Late-Week RB Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 1 (2026)

September 12, 2026

Bruno's running back start 'em, sit 'em picks for fantasy football Week 1 lineups (2026). Read his expert RB start/sit advice for Tony Pollard, Jordan Mason, and others.

Week 1 running back decisions are always a little uncomfortable. We have depth charts, preseason usage, coach comments, and injury reports, but we still have not seen most of these backfields play a real game together. That is where this list comes in.

Nobody needs to be told to start Bijan Robinson. These are the guys sitting closer to the RB2 and flex line, where one matchup or one uncertain workload can change the call.

Here are three backs I like for Sunday and three I would be careful with.

Week 1 Starts - Potential Fantasy Football Booms

David Montgomery - Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills

I keep coming back to David Montgomery this week.

Houston did not acquire him to turn him into a bit player, and DeMeco Ryans has already referred to Montgomery as a No. 1 back.

Woody Marks will get work too, but the early-down and short-yardage stuff should lean toward Montgomery.

Oh hey, @MontgomerDavid 👋

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 6, 2026

He only had 158 carries last season in Detroit. He still turned them into 716 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

That is the part I like here. Montgomery does not need 20 touches to matter if Houston is willing to use him near the goal line.

Buffalo was also a good matchup for running backs last season, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to the position.

Marks probably keeps Montgomery from having a huge receiving ceiling, and this could become more of a split than fantasy managers want.

For Week 1, though, I am fine betting on the veteran getting the more valuable carries. He belongs in RB2 territory for me.

Cam Skattebo - New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

Cam Skattebo is a little scarier, but I still want him in the lineup.

His rookie year ended after only eight games because of the ankle injury. Before that, though, the Giants were giving him real work.

Skattebo finished with 101 carries for 410 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 207 yards and two scores.

Cam Skattebo: "It's time to play football"

— New York Giants (@Giants) July 31, 2026

That receiving work matters. It gives him another way to survive if Dallas jumps ahead or if the Giants struggle to run consistently.

New York does have bodies behind him. Tyrone Tracy Jr., Najee Harris, and Devin Singletary are all there, so I am not expecting Skattebo to suddenly handle 90% of the backfield.

Still, he enters Week 1 on top of the unofficial depth chart and has already shown he can handle more than just early-down work.

Dallas has improved its defensive front, so I would not call this a smash spot. I also do not think the matchup is enough to push Skattebo onto the bench.

If I drafted him as my RB2, I am starting him Sunday night.

Tony Pollard - Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets

Tony Pollard feels like the kind of player fantasy managers talk themselves out of in Week 1.

Tyjae Spears is still around. Tennessee may not be a great offense. Pollard is not the shiny pick anymore.

Then you look at the actual setup.

Pollard ran for 1,082 yards last season, his fourth straight year over 1,000. He also caught 33 passes and has now reached 30 receptions in four consecutive seasons.

The role has been useful for a long time.

The matchup is even better. The Jets allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs last season, along with the fourth-most rushing yards and second-most rushing touchdowns to the position.

Spears could cut into the passing-down work, especially if Tennessee is chasing points. That is enough to keep Pollard out of the high-end RB2 conversation for me.

It is not enough to bench him.

I would use Pollard as a low-end RB2 or flex and take the favorable Week 1 spot.

Week 1 Concerns - Potential Fantasy Football Busts

Chuba Hubbard - Carolina Panthers vs. Chicago Bears

Chuba Hubbard is the opposite kind of decision.

The player is usable. The role is what bothers me.

Hubbard was excellent in 2024, rushing for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last season looked very different, with 511 rushing yards and one touchdown on 134 carries.

He still helped in the passing game, catching 30 balls for 223 yards and three scores.

Normally that would make him an interesting flex.

The problem is Jonathon Brooks.

Brooks dealt with a groin issue earlier in the week, but he is off the final injury report, and Dave Canales said there are no limitations entering Sunday.

That makes the committee talk a lot harder to ignore.

Chicago is not such a bad matchup that Hubbard cannot produce. I just do not love going into Week 1 hoping one half of a backfield split gets enough work.

In deeper leagues, sure. In a normal 12-team lineup, I would look for something cleaner.

Jeremiyah Love - Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers

There may be a point this season when benching Jeremiyah Love sounds ridiculous.

Week 1 is not that point.

Mike LaFleur called Love a game-time decision Friday as he continues to work back from the high-ankle sprain he suffered Aug. 13.

That alone is enough to make me uncomfortable.

Jeremiyah Love Itching To Play In Opener, But Waiting For Coach's Call

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) September 11, 2026

Even if Love is active, we have no idea what the workload looks like. Arizona can lean on Tyler Allgeier instead of throwing its rookie right back into a heavy role.

The Chargers were also one of the tougher defenses for fantasy running backs last year, allowing the fourth-fewest points to the position.

Then there is the late kickoff.

Love plays at 4:25 p.m., so anyone waiting on him needs to make sure there is still a usable pivot available if he gets ruled out.

I love the player long term. I do not love the Week 1 setup.

If Love plays, I would treat him as a risky flex. If I have another reasonable option, I am using it.

Jordan Mason - Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

Jordan Mason has enough talent to punish this call, but the Week 1 workload is too uncertain for me to trust.

He averaged 4.8 yards per carry last season, finishing with 758 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 159 attempts. If Minnesota gives him the heavier side of this backfield, there is obvious value here.

We just do not know that yet.

The Vikings list Aaron Jones Sr. or Mason as the starter. That is not exactly the kind of depth-chart clarity I want when setting a Week 1 lineup.

Mason also did very little through the air last season, catching 14 passes for 51 yards. That matters even more in PPR formats. Mason can still get there on 12 to 15 carries, especially if Minnesota reaches the red zone, but Jones does not need a huge workload to cut into his floor.

A handful of catches and a share of the two-minute work could leave Mason needing either a touchdown or an unusually efficient rushing day to make the start worthwhile.

That makes his fantasy day much more dependent on carries and scoring opportunities. If Jones gets most of the passing-down snaps, Mason could wind up needing a touchdown.

Green Bay was around the middle of the pack against fantasy running backs last year, so there is no matchup advantage pushing me toward the risk.

Mason is absolutely playable in deeper formats.

For most 12-team leagues, I would rather see how Minnesota uses these two backs first. If Mason ends up taking over more of the backfield than expected, we can adjust next week.

You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.

Week 1 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Tony Pollard, Cam Skattebo, Jordan Mason, David Montgomery. 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 that 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 (2026)? 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 1 for Tony Pollard, Cam Skattebo, Jordan Mason, David Montgomery: