Week 1 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings & Tiers: Studs, Sleepers, & Must-Starts (Ep. 1685)

10 snips

Sep 4, 2025

Dive into the latest running back rankings as experts debate standout players like Saquon Barkley and emerging rookies. Discover insights on David Montgomery's role versus the Packers and the impact of game scripts on Travis Etienne and J.K. Dobbins. Listen for must-start options, potential sleepers, and the complexities of player evaluations that can make or break your fantasy lineup. Don't miss the breakdown of valuable players like Ashton Jeanty and Jordan Mason as you prepare for Week 1 matchups!

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Trust Top-25, Favor WRs In Week 1 Flexes

Top-25 running backs have trustworthy projected workloads, but it gets messy after that.
Consider flexing more wide receivers in Week 1 because RB depth beyond 25 is shaky.

ADVICE

Don't Rush Rookies Into RB1 Roles

Wait for confirmation before elevating rookies to RB1 status after Week 1.
Bench Ashton Jeanty in uncertain leagues until you see Chip Kelly's usage plan.

ADVICE

Start James Conner Against Saints

Start James Conner in Week 1 against New Orleans if he's healthy.
Trust Conner's bell‑cow role and favorable matchup for reliable RB1 production.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Chris Welsh, Pat Fitzmaurice, and Andrew Erickson are breaking down Week 1's biggest running back ranking differences, engaging in debates, and highlighting the expert consensus for Week 1

Don't miss our deep-dive into this week's rankings, must-start options, and value plays to dominate your fantasy matchup!

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00

RBs 1-12 - 0:03:42

Ashton Jeanty - 0:04:17

James Conner - 0:06:52

RBs 13-24 - 0:09:14

TreVeyon Henderson - 0:09:42

Isiah Pacheco - 0:15:34

FantasyPros Premium Offer - 0:18:52

RBs 25-36 - 0:19:12

David Montgomery - 0:19:39

Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby - 0:24:14

J.K. Dobbins - 0:27:25

RB Not in Top 36 That Should Be - 0:30:20

Jordan Mason - 0:30:52

Outro - 0:31:56

Helpful Links:

Draft Assistant - Get live support during your fantasy football draft with the Draft Assistant. Connect the Draft Assistant to your draft and get real-time suggestions based on expert rankings, team needs, and positional scarcity. Get the most value out of every pick in your fantasy football draft with the Draft Assistant. Learn more at fantasypros.com/assistant or download our Fantasy Football Draft Wizard app on Google Play or App Store.

Draft Simulator - Master your draft strategy by testing it out in minutes using our Draft Simulator. The Draft Simulator allows you to practice quick and fun, realistic mock drafts based on your league settings in minutes. Sync your league for FREE and try it today at fantasypros.com/mock.

Follow us on Twitch - The team here at FantasyPros is taking questions all week, every week on Twitch. We've got exclusive live content there every single weekday. Follow us on Twitch at twitch.tv/fantasypros and never miss a stream!

Discord – Join our FantasyPros Discord Community! Chat with other fans and get access to exclusive AMAs that wind up on our podcast feed. Come get your questions answered and BE ON THE SHOW at fantasypros.com/chat

Leave a Review – If you enjoy our show and find our insight to be valuable, we’d love to hear from you! Your reviews fuel our passion and help us tailor content specifically for YOU. Head to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts and leave an honest review. Let’s make this show the ultimate destination for fantasy football enthusiasts like us. Thank you for watching and for showing your support – https://fantasypros.com/review/

BettingPros Podcast – For advice on the best picks and props across both the NFL and college football each and every week, check out the BettingPros Podcast at bettingpros.com/podcast, our BettingPros YouTube channel at youtube.com/bettingpros, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.