Fantasy football Week 1 RB preview: Rhamondre Stevenson a surprise top-12 play, plus a forgotten low-end RB1 — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Rhamondre Stevenson is the preview's lone RB12 selection despite a difficult matchup: Seattle allowed a league-low 19.2 PPR points per game to running backs but a league-high 97 catches, and Stevenson still produced 18.5 PPR points against Seattle in the Super Bowl after being limited to 23 rushing yards.
- Kenneth Walker projects as a Week 1 top-12 back because Kansas City expects a workhorse role after he played only 47% of Seattle's offensive snaps last season.
- D'Andre Swift is projected for 21 touches if Kyle Monangai is unavailable; Swift averaged 16.2 PPR points across seven games with at least 18 touches last season.
- Tony Pollard draws a strong matchup against a Jets defense that surrendered a league-high 28 running-back touchdowns last season.
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt led qualified running backs with a 53.7% rush success rate, and the preview says a small passing-game boost would make him a quality RB2.
Why it matters: Fantasy managers choosing Week 1 lineups face a sharp PPR split: Stevenson's RB12 case rests on Seattle's NFL-high 97 catches allowed to running backs, even after he managed only 23 rushing yards against Seattle in the Super Bowl. The matchup is poor for efficiency, but receiving volume—not rushing production—is the basis for the contrarian ranking.
Ask SkimNews
