RB Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 2 (2024)

It's time again to talk about those running backs we are starting here in Week 2.

I know you've been hurt before, but we have to try and love again if we are going to make it in these fantasy football streets. Last week, Zamir White, Javonte Williams, and Raheem Mostert broke your hearts, and it took a touchdown from Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry to salvage their fantasy weeks.

Trust has to be earned, so who can we trust again, and who should we avoid? Well, it's time to talk about our feelings in Week 2, starts and sits.

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Week 2 Starts - Fantasy Football Booms

Josh Jacobs - RB, Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts

Josh Jacobs is the only player who sees a positive uptick with the Jordan Love injury. We know Malik Willis is not a polished passer and can run the ball himself, so look for this Packers offense to transition to a more run-heavy approach during Love's absence.

Last week, the Colts saw a heavy dose of Joe Mixon from the Texans, with 30 carries and 159 yards on the ground. Mixon also played a small part in the passing game, with three receptions for 19 yards.

Even going back to last season, teams found a way to run the ball and produce against this Colts defense. Indianapolis allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to the running back position just a season ago.

Although a poor playing surface in Brazil last week and facing a solid Eagles run defense in terms of fantasy points allowed, Jacobs managed to break off some nice runs and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in the process.

These are the 3 runs to point to if you thought Josh Jacobs looked good last night! Very impressive batch.

Just don’t watch the other 13 carries pic.twitter.com/oUZ7Xh7E1P

— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) September 7, 2024

Rhamondre Stevenson - RB, New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

With 25 carries, 120 yards, and a touchdown, it won't be easy to look past Rhamondre Stevenson. Even more so this week against a Seahawks defensive unit that allowed 138.4 rushing yards and 23.55 fantasy points per game to backs last season. The nearly 140 yards on the ground against it had been the second most in the league.

Rhamondre Stevenson logged 12 missed tackles forced today per @PFF. No other running back recorded more than 5.

109 of his 120 yards came after contact.pic.twitter.com/imP4BnQUPv

— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) September 8, 2024

Seattle did manage to hold Javonte Williams and the entire Broncos rushing attack to 99 yards last week, but that feels more like an outlier performance. Even if the Seahawks get a piece of Stevenson, it may not be enough.

Of Stevenson's 120 yards on the ground, 118 of them came after contact as the Patriots back forced 12 missed tackles, which was five more than any other back last Sunday.

Last season, Stevenson saw 60% of the snaps in nine games and averaged 18.4 fantasy points per game. Stevenson is poised for a tremendous season based on his Week 1 usage. Not many backs are going to get 25 carries and run 15 routes per game, let alone an 80% snap share.

Jerome Ford - RB, Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars

Jerome Ford is that guy you're looking for, a back you can trust, especially in PPR formats. Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Ford hauled in six passes for 25 yards and earned 18 fantasy points when adding in his touchdown and 44 additional yards on the ground.

The Cleveland Browns trusted Ford as he earned 85.7% of the Browns' carries, which was in the same percentile as Bijan Robinson, Isiah Pacheco, and James Conner. That is a bell-cow type of workload from the former Cincinnati Bearcat.

Largest share of RB carries heading into MNF:

Jonathan Taylor (100%)
Saquon Barkley (96%)
Derrick Henry (92.9%)
Joe Mixon (90.9%)
Kyren Williams (90%)
Isiah Pacheco (88.2%)
Bijan Robinson, Jerome Ford, Brian Robinson (85.7%)
James Conner (84.2%)
Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard (80%)

— Raymond Summerlin (@RMSummerlin) September 9, 2024

For Ford, it is his involvement in the passing game that earns him his inclusion as a start this week. Last season, only Christian McCaffrey had more receiving touchdowns. If the six receptions indicate what we can expect moving forward, this matchup against the Jaguars should excite fantasy managers.

In Week 1, the Jaguars watched Dolphins running back De'Von Achane come out of the backfield and haul in all seven of his targets for 76 yards. With no other backs on the Browns' radar, this is Ford's backfield, and he should continue to excel in the passing game, which is music to his fantasy managers' ears.

J.K. Dobbins - RB, Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers

Here is a bonus play this week. J.K. Dobbins showed some burst against an excellent Raiders defense last week, including a 61-yard run late in the contest to push that rushing total to 135 yards on 10 carries. Dobbins suffered an ACL tear back in 2021 and then an Achilles tear in 2023, which would be a death sentence to most backs.

jk dobbins the man that u are

📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/YZGjq4cXYm

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 8, 2024

This week, you can trust him in your lineup against a Carolina Panthers defense that just yielded 180 rushing yards to the New Orleans Saints in a game that was essentially over three series into the game. Dobbins was easily the better-looking of the two Chargers backs and should earn more touches moving forward.

I have some concerns, as I am old enough to remember when Cam Akers looked good coming back from an Achilles tear, only to lose his job to Kyren Williams shortly after.

Week 2 Sits - Fantasy Football Busts

Chuba Hubbard - RB, Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Chargers

When we started to get excited about this Carolina offense, it went into New Orleans and self-destructed. I get that the game was over before the end of the first quarter, but when Miles Sanders has more rushing yards than you do, that's not a great sign.

Hubbard had just six touches, all carries, for just 14 yards. Sanders not only had more yards but also more opportunities. Despite Hubbard playing 10 more snaps, Sanders ran seven more routes.

Chuba Hubbard played 10 more snaps than Miles Sanders and ran 7 more routes. He failed to register a target and saw just a 40% running back rush share.

— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) September 9, 2024

This week, Hubbard and the Panthers host a Chargers defense that allowed just 71 yards on the ground to Zamir White and Alexander Mattison. Carolina, for its part last week, turned the ball over on three separate occasions while the Chargers forced three turnovers themselves.

If this plays out like that this week, this game could also be over before the end of the first quarter for the Panthers.

Rachaad White- RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions

Last season, the Detroit Lions were one of those teams you simply didn't start backs against in fantasy, as they allowed just 15.45 fantasy points to the position per contest.

That trend will continue once again in 2024. Kyren Williams managed to find the end zone against this Lions defense; however, the Rams backs managed just 66 yards on 20 carries and only four yards on three receptions.

As for White's situation, it is not as bleak as, say, Chuba Hubbard's, but it's not great, either. White had 15 carries for 31 yards against the Commanders. Meanwhile, his backfield partner churned out 62 yards on just nine attempts. Expect Bucky Irving's role to continue to grow this week and throughout the season as he continues to prove to be the more efficient runner.

Rushing yards over expectations per attempt leaders and losers from Week 1 per @NextGenStats

1. JK Dobbins
2. Aaron Jones
3. Josh Jacobs
4. Tank Bigsby
5. Rhamondre Stevenson
- -
28. Gus Edwards
29. Ezekiel Elliott
30. De'Von Achane
31. Rachaad White
32. Jamaal Williams

— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) September 9, 2024

Irving and White are an excellent complementary duo. White will continue to be featured in the passing game, as we saw last week with his six grabs for 75 yards. However, the Lions were the only team not to surrender a receiving score to a running back last season.

Javonte Williams - RB, Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

From the fantasy penthouse to the fantasy football outhouse, such is the life of an NFL running back. Have no fury like the scorn of a fantasy manager.

Last week, in what was supposed to be a good matchup, Williams was a non-factor, registering just eight carries for 23 yards and hauling in just one of his two targets. That reception didn't even net any yards. I was going to have to file a report about missing persons. I'm unsure if Williams was banged up or in Sean Payton's doghouse, but Jaleel McLaughlin out-touched him 15 to nine.

Diving further into this Broncos backfield situation, Williams played 36 snaps, while McLaughlin would finish with 24, and Audric Estime spelled them on three snaps. If Williams and McLaughlin can only combine for 51 yards on 24 touches against the Seahawks, how are they going to handle T.J. Watt and the Steelers this week?

After allowing 118.6 rushing yards and nearly 30 fantasy points per game to backs last season, the Steelers are finally healthy and put that on display last week. In that contest, the Steelers held Bijan Robinson to just 3.8 yards per carry on his 18 attempts.

Now, Robinson did finish with five receptions and an additional 43 yards, but no one is mistaking Javonte Williams for Bijan Robinson.

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