Sportsnaut
A new season has arrived in the National Football League, with teams now putting in their final preparations for Week 1. As a new season kicks off, that also brings the opening week for fantasy football in a year where there’ll certainly be a lot of surprises.
Let’s dive into our in-depth Week 1 fantasy RB rankings, providing some NFL stats and matchup analysis that helped determine where the top 20 running backs landed in our Week 1 fantasy rankings.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones traded Micah Parsons, in part, because this defense allowed a 5.0 yards-per-carry average, 1.7 rushing touchdowns and 138 rushing yards per game in 2024. Against that same defense, Saquon Barkley averaged 5.2 ypc and 120 scrimmage yards per contest. Unfortunately for Dallas, nose tackle Kenny Clark was a below-average run stuffer and the core of this defensive front is still weak. The Cowboys will have one of the league’s worst run defenses this year and that starts with a big game from Barkley in Week 1.
Related: Week 1 Fantasy QB Rankings, Stats and Matchup Analysis
Last season, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 84.5 scrimmage yards per game with two total touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. Entering Week 1, the Packers’ run defense is likely to take a step backward this season as the new grouping at defensive tackle are better at creating interior pressure than defending the run. With new Lions’ play-caller John Morton also deploying Gibbs more out wide as a receiver this season, we’re anticipating this being the start of a potential RB1 season from the young back.
Related: Best NFL Running Backs 2025
The Buffalo Bills run defense was quite inconsistent last season, allowing 120-plus rushing yards 11 times (including the playoffs). In two meetings against the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo surrendered 447 rushing yards (an average of 223.5 rush yards per game), 3 rushing touchdowns, and a 6.98 yards-per-carry average. Derrick Henry might not replicate the 200-scrimmage-yard performance he delivered versus Buffalo in Week 4 last season, but a two-touchdown performance with 100-plus rushing yards is certainly doable.
Related: Game-by-Game Bills Predictions 2025
It’s a testament to Bijan Robinson that he still ranks fourth in our Week 1 fantasy rankings despite the tough matchup. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were phenomenal at stopping the run down the stretch last season, holding opponents to 60.8 rush yards per game with a 3.2 yards-per-carry average and just 4 rushing touchdowns in eight games. Robinson’s all-purpose skills allow him to navigate this tough matchup. He might not eclipse 70 rushing yards, having averaged 62 rush yards per game in two starts versus Tampa Bay last year, but 50-plus rushing yards combined with 5 receptions for 30-plus receiving yards is a projectable floor.
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