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Should you start Cam Skattebo, Ollie Gordon, Woody Marks in Week 2? John Johnson explores the outlooks for three rookie running backs in Week 2 of the 2025 season.
Rookie running backs can be a huge boon for fantasy football managers looking to gain an extra edge in their leagues. Everyone wants the next Bucky Irving and the next De'Von Achane -- rookie backs that weren't drafted early in their draft classes, but still go on to have multiple huge fantasy performances.
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, Miami Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon II, and Houston Texans back Woody Marks were all selected outside the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, with Skattebo Marks being fourth-round picks and Gordon not chosen until the sixth round.
All three aren't the first RB on their depth charts, but then again, neither was Irving in 2024 and Achane in 2023. That doesn't mean they can't be worthwhile starts at some point. So should you start Skattebo, Gordon, or Marks in fantasy for Week 2? Let's dive in.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Cam Skattebo Fantasy Football Outlook
There isn't much hope for Skattebo to have a big game in Week 2. His first outing, against the Washington Commanders, was a big disappointment. Despite his massive college production, he was a complete non-factor in the Giants' season opener.
Skattebo rushed two times for negative three yards. I wouldn't say that's all his fault, because the Giants have struggled with poor offensive line play for several seasons now, but it wasn't encouraging. He also hauled in both of his targets for 12 yards.
Cam Skattebo bro. 😂😲pic.twitter.com/VMfLMCEiii
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 7, 2025
Skattebo impressively shed a few tackle attempts on one of his receptions, but his rushing numbers didn't warrant him getting more touches. His backfield mate, RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., is more explosive, and that's valuable on a team with such a poor offensive line.
The Giants lack offensive weapons with major speed, aside from WR Malik Nabers. Skattebo was the slowest of all the running backs drafted in 2025. A role for him could materialize given time, but the Commanders don't have a particularly good run defense, and they bottled him up. Best to leave him on waivers or on the bench for now.
Ollie Gordon Fantasy Football Outlook
After much hype due to his performance in the preseason, Gordon's NFL debut was entirely forgettable. He carried the ball just two times, gaining four yards, and caught one pass for negative one yard. The Dolphins got absolutely blasted by the Indianapolis Colts in a blowout win.
Miami went down 23-0 before they had a chance to score, so game script wasn't on Gordon's side. But their lead running back, De'Von Achane, easily lapped Gordon in efficiency, and should continue to handle most of the backfield touches. He's an electric player. It doesn't make much sense to take the ball out of his hands.
De’Von Achane’s outrageous usage got lost in #Dolphins Week 1 faceplant.
Played 33-of-37 snaps with Tua Tagovailoa. Ran 20 routes on 27 dropbacks. This after handling 203 carries plus 78 targets last year.
MIA clearly doesn’t think he’s “too small”.pic.twitter.com/lbJkfO2zbD
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) September 11, 2025
Achane absolutely dominated the running back workload. That should stay firm as the season goes on. Gordon's a big back, but he doesn't have the big-play ability that the Dolphins so desperately need. Their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, played absolutely dreadfully, and they should return to a mainly short-pass centered offensive attack.
Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1 on throws targeting a receiver more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage, before the Dolphins went down 23-0 and garbage time commenced:
-2/5 passing, 24 yards
-2 interceptions, 3 turnover-worthy plays https://t.co/J2sbW2nP4P— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) September 11, 2025
Gordon should stay on benches in deep leagues and on waivers in others.
Woody Marks Fantasy Football Outlook
Marks, like the others, was hardly used in Week 1. He took three carries for three rushing yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game. The rookie played just 11 percent of offensive snaps and failed to make an impact in his team's opening loss to the Rams.
Not in on the Woody Marks hype at all. On A-gap runs, close to worst in class YPA, not elusive, doesn't create explosive plays, hardly gets YAC. Not much better on B/C/D gap runs. Film isn't impressive. Don't see the upside. https://t.co/AmCkqfw9YH
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) August 22, 2025
If we take his advanced statistical production from college as any indicator, that's unlikely to change. Texans lead back Joe Mixon (foot/ankle) remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list with foot and ankle injuries, but Nick Chubb handled 13 rush attempts in Week 1.
Dare Ogunbowale and Dameon Pierce each handled a handful of touches as well. Marks doesn't appear to be in line for a workload increase based on his performance. He should be dropped in most leagues and benched in the very deep ones.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 2 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Cam Skattebo, Ollie Gordon, Woody Marks. 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 - Cam Skattebo, Ollie Gordon, Woody Marks. 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 Cam Skattebo, Ollie Gordon, Woody Marks compared to others:
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