6. That was good for only RB23 status. We'll see what happens after week one. I'm just worried that no, the
4:32Daniel Jones le Colts aren't going to be as bad as the Philip Rivers le Colts, but I don't know. Could be more so in
4:37the middle, a little bit more towards the bad side. We'll see here soon enough.
4:41Key question though for this tier and it is a reason to still believe in Jonathan Taylor at least to an RB1 extent. What
4:47coaching staffs have been most willing to leave one single running back on the field for large portions of the game?
4:52And yeah, we do see the Colts stand out here. So I basically took every game last year and looked at again the
4:57percentage of games I should say that a coach left a running back on the field for 60 75 or 90% of the snaps and the
5:04top three offenses in that 90% category which is virtually unheard of in the year 2026. We had the Colts at number
5:10one at 29% and then the 49ers and Raiders there as well. So feeling very good again about not only Jonathan Taylor but also Devon AM we see him
5:18popping up pretty highly as well just being on the field long enough to again likely overcome too many issues with their offense. It's not ideal but you
5:27know what getting 30 touches you have a way to kind of overcome those sorts of things. Tier three I got lead backs with
5:34smashable matchups. Okay, let off by RB11 Javvante Williams going up against a Giants defense that was already dead last in EPA allowed per rush last season
5:42and that was with Dexter Lawrence. So, New DC, they still got plenty of talent in that front seven. Added Arville Reese
5:47and everything, but yeah, Javvante Williams could certainly fall into the end zone multiple times during pretty much any matchup and it would not
5:54surprise us. RB12, I got DeAndre Swift getting a nice jump here. Okay, the Panthers ranked only 27th in EPA allowed per rush last season. And Mungai, I
6:03would say, looking pretty doubtful for this one with that week- toeek designation in the knee injury. Feeling good about Swift, especially now that
6:09his uh apparently severe practice injury was a cramp.
6:14I just cannot believe how excited, not excited, how devastated we get over a lot of nothing, guys. And I'm happy for
6:22training camp to be over for that big reason. So, prayer circle DeAndre Swift.
6:26Hopefully the cramp isn't of the multiple week variety. He's fine and thankfully he is cuz I think he's going to smash here as long as sideline for a
6:34great Bears offense in a good spot against the Panthers. RB13, I got Travis Etien going up against the Lions. I just
6:41think this one could be a bit of a sneaky shootout. Not expecting Alvin Camaro to be out there in the early
6:45going. So, yeah, should be a featured every down workhorse role against a tough Lions run defense. But that said, could see the Saints taking advantage of
6:53the secondary and Etchen accordingly being a big part and catching plenty of passes. RB1 14, I got Bree Hall going up
6:59against the Titans. Honestly, a testament to how freaking good Titans Dlineman Jeffrey Simmons is that this wasn't a horrible group in terms of
7:06their fantasy points per game allowed to running backs last season. So, yeah, I could see Bree Hall and the Jets offense
7:12having a good performance. Not overly scared of this Robert Solid leg group or anything, but RB14 felt good for me, particularly with us still needing to
7:19make sure that Breeze is in fact 100% coming off that groin injury. Speaking of injuries, guys, going to list a lot
7:25of these on the screen right now for our YouTube peeps. Audio, hey, check out rotoire.com. First of all, I will have
7:31all this stuff written up as well, so if you're into reading, you can check that out. Also, we have fantastic injury
7:36report and practice participation pages that will be throughout the week. So moral of the story, most of the big names that you're going to see on the
7:43screen, your Ashen Genties, your Bree Halls, your Jeremiah Loves, not too concerned. Love would be the most concerning with a 50-50 chance to play
7:50in week one per Mike Garop. But yeah, most of the guys expecting them to play that includes Jonathan Brooks, that includes Shakori, Krosky, Merritt,
7:58Rashad White, and of the uh, you know, different ilk like that. I'm most concerned, I would say, about Keaton Mitchell.
8:05Again, keep an eye on Jeremiah Love.
8:06We'll talk more about him in a second.
8:08Katon Mitchell, Alvin Chimera, Cal Manungai would be the three that I'm most concerned about playing. But again, we'll continue to monitor throughout the
8:15week. Tier four, you're starting them, but we have at least one question. RB15, Kenneth Walker going up against the Broncos. I just look at this Denver
8:23team, man. They just allowed literally the fewest PPR points per game, two opposing running backs. I think the Chiefs will lean on K9 as much as
8:30possible in the early going of the season. But that said, in this tough matchup, wouldn't be surprised if we're not exactly seeing fireworks to start
8:37the season. RB16. I got Kron Williams going up against the 49ers in Australia.
8:41He has actually scored nine touchdowns in five career games against the 49ers.
8:46That said, I am very curious to see if this Blake Cororm Kron Williams split gets a little bit closer to 50/50 this
8:52season. RB1 17, Ashen Genty against the Dolphins. I would have him up in tier two, probably inside the top 12 if we
8:59knew he was fully healthy and if we knew that Mike Washington for sure wasn't going to be a big factor. I am very
9:05skeptical Mike Washington as anything close to standalone value this season.
9:09But could he be more of a 354% snap guy as opposed to 15 20% aka hindering Ashen Genty's upside? I do think that's
9:17possible. RB18, I got David Montgomery going up against the Bills bottom two defense last year. Only the Giants were worse than EPA allowed per rush. It is a
9:25new system though and I am still wondering just how involved Woody Marx is going to be. RB19, I got Bucky Irving
9:31going up against the Bengals again.
9:32We'll see just how involved Kenneth Gamble and Shawn Tucker are going to be.
9:35Bad defense that we would love to take advantage of, but man, Dexter Lawrence really can be a problem in the middle.
9:41Excited to see again the potential improvements for both Cincy and Dallas this year. Speaking of Dallas RB20, Cam Scatter going going up against the
9:48Cowboys. He's going to be the lead back, but to what extent? Same thing with Bucky. Is are they going to be the 75%
9:54snap workh horses or are they going to be the lead back but more of a 50% variety? We'll find out soon. RB21,
10:01Jeremiah Love, similar to Genty, he'd be knocking on that RB-1 door if we had full certainty of health. But sounds like Love is even more iffy to be
10:08playing in week one. So again, a situation too where we have a Chargers defense, double-digit favorites. I'm a little bit worried about them actually
10:15just kind of blowing the Cardinals out of the water. Can that lead to again plenty of garbage time production? Sure.
10:21But at a certain point, guys like Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jeremiah Love, I don't think Jacob's going to be throwing for 300
10:29yards in the fourth quarter of these games. So, you know, Love will get some of it, I'm sure, but really prefer, if
10:35at all possible, to not just be banking on guys producing down 30 points in the fourth quarter at the end of the day.
10:41RB22, I got Roandre Stevenson. He would go higher if we do see Trayvon Henderson ultimately ruled out. That is another injury we should be at least somewhat
10:50cognizant of right now. He has not been practicing here for a little bit. Could I get him that much higher than
10:56Ashen Genty, David Montgomery? I don't think so. But hey, certainly dominated uses down the stretch last year. Was a very good running back. That that
11:04Seahawks defense is a problem. We are going to talk more about them in a second though because I do like Arandre's receiving upside in this
11:10matchup. RB23 Jaren Price. Again, we'll see what happens with George Helani and Emanuel Wilson while Charnet is sideline. Some of the recent reports
11:17weren't exactly too optimistic about Price's week one role. We'll see how things play out there on Wednesday Night Football. Then RB24, Quinn Sean Juggins
11:26against the Jaguars. I'm pretty confident in the volume, but this offense is implied for a week low. I believe 16.5 points by Vegas. Not
11:34expecting too many passing game. You know, just production here from Judkins, someone that I'm not again overly thrilled about playing particularly
11:40while we still have some question marks uh regarding how he's going to look following last year's devastating season ending knee injury. Key question here
11:48though, this one's pretty cool, guys. If you're like me, you like to dabble a little bit in the prop markets and
11:52everything. Very cool stat from Yahoo Sports. Now, congrats as always, Hayden Winkx. NFL target rates against man or zone coverage. Okay. Wide receivers
12:02against man get 70% of their team targets. 56% against zone. Tight ends are pretty similar. Running backs 9% of their team targets against man, 21%
12:12against zone. So, when teams run a lot of zone coverage, we actually see running backs often take more of those targets, which makes sense. All right. A
12:20long time ago, it's getting even further, but I played linebacker very poorly. All right. Division three all-star, division three bench warmer,
12:27actually, if you want to be specific.
12:28But when you're playing that, you're supposed to get deaf. We got screamed at every time we ran for the checkdown. It
12:34was get back, get in the passing lanes, we'll rally up and deal with the checkdowns. And you can see again, that's just a common principle in the
12:40NFL. So, this makes sense and we've seen the numbers to back it up. When we have running backs facing very zoneheavy
12:47defenses, we can expect more targets and we have three pretty good situations to potentially target with that accordingly in the prop market. So, last year the
12:55three most zone heavy defenses were the Panthers, the Seahawks, and the Rams.
12:59They are facing this week respectively.
13:01Three running backs that we can feel pretty good about having workhorse roles. DeAndre Swift, Randre Stevenson, and Christian McAffrey. I did not see
13:08prop lines for Swift last time I checked because of the Kyle Manung guy kind of uncertainty going on. But man, anything
13:14I would say under four and a half, I'd be pretty I'd be feeling pretty good.
13:18Taking the over with Swift, Caleb Williams runs around more than other quarterbacks. So something to consider.
13:22The two I really like though, and these weren't even juiced. We're talking like pretty near like minus 105 odds here.
13:28Raandre Stevenson over two and a half receptions over on FanDuel Sportsbook.
13:33He had five against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. And then Christian McCaffrey, he's only had four and a half receptions, guys. That's his overunder
13:38right now. Not even a big juice. And again, he had eight receptions in both of his games against the Rams last
13:44season. We saw them run all that zone coverage. And with George KD probably playing, but maybe being limited a little bit. I think Christian McCaffrey
13:51could catch a ton of passes here in their Thursday night matchup. Tier five, I got lead running backs probably. I imagine you're still getting these guys
13:59in your flex, but again, we do have some question marks. RB25, Marshon Lloyd going up against the Vikings. We'll see how much Chris Brooks, Pierre Strong
14:06Jr., and Caleb Johnson are going to be involved. Does seem like Lloyd should be the mostly main running back though, y'all. RB26, Bashaw Tuton going up
14:15against the Browns. Browns were a sick top five defense last year, but that was with that Miles Garrett guy. This is a
14:21good spot though, man. Like a home 7.5 point favorite. Just a little bit worried about Rotoire's 28th ranked offensive line. We'll see also how
14:28involved Chris Rodriguez is on early downs and in goal to go situations alike. RB27 and RB28, same backfield. I got Rico D and Jaylen Warren. Just
14:37giving Rico the slight nod for now because of that Mike McCarthy familiarity and also the goal line role.
14:42I think Jaylen can work along the goal line just fine, but I also think Rico can work on the pass game pretty well as
14:48well. So again, just one of those things where Eileen Rico, if it was me, okay, yeah, I'd be playing Warren Moore, but
14:54I'm a stupid fantasy nerd, you know? I'm not Mike McCarthy who's been with Rico for again years of his life. So I got
15:01Rico just one spot ahead of Warren, but that's also usually code for hey, you know, I don't really know which one to
15:07prioritize. Both guys though firmly in that RB3 flex conversation. RB29 JK Dobbins going up against the Chiefs. He out touched RV RJ Harvey last year,
15:17guys. 164 to 75 during the first 10 weeks of the season and he was only the RB 27 in PPR points per game. So, I
15:24think Dobbins is the lead back and the one he should be starting in Denver and everything, but at the same time, the
15:29most likely answer to which one is really going to be a league winner, probably just no. RB30, Tony Pard against the Jets, joins Derrick Henry as
15:37the only running backs with 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons. Ended last season hot, but you know, still the reigning RB30. And in
15:44the preseason, we saw a bit more probability and signs that Taj Spears could be more involved than past years.
15:50Key question here, what do Rotoire projections say about these muddle back fields? again have the numbers on the screen but Marshon Lloyd comfortable
15:57advantage over Chris Brooks and company in our projections. Bashaw tootin a little bit more even with Chris Rodriguez but it is tootin more so in
16:04the passing game we have Jaylen Warren and Rico D exactly splitting stuff more or less in both the run and pass games
16:10in Denver JK Dobbins leading the way but our projections are a little bit more optimistic on RJ Harvey being involved than I am. If he is going to smash it's
16:18going to be through the passing game.
16:19We'll talk more about him later. And then in Tennessee, Tony Pard pretty clear back, but Taj Spears and even Nicholas Singleton not going to be
16:26complete afterthoughts as well. Moral of the story though, guys, everyone in this tier, if you do have like a Christian Watson or a Parker
16:34Washington, a DJ Moore, that lower end wide receiver 2, borderline wide receiver 2 type, Mike Adams, Mike Mike Evans and Devonte Adams. I'm starting
16:43most of those wide receivers over these RBs. It could be different next week, but for right now with the ambiguity, with the uncertainty around, I prefer to
16:50take the wide receiver if at all possible. Tier six flex options, Blake Corm going against the 49ers. Again, we'll see if it's going to be more of a
16:5850-50 split and if it is going to be a completely dominant Rams defense like we're expecting, could be more rushing volume overall in Los Angeles. RB32,
17:06Jordan Mason against the Packers. No, Michael Parsons. One of my bull calls, guys, Jordan Mason scoring multiple touchdowns. I will be having an anytime
17:13touchdown bet on Jordan Mason. Maybe even a first touchdown bet. Look, I am not a good gambler. I think we've all
17:20been clear about that, okay? But I do have a lot of fun doing these just ridiculous $1 parlays that again are
17:27probably never going to hit, but you can imagine what it' be like if they did.
17:30It's pretty fun to put together like three first touchdown bets. You get some bonkers odds that again are probably never ever going to hit. So, it's bad
17:38advice, but Jordan Mason for me is going to be in there regardless. Let's have some fun. RB33, I got Bill Crosky
17:45Merrick going up against the Eagles.
17:47Don't feel great about the offensive line and everything, but at the end of the day, I do think Bill is going to be
17:51the lead back, particularly on early downs. And we did see some nice explosive ability from him throughout his rookie season. RB34, Trayvon
17:59Henderson. I saw a horrifying graphic over from underdog fantasy basically saying Aaron Jones has a higher week one rushing over under than Trayvon
18:07Henderson. Sheesh everybody. So last year during the regular season in their games together, not even when Stephvenson was out, Stevenson only out
18:17touched Trayvon 162 versus 158. So I think we could see this difference in the rankings squeezed here in future weeks. But particularly with Henderson
18:25being banged up, I do think it's going to be more so the Mandre show early on.
18:28RB 35 and 36. I got Chuba Hubard over Jonathan Brooks to start the year because Brooks is actually the one dealing with general soreness. Please
18:36fantasy and injury gods don't be in his knee. Not exactly obviously lining up to go with either. They are ranked as a
18:42low-end RB3 for a reason. Not a horrifying matchup against the Bears, but just again very little overall confidence in this Panther scoring
18:49upside especially with their highly paid offensive line being pretty banged up at the moment. They are just Rotoire's 29th ranked group entering the season. RB37.
18:58I got Rashad White. I can see it going either way. Maybe it's 50/50 and all of a sudden White's the one on the field
19:04more for passing downs because they're concerned about the offensive line. He becomes the PPR pick. Or maybe we also have Kron Allen involved. Rashad White's
19:12like a distant RB2 while Bill is the main starter. Definitely want to be waiting a week before starting Rashad White with any level of confidence.
19:18Similar sentiment for Kenneth Gam while my RB38. Again, matchup's fine. If we look up after the game, he caught seven passes. I wouldn't be shocked, but we
19:25just don't know yet if it's more of a 1A, 1B, 1 C potentially with Shawn Tucker in Tampa Bay or if it's more so
19:31going to be the Bucky Irving show. I'd like to wait a week before starting Kenneth Gam with confidence. RB 39, RJ
19:37Harvey again, same sort of thing. Good on him, man. Scoring 12 touchdowns as a rookie is not easy obviously, but Steve
19:43Spagnolo and the Chiefs giving them some credit and I just do think it will be mostly the JK Dobbins show. Jonah
19:48Coleman's going to be pretty involved as well. RB40. I got Chris Rodriguez against the Browns. Maybe I'm even overestimating the split between Bashalt
19:56Tutin and Chris Rodriguez. But for now, I am leaning in towards Tutin probably being more of the pass down guy. But
20:02hey, if you wanted to guess who is going to be potentially falling to the end zone in a game as a nice home favorite
20:07could be Chris Rodriguez, Jordan Mason, Chris Rodriguez, two of the three first touchdown bets. We're building it, baby.
20:13RB41, Aaron Jones revenge game special going up against the Packers. I'm probably being a little too optimistic on Mason over Jones, but we'll see what
20:24happens. Last two games that Jones played last year, he had 23 and 21 touches. I do tend to side a little bit
20:30more towards the preseason training camp hype with Mason, but again, could be a little bit misguided. Key question for here, who has the best matchups in RB
20:39yards before contact per carry? Looking at both the offense and the defense. So, if you guys have been following me along
20:44for, you know, years at this point, first of all, thank you. We really appreciate it. I do these mismatch manifesto charts where I basically take
20:52stats and I combine them from the offense and the defense because whenever we talk about matchups, it's always like, well, the offense ranks 32nd, the
20:58defense ranks 14th, and then we're trying to, you know, kind of quantify that. If we combine those numbers, then we can actually have one-way street. So,
21:04with this, I'm basically taking the offensive line's performance in their RBs, yards before contact per carry. I think it's a very good stat to help
21:12quantify run blocking with the same thing on the defensive side. So with that in mind, best matchups of the week trying to run the football. We got the
21:20Rams taking on the 49ers. We got the Bears going up against the Panthers.
21:24Again, very high on DeAndre Swift this week, particularly with my nong guy banged up. And then the Cowboys against the Giants really are the big ones
21:30there. Lions and even the Panthers also set up decently. So maybe I am counting out Chuba and Brooks a little more than
21:35I should. Just very uncertain with how that split is going to work out. The toughest matchups though of the week, Browns against the Jaguars easily,
21:42Packers against the Vikings. is a little bit concerning there for Marshon Lloyd.
21:45Again, that Green Bay offensive line does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Raiders against the Dolphins, then also Jaguars against the Cleveland.
21:52Another reason why it's tough to get too high on guys like Toutin and Crod at least to start.
21:57In our last tier, guys, tier seven handcuffs and dart throws. RB42 Katon Mitchell against the Cardinals. It's a great spot for eight to 10 well-designed
22:05touches. Just not sure if he's going to be able to play through this undisclosed injury. RB43, Michael Washington against the Dolphins. amazing handcuff stash.
22:13Like have him on your bench if at all possible. I just question how much he's really going to be able to make. Eight,
22:19nine touches go in a Raiders offense we don't exactly expect to be great. RB 44, Woody Marks against the Bills. Very
22:25curious to see how this split goes.
22:27RB45, Taj Spears against the Jets.
22:29Similar story. RB46, Tyler Algier against the Chargers. If we do see Jeremiah Love out, I would move up Alier into that low-end RB2 range with guys
22:39like Raandre Stevenson and Quinn Sean Judkins. James Connor is out of the picture, but it's also a situation where double digit road underdogs. Vegas isn't
22:49expecting much from the Cardinals. I think only the Browns are implied for fewer points. Not lining up to get Tyler Azure in my lineup, but you know,
22:56Quinton Dudkins or Andre Stevenson that range, we're probably finding a spot for him in a flex spot or RB2. So, can
23:02definitely go wrong again if Jeremiah Love is ruled out. Can't go wrong. I think I should say RB47, Ray Davis against the Texans. How's the kick? I
23:11believe against these guys last year, amazing handcuff, but yeah, not someone we can really trust. Ty Johnson is potentially out though, so that would be
23:18one reason to maybe think get a little more from Ray Davis. And then finally, RB48, Tank Biggsby against the Commanders again. If Saquon goes down,
23:25then all of a sudden we're gonna be loving Tank. But Saquon is not down right now, so we are not loving Tank.
23:30Key question though, five under the radar handcuff bench stashes for you guys out there. We don't need two quarterbacks if we have a stud. All
23:39right, if you waited and you have Kyler Murray and Jared Goff, yeah, let's go ahead and keep them. But if you have
23:43Josh Allen, we don't need a backup quarterback. And if you have someone like, you know, Coulson Lovelin or Brock Barrows, you don't need a second tight
23:51end. God forbid you have two DSTs or kickers. Guys, I want to use these bench spots on handcuff running backs who are
23:57one injury away from flying up the ranks and being featured on wafer wires.
24:01Accordingly, Tank Bsby 35% roster on Yahoo, 19% on ESPN. Brian Robinson, he's sub 30% on both. Kaylin Black is sub 20%
24:11on both. Ray Davis is sub 16% on both.
24:14And Cowboys backup Malik Davis sub 5% on both. Again, just guys to help keep that fantasy football bench strong. But guys,
24:21that's going to do it for me. If you like the video, please like the video and hitting that subscribe button always
24:24helps as well. I do have these on audio if you go to the channel subscription, uh, Apple, Spotify if you're into that
24:31kind of thing. Also, writing all the stuff up over at rotoawwire.com. So, make sure you guys check that out if you're into reading in the year 2026.
24:37And yeah, just going to be here talking ball all season long. So, really appreciate the support you guys have given me. Hope your drafts went well and
24:44let's get those lines right and win some fancy football matchups, baby. So, I'm Jack. The greatest sport ever invented is back. Let's have some fun this year,
24:51guys. So, I'm Ian Hardis. Thanks again for tuning in.

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