Fantasy football managers know that every lineup decision can make or break a week, and choosing the right players to start or sit is where championships are won. With the 2026 NFL season underway, matchups, stats, and trends are more important than ever. From favorable matchups and scoring trends to players you should avoid in tough spots, my weekly positional start and sit guide is built to give you an edge.
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Running Backs to Start
Jaylen Warren PIT
Jaylen Warren finally got his opportunity to lead Pittsburgh’s backfield last season and turned it into the best year of his career. He set career highs with 211 carries, 958 rushing yards, and eight total touchdowns while finishing as the RB18 in fantasy points per game. The efficiency that made Warren so intriguing in a smaller role didn’t disappear with the added volume either. According to Fantasy Points Data, he ranked sixth among qualifying running backs in missed tackle rate and ninth in yards after contact per attempt. He remained one of the better receiving backs in football as well, ranking third in yards per route run. Pittsburgh added Rico Dowdle this offseason, so I’m not expecting Warren to suddenly handle 20 carries every week, but Kenneth Gainwell’s departure leaves a significant amount of receiving work available in this backfield.
The matchup has also gotten considerably more interesting because Atlanta enters Week 1 without its top two young edge rushers. Jalon Walker is out for the season after tearing his ACL, while James Pearce Jr. will miss the first eight games due to suspension. Atlanta is now relying on Cameron Thomas and Brandon Dorlus as its starting defensive ends while trying to replace a significant portion of last year’s pass rush. Dowdle can take a chunk of the early-down work without eliminating Warren’s fantasy value because Warren should remain heavily involved as a receiver. There is some uncertainty surrounding exactly how Mike McCarthy divides this backfield, but Warren has already proven he can produce without dominating carries. Against a depleted Atlanta defense, I’m comfortable starting him as an RB2 with upside.
D’Andre Swift CHI
D’Andre Swift is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, finishing with 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 223 carries while adding another 34 receptions for 299 yards and a score. He finished as the RB16 in fantasy points per game despite sharing the backfield with Kyle Monangai during the second half of the season. Even after Monangai emerged in Week 9, Swift remained productive and continued to hold the more valuable passing-down role. From Weeks 10-18, Swift posted a 43% route share compared to 28.8% for Monangai. His rushing efficiency also bounced back, ranking 13th in explosive run rate and 11th in rushing success rate among qualifying backs. The biggest concern entering 2026 was how much Monangai could eat into that workload, but his knee injury creates additional uncertainty about how involved he’ll be to begin the season.
Swift briefly gave us an injury scare of his own after leaving practice last week with an abdominal issue, but he returned Monday and is trending toward playing in the opener. Now he gets one of the better matchups on the Week 1 slate. Carolina allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs last season, and from Weeks 12-18 the Panthers allowed the ninth-highest missed tackle rate and seventh-most EPA per rush. If Monangai is limited or unavailable, Swift could also see considerably more work than he normally would. I’m expecting Chicago to lean on him early, and the combination of rushing volume, receiving usage, and a favorable matchup makes Swift a strong RB2 with legitimate RB1 upside this week.
MarShawn Lloyd GB
After two frustrating seasons filled with injuries, MarShawn Lloyd finally has the opportunity fantasy managers have been waiting for. Josh Jacobs is on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and won’t be available for Week 1, pushing Lloyd to the front of a backfield that also includes Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks. Lloyd has barely had an opportunity to show what he can do in the NFL, but the explosiveness was obvious coming out of USC. Over his final two collegiate seasons, he ranked inside the top 20 in yards after contact per attempt and breakaway rate, and he averaged 7.1 yards per carry during his final season at USC. Lloyd spent much of camp receiving the majority of Green Bay’s RB1 work while Jacobs was unavailable, and after injuries derailed the beginning of his career, this is finally his opportunity to turn that explosiveness into meaningful NFL production.
There is some risk here because Green Bay has already indicated it plans to use a committee rather than simply handing Lloyd Jacobs’ entire workload. I’m still willing to start him. Minnesota allowed the sixth-highest rushing success rate and fourth-lowest stuff rate last season while finishing around the middle of the league in explosive run rate and yards after contact allowed. Lloyd also has the advantage of already knowing Green Bay’s offense, while Kaleb Johnson only recently arrived. I don’t need Lloyd to immediately handle 20-plus touches for this start to work. If he gets somewhere around 12-15 carries while contributing in the receiving game, his explosiveness gives him enough upside to turn that workload into a strong fantasy performance. I’m treating him as an upside RB2 or flex in Week 1.
Running Backs to Sit
Bhayshul Tuten JAX
I’ve been high on Bhayshul Tuten throughout the offseason, but Week 1 is a spot where I’m willing to be patient. His rookie numbers don’t jump off the page after finishing with 307 rushing yards on 83 carries, but the underlying efficiency was much more encouraging. Among 55 qualifying running backs, Tuten ranked fifth in rushing success rate, 11th in missed tackle rate, and 17th in yards after contact per attempt. A finger injury prevented us from seeing whether his role would expand down the stretch, and Travis Etienne’s departure has now opened the door for Tuten to become Jacksonville’s lead back. The problem is that we still don’t know if he’s actually going to get that role. Chris Rodriguez is expected to be heavily involved and remains a legitimate threat to Tuten’s early-down and goal-line opportunities.
That uncertainty matters even more against Cleveland. From Weeks 12-18 last season, the Browns allowed the 11th-lowest explosive-run rate, 12th-lowest rushing success rate, and 11th-lowest missed tackle rate to running backs. They lost Myles Garrett but brought Jared Verse back in the trade, so I’m not expecting this front to suddenly become an easy matchup. Tuten absolutely has the talent to take control of this backfield, and if that happens, he’ll become a player I want in my lineup most weeks. I just don’t want to assume the breakout before we know how Jacksonville divides the touches between him and Rodriguez. For Week 1, I’d rather leave Tuten on my bench and learn exactly what his role looks like first.
Quinshon Judkins CLE
Quinshon Judkins should eventually see one of the larger workloads among running backs this season, but I’m not excited about forcing him into lineups immediately. Once Judkins debuted last year, Cleveland quickly turned him into its workhorse. From Weeks 2-15, he averaged 18.7 touches and 72.8 total yards per game before an ankle and fibula fracture ended his season in Week 16. The volume was there, but the efficiency wasn’t. Among 49 qualifying backs, Judkins ranked 40th in explosive run rate and 33rd in missed tackle rate. Some of that falls on Cleveland’s offensive line, as 62.2% of his rushing yards came after first contact and he saw the fourth-fewest yards before contact per attempt. The Browns rebuilt portions of the line this offseason, but Judkins now has to prove both that the blocking is better and that he’s completely back from a significant lower-leg injury.
Jacksonville isn’t where I want to test that combination. The Jaguars allowed the fewest rushing yards per game last season, and from Weeks 12-18 they allowed the sixth-fewest yards after contact per attempt and seventh-lowest missed tackle rate. Cleveland also enters Week 1 as a significant road underdog, creating the possibility that the Browns are forced away from the running game if Jacksonville builds an early lead. Judkins should still get enough volume to remain fantasy relevant, and I’m not treating this as a season-long fade. I just see a difficult matchup, potential negative game script, and a running back playing his first meaningful game since fracturing his ankle and fibula. If I have another viable RB2 or flex option, I’m sitting Judkins this week.
Chuba Hubbard CAR
Chuba Hubbard was one of fantasy football’s biggest surprises in 2024, but almost everything went in the opposite direction last season. He dealt with a calf injury and eventually lost the starting job to Rico Dowdle, finishing as the RB40 in fantasy points per game. The efficiency was even more concerning than the fantasy finish. Among 49 qualifying running backs, Hubbard ranked last in both missed tackle rate and explosive run rate without recording a single explosive run, while finishing 47th in yards after contact per attempt. Dowdle is gone, but I’m still not ready to assume Hubbard simply returns to his old fantasy role. Jonathon Brooks was expected to be heavily involved after finally getting healthy, while Carolina also has AJ Dillon available to handle some of the work. After what we saw from Hubbard last season, I need more than an open depth chart to immediately trust him again.
The matchup is actually one I’d normally want to attack. From Weeks 12-18 last season, Chicago allowed the highest rushing success rate in football, sixth-most yards before contact per attempt, and 11th-most EPA per rush. The problem is that Carolina’s backfield has become even more difficult to project. Brooks has now missed three straight practices with what the team has called general soreness, and while the Panthers remain hopeful he’ll play, his Week 1 availability is uncertain. That could create more touches for Hubbard if Brooks sits, but it also makes this an offense where we don’t have a great idea how the workload will be distributed between Hubbard, Brooks, and Dillon. The matchup isn’t why Hubbard is here; my concern is trusting the player and the role. Even with Brooks potentially unavailable, I’d rather see how Carolina uses Hubbard before putting him back into my lineup.
