- Javonte Williams is … good?: There was little optimism for Williams coming into the season after a disappointing four-year stint with the Denver Broncos, but he is now looking like a much-improved player with his new team and is the fantasy RB3 through two weeks.
- First-round rookies disappointing: Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton are disappointing fantasy managers everywhere who took a leap of faith and took them early in fantasy drafts. The two are both outside the top 25 running back scorers on the season.
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Below are the top running back takeaways from the first two weeks of the season that could have a significant impact on fantasy points in Week 3 and beyond.
Javonte Williams owns the Dallas Cowboys‘ backfield
In a shocking turn of events, Javonte Williams might be a pretty good running back and an excellent pickup for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Williams has dominated the team’s backfield snaps and touches through two weeks — he has played on 74% of the offensive snaps and already has 41 touches. Only five players across the NFL have more touches than Williams (Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Bijan Robinson). He is not only getting it done on the ground with 151 rush yards and three touchdowns, but he also has 10 targets through two games.
Williams is the fantasy RB3 through the first two weeks of the season, behind only James Cook and Christian McCaffrey, scoring over 20 fantasy points in both weeks. Williams, McCaffrey, Cook and Puka Nacua are the only non-QBs that have scored 20-plus fantasy points in both games this season.
Upcoming matchups: at Bears, vs. Packers, at Jets, at Panthers
Ashton Jeanty’s and Omarion Hampton‘s usage declines in Week 2
The hype was strong for the two running backs selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. Unfortunately, neither has rewarded the fantasy managers who took a chance on them early in drafts. Jeanty was being drafted as a top-five running back in the majority of fantasy drafts this year but is currently only the RB28 in fantasy points per game. Omarion Hampton is only the RB47 in average points per game after climbing up draft boards during the preseason. The two have just 170 scrimmage yards and one touchdown combined over two weeks. Thirteen RBs have 170-plus scrimmage yards by themselves this season, including Javonte Williams, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard and Travis Etienne, who were all drafted seven to 10 rounds after Jeanty and Hampton this year.
It is obviously too early to give up hope on either of these two elite prospects after just two weeks of their NFL career, but it will be hard to trust them in your lineups until we see an uptick in their usage and efficiency. Jeanty and Hampton each played over 80% of their team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, but both saw a big decline in their snaps and usage in their team’s second game. Jeanty has little competition behind him, so he can still be started as a hopeful upside player, but Hampton should be on fantasy benches in Week 3.
Jeanty’s upcoming matchups: at Commanders, vs. Bears, at Colts
Hampton’s upcoming matchups: vs. Broncos, at Giants, vs. Commanders
The Seattle Seahawks‘ backfield is a fantasy football headache
Zach Charbonnet has outsnapped and outcarried Kenneth Walker in both games this season; however, Walker was, by far, the more efficient back in Week 2 after Charbonnet was the better rusher in Week 1. On the season, Charbonnett has played 56% of the team’s snaps, while Walker has played on just 37%. Walker’s snaps actually declined in Week 2 from Week 1, but he did the most he could with his limited time on the field – he gained 105 yards on 13 carries and added 13 yards on a reception, while Charbonett managed a mere 10 yards on 15 carries. Plus, Walker stole the touchdown in Week 2 after Charbonnett earned it in Week 1.
This backfield is going to be a headache for fantasy managers throughout the year. The two are splitting carries nearly 50/50, but Charbonnett has seen both of the team’s goal-line rushing attempts in 2025. However, Walker offers more upside as a receiver, as Charbonnett has yet to see a single target this season.
On the positive side, this duo gets a fantastic matchup in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints defense that allowed Christian McCaffrey to score 22.7 points against them last Sunday and James Conner and Trey Benson to combine for 22.9 points in Week 1.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Saints, at Cardinals, vs. Buccaneers
Cameron Skattebo overtakes Tyrone Tracy Jr. for the New York Giants
I had a feeling Skatteboo would win over the New York Giants’ coaching staff quickly despite not having high draft capital. Skatteboo fell to the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft after being the heart and soul of the Arizona State offense — he led the Big 12 with 2,316 scrimmage yards and scored 24 touchdowns in 2024. Skatteboo is a bruiser on the ground while also being a smooth pass catcher — arguably one of the best combinations of skill sets a team can want in their starting running back. It was only a matter of time before his coaches fell in love with his play style and fierce mentality on the field. It turns out, it only took one week … Skatteboo already saw a significant uptick in targets and usage in his second NFL game. In Week 1, Skatteboo saw five touches while playing on just 11.8% of the Giants’ offensive snaps. His snap share leaped to 52.2% and he notched 13 touches for 59 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. His counterpart, Tyrone Tracy, saw his snaps drop by over 30% from Week 1 to Week 2.
Unfortunately, the Giants will face tough run defenses over their next two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Unless you are desperate, Skatteboo should stay on your bench for now … but his usage is a promising sign that he can be a second-half-of-the-season fantasy stud.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Chiefs, vs. Chargers, at Saints
After being drafted highly in the second round this year, Quinshon Judkins dealt with off-field issues that led to him not signing his rookie deal until one day before the Browns’ season opener and not being activated to the roster until September 13th. Despite his offseason absence from the team, Judkins immediately led the Cleveland Browns’ backfield in carries (10), touches (13) and yards (71) in Week 2, his NFL debut. We could see a big uptick in usage in Week 3, as he only played on 25% of the team’s offensive snaps in his first game while still learning the offense. Jerome Ford is leading the backfield in playtime, but the Browns desperately need more explosive playmakers on the field, and Ford is undoubtedly not that … while their other rookie, Dylan Sampson, has shown flashes as a pass-catcher but has been atrociously inefficient on the ground.
There is still uncertainty surrounding a potential lengthy suspension for Judkins this season, but for now, it appears that Judkins will become a good fantasy producer in the near future. Unfortunately, fantasy managers may need to be patient with Judkins on their bench for one more week as the Browns will face the newly dominant Green Bay Packers‘ defense this Sunday.
