You’re always told to “start your studs” in Fantasy Football. There are certain running backs like Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara that are matchup proof, meaning that they should be in your lineups no matter who they are playing against. On the other hand, there are running backs that you may need to temper expectations on depending on who they face each week.
For Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, some running backs have more favorable matchups than others, setting them up for success to kick off the season. But what about the running backs in less-than-ideal matchups in the first week of the season?
Even though it’s sometimes tough to bench your early-round picks in Fantasy Football, here are three running backs to be leery of in Week 1.
Ezekiel Elliott at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The first game of the upcoming season will be Thursday night’s showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys were already going to be at a disadvantage coming into this one, but the loss of Zack Martin in Week 1 looms large.
Tampa Bay had the best run defense in the NFL in 2020 and there’s no reason to believe they can’t repeat that in 2021 with Vita Vea, Ndamukong Suh, Shaq Barrett, and Jason Pierre-Paul all returning to their defensive line. Not to mention, LaVonte Davis and Devin White are arguably the best linebacker duo in the league. Ezekiel Elliott could be in store for a quiet outing in Week 1 as I expect a busy day from Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ passing attack.
Saquon Barkley vs. Denver Broncos
All signs point toward Saquon Barkley being able to make his return to the field for the first time since tearing his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season. The return of Barkley will definitely be welcomed by Daniel Jones and the offense of the Giants. However, it remains to be seen just how large of a workload New York gives Barkley in his first game back from a serious knee injury, which could impact his Fantasy Football productive.
Besides the fact that he could share touches with Devontae Booker to begin the season, Barkley faces a stingy Denver Broncos defense. Denver gets Von Miller and Bradley Chubb back on their defense, which could cause issues for the offensive line in New York. Even though Barkley could return to form at some point this season, I don’t expect him to have a productive showing in Week 1.
Josh Jacobs vs. Baltimore Ravens
The value of Josh Jacobs in Fantasy Football took a hit this offseason when the Las Vegas Raiders signed Kenyan Drake in free agency. Drake is expected to have a consistent role in the offense, especially on passing downs. Jacobs should still garner the majority of the touches near the goal line, but Drake’s presence definitely lowers his ceiling this season. It also doesn’t help that Jacobs will have to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.
Seeing that the Ravens could jump out to an early lead, we may see a bit more Drake while the Raiders attempt to play catch up through the air. I would seriously consider benching Jacobs in fantasy football in Week 1 if you have a running back with a better matchup.
