The Lineup Show - Top 24 Running Back Rankings For Week 1 | Fantasy Football 2026
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
22 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 31, 2026
Published
Mon, August 31, 2026
28
Player insights
26
Players mentioned
Topics
Bijan RobinsonQuinshon JudkinsAshton JeantyBraelon AllenBreece HallBucky IrvingCam AkersChase BrownChris RodriguezChristian McCaffreyD'Andre SwiftDavid MontgomeryDe'Von AchaneDerrick Henry
Player analysis
Player insights
Ashton Jeanty
PositiveInjury9:59
Jeanty is considered a 'smash start' for Week 1 against the Dolphins if he is healthy. The source emphasizes that his status is ambiguous due to an ankle injury and advises monitoring reports, but notes that a positive game script could lead to a massive performance.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
PositiveRole5:23
Robinson is ranked as the RB3 for Week 1. The source highlights that he is now officially free of Tyler Allgeier, expecting him to be 'unleashed.' Additionally, the source notes that Kevin Stefanski has a history of making 'kings' out of running backs, which adds to the positive outlook.
Insight pageNegativeProjection22:29
The source expresses concern regarding the Falcons' offense, specifically citing poor quarterback play as a negative factor for fantasy assets like Bijan Robinson, despite his individual talent.
Insight pageBraelon Allen
PositiveSleeper31:37
Allen is an upside RB2 play for Week 1 against the Browns. The source notes that while he is preferred for season-long value, the positive game script for the Jaguars makes him a viable start, though the split with Chris Rodriguez is a key factor to monitor.
Insight pageBreece Hall
NegativeInjury22:55
Hall is considered a risky RB2 for Week 1 against the Titans due to a lingering groin injury. If healthy, the source notes he could erupt for a top-five finish, but the injury status makes him a player to monitor closely.
Insight pageBucky Irving
PositiveMatchup28:43
Irving is a difficult start for Week 1 against the Bengals, but the source notes it is a fantastic spot given Cincinnati's poor defensive ranking. The source remains concerned about Kenny Gainwell's involvement on passing downs.
Insight pageCam Akers
NegativeUsage27:19
Akers is a lower-end RB2 for Week 1 against the Cowboys. While the matchup is favorable, the source expresses concern regarding his volume share with Tyrone Tracy and the potential impact of Najee Harris on the offense.
Insight pageChase Brown
PositiveBreakout14:16
Brown is a must-start for Week 1 against the Buccaneers. The source highlights his performance from weeks 13-18 last year, where he was the RB3 overall, and notes the Buccaneers' poor run defense grade from last season.
Insight pageChris Rodriguez
NegativeUsage18:58
The source suggests that tracking the workload share for Chris Rodriguez is a more impactful measure for long-term fantasy outlook than his Week 1 efficiency, particularly given the difficulty of the matchup.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
PositiveProjection2:28
McCaffrey is the consensus RB1 for Week 1. Despite the Rams' strong defense, he remains the focal point of the offense under Shanahan, having posted 27.9 and 17.6 points against them last year. The source notes that season-long drafting of other backs ahead of him is merely a hedge against his health, but he is healthy for the opener.
Insight pageD'Andre Swift
PositiveRole25:56
Swift is a must-start RB2 for Week 1 against the Panthers. The source describes him as the safest and most reliable RB2 in fantasy, noting that Kyle Benunga's knee injury further solidifies Swift's role.
Insight pageDavid Montgomery
PositiveValue17:17
Montgomery is a strong RB2 with RB1 upside for Week 1 against the Bills. The source highlights that Buffalo allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL last year and notes that Montgomery was named as a 'guy' by Austin Ekeler.
Insight pageDe'Von Achane
PositiveUsage7:17
Achane is ranked as an RB1 for Week 1 against the Raiders. Despite concerns about the Dolphins' offense and potential negative game scripts, the source expects Achane to be top five in the NFL in total touches this year and notes the Raiders allowed the third-most rushing yards last season.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
PositiveProjection10:39
Henry is ranked above Jonathan Taylor for Week 1. The source predicts Henry will score at least one touchdown against the Colts, noting that as 3.5-point favorites, the Ravens are likely to lean on him heavily in Declan Doyle's debut.
Insight pageDrake London
NegativeProjection22:29
The source is concerned about the Falcons' offensive production, noting that the presence of two poor quarterbacks creates a negative environment for Drake London's fantasy output.
Insight pageJahmyr Gibbs
PositiveRole3:58
Gibbs is ranked as the RB2 for Week 1. With David Montgomery no longer in the backfield, the source expects Gibbs to shine. The matchup against the Saints is considered middle-of-the-pack, and the game is projected to be high-scoring, making him a locked-in RB1.
Insight pageJames Cook
PositiveMatchup13:23
Cook is a locked-in RB1 for Week 1 against the Texans. The source notes that Cook historically performs well against Houston, averaging just under 100 yards per game with a touchdown in each of his last two meetings.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeInjury30:17
Love is ranked as an RB22 for Week 1 against the Chargers. The source notes that a high ankle sprain is a major concern for efficiency and that the matchup is not inviting, as the Chargers allowed the sixth-fewest points to running backs in 2025.
Insight pageJonathan Taylor
NegativeProjection8:46
Taylor is ranked as an RB1 for Week 1 against the Ravens, though the source expresses long-term efficiency concerns. While the matchup is against a middle-of-the-pack run defense, the source believes he will receive enough volume to remain a solid start.
Insight pageJosh Jacobs
NegativeInjury18:31
Jacobs is ranked as an upper-range RB2 for Week 1 against the Vikings, but his status is fragile due to potential suspension and health concerns. The source advises monitoring news closely over the coming weeks.
Insight pageKenneth Walker III
NegativeProjection21:31
Walker is a start for Week 1 against the Broncos, but the source warns of a low floor. The Denver defense allowed the fourth-fewest points to running backs in 2025, and Walker has been dealing with his own injury issues.
Insight pageKyle Pitts
NegativeProjection22:29
The source is wary of the Falcons' offensive outlook due to the team's quarterback situation, which negatively impacts the fantasy potential of Kyle Pitts.
Insight pageKyren Williams
PositiveRole15:12
Williams is an RB1 for Week 1 against the 49ers. The source notes his impressive track record of nine touchdowns in his last five games against San Francisco and expects Sean McVay to lean on him heavily.
Insight pageOmarion Hampton
PositiveRole11:52
Hampton is ranked as a top-10 running back for Week 1 against the Cardinals. Despite previous skepticism, the source concedes he is a 'smash start' due to a positive game script and the Cardinals' poor defensive metrics from last season.
Insight pageQuinshon Judkins
NegativeProjection19:25
The source views Quinshawn Judkins as a fringe RB2 for Week 1 due to a difficult matchup against the Jaguars' strong defense and unfavorable game script, as Jacksonville is a 7.5-point favorite.
Insight pagePositiveUsage20:07
Despite a difficult Week 1 matchup, the source notes that Quinshawn Judkins is expected to handle a significant portion of early-down work and will likely be utilized as a workhorse.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
PositiveProjection6:41
Barkley is ranked as a high-end RB1 for Week 1 against the Commanders. The source notes he averages 23.6 points per game against this division rival and expects a major bounce-back season for him in 2026.
Insight pageTravis Etienne
PositiveUsage24:20
Etienne is a strong start for Week 1 against the Lions. The source notes that the absence of Jordan Tyson and Kamara's injury should lead to increased target volume for Etienne in the Saints' offense.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
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0:28on the games, my bookie needs to be added to your list of places to go line shopping.
0:34We've been talking about the teams we like and don't like for months.
0:37We're in on this Jets offense more than almost anybody.
0:40And we're terrified of this Falcons offense. Even though you got Bijan, you got Kyle Pitts, you got Drake London.
0:46But you got two bad left-handed quarterbacks. And you certainly don't need to be tailing some fake betting expert on social media.
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1:28You're welcome. Welcome into the Live Fantasy Football Show.
1:30I'm Mitch Anderson. I'm Justin Mello. And Mello, the NFL season is here.
1:34Week one is right around the corner. So let's get everybody prepped on our top 24 running backs for week one.
1:40I'm going to let you jump right into things.
1:43We're not going to waste anybody's time. Let's break down our number one running back for week one.
1:48Number one running back in week one is Christian McCaffrey playing at the Rams.
1:52Really not at the Rams. Really at Los Angeles.
1:54But humor me here. A lot of people don't have CMC as their week one RB1.
1:59Those people have lost their minds, I think. I think those people are crazy.
2:03Virtually any week that CMC is truly healthy, he will be my RB1 that week.
2:07And I know it's like, oh, but Mello, the Rams defense is really good.
2:11Yeah, they are. I'll admit that. But CMC totaled 27.9 and 17.6 points in their two contests last year.
2:17You know the offense is going to continue to run through him.
2:20They're going to feed him just like they always have under Shanahan.
2:23I'd rather have him than anyone in week one.
2:26Yeah, I think it feels contrarian because season long we're drafting Jameer and Bijan ahead of him.
2:31But that is a hedge against Christian McCaffrey's health.
2:34He seems to be healthy for week one. He's our easy first pick here.
2:38But let's jump into the second guy we have at running back, and that is Jameer Gibbs.
2:42The 101 in your fantasy drafts. As you know, no more David Montgomery.
2:46It is time to watch Jameer Gibbs shine. And unless this was an elite defense that he's going up against here in
2:52New Orleans, there was no shot I wasn't going to put Gibbs at the number two.
2:57And the Saints fall in that middle to slightly above average range against running backs in fantasy football.
3:02Nothing that would scare me off of locking this guy into the number two spot.
3:06Yeah, it's going to be one of the highest scoring games of week one.
3:10At least it's projected to be. Gibbs is the best player in that game.
3:14You took him probably first overall in your draft.
3:17You're obviously putting him in that RB1 slot. That's awesome.
3:20If you got him any later than one. Yeah, that's pretty cool.
3:23But if you did get him later, maybe it's because somebody drafted Bijan Robinson at one.
3:28He's our RB3 in week one. They're going up against Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh.
3:32Their defense is pretty good, especially their run D is pretty good.
3:35But Bijan is better. Bijan is Bijan Robinson. This will be the first game officially free and rid of Tyler Algier for Bijan Robinson.
3:42Expect him to be unleashed. And it's also worth noting, not that Bijan really needs any sugar on top to really convince
3:48you that he's great, but Kevin Stefanski has had a history of really making kings out of running backs in fantasy.
3:54When you go back to Minnesota and to Cleveland, it's not difficult to make Bijan a king, but that's just one nice little addition.
4:01On to number four, we've got a guy, Saquon Barkley, up against the Washington Commanders.
4:05Melo, I don't know where you had him ranked, but I kind of feel like I might be responsible for Saquon being ranked this high.
4:13We expect a huge bounce back, both of us, for Saquon in 2026.
4:16And who better to kick off this comeback tour with than the division rivals that Saquon averages 23.6 points per game against in his career.
4:24Obviously, between New York and Philadelphia, he's had a lot of experience playing against this team, and he crushes them every time.
4:30He is absolutely locked in as a high-end RB1 for me.
4:33I just get the flashbacks of him smacking his helmet in that NFC Championship game.
4:37It's going to happen. Running back five on the week, though, we have Devon Achan of the Dolphins going against the Raiders in Vegas.
4:44And hand up, Mitch. I am terrified. I am terrified of any Dolphins.
4:48Me too. They're playing the Raiders, though. They are playing the Raiders, and I expect Achan to be top five in the NFL in touches this year.
4:56And it should hopefully mean something when you're playing against a bad team like the Raiders are.
5:00They allowed the third most rushing keys last season.
5:03So because of that, I do view Achan as a smash start here in week one, despite being on this putrid team that is the Dolphins.
5:10Yeah, I think obviously we have fears around Malik Willis and how involved he'll keep Achan in the passing game.
5:16But more so, it's the issue we have with a lot of projected negative game scripts.
5:21There's obviously being an exception where we can feel really confident locking him in as an RB1.
5:26Definitely him. Number six, we have Jonathan Taylor taking on the Baltimore Ravens.
5:29And Melo, I think I'm a little lower on this guy.
5:33It's kind of the opposite of Saquon, where I think I might be pulling his ranking down a bit.
5:38But we were two guys with season-long efficiency concerns for Taylor.
5:41I think this is a good spot. Somewhat of a middle-of-the-pack run defense last season.
5:45I think Taylor should obviously get enough volume here to be a solid RB1.
5:49Yeah, I have similar concerns like long-term, but it's not going to stop me from starting him week one if I have him.
5:56He's still going to be an RB1. And somebody a little bit more ambiguous, though, at least here in week one, is
6:02Ashton Gentey going against the Miami Dolphins. The obvious disclaimer here and the reason it is ambiguous is because we need to monitor the health.
6:09We don't know where he's going to be at with that angle come Sunday of week one.
6:14With that said, if he is healthy and if he is active, he's an absolute smash start.
6:19This could be one of the few games this year where Vegas gets a positive game script going against this putrid Miami team like I mentioned earlier.
6:27So Gentey could be going nuclear if he's actually healthy.
6:30Yeah, this is all coming down to how healthy he really is.
6:33So monitor those injury reports. But if he plays and he seems good to go, this is an absolute smash spot.
6:39On to number eight, Derrick Henry taking on the Indianapolis Colts.
6:42And Mello, I have to admit something. I actually have King Henry higher than the other running back in this game, Jonathan Taylor, for week one.
6:50Wow. I know the Colts defense is no joke, but with the Ravens being three and a half point favorites, I would
6:56not be shocked to see Declan Doyle's debut involve a very healthy serving of King Henry.
7:01And so I'm putting a stamp on this game.
7:03I am predicting that Derrick Henry gets in the end zone at least once here.
7:08I love that. I don't even blame you for personally having him above Taylor.
7:12I think that's a totally fine take. Our next running back here is Amarian Hampton of the Chargers going against the Cardinals.
7:18And I've kind of built a reputation as an anti-Amarion Hampton guy here at the lineup.
7:23But even I have to admit, Hampton is an absolute smash start here in week one.
7:27The game script will be positive. They're going to feed their bruiser late in the game.
7:32The Cardinals defense was bottom 10 in most statistical metrics last year and did very little to improve this offseason.
7:37I will swallow my pride here and concede that Hampton is a great running back one opening weekend.
7:43That was so tough on fantasy pros the other day getting asked about Amarian Hampton.
7:47And we had to admit that we were the most negative Amarian Hampton people.
7:51But I just recently said this in a social clip.
7:54Like if there's ever been a spot for Amarian Hampton to crush, it's here.
7:58He should absolutely dominate against Arizona. And he is easily a top 10 running back for week one.
8:03On to number 10 though. Let's talk about James Cook taking on the very imposing Houston Texans defense.
8:08Normally, I would be so concerned about a running back against this Houston defense.
8:12But James Cook cooks against the Texans. In each of his last two games, he's got a touchdown and is averaging just under 100 yards per game.
8:20This Buffalo offense is too good. I'm always going to be starting James Cook.
8:24Lock him in as an RB1 this week. Yeah.
8:26Difficult to bench a good running back on such a good offense.
8:30Another good offense is Cincinnati Bengals. We have Chase Brown coming in here next going against the Buccaneers.
8:35As someone who's not the biggest fan of Chase Brown, it is jarring how good he was down the stretch last year once Burrow came back.
8:42He was a league winner. He was incredible. From weeks 13 to 18, he was the RB3 overall.
8:48Now he gets a Tampa Bay defense that was bottom 10 in pro football focuses run defense grade last year.
8:53He's not a high-end running back one for me, but a guy you have to start for sure.
8:58I completely agree. High-scoring affair, highest implied team total on the slate.
9:02I want any piece I can get of this Cincinnati team.
9:05And honestly, any piece I can get of the other side as well in Tampa.
9:09But on to number 12, our final RB1 for here in week one.
9:13And we're talking about Kyron Williams. We're going back down under Mello.
9:17We're talking about this Australia game again. Kyron Williams has nine total touchdowns in his last five games against San Francisco.
9:23This one is going to be interesting to see what kind of game plan Sean McVay deploys here.
9:28But one thing I'm confident in is that he's going to lean on his guy Kyron.
9:32And we've seen it over and over and over again, these divisional matchups.
9:36And so I'm absolutely riding with Kyron as an RB1.
9:39Yeah, no matter how much people want Kyron to go away, Kyron is not going to go away.
9:44He refuses. Refuses to go away. Someone else who shockingly refused to go away last year, Devontae Williams, still with the Dallas
9:50Cowboys, going into New York and playing the Giants.
9:53In his one game against the Giants last year, he was the RB4 on the week, which makes me wonder, like, do we have him too low, Mitch?
10:01Like, he's playing the Giants. He's the workhorse on this offense.
10:04He lacks elite talent, like a lot of the other running backs we're talking about, which I think is why we have him this low.
10:11But he is the workhorse on a good offense.
10:14Like I said, very favorable matchup. He's a very high-end RB2 to me with RB1 potential.
10:18Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't be shocked if we have him too low.
10:22That's just the entire fantasy football community at any time talking about Devontae Williams this summer.
10:27But to me, I think he's properly put here.
10:29I do put him as, like, a very high-end RB2, like you said.
10:33I think he just lacks the ceiling of a lot of these other guys.
10:37But let's get into a guy here at number 14 that we are super excited about, both in week one and season long.
10:44That's David Montgomery taking on the Buffalo Bills. Our guy, just named by Austin Eckler on our My Guys episode as one of his guys.
10:51And look at that. He is going up against the team that allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL last year in the Buffalo Bills.
10:58David Montgomery should see more than enough volume added in with the touchdown upside to make him an incredibly strong RB2 with RB1 upside here.
11:05I'm salivating from Montgomery week one against that terrible Bills defense.
11:09I can't wait. Oh, it's going to be great.
11:11Next, though, we have Josh Jacobs going against the Vikings.
11:14The health of Jacobs is trending in the right direction, but the legal stuff is still up in the air.
11:20There are reports they are fearing a suspension coming for Josh Jacobs.
11:23So we'll see if he does suit up. We'll see if he avoids the suspension.
11:27If he does play, it's a less than ideal matchup against the Vikings.
11:31But his usage should be enough to carry him to RB2 territory for sure.
11:35Yeah, this is a very, very fragile ranking as we wait for more news over the next few weeks.
11:41But as of right now, I fully agree with this.
11:43Walk him in as an upper range RB2. Football is back, baby.
11:47And whether you've been betting for years or you're just looking to put a little action on the games, my bookie needs
11:53to be added to your list of places to go line shopping.
11:57We've been talking about the teams we like and don't like for months.
12:00We're in on this Jets offense more than almost anybody.
12:03And we're terrified of this Falcons offense. Even though you got Bijan, you got Kyle Pitts, you got Drake London.
12:09But you got two bad left-handed quarterbacks. And you certainly don't need to be telling some fake betting expert on social media.
12:15Go to my bookie and find the plays you already know you like and take a shot.
12:20That's what's cool about my bookie. You can find the action you want and bet it wherever you are when the game kicks off.
12:27And if you're new to the club, the bet back bonus gives you protection on your first play.
12:32Sign up with promo code PLAYER to opt into the bet back bonus and take your first shot with a safety net.
12:38If your wager loses, you get it right back.
12:41No questions asked. Football is finally here. Get in now and cash in on the season with my bookie with promo code
12:47PLAYER to get that bet back bonus. Bet on anything, anytime, anywhere.
12:51You're welcome. Another guy that there's not too much ambiguity around if he'll be out there.
12:55It's just what he's going to be doing out there.
12:58And that's Kenneth Walker III. It stinks for him that his first game as a Chief is up against the Denver Broncos defense.
13:05And this was one of the tougher guys to rank.
13:08We have the camp reports and the buzz, but we don't actually know what his role is going to look like once he's out there on the field.
13:16What we do know is this game has a total of 42.5 points, though.
13:20And this Denver defense allowed the fourth least amount of points to running backs in 2025.
13:24Start Ken Walker, but just remember that there's potentially a low floor here.
13:28Yeah. The other thing to note, Mahomes coming off that ACL.
13:31They could lean on him a little bit more, but Ken's been banged up himself.
13:35So who really knows yet? Right. Speaking of banged up running backs, next we have Brees Hall going into Tennessee to play the Titans.
13:42First things first, we do need to address that injury.
13:45It's the groin for Brees Hall. We want to make sure he actually is good going into week one, which if he
13:51is, he should see pretty heavy usage against a team that was 29th in defensive DBOA just last year.
13:57The injury scares me. The groin injury scares me enough for me to consider him a risky RB2.
14:02But if he is good, there's a real world.
14:05He erupts for a top five finish in Tennessee.
14:07Yeah. Tennessee is not the type of matchup that we're shying away from.
14:11But you're always worried when you're bringing out a Jets running back, especially if there's a lingering injury.
14:16So absolutely monitor those injury reports before you lock in Brees Hall.
14:20Let's move on to number 18 and talk about Travis Achan Jr.
14:23We have not been the highest on him this summer, but I think this is a great spot against Detroit.
14:29Projected high scoring affair. Should be forced to be targeted more with no Jordan Tyson.
14:33The Lions aren't the most inviting matchup for running backs, but they're also not the worst.
14:38And so I think this is a perfect spot for Travis Achan to...
14:41Let's just get a read on what his role is really going to be in this New Orleans Saints offense.
14:47It helps too that Kamara's been hurt. I think that's really going to be big for Achan, Etienne, whatever.
14:52So that... Whatever. That makes me more willing to start him in week one.
14:5619, we have DeAndre Swift going against the Panthers.
14:59Swift is like the safest and most reliable RB2 in fantasy, I think.
15:03Like, Ben Johnson has talked about breaking the scoring record like he's at an arcade or something.
15:08So I want his players. I want all his players.
15:11And I probably like Swift more in week one than I do even season long, given Kyle Benunga has been dealing with
15:17a knee issue and has not been practicing. Swift is an absolute must-star RB2 for me.
15:21Ben Johnson's me at the Papa Shot after like 14 beers.
15:25And I'm like, yeah, I'm breaking this record tonight.
15:27DeAndre Swift is the perfect, you need two yards, he'll get you three.
15:31You need four yards, he'll get you three. Like, that's DeAndre Swift for fantasy football.
15:35You can just lock him in as such a sure solid RB2.
15:39Let's move on to number 20, though. Let's talk about Cam Skadaboo.
15:42This is another guy that is really interesting to rank, but a great matchup here against Dallas.
15:47On paper, just a fantastic spot. The only question is how much volume Skadaboo actually gets and how much he has to
15:53share with potentially Tyrone Tracy if he isn't cut by the time we air this.
15:57And then, of course, the introduction of the most impactful one-eyed giant since the Cyclops in the Odyssey, Najee Harris, into this offense.
16:04And so I expect Dallas to win this as well.
16:07And I have my worries about the game script.
16:10But Cam Skadaboo should get enough volume that you can lock him in as a lower-end RB2.
16:14What are you doing here, man? You're going to be writing screenplays with these oddest references.
16:19Christopher Nolan should cast Najee Harris next. Yeah, I mean, he's cast Travis Scott.
16:23Why not? Next at RB21, one of the most difficult guys to rank for me and I think for you as well, Mitch.
16:30Bucky Irving going into Cincinnati to play the Bengals.
16:32He seems to be in good health right now, which makes me feel a lot better.
16:37I don't feel great about Kenny Gainwell being there, though, and the impact that he could have, especially on passing downs.
16:43However, with that said, Bucky is, at least for the time being, the starting running back on a team going against the
16:49NFL's worst defense in the league, potentially. So it's hard to keep him on your bench.
16:54Yeah, and I'll talk about this a little bit more over the next Rankings episodes.
16:58Like, obviously, we saw Cincinnati shore up that defensive line just a little bit.
17:02It's going to take a lot more to make them a good defense.
17:06And so, as someone who's been very critical of Bucky Irving over the offseason, I think this is a fantastic spot for
17:12him in a game environment that I want as many pieces of as I can get.
17:17But on to number 22, tell me if you've heard this before, but monitor the injury reports here for Jeremiah Love going up against the Los Angeles Chargers.
17:25We're going to have to see if he will play, how ready he'll be.
17:29It's obviously a high ankle sprain, which we take very seriously in the fantasy football community because we know how those can linger and affect your efficiency.
17:36But this is not an inviting matchup for running backs.
17:39LA allowed the sixth least amount of points to the position in 2025.
17:43And even if Love plays, it's hard to imagine he explodes on the scene in his debut dealing with the high ankle.
17:49And so, of course, if he drafted him, you're starting him if he's out there.
17:53But I just, I can't rank him any higher than 22 here.
17:57Yeah, we've talked a lot about guys we like more in week one than season long.
18:02Love is the opposite. I like him a lot more season long.
18:05Yes, perfectly put. Than in week one. And next, though, we have Basial Tootin going against the Browns.
18:10This is our first chance, Mitch, to see how real and warranted this hype has been for Basial Tootin.
18:16I'm hoping it all comes to fruition here in week one.
18:19Although, like Love, I'd probably like him a little bit more season long than week one just because Chris Rodriguez figures a
18:25role in this offense, I think, particularly more early on.
18:28And Cleveland has a pretty respectable run defense, so that doesn't feel too great for the matchup.
18:33But at least it figures to be a very positive game script where the Jaguars are running the balls.
18:38I do like that. He's an upside RB2 play.
18:41I like him more, like I said, down the line, though.
18:44Yeah, I think you hit on every point there.
18:46We're looking at a team that's favored by seven and a half points.
18:50There should be more than enough rushing volume to go around.
18:53What I'm going to be watching more than Basial Tootin's efficiency is what that split looks like.
18:58How much work is Chris Rodriguez getting? I think because you're going up against such a good defense, that to me is
19:05a more impactful measure to look at here in week one than like how many yards per carry he's getting.
19:10That is such a good, I just have to jump in and say that is the best advice in general.
19:16Don't just look at fantasy output for week one for running backs or any position for that matter.
19:21Look at usage. Look at volume. That is a better indicator for season long.
19:25100%. Let's flip over to the other side of the ball, though, and let's talk about Quinshawn Judkins going up against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
19:32We have these guys neck and neck, and it's funny because we've had them neck and neck all offseason in our rankings.
19:38And we know Quinshawn Judkins is talented, but the game script here is going to be tough.
19:43I just mentioned Jacksonville is favored by seven and a half at home in week one.
19:48And so for me, I think he's going to get enough work to get there for your fantasy team.
19:53But he is like a fringe RB2 to me in this spot.
19:57Yeah, it's a brutal matchup. Jaguars have a good defense and a good offense, which is bad for both just when Judkins
20:03is actually playing and then the game script as well on top of that.
20:07So I'm not a huge fan of Judkins in week one, but he's going to get a ton of the early down work.
20:14They are going to probably use him like a workhorse.
20:16So there's something to be said there. All right.
20:19Those were our top 24 running backs for week one.
20:22If you agree with anything, let us know down below.
20:25If you don't agree with any of these picks, also let us know down below.
20:29If you have any lineup questions going into this illustrious week one that we're all trying to get a win in, we
20:35will try to answer every single one down below.
20:38But Mello, before we get out of here, do we miss anything?
20:41I got nothing. All right. We'll catch you guys next time for the top 24 wide receivers of week one.
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