
The 2026-27 NFL season has officially kicked off, and with that, the fantasy football season as well. After Week 1 of the NFL season, the landscape for the best options for your fantasy football team has already started to take shape, with surprise performances, breakout players and fantasy duds all changing week to week. The season is still very early, but let’s take a look at my fantasy football rankings for running backs going into Week 2.
Must Start- A player who is in your lineup regardless of the matchup or most circumstances. They will likely finish near the top of the league in points that week and in most weeks.
Starting RB1- A player who makes fantasy owners comfortable starting week after week. Regardless of the matchup, this player has a solid floor.
Low-End Starter- A player who may not be a lock to start for a team every week, but will start more times than not because of depth at the position. Their production is based on whether they can get in the end zone or not. It can be the difference between a top-10 performance or a top-25 performance.
Deep League Starter- A player whose ceiling isn’t high but should put up enough production to be started in deep leagues. When a player like this is started, it is because their production, though it will likely be low, will be better than a few other options.
| Category | Name | Opponent | Matchup Start/Sit | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Must Start | Jahmyr Gibbs | AT Buffalo Bills | A+ | RB1 |
| Must Start | Bijan Robinson | VS. Carolina Panthers | A+ | RB2 |
| Must Start | Derrick Henry | VS. New Orleans | A+ | RB3 |
| Must Start | Jonathan Taylor | AT Kansas City Chiefs | A+ | RB4 |
| Must Start | Christian McCaffrey | VS. Miami Dolphins | A+ | RB5 |
| Must Start | James Cook III | VS. Detroit Lions | A | RB6 |
| Must Start | Saquon Barkley | AT Tennessee Titans | A | RB7 |
| Must Start | Kenneth Walker III | VS. Indianapolis Colts | A | RB8 |
| Must Start | Ashton Jeanty | AT Los Angeles Chargers | A | RB9 |
| Must Start | De’Von Achane | AT San Francisco 49ers | A | RB10 |
| Must Start | Chase Brown | AT Houston Texans | A | RB11 |
| Starter | D’Andre Swift | VS. Minnesota Vikings | A- | RB12 |
| Starter | Javonte Williams | VS. Washington Commanders | A- | RB13 |
| Starter | Kyren Williams | VS. New York Giants | A- | RB14 |
| Starter | Omarion Hampton | VS. Las Vegas Raiders | A- | RB15 |
| Starter | Breece Hall | VS. Green Bay Packers | A- | RB16 |
| Starter | Bucky Irving | VS. Cleveland Browns | A- | RB17 |
| Starter | David Montgomery | VS. Cincinnati Bengals | B+ | RB18 |
| Starter | Jeremiyah Love | VS. Seattle Seahawks | B+ | RB19 |
| Low-End Starter | Cam Skattebo | AT Los Angeles Rams | B+ | RB20 |
| Low-End Starter | Chuba Hubbard | AT Atlanta Falcons | B+ | RB21 |
| Low-End Starter | Travis Etienne Jr. | AT Baltimore Ravens | B+ | RB22 |
| Low-End Starter | Jadarian Price | AT Arizona Cardinals | B+ | RB23 |
| Low-End Starter | Rhamondre Stevenson | VS. Pittsburgh Steelers | B | RB24 |
| Low-End Starter | Quinshon Judkins | AT Tampa Bay Buccaneers | B | RB25 |
| Low-End Starter | Bhayshul Tuten | AT Denver Broncos | B | RB26 |
| Low-End Starter | Aaron Jones Sr. | AT Chicago Bears | B | RB27 |
| Low-End Starter | Jaylen Warren | AT New England Patriots | B | RB28 |
| Deep League Starter | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | AT Dallas Cowboys | B- | RB29 |
| Deep League Starter | MarShawn Lloyd | AT New York Jets | B- | RB30 |
| Deep League Starter | J.K. Dobbins | VS. Jacksonville Jaguars | B- | RB31 |
| Deep League Starter | Tony Pollard | VS. Philadelphia Eagles | B- | RB32 |
| Deep League Starter | Kyle Monangai | VS. Minnesota Viking | B- | RB33 |
| Deep League Starter | Rico Dowdle | AT New England Patriots | C+ | RB34 |
| Deep League Starter | RJ Harvey | VS. Jacksonville Jaguars | C+ | RB35 |
| Deep League Starter | TreVeyon Henderson | VS. Pittsburgh Steelers | C+ | RB36 |
| Deep League Starter | Blake Corum | VS. New York Giants | C+ | RB37 |
| Deep League Starter | Kaelon Black | VS. Miami Dolphins | C+ | RB38 |
| Deep League Starter | Tyler Allgeier | VS. Seattle Seahawks | C+ | RB39 |
| Deep League Starter | Jonathan Brooks | AT Atlanta Falcons | C+ | RB40 |
| Deep League Starter | Kenny Gainwell | VS. Cleveland Browns | C+ | RB41 |
| Deep League Starter | Woody Marks | VS. Cincinnati Bengals | C+ | RB42 |
| Deep League Starter | Rachaad White | AT Dallas Cowboys | C+ | RB43 |
| Deep League Starter | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | AT Denver Broncos | C+ | RB44 |
Be sure to also check out my underrated and risky fantasy running back options going into Week 2.
Go to our NFL page for more articles and updates like NFL Week 2 Picks Against the Spread!
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