RADIO
Andy's running back start 'em, sit 'em picks for fantasy football Week 1 lineups (2025). Read his expert RB start/sit advice for Jerome Ford, Austin Ekeler, Braelon Allen, others.
Football is finally here. Even though we have already had the first two games of the week, we still have an entire slate of Sunday action and an NFC North showdown on Monday night.
However, with football back in our lives, that means we will have to make those tough lineup choices. Do we start that rookie who has had nothing but positive buzz in camp, or do we ride with the veteran option who has a tough matchup? These are the questions we will look to answer.
Let's take a look at which running backs we should lock into our fantasy lineups and which ones are better off on our bench. Don't see the running back you're looking for? Be sure to check out more running back start 'em, sit 'em content and our Week 1 RB rankings on RotoBaller. Let's dive in!
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Week 1 Starts - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Jerome Ford - Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
After a wild offseason in Cleveland, somehow 25-year-old Jerome Ford is slated to receive the "bulk" of the carries in this season's opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns selected two running backs, one being one of the top prospects at the position, Quinshon Judkins, in the second round.
Jerome Ford to be Workhorse in Week 1? https://t.co/6H2iuArSgi
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 1, 2025
However, Judkins was arrested for domestic assault in the offseason. While his prosecutors eventually dropped their charges, Judkins has yet to sign his original contract and will likely undergo further investigation by the league.
That leaves just Ford and another rookie, Dylan Sampson, available for Week 1. While Sampson has received positive buzz in camp, the Browns will look to start Ford in Week 1, given his previous experience serving as the lead back. In 2024, Ford opened the season as their RB1 as Nick Chubb was working his way back from a knee injury.
During the first five games, Ford posted a solid 11.9 PPR points per game, albeit playing a subpar Cleveland offense. Now, Cleveland will turn to veteran Joe Flacco in Week 1. While Flacco is nearing the end of his career, he has still shown the ability to lead a competitive offense and was a late-season hero in Cleveland in 2023.
Ford will face a Bengals defense that allowed 124.8 rushing yards per game and the eighth-most total yards per game last season. Serving as the three-down option in favorable matchups with competent QB play, Ford carries RB2 upside with a safe floor in the season opener.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. - Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy Jr. was another running back projected to lose work this season due to the team bolstering their RB room in the draft. In April, the Giants selected Cam Skattebo out of Arizona State in the fourth round. However, during training camp and the start of the preseason, the rookie was limited due to a hamstring injury, which allowed Tracy to establish himself as the top option on the roster.
Last season, Tracy took time to develop as a rookie but was able to overtake veteran Devin Singletary for the starting job. From Weeks 5 through 18, Tracy averaged 62.8 rushing yards per game and 18.7 receiving yards per game. During this stretch, Tracy averaged 13.5 PPR points per game and found the back of the end zone six times.
With Skattebo not receiving many opportunities in the preseason, expect the Giants to lean heavily on Tracy in this contest. While the rookie may eventually carve into Tracy's role, for now, he is "100% the RB1" according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN and should be viewed as a strong RB2 in all leagues this weekend.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is 100 Percent the RB1 in New York https://t.co/YkAVYf7Wcx
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 5, 2025
Austin Ekeler - Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants
UPDATE: Washington's Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be inactive in Week 1
Noticing a trend here? Another running back that was not viewed as a "lead" back just a few weeks ago now sits comfortably at the top of the depth chart. However, unlike the name above, Austin Ekeler plays on one of the sport's most potent offensive attacks, which significantly raises his ceiling.
Earlier in August, the Commanders shipped their presumed starter, Brian Robinson Jr., to the San Francisco 49ers, leaving Ekeler to compete for carries alongside Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
While Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt have received some high praise from their coaching staff in the preseason, fantasy managers should not expect them to take a significant load of the carries in Week 1. On the team's initial depth chart, Ekeler was listed as the top option and has been described as a "key" piece of the offense.
Despite splitting time with Robinson last season, Ekeler averaged an impressive 12.3 PPR points per game over his first 10 games. More importantly, Ekeler averaged 4.8 YPC last season, which was the third-highest mark of his career.
Wth Jayden Daniels under center, Ekeler should find himself in the red zone many times on Sunday afternoon. The former Charger projects to be a high-end flex option and a solid RB2 in Week 1. His ceiling is raised in PPR leagues given his elite pass-catching skill set.
Week 1 Concerns - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Jacory Croskey-Merritt - Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants
UPDATE: Washington's Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be inactive in Week 1
While I would suggest starting Ekeler in all 12-team leagues, his rookie counterpart, who has been the talk of the fantasy community, is best left on your bench in Week 1. There is no doubt that the seventh-round rookie out of Arizona took the league by storm in the preseason and almost single-handedly jumped from the bottom of the depth chart to the top.
During his first preseason game, he totaled just 24 yards. However, in his second game, his breakout began, as he ran for 46 yards and a touchdown. His strong play in this game earned him the day off in their final preseason game. Instead, Rodriguez was given the start in this game, suggesting the coaching staff views Croskey-Merritt as a long-term piece for this offense.
While this report seemed to indicate that Croskey-Merritt may have slid into the No. 2 role, the team opted to list the rookie as the fourth option on the first unofficial depth chart earlier this week. However, during team drills, Croskey-Merritt was often given opportunities behind Ekeler and in front of Rodriguez and McNichols.
Given his uncertain role and high potential to bust (especially if his spot as the No. 4 RB holds true), he is best to leave on the bench in Week 1. However, do not panic, and cut him prematurely.
He is potentially the future of this backfield and will earn his opportunities later in the season.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Working as Second Running Back on Wednesday https://t.co/FNZBx3AWFj
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 3, 2025
Braelon Allen - New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Another training camp/preseason winner was Braelon Allen of the New York Jets. After a disappointing rookie season, Allen has shown a higher burst and efficiency during training camp. In fact, Allen has looked much faster than the preseason starter, Breece Hall, and outperformed him in each preseason game.
Given his impressive development, the new coaching staff in New York, led by Aaron Glenn, has spoken very highly of him and has noted that he could be in store for an increased role. In fact, Jets beat writer Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic noted that Allen could become the team's "predominant ball carrier" early in the season.
Similar to Croskey-Merritt above, while Allen remains a premier high-upside stash candidate, he should not enter your starting lineup in Week 1. There is still a strong possibility that Hall takes over 65% of the team's running backs, which would significantly limit Allen's upside.
In addition, he faces a stout Pittsburgh defense that could very well shut down the entire Jets offense in this contest.
D'Andre Swift - Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
Rounding the Week 1 start/sit list out will be a bit of a bold call. Currently, D'Andre Swift faces minimal challenge in the Chicago running back room as Roschon Johnson (foot) and rookie Kyle Monangai (hamstring) could carry a questionable tag into Monday's game against the Vikings.
Despite this, I would lean towards the side of caution when putting Swift in your lineup. While managers in deeper 14+ team leagues may not have an alternative, I would rather look to start Ford, Ekeler, or Tracy instead of Swift in more shallow formats this week.
In 2024, Swift had one of the most inefficient seasons of his career, posting a 3.8 YPC. This was a massive drop from the 4.6 YPC he posted in 2023.
While the Bears focused on improving their offensive line in free agency and brought in former Lions OC Ben Johnson, Swift has the potential to let managers down in Week 1. Facing the Vikings defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game last season, Swift projects to be a mid-range touchdown-dependent RB3 in this game that is best to fade in all 12-team leagues.
If you have to start him, his volume may propel him into flex territory-level production. However, given his low efficiency, he has the potential to bust, especially if he cannot find the back of the end zone.
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