Cowboys RB Depth Chart Debate: Javonte Williams vs. Miles Sanders vs. Jaydon Blue
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The Dallas Cowboys had a lot of questions coming into the 2025 season regarding their running back room. Some of those were answered in the team's week one matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Here is a breakdown of the Cowboys RB1-3 and what they can provide going forward in fantasy football.
Javonte Williams Fantasy Outlook
Javonte Williams, after a down year in Denver, was written off by many. This comes just a couple of years after he was getting drafted in the second round of fantasy football drafts. The combo of said down year and an ACL tear led to the conclusion that he would never amount to any of his potential. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in week one, he showed he has plenty left to give.
Javonte Williams BULLDOZES his way for the 1st and goal 😤pic.twitter.com/oeMvwlTRnG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 5, 2025
In Thursday night’s NFL opener, Williams was the Cowboys' clear RB1. He rushed for 54 yards with the most carries on the team, with 15. He also found the endzone twice in the contest. In standard formats in fantasy, his week one performance produced the second-most fantasy points for RBs. He was tied for points with Atlanta Falcons RB Bjan Robinson and finished behind Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry. In PPR formats, Williams finished in fifth for most RB points.
The former 35th overall pick proved in week one that he will be a relevant fantasy player in 2025. He might not put up monster performances every week, but he should be seen as a viable flex play at the very least going forward.
Miles Sanders Fantasy Outlook
When the week one depth chart was released for the Dallas Cowboys, it was a bit of a shock to see veteran Miles Sanders as the team’s RB2. He had a glimpse of why that might be in his performance on Thursday. Sanders ran for 53 yards on four carries, with a long run of 49 yards. He did, unfortunately, have a crucial fumble that put a damper on his big run against his former team.
Zack Baun reached a top speed of 20.68 mph to make a TD-saving tackle on Miles Sanders (19.29 mph), Baun's fastest speed on a play from scrimmage of his career.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 5, 2025
The Eagles forced and recovered a fumble five plays later.#DALvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly
pic.twitter.com/njrc91YUKj
Sanders in fantasy should be seen as a definite waiver wire add if Williams is out. It is also not a terrible idea to grab and stash him now if a fantasy manager has room, given Williams' injury history.
Jaydon Blue Fantasy Outlook
Unlike Washington Commanders’ rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who was listed as an RB4 and was used as an RB2 in week one, Cowboys RB3 Jaydon Blue did not get those same guidelines. The 2025 fifth-round pick was listed as a healthy scratch for the team’s season opener. Dallas' first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the following on the decision not to have Blue active.
“Young players, it hits at different times. He’s extremely talented. You have to earn your chance to get out there. There has to be consistency.”
The rookie running back should be seen as a drop candidate, even though it is only week one. A path to getting any sort of workload that would mean anything in fantasy football seems non-existent.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops