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Matt's running back (RB) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 2 of 2025. His RB lineups advice for Week 2 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
How is everybody holding up after the conclusion of the opening week of the NFL and fantasy football season? Remember, whether you won or lost last week does not define your season. However, what you do next could have even more lasting implications.
Often, when our fantasy teams underperform and players post underwhelming performances, fantasy managers tend to have knee-jerk reactions. These reactions tend to lead to unnecessary drops or lost confidence in a player who should be considered a must-start, ultimately resulting in losing out on much-needed points.
Take a deep breath. Help is on the way with RotoBallers' must-start and sit options for Week 2 at the running back position.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Week 2 - Fantasy Football Booms
Dylan Sampson - RB, Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
As good as the Baltimore Ravens' defence is, James Cook still came out of Week 1 with 21.2 fantasy points, providing the Bills with 44 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Still, more importantly for Sampson this week, Cook also caught five passes for 58 receiving yards, averaging 11.6 yards per reception.
Against the Bengals, Sampson may have only run for 29 yards, but he did lead the Browns with 12 rushing attempts. He makes the start list this week because the expectation is that the Browns will likely be playing from behind for much of this contest, and Sampson also led the Browns with eight receptions -- his 64 receiving yards were second to Jerry Jeudy's 66.
Despite the loss, 20 touches and 93 total yards are an impressive debut, and may be the tip of the iceberg for a back who led the SEC in rushing a season ago. Sampson earned himself 63% of the Browns' backfield carries, effectively dismissing Jerome Ford in the process, while earning a ridiculous 17.6% target share.
Even when Quinshon Judkins returns, Sampson will have a significant role in this offence. Luckily, Judkins isn't expected back this week, and Sampson should be in line again for a healthy workload against the Ravens.
Javonte Williams - RB, Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants
They don't ask you how in fantasy football, they ask you how many? The truth is, Williams posted a 20.4 fantasy performance in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Williams appears to be the lead back in Dallas, paving the way in the backfield with 17 opportunities, while Miles Sanders had just five, and Jaydon Blue was a healthy scratch. Williams finished second on the team, behind only CeeDee Lamb, in total yards, with 64.
.@javontewill33 scores the 1st TD of the season!
DALvsPHI on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/80N3ru99qh— NFL (@NFL) September 5, 2025
You are not alone if you're skeptical about Williams's fantasy prospects. However, it would be unwise to ignore the workload. Against the Eagles, Williams earned a 79% running back rush share, ran a route on 77% of Dak Prescott's drop-backs, and saw a 9% target share. Williams also outsnapped Sanders 47 to 11. Those are the facts; we don't have to like them, but we should learn to love them.
This week, Dallas again faces off against a division foe in the New York Giants, and a Giants defense that just played their role is growing the legend of Jacory Croskey-Merritt. In the rookie's regular-season debut, he would go off against the Giants, averaging 8.2 yards per rushing attempt, producing 82 yards on the ground and scoring, providing fantasy managers with 14.2 fantasy points.
Kenneth Walker III - RB, Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers
Walker's season started slowly, having been limited to 10 carries for just 20 yards, while Zach Charbonnet led the Seahawks' ground attack with 12 carries and 47 yards in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Seattle's backfield split should not have surprised anyone who has followed the Seahawks this offseason, as Walker suffered an injury (foot), and talk from camp was that Charbonnet was expected to see a larger role.
Many may be willing to give up after Walker's Week 1 performance, but not so fast. This week, Seattle heads to Pittsburgh to face a Steelers team that just surrendered 14.5 fantasy points to Breece Hall after Hall ran for 107 yards on 19 carries and added another 38 yards on a pair of receptions. Even Braelon Allen got in the act, finding his way into the endzone.
Walker made it out of the opening week without suffering any significant setbacks, and while Charbonnet will once again be a factor, expect Walker's use in the run and pass game to ramp up this week, providing fantasy managers with a friendly rebound, rewarding fantasy managers for their faith.
Week 2 Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Ashton Jeanty - RB, Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers
Ashton Jeanty found the endzone in his season debut, but if it was for that touchdown, the rookie's first taste of the NFL was relatively uneventful considering the hype leading up to kickoff.
Against the Patriots, Jeanty carried the ball 19 times for just 38 yards, a 2.0 yards per carry average; however, he somehow managed 44 yards rushing coming after contact, which is an odd stat. The Raiders' new weapon caught just two passes for a couple of yards in the passing game.
Better days are ahead for the rookie running back. Jeanty could provide a serviceable fantasy week, on volume alone. In Week 1, Jeanty saw 85% of the snaps for the Raiders and had 21 of the 24 opportunities out of the backfield.
Ashton Jeanty Week 1
- 86% snaps
- 19 carries, 38 yds, TD
- 19 routes
- 2 targets, 2 rec, 2 ydsNot the yardage you hope for, but ELITE usage. Better results will come
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 7, 2025
This week, however, may not be one of those days. Coming off a week in which Jeanty's rushing yards over expectation were -1.29 according to NextGen Sats, a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers isn't going to help that number.
The Chargers limited the duo of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to 41 rushing yards on 10 carries and four receptions for 13 yards. Add that up, and that is less than 10 fantasy points between the two backs.
Jonathan Taylor - RB, Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos
I'm sticking to one of my fantasy rules here: to fade any running back, wide receiver, quarterback, or waterboy who finds themselves facing this Denver Broncos defense. It's not like Taylor put the fantasy world on notice last week, either. Against Miami, Taylor produced 79 yards on the ground against a depleted Dolphins defense, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt.
He was serviceable thanks to the 27 yards receiving on three receptions, pushing his fantasy total up to 12.8 points, barely enough to be considered an RB2 on the week.
Yes, I realize Taylor got some rest in the second half, but he was on the field for 43 consecutive Colts saps in the first half. Daniel Jones did do Taylor dirty, essentially vulturing a pair of touchdowns from the Pro Bowl running back, so don't believe everything you see in the box score.
All that volume is fine and dandy, but now Taylor will be tested as he faces a Broncos defense that was the third stingiest against running backs last season and held Tony Pollard to 3.3 yards per carry on 18 attempts in Week 1. The same Broncos defense that sacked Cam Ward on six occasions, a year after leading the NFL in that category. Denver can quickly turn the Colts into a one-dimensional offense and limit Taylor's use in the run game.
Bucky Irving - RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
Another high fantasy draft pick coming off and underwhelming Week 1 performance is Bucky Irving of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose 2.6 yards per rushing attempt trailed Baker Mayfield (7.8), Rachaad White (7.0), and Emeka Egbuka (9.0).
Irving's 37 rushing yards were second to Mayfield's 39 against the Falcons, and the four receptions for eight yards were just a little lipstick on the pig to make those fantasy numbers look a little better. Now, one of those receptions did result in a nine-yard touchdown, yet Irving only had eight receiving yards.
Irving is a solid volume play like the other backs on this list. He earned 74% of the rushing attempts, 77% of the total snaps, 62% of the routes, and a 13% target share. However, like the aforementioned Jeanty, his efficiency was lacking. Again, like Jeanty, the matchup this week is less than favorable.
Houston's front four is capable of applying pressure on the passer, thanks to Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Meanwhile, Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter manage the backend and lock up the pass, allowing the Texans to add a little extra inside the box to complicate things for opposing backs.
If not for a short rushing touchdown, Kyren Williams was held in check, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. If Irving doesn't score this week, fantasy managers could be looking at seven fantasy points by the time Week 2 concludes.
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