Fantasy Football Week 1 Running Back Start/Sit: Raheem Mostert, Jerome Ford, Tony Pollard and More

Start 

Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins

Mostert had an unreasonably low ADP all summer due to fears of De'Von Achane taking over in the Miami backfield. While you should expect an increased role from the second-year back, Mostert will still hold a ton of fantasy value and upside. Make no mistake, Mostert will lead this backfield in carries and continue to be a major factor when the team gets down by the goal line. Start him with confidence this week and he won't let you down.  

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

The expectation of a bad offense in New England combined with the signing of Antonio Gibson has scared a lot of owners away from Stevenson. Conversely, we anticipate a bounce-back season for the talented back under a new regime. This will be a run-heavy offense and we know Jacoby Brissett loves to dump the ball off. It's possible his efficiency isn't quite where it was when he broke out in 2022, however, there will be no lack of volume. 

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

You drafted Hubbard to start him the first month of the season and perhaps a bit longer, so get him in your lineups. This is why you picked him up, so use him while he has his bell-cow role. He proved last season he can be a strong fantasy asset in this role and no one should be worried about Miles Sanders. If you didn't plan to play Hubbard in September you never should have drafted him. 

Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders

Robinson is a guy who has been criminally undervalued all offseason and should be in line for a breakout year. The matchup isn't great this week, but you should have faith that he'll be a weekly starter in 2024. Austin Ekeler isn't taking his job and the threat of Jayden Daniels taking off will open up a lot more running lanes than Robinson has seen in the NFL so far. He should be in your lineup every week until further notice.  

Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

We saw what Ford could do when handed the reins last season and it was excellent. So why are fantasy owners worried about D'Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. in 2024? They may have a small role but nothing beyond what's expected in most backfields. Certainly nothing more than Nick Chubb had to deal with when Kareem Hunt was on the team. Don't overthink this situation and plug Ford into your lineups this week. 

Sit

Tony Pollard/Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

You'll notice a theme in the "sit" portion of this article and it's backfields that we are unsure about. If you start either of these backs you are simply guessing and with no bye weeks and limited injuries, there is no reason to take that risk in Week 1. The team has made it a point to say that these two backs are interchangeable in all phases of the game. There is a chance you could guess right, but I promise you don't know better than the coaches of the team.  

Gus Edwards/J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers

This backfield is one of the toughest in the league to figure out and there is a chance that neither of these backs end up being the guy. If we had to go with one, it would be Edwards simply based on health, but you are better off avoiding this backfield altogether until we get a better feel for how opportunities will be distributed and how they will operate in general.  

Zack Moss/Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

This backfield will likely have the most upside and value in this group of sit candidates. However, it is really tough to tell who will lead this backfield. It makes all the sense in the world to want to bank on the talent and upside of Brown, but Moss is still listed as the RB1 on the team's depth chart. We have confidence one of these guys will emerge as a valuable fantasy asset, but would prefer to wait at least a week until we start putting either guy in our lineups. 

Ezekiel Elliott/Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys

We aren't sure that we will want any part of this backfield even if we knew who the lead back was going to be. There may just not be a ton of value to be had. The worst-case scenario may be the most likely scenario for this backfield. Dowdle will probably see the bulk of the carries while Zeke sees most of the targets and goal-line work. Don't be surprised if one or both of these backs pop up in this section a lot this season.