Week 1 Fantasy Football RB Rankings & Tiers: The Toughest Start/Sit Running Back Decisions (Ep. 2175)
September 7, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readThe FantasyPros crew—Chris Welsh, Andrew Erickson, and Pat FitzMorris—recorded their Week 1 running back rankings on a compressed schedule, with the NFL season opening on a Wednesday for the first time. The core tension of the episode is the psychological jolt of transitioning from draft season, where you fall in love with players based on season-long projections, to Week 1, where you must immediately downgrade some of those same players because of a single bad matchup. The hosts walk through their top 36 running backs, explaining where they agree, where they split, and why.
The Derrick Henry and Javonte Williams Splits
The most instructive disagreement of the episode is on Derrick Henry. Erickson ranks him RB12, barely hanging onto RB1 status, while FitzMorris has him at RB4. Erickson’s reasoning is granular and matchup-specific: the Colts are expected to have both starting defensive tackles, Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner, active. The Ravens have three new starters on the interior offensive line and no clear replacement for injured center Tyler Linderbaum. Erickson also notes that when tight end Charlie Kolar has missed time in the past, Henry’s yards per carry dropped from 5.6 to 4.7, and Henry’s elusive rating was a career low last season. FitzMorris counters with a psychological argument about a first-time offensive coordinator: “Do you think the boy wonder real
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:41) **Week 1 RB Rankings Kickoff** - The hosts introduce the shift from draft season to weekly rankings, noting that week one is tricky due to early games and that the rankings page will see major updates as more experts submit their picks.
- 2 (05:26) **Top 12 RB1s: The Chalk and the Splits** - The consensus top 12 is mostly chalk, but the hosts immediately highlight sharp disagreements on two key players.
- 3 (10:34) **Javonte Williams: A Sharp Divide** - Javonte Williams (ECR 11) is the second major split, with Erickson high (RB7) and Fitzmaurice low (outside RB1).
- 4 (13:55) **Ashton Genty & The Mike Washington Question** - The hosts navigate the uncertainty around Genty's injury status and what it means for his ranking and for backup Mike Washington.
- 5 (20:12) **Kyren Williams: Travel & Time Share Concerns** - Kyren Williams (ECR 14) is another split, with Fitzmaurice at RB12 and Erickson at RB16.
- 6 (27:00) **Bishel Tutin & The Jaguars Backfield** - A deep dive into the risky but potentially rewarding Jaguars backfield against the Browns.
- 7 (32:50) **Jeremiah Love & The Cardinals Backfield** - A "what-if" scenario on the Cardinals' backfield, where Love's injury status creates a confusing situation.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Week 1 is here, and Chris Welsh, Pat Fitzmaurice, and Andrew Erickson break down the fantasy football running back rankings to help you make the right start/sit decisions. Where should Derrick Henry, Javonte Williams, Ashton Jeanty, Kyren Williams, and the rest of your RBs land in your Week 1 lineup?
The guys debate some of their biggest ranking disagreements, including Henry vs. the Colts, Williams against the Giants, and how fantasy managers should handle Jeanty's injury situation. Plus, get their outlooks for Kyren Williams, Bhayshul Tuten, Jeremiah Love, Jadarian Price, Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Tony Pollard, Jonathan Brooks, and Marshawn Lloyd.
Which running backs are safe Week 1 starts, which committee backfields should fantasy managers avoid, and where can you find an early-season edge over your opponents? Get the latest FantasyPros Week 1 RB rankings, matchup analysis, injury considerations, and start/sit advice before setting your fantasy football lineup.
Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)
Intro - 0:00:00
RB1 Tier - 0:04:47
Derrick Henry (RB - Baltimore Ravens) - 0:05:30
Javonte Williams (RB - Dallas Cowboys) - 0:09:59
Ashton Jeanty (RB - Las Vegas Raiders) - 0:13:20
Kyren Williams Signed Rams Mini-Helmet Giveaway - 0:18:23
RB2 Tier - 0:19:38
Kyren Williams (RB - Los Angeles Rams) - 0:20:01
Bhayshul Tuten (RB - Jacksonville Jaguars) - 0:24:31
Jeremiyah Love (RB - Arizona Cardinals) vs Tyler Allgier (RB - Arizona Cardinals) - 0:30:21
RB3 Tier - 0:34:22
Jadarian Price (RB - Seattle Seahawks) - 0:34:58
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB - New England Patriots) vs. TreVeyon Henderson (RB - New England Patriots) - 0:38:05
Tony Pollard (RB - Tennessee Titans) - 0:40:01
Jonathon Brooks (RB - Carolina Panthers) - 0:42:06
MarShawn Lloyd (RB - Green Bay Packers) - 0:44:24
Outro - 0:47:10
Helpful Links:
Polymarket - Polymarket is giving you a $50 bonus when you deposit just $10. Sign up right now with promo code FPPOD at https://app.polymarket.us/S8ac/FPPOD. 18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading is risky. 100% loss can occur. See http://polymarket.com/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated exchange and clearing organization.
Draft Wizard - Dominate your fantasy football draft with Draft Wizard. Run fast mock drafts, test different strategies, build custom cheat sheets, get pick-by-pick draft advice, and learn your leaguemates' tendencies before draft day. Just download the FantasyPros App or head to More from this podcast