Fantasy Football RB PPR Rankings Week 1: Who to start, best sleepers, top busts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 fantasy football season is here, and your running back choices could determine your Week 1 success. In PPR leagues, volume is crucial, but other factors like receiving opportunities, touchdown upside, offensive environment, and matchups are also key in selecting the right backs for your lineup.
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There are several interesting situations to watch. TreVeyon Henderson is out for New England‘s first game, creating a big chance for Rhamondre Stevenson to get more touches.
Additionally, unclear situations involving players like Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love make Week 1 rankings more unpredictable.
Keep reading for our full breakdown of the running back position for the opening week of the 2026 fantasy season.
|
Rank |
RB |
Team |
Opp. |
|
1 |
DET |
vs. NO |
|
|
2 |
ATL |
vs. PIT |
|
|
3 |
SF |
@ LAR |
|
|
4 |
IND |
vs. BAL |
|
|
5 |
PHI |
vs. WAS |
|
|
6 |
De’Von Achane |
MIA |
@ LV |
|
7 |
LAC |
vs. ARI |
|
|
8 |
BUF |
@ HOU |
|
|
9 |
BAL |
@ IND |
|
|
10 |
CIN |
vs. TB |
|
|
11 |
Kenneth Walker III |
SEA |
vs. NE |
|
12 |
DAL |
@ NYG |
|
|
13 |
Ashton Jeanty |
LV |
vs. MIA |
|
14 |
LAR |
vs. SF |
|
|
15 |
JAX |
vs. CLE |
|
|
16 |
NYJ |
@ TEN |
|
|
17 |
D’Andre Swift |
CHI |
@ CAR |
|
18 |
NYG |
vs. DAL |
|
|
19 |
TB |
@ CIN |
|
|
20 |
GB |
@ MIN |
|
|
21 |
DET |
vs. NO |
|
|
22 |
Rhamondre Stevenson |
NE |
@ SEA |
|
23 |
Jeremiyah Love |
CHI |
@ CAR |
|
24 |
CLE |
@ JAX |
|
|
25 |
JAX |
vs. CLE |
|
|
26 |
Jadarian Price |
SEA |
vs. NE |
|
27 |
PIT |
vs. ATL |
|
|
28 |
PIT |
vs. ATL |
|
|
29 |
TEN |
vs. NYJ |
|
|
30 |
MIN |
vs. GB |
|
|
31 |
CAR |
vs. CHI |
|
|
32 |
J.K. Dobbins |
DEN |
vs. KC |
|
33 |
WAS |
@ PHI |
|
|
34 |
Kenny Gainwell |
TB |
@ CIN |
|
35 |
Aaron Jones Sr. |
MIN |
vs. GB |
|
36 |
WAS |
@ PHI |
|
|
37 |
DEN |
vs. KC |
|
|
38 |
CAR |
vs. CHI |
|
|
39 |
HOU |
vs. BUF |
|
|
40 |
LAR |
vs. SF |
|
|
41 |
JAX |
vs. CLE |
|
|
42 |
TEN |
vs. NYJ |
|
|
43 |
Mike Washington Jr. |
LV |
vs. MIA |
|
44 |
ATL |
vs. PIT |
|
|
45 |
LAC |
vs. ARI |
|
|
46 |
CLE |
@ JAX |
|
|
47 |
ATL |
vs. PIT |
|
|
48 |
NYG |
vs. DAL |
|
|
49 |
SEA |
vs. NE |
|
|
50 |
PHI |
vs. WAS |
With TreVeyon Henderson officially ruled out for the season opener, Stevenson should see a significantly larger workload.
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The matchup against Seattle isn’t ideal, but the combination of increased touches and receiving potential makes Stevenson an appealing PPR sleeper.
Rodriguez is one of my favorite matchup-based sleepers because he could emerge as Jacksonville‘s lead back against Cleveland.
The Jaguars are also favored against a Browns offense that could struggle to sustain drives, giving Jacksonville’s backs more scoring opportunities.
Judkins has significant potential throughout the season, but Week 1 poses challenges. Jacksonville gave up the third-lowest average fantasy points per game to opposing RBs last year, which could make it hard for Judkins to run effectively.
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With Cleveland also entering the season with uncertainty at quarterback, I wouldn’t expect a particularly efficient Browns offense.
Dobbins is another player I’d be cautious about in Week 1 because of his matchup with Kansas City.
Denver could have trouble generating consistent rushing lanes, and Dobbins’ workload isn’t guaranteed to be dominant with RJ Harvey also in the backfield.
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