RADIO
Isiah Pacheco, JK Dobbins, D’Andre Swift fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 1 (2025). Should you start or sit Isiah Pacheco, JK Dobbins, D’Andre Swift in Week 1?
Week 1 of the fantasy season is finally here. At this point, your league has drafted, and you are parsing through all the relevant information to figure out who should be in your lineup for Week 1.
Setting lineups early in the season is the most challenging, as there are many more variables that we don’t know about regarding how teams plan to utilize their players. Leaning on veteran options with established roles is usually the safest route to go until we get more clarity.
That is especially true at the running back position. Can fantasy managers start Isiah Pacheco, J.K. Dobbins, or D'Andre Swift in Week 1? Read below to find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Should I Start Isiah Pacheco in Week 1?
Pacheco missed nine weeks in 2024 after suffering a broken leg in Week 2. He had a strong start to the season (34 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown with seven receptions for 54 yards), but was never the same after that. Pacheco averaged a 37.6% snap share, 9.8 carries, and 35.0 rushing yards per game from Weeks 13 to 17.
The veteran running back is healthy once again and ready to take on the lead role in the Chiefs' backfield. Kansas City overhauled its running back room this offseason, re-signing Kareem Hunt, adding free agent Elijah Mitchell, and drafting a pass-catching back in Brashard Smith. However, none of those options pose a significant threat to Pacheco’s workload as the early down back.
Kansas City plays the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, which could be a solid matchup for Pacheco. Los Angeles had a middle-of-the-road run defense in 2024, finishing in the middle of the pack in rushing yards allowed (1,997) and expected points added against running backs (-38.23, 20th).
The Chiefs are favored in the matchup, which suggests a more run-heavy approach. Pacheco is hard to trust in PPR formats due to his lack of pass-catching, but should be considered a low-end RB2 given his potential volume in a plus matchup.
Should I Start J.K. Dobbins in Week 1?
All of the hype this offseason has revolved around 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey in Denver, but Dobbins will have a role in this backfield. The veteran running back is coming off a season where he handled 195 carries for 905 yards and nine touchdowns (along with 32 receptions for 153 yards) in 13 games with the Chargers.
Not only was it the first time Dobbins had played in more than eight games since 2020, but it was also the first time he had more than 160 touches in a season. It was encouraging that, despite the series of season-ending injuries suffered throughout his career, Dobbins was still able to average an efficient 4.7 yards per touch.
JK Dobbins is a really fun RB to watch. Watch him reading the LB flow here and cutting back this gap run. https://t.co/qrcKscjWym pic.twitter.com/jtUybhvdEO
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 15, 2024
We didn’t get an opportunity to see Dobbins in the preseason, but he has been touted by the coaching staff as a starter and is listed atop the team’s first depth chart.
Dobbins will split the backfield with Harvey throughout the season, but Week 1 should be an opportunity for both players to be fantasy relevant. Denver is an 8.5-point favorite against the Tennessee Titans, which should mean more than enough rushing attempts for both players to get there.
Should I Start D'Andre Swift in Week 1?
There was an initial belief when the Bears signed Ben Johnson to be their head coach that Swift’s time as Chicago’s lead back was in danger. Johnson was the offensive coordinator in Detroit when the Lions traded Swift, after all.
However, the veteran running back has gone through each phase of the offseason without seeing Chicago add any significant competition in the backfield. The most meaningful investment the Bears have made at running back is 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai.
Additionally, Swift is currently the only running back on the roster who didn’t miss time in the summer with an injury. We haven’t seen Roschon Johnson in weeks, and Mongangai missed the last preseason game with an injury. Chicago hasn’t signed a veteran back heading into Week 1, which suggests they are confident that Johnson and/or Monangai will be healthy enough to play.
We know that Ben Johnson’s ideal run game involves splitting the backfield between two different backs. We also know that in 2025, Swift will be one of the two backs getting work in Chicago. The Bears will likely look to control the clock against the Vikings in Week 1, which should lead to a nice workload for the veteran running back in his first game.
Swift should be considered a fringe RB2 this week in fantasy, giving him appeal as a FLEX-level play in fantasy.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Isiah Pacheco, JK Dobbins, D’Andre Swift. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Isiah Pacheco, JK Dobbins, D’Andre Swift. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 1.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Isiah Pacheco, JK Dobbins, D’Andre Swift compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
