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Your fantasy team enters Week 2 looking to build some momentum. It’s time to evaluate what we’ve learned on opening day and apply it to this week's matchups. Ensuring we select the right running backs for our starting lineups can be agonizing.
I know what it’s like. You’re scrolling for help. Checking a dozen different sites for their projections. Asking friends and family what they would do. Well, that all ends here. I will give you my Week 2 start/sit plays for the running back position so you can rest easy. Let’s go win!
Fantasy Football Week 2 Start 'Em Running Backs
James Conner (ARI)
It’s hard to feel good about the Arizona Cardinals offense. This team had barely over 200 yards of offense in Week 1. But If you dig deeper, you’ll see that James Conner is the engine that runs this nearly broken-down machine.
Conner had 19 touches in the opener. That equated to 12 PPR points. That’s precisely what we want to see from our running backs. Opportunity leads to results.
Conner has a home contest against a Giants defense that gave up over four yards per carry and three rushing touchdowns to Dallas. Arizona doesn’t have a quarterback they can lean on to carry them to a victory. In such situations, they’ll lean on players like Conner to tote the rock. Start Conner with confidence.
Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer concurs, suggesting a start for Conner will likely yield more points this week.
Kyren Williams (LAR)
Who saw this coming? Williams exploded out of nowhere for the LA Rams and finished the week as RB 8 in PPR scoring. This is all about volume.
Williams saw 67% of Rams snaps vs. just 33% for incumbent back Cam Akers. While Akers outcarried Williams 22-15, Williams scored a pair of touchdowns (Akers did have one). Williams did more with his carries, averaging 3.5 YPC to Akers’ pathetic 1.3.
More importantly, Williams is the unquestioned passing down back. Seeing the field on passing downs is the secret to fantasy points for running backs. Williams ran a route on 72% of Rams' dropbacks. As the hurry-up back in an offense that should throw a ton, Williams makes an appealing option.
A.J. Dillon (GB)
Nothing about this call has anything to do with how Dillon looked Sunday. Frankly, he stunk.
But Aaron Jones is questionable to play this week with a hamstring injury. This would open the door for Dillon to handle the bulk of the carries versus a Falcons team that just allowed 154 rushing yards to the Panthers.
With the Packers being potentially down Jones and star receiver Christian Watson, I can see a path for Dillon to come through for you.
Fantasy Football Week 2 Sit Em' Running Backs
Gus Edwards (BAL)
You likely just added Edwards off the waiver wire because J.K. Dobbins was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. While Edwards should assume a hefty workload for the Ravens, it’s not without question marks.
First, Justice Hill should bogart most of the passing down work because Edwards has 18 career receptions in five seasons. Hill also accounted for two touchdowns thanks to his goal-line work. Hill saw 67% of the Ravens snaps from inside the 5-yard line.
Gus is an excellent bruising back who can be used for bye-week fill-ins, but I’m not counting on him at Cincinnati with a pair of offensive linemen potentially out due to injury.
Khalil Herbert (CHI)
When they drafted Herbert in the middle rounds, many thought they found a diamond in the rough. Well, “rough” sums it up pretty well. The Bears offense is broken. Their offensive line, which they hoped was upgraded, is still in shambles.
Herbert managed just 27 yards rushing on nine attempts. We can’t start backs who are getting less than ten carries. While it was encouraging to see five targets, Herbert could do nothing with them. Don’t look now, but rookie Roschon Johnson was very impressive in the second half. Don’t be shocked if Johnson starts carving out a bigger role weekly.
