Start em or sit em? Fantasy football start or sit decisions can be excruciating. While it feels great to make the right call and cruise to fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when you have someone erupt while on your bench. You can use our Who Should I Start? tool to gauge advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings and analysis.
Let’s take a look at a few polarizing players and what fantasy football expert Derek Brown advises. And you can find all of DBro’s fantasy football outlook in this week’s fantasy football primer.
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Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Lineup Advice
With Aaron Jones out, Jordan Mason should be the Vikings’ clear workhorse back. He has averaged 13.5 touches and 56.5 total yards. Those numbers should both go up, and I expect Mason to flirt with 17-20 touches this week. He has been efficient on the ground with his work. Among 50 qualifying backs, Mason ranks 13th in explosive run rate, sixth in missed tackles forced per attempt, and 20th in yards after contact per attempt. Mason should have a productive day against a run defense that has the 11th-lowest stuff rate while ranking 14th in yards after contact per attempt and 15th in yards before contact per attempt.
Javonte Williams is the RB3 in fantasy points per game. Yep, you read that right. Williams proved in Week 2 that his Week 1 outing was just a taste of things to come with a 17% missed tackle rate and awesome every-down usage. He has averaged 20.5 touches and 97 total yards, while ranking 11th in snapshare (74.8%), seventh in route share (57.6%), and 14th in target share (10.5%) among running backs. Overall, he ranks 17th in explosive run rate and eighth-best in yards after contact per attempt. He’s set up for another strong outing in Week 3 against a run defense that has allowed the fifth-highest explosive run rate, the sixth-most rushing yards per game, and the tenth-highest missed tackle rate.
Travis Etienne is the RB9 in fantasy points per game. Last week, he still easily led this backfield with a 66% snap rate, 14 of the 24 running back carries, and a 45.5% route share (7.1% target share). Etienne has averaged 17.5 touches and 122.5 total yards. Among 50 qualifying backs, Etienne ranks sixth in explosive run rate and third in yards after contact per attempt. Etienne should have another strong game against a run defense that has allowed the 12th-highest explosive run rate, the 11th-most rushing yards per game, and the fourth-highest missed tackle rate.
Kenneth Walker saw his snap share drop from Week 1 to Week 2 (40% to 35%), but he was more productive with his volume. He finished with 14 touches with the 23 snaps he played with 118 total yards as the RB5 for the week. Walker had three red zone rushing attempts while Zach Charbonnet had two. His rushing efficiency has still been outstanding. Among 35 qualifying backs, Walker ranks second in explosive run rate, sixth in missed tackles forced per attempt, and 13th in yards after contact per attempt. I wouldn’t be shocked if Walker saw his usage increase in the coming weeks if he continues to outplay Charbonnet. This week’s matchup offers another low-key opportunity for Walker to break off some big plays. The Saints are 16th in rushing yards per game allowed while also giving up the third-highest missed tackle rate and the 11th-most yards after contact per attempt.
James Conner has touchdowns in back-to-back games to save his fantasy outings as the RB17 in fantasy points per game. He has averaged only 14 touches and 48 total yards this season. Last week, Conner played 52.1% of the snaps with 11 of 14 carries for the running backs and a 27.6% route share. This season, he has four red zone carries and all of the team’s inside the five-yard line carries (three). His 17% missed tackle rate is decent, but his 1.91 yards after contact per attempt is lacking. If Conner’s role is this minuscule, as a committee back, and he loses nearly all of his passing game usage, he’ll need to continue to run hot with touchdowns to keep his fantasy stock from tanking. The 49ers should allow him to make some noise on the ground this week, though. San Francisco has allowed the eighth-highest missed tackle rate, the ninth-most yards after contact per attempt, and logged the fourth-lowest stuff rate.
With Austin Ekeler out for the season, Jacory Croskey-Merritt will take over more of the Washington backfield. It’s just a question of how much. I expect Jeremy McNichols to be worked in, especially on passing downs, but Croskey-Merritt (aka Bill) should have the lion’s share of the early down work moving forward. In a limited sample, Bill has been good with a 7.1% explosive run rate and 3.50 yards after contact per attempt. Bill has a tough matchup on the ground this week and likely needs a touchdown to pay off for fantasy. The Raiders have allowed the tenth-lowest explosive run rate, the 11th-lowest missed tackle rate, and the fifth-fewest yards after contact per attempt.
This isn’t what Fantasy GMs signed up for as they drafted Omarion Hampton as their RB2. They thought they were getting a Chargers’ offense that was centered around Hampton as the engine, but the Bolts are a pass-happy team in 2025, and Hampton has been ok but not amazing with his opportunities. He has averaged 71.5% of the snaps with 13 touches and 43 total yards per game. Hampton has a respectable 17% missed tackle rate but only 2.35 yards after contact per attempt. It’s only a two-game sample, so it’s not time to press the panic button. Hampton could see Najee Harris eat into his workload more in Week 3, though. Harris played 72% of the snaps in the fourth quarter last week and looked good while on the field. Hampton does have a good matchup this week and should still be the leader of the backfield, so fire him up, but there is some risk. Denver has allowed the fifth-highest missed tackle rate, the most yards after contact per attempt, and the 13th-most rushing yards per game.
Rhamondre Stevenson has been the team’s clear lead back, playing 65% of the snaps in both games and three of the five running back red zone rushing attempts. Stevenson has averaged 12.5 touches and 84.5 total yards. He is the RB19 in fantasy points per game. Among 50 qualifying backs, Stevenson ranks 18th in explosive run rate, 22nd in missed tackles forced per attempt, and 14th in yards after contact per attempt. He should have another strong outing this week against a struggling Pittsburgh run defense. Pittsburgh has allowed the third-highest explosive run rate, the fifth-most rushing yards per game, and the second-highest missed tackle rate.
Nick Chubb has been the leader of the Houston backfield. He has averaged 50.5% of the snaps with a 54.3% rushing share and a 25% route share. Chubb has averaged 13.5 touches and 66 total yards. He has posted a decent 16% missed tackle rate, but sadly, only 1.60 yards after contact per attempt. Unfortunately, the injuries have robbed Chubb of his former rushing glory. He’s just a volume bet weekly, and you’re hoping he gets in the endzone. Jacksonville could shut him down this week. The Jaguars have allowed the 11th-lowest explosive run rate, the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game, and the lowest missed tackle rate. Sit Chubb if possible.
Jaylen Warren took over as Pittsburgh’s lead back last week with 58.1% of the snaps, 18 touches, and 134 total yards. Warren is currently the RB13 in fantasy points per game. He has a 28.8% route share and a 9.2% target share. We haven’t seen the usual per-touch brilliance from Warren so far this season, with only a 16% missed tackle rate and 1.96 yards after contact per attempt (zero explosive runs). The missed tackle rate is solid but not awe-inspiring. Warren will have a tough day on the ground this week, but he can make up for that through the air. New England has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game, the eighth-lowest missed tackle rate, and the 14th-fewest yards after contact per attempt. The Pats, however, have allowed the sixth-most yards per reception and the fourth-most receiving yards to running backs.
Isiah Pacheco has been a massive letdown to this point. He has averaged 53% of the snaps, had 15 of 29 running back carries, and a 37.6% route share. He has averaged only nine touches and 28.5 total yards. His per-touch numbers also haven’t been anything to write home about, with zero explosive runs, a 7% missed tackle rate, and only 2.40 yards after contact per attempt. He has only one red zone rushing attempt, while Kareem Hunt and Patrick Mahomes have combined for five. This might be the last hurrah. If Pacheco can’t post a nice stat line this week, it might be time to consider giving up hope. The Giants have fielded one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, allowing the most rushing yards per game, the seventh-highest explosive run rate, and the second-most yards after contact per attempt.
TreVeyon Henderson has been stuck behind Rhamondre Stevenson through two weeks, playing only 31.7-35.2% of the snaps, and I don’t know if that changes this week. Henderson has averaged eight touches and 45.5 total yards. His passing game role has been stable with a 32.1% and 30% route share in each game. Henderson hasn’t been the efficient per-touch back that we thought we were getting, though. He doesn’t have an explosive run yet and has managed only a 13% missed tackle rate and 0.75 yards after contact per attempt. Yes, I know he has only eight carries so far this season, so the sample size is insanely small. I still had to mention it. I don’t see his role growing this week, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t bust at least one big run this week to save his day as a flex play with a good matchup. Pittsburgh has allowed the third-highest explosive run rate, the fifth-most rushing yards per game, and the second-highest missed tackle rate.
The Cam Skattebo takeover has begun. In Week 2, he led the Giants’ backfield in snap share (50.8%), route share (40%), rushing attempts (11 of 16 running back rushing attempts), and red zone carries (all six). He finished with 13 touches and 59 total yards as the RB22 in fantasy. Skattebo’s per-rush metrics are ok, but they aren’t amazing past his 7.7% explosive run rate. He has a 15% missed tackle rate and 2.38 yards after contact per attempt. The sample size is small (13 carries), so we don’t need to rush to conclusions. Skattebo hopefully has an even higher snap share this week, and his volume can overcome a horrible matchup. Kansas City has allowed the fifth-lowest explosive run rate, the seventh-lowest missed tackle rate, and the fourth-fewest yards after contact per attempt.
In his first NFL game, Quinshon Judkins played 26.4% of the snaps, finishing with 13 touches and 71 total yards. He had 50% of the running back carries and a 17.6% route share. Jerome Ford took over as the preferred passing-down back. Judkins looked good with a 10% explosive run rate, a 50% missed tackle rate, and 5.60 yards after contact per attempt. Judkins is unfortunately a touchdown-dependent flex this week, though. The Packers have an elite run defense this season, holding rushers to zero explosive runs, the second-fewest rushing yards per game, and the fewest yards after contact per attempt.
Zach Charbonnet has been the snap leader for the Seattle backfield in both games, playing 55.4-57.7% of the snaps. He did lose out to Kenneth Walker in Week 2 with only two red zone rushing attempts to Walker’s three. Charbonnet has done very little with his volume to this point, failing to draw a single target while averaging 13.5 touches and 28.5 total yards. Among 35 qualifying backs, his missed tackle rate (7%) ranks 28th, and his yards after contact per attempt is 30th (1.81). If he keeps squandering these opportunities, he’ll lose more work to Walker as we move through the season. Charbonnet has a nice matchup in Week 3 to hopefully reverse this trend. The Saints are 16th in rushing yards per game allowed while also giving up the third-highest missed tackle rate and the 11th-most yards after contact per attempt.
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