We made it! Everyone, the season is here.
The season starts this Wednesday with a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and the Patriots.
Week 1 features a slew of RB starts that might require a little extra fortitude to submit. It’s paramount to appropriately gauge floors, upside, and exploitable matchups.
As always, remember this is just a game, and do not target NFL players on social media for lackluster fantasy performances.
LET’S GO!
RUNNING BACK STARTS
RHAMONDRE STEVENSON VS. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
TreVeyon Henderson will not suit up against the Seahawks on Wednesday.
He’s been nursing an injured ankle since Aug. 24 and, as of Monday, he was still in street clothes. Sounds like it’s wheels up for Stevenson!
I know people are still clinging to Stevenson’s lousy 7 rushes for 23 yards performance in the Super Bowl.
What people are forgetting is that the Seahawks allowed just shy of 100 receptions to running backs last season.
Yes, the Seahawks’ run defense is formidable. Yes, Stevenson will get force-fed the ball and represents the best chance for Drake Maye not to be under siege quite as much as in the championship last season.
Recently, Vrabel praised his pass protection and consistency, suggesting this gave him the nod over Henderson as the Patriots’ RB1 in 2026.
Mike Vrabel: “I think that’s probably a good way to put it. I think that there’s a consistency. I think that we’ve talked about his protection in the past, and that’ll be critical Wednesday night as it will be every night. Certainly love the ability to catch the football and run with it and create X plays. But also, I think that the protection for me is what stands out.”
He is a solid play with a strong floor, in my opinion, vs. the Seahawks. In 2025, Stevenson averaged 10.8 yards per reception on the back of 2.6 targets per game.
Additionally, Stevenson handled 50% of the team’s rush attempts inside the 5-yard-line in 2025, despite missing three games.
Start Stevenson as a solid RB2.
DAVID MONTGOMERY VS. BUFFALO BILLS
Raise your hand if you remember all the discourse around Joe Mixon two seasons ago? Raise your hand if you were burned by this will-he-won’t-he back-and-forth?
The fact is, the team paid Montgomery like the RB1. They saw enough Woody Marks last season to go throw the bag at Montgomery.
Head coach Demeco Ryans basically came out and said so on Aug. 16, when asked about Montgomery.
“I see David as a number one back. I see him as a leader, a passionate guy who brings fire to the game, fire that we need. He’s a really good runner, always been a runner anytime he touches the ball. Strong, runs low, runs behind his pads. Having him with Woody Marks, that tandem of backs, you need it. We saw the success that the Lions had; hopefully we get some of the same results.”
His first game with the Texans projects to be a productive one.
The Buffalo Bills’ worst enemy in 2025 was the opposing team’s running back.
They leaked fantasy points at the third-highest clip, and nobody welcomed running backs to the end zone more than the Bills.
Montgomery won’t put up Mixon numbers. Nobody is suggesting he will. Marks will still be involved. But this is Montgomery’s backfield, and he’s going to remind people in week one.
He’s still going to command the ball inside the 20 and should handle the majority of the handoffs.
Other RB starts: Cam Skattebo vs. DAL, Bucky Irving vs. CIN
RUNNING BACK SITS
JADARIAN PRICE VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
I came not to bury Price, but to temper expectations!
I am a fan of Price in 2026 and think he’s going to eventually take over the lion’s share of the backfield work.
Still, the camp reports of a “heavy dose” of George Holani cannot just be ignored.
Price is a terrific back and was the number two prospect in the class behind his college teammate Jeremiyah Love.
This game projects to be more of a grind-it-out, defensive struggle with the possibility for fantasy points coming through the air downfield to wide receivers.
The Patriots allowed the sixth-fewest rush yards to running backs last season.
Unless people are expecting Price to come out and go nuclear as Kenneth Walker did in the SB, I think they’re going to be left wanting more in week 1.
Price’s clearest path for fantasy fame and fortune out the gate will come from the wheel routes he’s been feasting on in camp and/or falling into the end zone close on a run close to paydirt.
MARSHAWN LLOYD VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
I hate to be the one to pour cold water on the Lloyd parade. When he was coming out, he was my guy. I had to begrudgingly take my flag off him after a second straight season of injuries kept him off the field.
Now, he has the chance to take the RB1 job and run with it while Josh Jacobs is sitting on the commissioner’s exempt list.
This situation is a complete mystery. Nobody playing fantasy football truly knows what to expect.
Even the offensive coordinator doesn’t know what to expect from the backfield with Jacobs out of the mix.
The Vikings’ defense is nothing to sneeze at either.
Last season, the men in purple formed a proverbial dam in the trenches, allowing the fifth-fewest yards per rush to running backs.
It’s best to just wait and see how this plays out and say “aw, shucks” if Lloyd goes out and balls out before sliding him in your starting roster in week two.
Other RB sits: Quinshon Judkins vs. JAX, Chuba Hubbard vs. CHI
