Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings Week 1: Christian McCaffrey Comes In Low, And It's Not Because Of Injury

This is the most exciting time of the year as we approach Week 1 of the NFL and fantasy football season. Nothing gets us more excited than focusing on the fantasy running backs. These are our first rankings of the season, and fantasy owners are, in a way, going in blind to Week 1 because there is so much turnover from year to year in the NFL.

That's why we put in the time, did the research, and crunched the numbers to help you win your matchup in Week 1. We all want to get off to a hot start, and we've got your back. These are our running back rankings for every format in Week 1.

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Hampton is extremely high in our rankings, which is where we expect him to be in everyone's rankings quite often as he establishes himself as a fantasy star this season. He finished top five in our draft rankings this offseason, and he's even higher in Week 1.

With a strong matchup this week against the Arizona Cardinals, he's a must-start RB1. We're sure he's already in your lineup, and we have high expectations that he's going to give you a monster performance and be a week-winner.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

We are lower than ECR on CMC. He is a player we have been concerned about all offseason. The volume will undoubtedly be there, but beyond health concerns, we are also worried about his efficiency this season.

Last year, he saw his efficiency drop significantly from 2023, with his yards per carry dropping from 5.4 to 3.9. You'll notice we skipped 2024 there. That's because it was another injury-plagued season in which he only totaled 50 carries, which is too small a sample size to go off of.

Now, he enters 2026 at 30 years old and is coming off the largest workload of his career with 311 carries and 102 receptions. Even when healthy, he could take a big step back this season. Facing off with the Los Angeles Rams this week in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday Night Football certainly didn't help his rankings.

D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears

Swift jumps into our top 10 as one of our players we ranked highest above ECR. We are projecting a monster season from him and the entire Bears' rushing attack. His backfield mate, Kyle Monangai, is also ranked well above ECR.

This is an offense on the rise, and head coach Ben Johnson is going to have this rushing attack rolling in his second-year with the team. Be sure to get Swift in all of your lineups this week. He should have his way against the Carolina Panthers defense.

Week 1 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

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