Travis Etienne, Dylan Sampson, And 6 More Running Backs To Start In Week 2

Week 1 is in the books, and Week 2 is just around the corner. It's time to start setting your lineups and figuring out who you want to start in your lineups. A lot has already changed, and we have to adapt. These are the running backs to start this week.

Travis Etienne Jr, Jacksonville Jaguars

We still don't fully trust Etienne as a talent, but nobody had a better week than him in terms of increasing their fantasy value. He came out against the Carolina Panthers and ran the ball a team-high 16 times for 143 yards, adding three receptions for 13 yards. Then, on Monday, we learn that the Jags are shipping Tank Bigsby off to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, he draws one of the worst defenses in the league in Week 2 when he takes on the Cincinnati Bengals. Start him this week, and he might be a sell-high in the near future.

TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

If you watched Week 1, it's evident why Henderson needs to be started in Week 2. He looked so much better than Rhamondre Stevenson in every area of the game. The rookie took five carries for 27 yards at 5.4 yards per carry, while Stevenson took five for 15 at 2.1 yards per carry. In the passing attack, Henderson caught all six of his targets for 24 yards. This week, he gets to play a Miami Dolphins defense that looked totally incapable of slowing down running backs or tight ends in the passing attack.

Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Williams was the clear starter for the Cowboys last week, and he didn't look at all, but he did see volume and score two TDs. As long as he continues to see the same volume, he will be a viable flex option in favorable matchups. That's exactly what he has this week against the New York Giants, who gave up 220 rushing yards in Week 1.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

Charbonnet both handled more carries than Kenneth Walker III in Week 1 and looked better on the field. He ran the ball 12 times for 47 yards at 3.9 yards per carry, while Walker handled 10 carries for 20 yards at just 2.0 yards per carry. This is still a risky option, but he should be a decent flex play against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who just got torched on the ground by the New York Jets for 182 rushing yards and 32 points.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders

This is a start we are extremely confident in. He led the Washington backfield with 10 carries, and that number is only going to continue to rise after he averaged 8.2 yards per carry. JCM is the Commanders' starting running back, and we only expect him to get better and better.

Tyrone Tracy Jr, New York Giants

Tracy served as the clear-cut starter for New York and looks so much faster than Cam Skattebo on film. It's not that the rookie won't have a role, but it would be a bit of a surprise if he takes over the RB1 job without an injury or disastrous fumbling issue. While Tracy only averaged 2.4 yards per carry on 10 carries, Skattebo took his two carries for -3 yards. We'd expect Tracy to have a better game this week against a shaky Dallas Cowboys' defense.

Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings

As we predicted most of the summer, Mason is the primary ball-carrier for the Vikings. He carried the ball 15 times to Aaron Jones's eight carries. Mason averaged an impressive 4.5 yards per carry, finishing with 68 yards. With the bulk of the carries and goal-line work in a strong Minnesota offense. he should be a solid weekly option.

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns

Things could change in Cleveland when Quinshon Judkins returns, but until we see those changes, we are rolling with Sampson. The rookie ran the ball 12 times and caught all eight of his targets. That kind of usage can't be ignored. He finished the game with 93 yards from scrimmage.