Week 1 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings And Projections

Get expert Week 1 fantasy football RB rankings and projections with matchup analysis, depth charts, and touchdown outlooks to help you set winning lineups.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off in a few days, and so do our fantasy investments. Those “name” players we drafted with confidence are finally set to prove their value on the field. For fantasy managers, the honeymoon ends quickly—Week 1 lineup decisions have a way of turning draft-day euphoria into second-guessing. The strongest rosters aren’t the ones stacked with stars, but the ones that minimize weekly dilemmas while still having upside stashed on the bench.

Each week, I’ll roll out my updated depth charts and projections, built with a neutral lens and guided by actionable stats—whether from recent performance trends or fresh injury news. These outlooks establish a baseline expectation while also baking in potential. At the end of the day, touchdowns are the ultimate difference-makers, particularly in non-PPR formats. Pinpointing who finds the end zone each week is the Holy Grail of fantasy football, and my projections aim to give you the clearest path to finding those game-changing scores.

Click the image to view the full RB projections for Week 1. | Shawn Childs

Scroll to the bottom and click the link to view the top 84 running backs heading into Week 1 of the NFL season.

My projections will be sorted into rankings, which won’t look anything close to the weekly consensus. My man, Matt Brandon, is in charge of finding a balance between my player outlooks and the public view of each week's rankings. Those positional rankings will be released tomorrow. In the meantime, let's highlight a few intriguing plays heading into Week 1.

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

Jeanty opens his rookie NFL games as the third-ranked running back. He brings a high-volume profile that projects well on all three downs. FanDuel has him severely underpriced ($6,400), suggesting he’ll be on a high number of rosters while almost drawing the free square tag.

James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

Following on the theme of Kyler Murray’s matchup, Conner looks poised for a nice day. I expect him to score, but his ceiling in overall yards could be compromised if Arizona plays from a big lead.

Murray is the top-ranked quarterback heading into Week 1 and Conner should produce RB1 numbers in a juicy matchup against a New Orleans Saints franchise that is still figuring things out on both sides of the ball.

---

Click HERE to view our full Week 1 running back rankings and projections.

Here's the latests running back updates on 9/5:

• Christian McCaffrey landed on the injury report on Thursday, creating a free fall in his ADP in any remaining draft. The 49ers suggest the injury is minor, while the fantasy market hates to see his status tied to a calf issue. I left his projections the same.