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Sit Start Running Backs for Week 2 Fantasy Football

Running back sit start Week 2 fantasy football picks for 2025. Matt's top RB starts and sits including Kenneth Walker, Javonte Williams, Dylan Sampson.

Fantasy football continues cranking up as we head into Week 2 of the NFL season! Here at RotoBaller, we're dishing out the sit/start advice for running backs to help you dominate your matchups.

RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly drops his top running back starts and sits for Week 2, looking at players like Kenneth Walker, Javonte Williams, Dylan Sampson.

Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (channel Sirius 210, XM 87) - every weekday morning at 6:00 AM ET as well as Sunday Gameday at 6:00 AM ET. You can also find new weekly shows on YouTubeSpreaker, SpotifyiTunes and on the site under RotoBaller Radio podcasts. Win more in 2025 with RotoBaller!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

2025 Fantasy Football: Week 2 RB Starts/Sits

Matt Donnelly's top RB starts and sits for Week 2 of the 2025 fantasy football season:

Thanks for listening to today's episode! Be sure to tune in throughout the week, and to also follow RotoBaller on Twitter, YouTube, Spotify and iTunes for the latest fantasy news and analysis.

 

Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlooks

Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is a flex player with upside in Week 2 when Seattle visits the Pittsburgh Steelers. Walker's 40% Week 1 snap share was concerning. That number figures to rise, given that Walker was working back from injuries throughout the offseason, but he does not appear poised to maintain the workhorse role he once held in this backfield. Walker was the preferred pass-catching running back in Week 1, which gives him a solid base in fantasy.

Seattle is facing a Steelers' defense on Sunday that should be solid all-around. However, they just got torched on the ground and through the air by a Jets offense that many considered to be below average coming into the season. With Seattle now having a week to see what their new offense looks like, they should be able to make adjustments and have more success in Week 2. Walker has lost his status as an RB2, but he can be started in your flex.

Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams is "clearly" the starter, according to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. After some offseason uncertainty about how Dallas would deploy its backfield, Williams put concerns to rest with a strong Week 1 showing in Philadelphia. He logged 17 touches for 64 total yards and two touchdowns, proving he can handle goal-line work and sustain drives.

''Schottenheimer later admitted he wished he had given Williams even more opportunities, which signals that his workload could increase moving forward. That's encouraging news for fantasy managers, especially given Dallas' lack of a true challenger for lead-back duties. Looking ahead to Week 2, Williams draws a favorable matchup against the New York Giants, who were gashed for 220 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 32 carries by Washington in Week 1. The Giants' front seven struggled mightily at the point of attack, giving Williams a chance to post another high-volume day with scoring upside.

Williams is a strong RB2 with RB1 upside this week. His locked-in goal-line role, combined with the Giants' weak run defense, makes him a must-start. If he continues to dominate touches in this backfield, he could quickly become one of the most reliable fantasy starters of the season -- health permitting.

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson will head on the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. Sampson turned in an excellent pro debut in a one-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, catching all eight of his targets for 64 yards. He also dominated the backfield work, earning 12 carries to starter Jerome Ford's six in the contest.

Sampson appears to be locked into the pass-catching role in the Cleveland offense, a spot that should be productive against a Ravens defense that allowed James Cook to catch all five of his targets for 58 yards in Week 1. Sampson sets up as a high-end RB3/flex option with upside heading into fantasy contests in Week 2. Jerome Ford and Quinshon Judkins are both expected to be involved in the running game as well.

 

Who Should I Start Tool

Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:

Who Should I Start for 9?

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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 2 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kenneth Walker, Javonte Williams, Dylan Sampson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 2. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 2 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 2 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kenneth Walker, Javonte Williams, Dylan Sampson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 2.

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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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 circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.

Popular Week 2 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 2 (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 2 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons

Below are some popular Week 2 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kenneth Walker, Javonte Williams, Dylan Sampson compared to others:

Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jakobi Meyers
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Alvin Kamara
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Quentin Johnston
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Travis Kelce
Kenneth Walker III
vs
J.K. Dobbins
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jake Ferguson
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Sam Laporta
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Oronde Gadsden II
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Josh Downs
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Romeo Doubs
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jameson Williams
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jauan Jennings
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Troy Franklin
Kenneth Walker III
vs
DJ Moore
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Kayshon Boutte
Kenneth Walker III
vs
David Montgomery
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Zach Charbonnet
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Christian McCaffrey
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jonathan Taylor
Kenneth Walker III
vs
De'Von Achane
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Bijan Robinson
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Jahmyr Gibbs
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Derrick Henry
Kenneth Walker III
vs
Josh Jacobs
Javonte Williams
vs
Davante Adams
Javonte Williams
vs
Rome Odunze
Javonte Williams
vs
Kyren Williams
Javonte Williams
vs
Kimani Vidal
Javonte Williams
vs
James Cook
Javonte Williams
vs
George Pickens
Javonte Williams
vs
Justin Jefferson
Javonte Williams
vs
Zay Flowers
Javonte Williams
vs
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Javonte Williams
vs
Ladd McConkey
Javonte Williams
vs
Josh Jacobs
Javonte Williams
vs
Kyle Monangai
Javonte Williams
vs
Trey McBride
Javonte Williams
vs
Chase Brown
Javonte Williams
vs
Rashee Rice
Javonte Williams
vs
Brian Thomas Jr.
Javonte Williams
vs
Derrick Henry
Javonte Williams
vs
Jaylen Waddle
Javonte Williams
vs
Christian McCaffrey
Javonte Williams
vs
Jonathan Taylor
Javonte Williams
vs
De'Von Achane
Javonte Williams
vs
Bijan Robinson
Javonte Williams
vs
Jahmyr Gibbs
Javonte Williams
vs
Jaylen Warren
Javonte Williams
vs
Ashton Jeanty

More Fantasy Football Analysis



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

C.J. Stroud

Questionable To Return Against Broncos With Head Injury
Kareem Hunt

Brashard Smith To Split Carries Sunday
LaMelo Ball

Not Expected to Play on Sunday
Trevor Lawrence

Dealing with Illness, Still Expected to Start Against Raiders
Aaron Rodgers

Dealing with Hand Injury During Warmups, Likely Fine for Week 9
Terry McLaurin

Could be Out Until After the Week 12 Bye
Ed Oliver

Could Return for the Playoffs
Brock Purdy

Ruled Out Again in Week 9
Trey Hendrickson

Logan Wilson Inactive for Week 9
Dalton Schultz

Officially Active for Week 9 Against Broncos
Isiah Pacheco

Expected to Return After the Chiefs' Bye Week
Austin Cindric

is A Driver to Avoid for Phoenix DFS Lineups
Joe Flacco

Will Play in Week 9 Against Bears
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Named World Series MVP
Alex Bowman

Could Alex Bowman be A Sneaky Tournament Play for Phoenix?
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Committed to Mike McDaniel for the Foreseeable Future
Noah Gragson

Should DFS Players Roster Noah Gragson At Phoenix?
Erik Jones

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering for DFS at Phoenix?
Breece Hall

Unlikely to be Traded
Connor McDavid

Records Three Assists in Saturday's Win
Michael McDowell

an Easy Recommendation for DFS at Phoenix
Vladimir Tarasenko

Ends Dry Spell With Three-Point Effort
Nick Suzuki

Collects Two More Apples
Timothy Liljegren

Sustains Upper-Body Injury
Nick Cousins

Injured on Saturday
Sam LaPorta

Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta Approaching Contract Extension Territory
Christopher Tanev

Leaves on Stretcher Saturday
Jauan Jennings

Several Teams Interested in Trading for Jauan Jennings
Calvin Ridley

Emerging as a Potential Trade Target
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Don't Intend to Trade Trey Hendrickson
Kevon Looney

Questionable Versus OKC
Chase Briscoe

Probably Won't Win the Title
Joey Logano

Could Play Spoiler in Championship Battle at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Seeking to End Winless Drought, but Probably Won't Have the Speed
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Looks to Protect Top-10 Points Finish at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Hasn't Been Fast at Phoenix With RFK Racing
Daniel Suarez

With Nothing at Stake, Expect Little From Daniel Suarez
Kyle Busch

Qualifies Well, but Will Probably Finish Worse Than he Starts
Chris Buescher

Ryan Preece has a Shot to Overtake Chris Buescher as RFK Racing's Lead Driver
Austin Dillon

Looks to Avoid Finishing Last in NASCAR Playoffs
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Might be a Worthy DFS Option
Cooper Kupp

Not Expected to Play Vs. Washington
Alvin Kamara

Saints Expect Alvin Kamara to Play Vs. Rams
Travis Hunter

Optimism Surrounding Travis Hunter's Knee Injury
Jakob Poeltl

to Remain Sidelined Sunday
Jakobi Meyers

Raiders "Set a High Price" on Jakobi Meyers
Walker Kessler

Out on Sunday
Mitchell Robinson

Listed as Questionable for Sunday
Dillon Brooks

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Sunday
Jalen Green

Unavailable Against Spurs
Norman Powell

Questionable to Suit Up Against Lakers
Jeremy Sochan

Remains Absent Sunday
De'Aaron Fox

Still Out Sunday
Daniel Gafford

Makes Season Debut With Minutes Restriction
D'Angelo Russell

Cleared to Play Saturday
Deandre Ayton

Listed as Probable for Sunday
Paul George

Unavailable Sunday
Joel Embiid

to Sit Out Sunday's Action
Sam Merrill

May Skip Another Contest Sunday
Jarrett Allen

Questionable for Sunday
Darius Garland

to Remain Out Sunday
Donovan Mitchell

Could Miss Another Game Sunday
Chet Holmgren

Not Ready to Return Sunday
Trae Young

to Be Re-Evaluated in Four Weeks
Connor Brown

Won't Play on Saturday
Dylan Strome

Ready to Return Saturday
Sean Couturier

Out on Saturday
Ilya Mikheyev

Set to Return Saturday
Warren Foegele

Kings Place Warren Foegele on Injured Reserve
TOR

Chris Tanev Cleared for Action
William Nylander

Remains Out Saturday
Shohei Ohtani

to Start Game 7 of World Series
Alejandro Kirk

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Alejandro Kirk's Hand
Alejandro Kirk

Goes for X-Rays After Being Hit on the Hand
Mackenzie Blackwood

Set for Season Debut Saturday
Ryan Reaves

Remains Under Evaluation
Trevor Moore

Expected to Return Saturday
Zach Benson

Placed on Injured Reserve
Pierre-Luc Dubois

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Friday
Jacob Markstrom

Devils Sign Jacob Markstrom to Two-Year Extension
Connor Brown

Considered Questionable for Saturday
Gleyber Torres

Undergoes Sports-Hernia Surgery
Dylan Strome

Remains Out Friday
Bo Bichette

Not Expecting to Need Offseason Knee Surgery
George Springer

Back in Leadoff Spot for Game 6 of World Series
David Onama

Set For UFC Vegas 110 Main Event
Steve Garcia

Returns At UFC Vegas 110
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Set For Co-Main Event
Ante Delija

In Search For His Second UFC Win
Themba Gorimbo

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 110
Jeremiah Wells

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Yadier del Valle

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Arizona State Quarterback Sam Leavitt Out for the Season
Isaac Dulgarian

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Frunza

Looks For His First UFC Win
Charles Radtke

Looks To Bounce Back
Allan Nascimento

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 110 Main Card
Cody Durden

In Dire Need Of Victory
George Springer

"Strong Possibility" That George Springer Returns in Game 6 of World Series
Bryce Miller

Not Expected to Need Elbow Surgery
Washington Nationals

Nationals Finalizing a Deal to Hire Blake Butera as Next Manager
CFB

Arch Manning Listed as Questionable for Vanderbilt Matchup
CFB

Arion Carter Listed as Questionable Ahead of Oklahoma Matchup
Minnesota Twins

Twins Name Derek Shelton as Their New Manager
CFB

Jordyn Tyson Questionable for Iowa State Matchup with Hamstring Injury
George Springer

Not in the Lineup for Game 4 of World Series
George Springer

Pulled Early in Game 3 With Side Injury
Baltimore Orioles

Orioles Finalizing Deal to Hire Craig Albernaz as the Next Manager
William Byron

Dominates at Martinsville and Advances to the Championship Round
Kyle Larson

Advances to the Championship Round After Top-Five Finish
Ryan Blaney

Falls Short of the Victory and Title Contention at Martinsville
Chase Elliott

Eliminated From 2025 Title Contention Despite Strong Martinsville Run
CFB

Behren Morton Will Start Against Kansas State
CFB

Lane Kiffin Says Money Won't Impact his Decision-Making

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP