The 2024 NFL season kicks off this week, and with that, so do your fantasy football leagues! If you’re looking for some help setting those lineups, SB Nation has you covered.
Below, you’ll find Week 1 running back rankings for standard-scoring (non-PPR) leagues, as well as two viable flex plays and two sleepers with scoring potential.
Week 1 RB flex plays
Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Patriots)
Even with 2024 free agent signing Zack Moss being listed as RB1 on the team’s Week 1 depth chart, there’s still some uncertainty as to how this backfield will shake out for the remainder of the season. The good news is the Bengals should have plenty of time to evaluate their run game in Week 1’s outing against the Patriots, favored by a ridiculous 7.5 points.
Though the Patriots’ defense could limit this Bengals offense in terms of total efficiency, volume should be conducive to rushing production on the whole. Meanwhile, Moss seems to project as the team’s short-yardage and goal-line option to earn him the flex preference over teammate Chase Brown right out of the gate.
Devin Singletary, New York Giants (vs. Vikings)
The New York Giants brought in free agent Devin Singletary to reunite with his former head coach, Brian Daboll, this offseason, and with little competition behind him, the opportunity for a hot start to the fantasy season is in the realm of possibility.
After taking over Texans RB Dameon Pierce in the second half of last season, Singletary more than proved his ability to be fantasy-relevant, averaging just over 86 scrimmage yards per game in Weeks 9-18. In that span, Singletary notched two top-four weekly finishes in non-PPR scoring formats and a top-16 finish in five of those 10 games.
The Giants and Vikings are projected for one of the lower point totals on the week at 41.5, with the point spread favoring the Vikings ever-so-slightly at -1.5 points (-115 vig). If Minnesota’s defense plays poorly amidst the offseason losses of Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum and Dean Lowry, among others, this Giants offense might opt to give Singletary a moderately heavy workload to open up the year, especially as QB Daniels Jones continues to work back from a torn ACL suffered in 2023.
Week 1 RB sleepers
Rostership percentages in Yahoo! Fantasy leagues are indicated in parentheses.
Ray Davis (Buffalo Bills vs. Cardinals, 18%)
It was a solid preseason for Bills rookie running back Ray Davis, having firmly entrenched himself as the RB2 in the offense behind James Cook. Though most fantasy managers don’t usually get overly excited about the prospects of a team’s RB2, Buffalo’s RB2 in particular is intriguing, as the frequent receiver of goal-line carries over Cook, who’s a generally undersized option at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds.
The Bills are 6.5-point favorites in this outing for Week 1, projected for one of the higher point totals on the week at 48.5. Don’t be surprised if the Bills offense is able to take advantage of a porous Cardinals’ defense with one of the league’s worst defensive lines on paper.
Jaylen Wright (Miami Dolphins vs. Jaguars, 22%)
It’s two rookie recommendations on this week’s RB sleepers list, and it’s the touchdown upside on a higher-power offense that does earns each of them a place on this list. The Dolphins selected Wright in the fourth round of this year’s draft — a 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back out of Tennessee who ran a ridiculous 4.38-second 40-yard dash. He had a strong showing in the preseason that undoubtedly got the attention of his head coach and fantasy managers alike with plays like this:
This backfield is a messy one, with HC Mike McDaniel acknowledging that the players will “determine who gets the ball and how frequently and how much they’re in the game,” which certainly speaks to a potential hot-hand approach.
Given Wright’s size/speed combination, he could end up a fixture as soon as Week 1; after all, it only takes one carry for any of these Dolphins running backs to make it a housecall. If you find yourself in dire straights right out of the gate in search of a deep sleeper for Week 1, you could do worse than the rotational (and possible goal-line option) for one of the league’s most run-heavy and efficient offenses.
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
