We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top fantasy football waiver wire running backs to target for the week below. And check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 2.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Running Back
RUNNING BACKS
Written by Ellis Bryn Johnson
Dylan Sampson (RB – CLE): 46% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @BAL, GB, @DET
- True Value: $7
- Desperate Need: $11
- Budget-Minded: $4
Analysis: It’s a true chicken-or-egg dilemma when discussing the Browns versus Bengals matchup. Are the Browns a functional offense? Or are the Bengals that bad on defense? While the answer probably lands somewhere in the middle, there is no denying Dylan Sampson‘s Week 1 involvement. He led the team with 12 rushing attempts for 29 yards and also caught eight passes for 64 yards. The concern is that this backfield is a firm committee, with Jerome Ford getting six carries and one reception in Week 1, and Raheim Sanders scoring a goal-line touchdown. Plus, Quinshon Judkins is set to join the team next week after finally coming to terms on his rookie contract. But Sampson’s passing-game prowess should help keep him afloat when the Browns take on the Ravens in Week 2. He’s worth targeting on waivers, but keep in mind that the Bengals may have made the Browns’ offense look better than it is.
Trey Benson (RB – ARI): 39% Rostered
- Next Opponents: CAR, @SF, SEA
- True Value: $5
- Desperate Need: $8
- Budget-Minded: $3
Analysis: Based on the box score, Trey Benson was the Cardinals’ most productive back in Week 1. With eight carries for 69 yards and one reception for six yards, Benson led the team in scrimmage yards against the Saints. The caveat was that his 52-yard run in the third quarter kept him from finishing with seven carries for 17 yards. James Conner is clearly Arizona’s lead back. He played 44 snaps on Sunday and had 12 carries for 39 yards. Conner also caught all four of his targets for five yards and a touchdown. Benson played 22 snaps in Week 1 and is the clear insurance policy for Conner. And Benson could be a deep Flex play as early as next week, when the Cardinals take on a Panthers team that allowed 200 rushing yards to the Jaguars in Week 1.
Miles Sanders (RB – DAL): 2% Rostered
- Next Opponents: vs. NYG, @CHI, GB
- True Value: $2
- Desperate Need: $4
- Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: With Jaydon Blue a healthy scratch in Week 1, the Dallas backfield was dominated by Javonte Williams (47 snaps), with Miles Sanders (11 snaps) providing a change of pace. After breaking off an impressive 49-yard run, Sanders coughed up a critical fumble in the red zone. If it wasn’t for CeeDee Lamb eating buttered popcorn before the game and dropping multiple passes, this fumble would haunt Cowboys fans. So, why should you pick up Sanders? It appears he’s the clear backup, and Williams was not very impressive in Week 1, rushing 15 times for 54 yards, with his two touchdown runs supercharging his production. If anything happens to Williams or he continues to have disappointing efficiency, Sanders could easily step into fantasy Flex territory.
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT): 1% Rostered
- Next Opponents: vs. SEA, @NE, MIN
- True Value: $1
- Desperate Need: $2
- Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: The most surprising shootout of Week 1 was the Steelers’ 34-32 win against the Jets. Aaron Rodgers passing for four touchdowns against Aaron Glenn’s defense couldn’t have been on many people’s bingo cards. And few people expected Kenneth Gainwell to lead the Pittsburgh backfield in snaps and out-touch rookie Kaleb Johnson 10-1. With a 37% share of the running back carries and the most receptions among Steelers backs in Week 1, signs point to Gainwell being a prominent weapon in this offense early on. Every season, fantasy managers need to be flexible with their player opinions and not overreact to a single week of results. This balancing act is never easy, but it seems safe to say that Pittsburgh is not ready to trust Johnson and will be using a Jaylen Warren–Kenneth Gainwell combo in the short term. Gainwell can jump into Flex territory in deeper leagues.
Running Back Stash Candidates
With Kyle Monangai taking the field on Monday night against the Vikings, we are proactively adding him to this list. After dealing with a hamstring injury, he is ready to make his debut against the Vikings. Bears head coach Ben Johnson has repeatedly said how much he trusts Monangai, and it’s possible the rookie could be the goal-line back to start the season.
The Dolphins forgot to show up against the Colts in Week 1. Either Miami happened to have its worst game of the season in Week 1, or the Dolphins are on the fast track to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Although I lean toward the latter, Ollie Gordon is the clear No. 2 back behind De’Von Achane and will be utilized between the tackles in positive game scripts. A Week 2 matchup against a Patriots team that held the Raiders to 2.3 yards per carry on Sunday is a tough ask for Gordon. However, let’s give this Dolphins team a mulligan and see if they can turn it around in Week 2.
The Chiefs are staring down an 0-2 start, as they face the Super Bowl champion Eagles in Week 2. We saw Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both have five carries and two receptions in Week 1. If this continues as something close to a 50-50 split, Kareem Hunt could have weekly fantasy value.
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