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Should you start RJ Harvey, Bhayshul Tuten, or Kaleb Johnson in Week 2? John explores the outlooks for three rookie running backs in Week 2 of the 2025 season.
This year's rookie running backs, for the most part, didn't perform up to expectations in Week 1. This isn't a total surprise, though -- scoring in general was down across the board, and most teams struggled to put up the offensive numbers they would have liked to.
Even Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, hailed as a generational prospect and the NFL's next elite running back from Day 1, managed just two yards per carry and 40 total yards from scrimmage in his NFL debut. So for the backs selected below him, things weren't so bleak.
Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey, Jacksonville Jaguars tailback Bhayshul Tuten, and Pittsburgh Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson didn't handle many touches in Week 1. But will things turn around for them in Week 2? Should you start them? Let's find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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RJ Harvey Fantasy Football Outlook
Harvey didn't get much work in Week 1. In a surprising move, Broncos head coach Sean Payton decided to split the backfield touches and snaps between Harvey and third-string back Tyler Badie relatively evenly, while veteran back J.K. Dobbins took over 50 percent of the snaps.
But patience with rookies is key, and Harvey was highly efficient with his touches. He took his six carries for 70 rushing yards -- five carries averaging four yards each and an explosive, 50-yard rush that turned the tide of the game and helped the Broncos secure an eventual victory.
RJ Harvey should be RB1 for the #Broncos.
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) September 7, 2025
Harvey's great performance will undoubtedly get him more touches moving forward, and his explosiveness and elusiveness indicate, according to my analysis, that he deserves them. He was largely drafted inside the first six rounds in fantasy drafts, too, so at the spot you drafted him, it doesn't make sense to bench him.
I view Harvey as a potential league-winner and must-start for the rest of the season. So you should probably keep him in your starting lineups.
Bhayshul Tuten Fantasy Football Outlook
Tuten has a much clearer path to getting meaningful touches now. The Jaguars traded away Tank Bigsby, the second running back on their depth chart, to the Philadelphia Eagles just a few days ago. Now, Tuten is the clear RB2 on the depth chart, behind lead back Travis Etienne Jr.
The Jaguars traded up in the fourth round to get Tuten. It seemed that the consensus opinion was that Tuten would sit on the bench pretty much all year as either Etienne or Bigsby took over the lead role, leaving little work left over. That objectively didn't make any sense.
Bhayshul Tuten doesn't get enough credit for his stiff arms. They're filthy pic.twitter.com/LT7SWkVVIW
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) June 22, 2025
Tuten's tape is some of the most impressive I've seen for a running back. Despite playing behind a very poor offensive line, he managed to put the team's offense on his back, often digging himself out of terrible situations in the backfield. He created positive plays even when hit hard in the backfield, and often had to elude multiple defenders there.
The Jaguars offensive line hasn't played very well in years. Bhayshul Tuten's ability to force missed tackles in the backfield and burst to beat linebackers to the edge is highly underrated. Dude played behind a Swiss cheese OL and still made explosive plays pic.twitter.com/FCcyKotqhD
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) August 27, 2025
Etienne had a massive game in Week 1, but he was playing against the worst rush defense in football. The Carolina Panthers, who faced Jacksonville in Week 1, allowed a league-high 5.2 yards per rush in 2024. Etienne faced little resistance -- he only broke three tackles on his 16 rushes.
Clip 1 is a short gain from Bhayshul Tuten. Considering how horribly his team blocked for him, this is an extraordinary play in my mind. Tuten takes a HUGE shot, remains upright, then makes multiple tacklers miss. Saves a would be disaster. I grade this play very highly. pic.twitter.com/U4Sj2qsy5v
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) August 27, 2025
Against tougher defenses, Etienne's struggles with forcing missed tackles could come back to haunt him. He forced 0.09 missed tackles per rush in 2024, which ranked 62nd of 70 running backs with 50 or more rushes. Tuten has no issues with elusiveness -- he was one of the most elusive backs of the 2025 draft class.
In leagues with 12 or more teams, it makes sense to start Tuten in Week 2, though I'm not projecting his breakout game until later in the year. He didn't get much work in Week 1, and though Bigsby is now gone, rookie backs selected in the later rounds tend to be worked into the offenses gradually.
Later in the season, though, expect Tuten to become a must-start back in all leagues. His elite 4.32 speed means he could rip off explosive plays at any time, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did have a great game this week.
Kaleb Johnson Fantasy Football Outlook
There is absolutely no reason you should start Johnson. In fact, I don't think he's even worth having on rosters. Johnson seems to be on the fast track to becoming an absolute waste of a pick in dynasty leagues as well. The vibes couldn't be worse.
Johnson was, according to my analysis, always a terrible prospect. I wrote multiple articles, including this one, about how he had poor athleticism, bad vision, wasn't good as a pass-catcher, and, in general, would never be a good NFL back. In his first game as a pro, he was hardly used.
Kaleb Johnson NFL debut today:
1 Carry 🔥
-2 Yards 🔥🔥
1 Fumble 🔥
0 Speed 🧊 pic.twitter.com/HVHRaBWhNM— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) September 7, 2025
Johnson had just one carry, which he took for negative two yards. He was used as a returner and fumbled one of his returns, though it was fortunately recovered by his team. The team's other two running backs that got playing time on offense, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, combined for 18 carries.
Gainwell, in particular, was used much more heavily than Johnson. He had seven carries. With Johnson being regarded by most of the fantasy community as an elite RB prospect, this seems nonsensical, but it's a massive red flag. It's likely that Johnson won't have much of a role with the Steelers on offense this year.
He hasn't shown anything that seems to motivate his offensive coaches to get him more touches. His draft capital is the only thing that suggests he'll eventually get more playing time, but sometimes players perform so poorly that they're an active detriment to their team when they get touches.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 1 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like RJ Harvey, Bhayshul Tuten, and Kaleb Johnson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 1. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 1 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.
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Popular Week 1 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 1 (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 1 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 1 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for RJ Harvey, Bhayshul Tuten, Kaleb Johnson compared to others:
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