Fantasy Football Running Back Starts Week 1: Wheels Up For Rhamondre Stevenson With TreVeyon Henderson Injured

We have finally made it to Week 1. Now that we have our teams drafted and ready to go, we just have to start the right players. Easier said than done, but we are here to help you nail the running back position.

Having no data on the defensive matchups other than what they did last year always makes things tricky early in the season. There are always teams that surprise both for the worse and the better. At this point in the season, we are more focused on talent and volume. These are the running backs you should be starting in Week 1.

Running Back Starts

D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears

It hasn't been the greatest week for Swift, who had a ton of momentum heading into practice last Thursday. He left practice holding his midsection, and then this week Kyle Monangai returned to practice.

The good news was that the injury was just a cramp and he's back at practice; however, Monangai did go from week to week to looking like he's good to go. This is set to be a split backfield. Nevertheless, that's not scaring us off of Swift.

Head coach Ben Johnson orchestrates one of the best rushing attacks in the league, and we saw Swift rack up 1,386 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns in 16 games last season. Swift is still the clear leader in the backfield, and Monangai had been sidelined for three weeks with a hyperextended knee. We are locking Swift in this week against the Carolina Panthers.

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

TreVeyon Henderson has not been able to get onto the practice field due to an ankle injury, and with the Pats playing on Wednesday, it appears unlikely that he will suit up for the NFL season opener. Even if he somehow does, he would be extremely limited.

While the absence of Henderson is a massive boost for Stevenson, there is still the looming concern against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and their impressive defense.

For the second straight day, the Patriots’ injury report said RB TreVeyon Henderson did not practice due to an ankle injury. Henderson now has missed two weeks of practice, and New England’s season opens Wednesday night in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/vY3ktnfkxc
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2026

Despite what looks like a tough matchup, the volume is going to be huge. The only other running back on the roster is Corey Kiner, who is not a threat to Stevenson's workload.

When these teams played in the Super Bowl, he carried the ball just seven times for 23 yards, but he also caught five passes for 40 yards and a touchdown. That was with Henderson also catching three passes. Stevenson should push double-digit carries and targets in Week 1, which is enough for us to plug him into our lineup.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

There are legitimate concerns when it comes to the Browns' offense. The fear with Judkins is that defenses will be able to key in on him and touchdown opportunities will be limited. We are going to take the talent and the volume against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

We believe that Judkins is one of the most talented backs in the league, and he is going to be the engine of the Browns' offense. They have no option but to give him 15-plus carries a game and a few targets. That should be enough to make him a viable option, and any time he finds the end zone, he is going to have a big week.

JK Dobbins, Denver Broncos

Dobbins has been a great NFL running back when healthy, averaging 5.2 yards per carry for his career. The issue is that he has gotten injured in 100% of his NFL seasons to the point that he has missed more games than he has played in.

Last season, he played 10 games and rushed for 772 yards and four touchdowns. If he played 17 games, that averages out to just over 1,312 yards and about seven touchdowns. You are only going to have him for so many games, so plug him into your flex while you have him and start him against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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