Backup NFL RBs Worth Stashing on Your Fantasy Football Roster After Week 1

The opening slate of the 2025 NFL season brought with it some intriguing fantasy trends.

One of the most notable was a lack of standout rushing performances, with only 13 running backs scoring 15 or more points and just five of those eclipsing the 20-point mark in Week 1.

To put that in perspective, 20 RBs posted 15-plus points in 2024 and seven had 20-plus points.

The rise of the platoon and continued decline of the lead back may be irritating to those who drafted backs with relatively unproductive 2025 debuts, but these middling performances have also opened the door for unheralded names to take on larger roles going forward.

If you are one of the many managers lacking elite starters and rock-solid depth at the RB position, there's no better time to scour the free-agent pile and play the waiver wire.

With that in mind, here are five backups who are worth rostering ahead of Week 2.

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

The Steelers opened the Aaron Rodgers era with a statement win over the future Hall of Famer's former team.

While the quarterback's sizzling four-touchdown outing was the main fantasy storyline following the 34-32 victory against the New York Jets, shrewd managers should be taking note of Pittsburgh's backfield usage.

Kenneth Gainwell was a shockingly heavy contributor during the Steelers' win, leading the backfield in playing time.

Gainwell wasn't anywhere near the fantasy radar heading into the 2025 season due to his projected status as the Steelers' RB3. He was expected to be well behind both veteran starter Jaylen Warren and third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson in the backfield pecking order, but that was far from the case in the opener.

The former Philadelphia Eagle led Pittsburgh's backfield with 30 offensive snaps and a 54 percent snap share. Warren wasn't far behind with 25 offensive snaps (45 percent), but Johnson wasn't a factor whatsoever and was only on the field for two offensive plays (four percent).

While Warren still led the platoon in production (59 yards and a touchdown on 13 touches) and had the best fantasy finish of the bunch at RB19, Gainwell did notch a decent RB40 finish by chipping 23 yards on 10 touches.

That type of usage is quite notable for fantasy purposes, especially from a player who is still available in 99 percent of leagues.

Arthur Smith may have tried to tip fantasy managers off to his backfield plans during the leadup to Week 1. The offensive coordinator not only declined to confirm if he views Warren as a "high-volume back," but also went on to describe Johnson as a "young guy" and praised Gainwell for his "unique skill set."

With Gainwell officially listed on the team's depth chart as the RB2, it seems that the veteran receiving a double-digit number of touches could become a regular sight in 2025.

It's tough sledding for those who drafted Johnson—who finished at the very bottom of the fantasy standings as the RB101 with -0.2 points—but could be a boon for the fortunate managers who use the waiver wire to grab Gainwell and capitalize on this unexpected situation.

Ollie Gordon II, Miami Dolphins (41 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

One way the Dolphins may look to generate more offensive production in wake of their disheartening 33-8 loss in Week 1 is via their backfield platoon.

While starting running back De'Von Achane was one of Miami's few bright spots on Sunday—he posted an RB10 fantasy finish after rushing for 55 yards on seven carries and tallying up 20 yards and the squad's only score on his three catches—he won't be able to singlehandedly carry this group into contention.

Ollie Gordon II may need get more involved as the thunder to Achane's lightning, potentially adding an edge that was missing from Miami's attack in the opener.

Gordon emerged as Achane's clear-cut backup on the heels of a preseason that was both impressive and fortunate. Initially expected to compete with Alexander Mattison for the third-string role behind Jaylen Wright, Gordon rapidly ascended the depth chart after Mattison was lost for the season and Wright underwent a procedure that will keep him out several more weeks.

While his RB2 role wasn't lucrative for fantasy purposes in Week 1—Gordon gained a meager three yards on his three touches—that may change in the near future.

Although Miami was attempting to play catchup for much of the day after falling behind mere minutes after kickoff, Gordon did get a promising amount of playing time. The 21-year-old was on the field for a quarter of Miami's offensive snaps—compared to 73 percent for Achane—but it's possible that disparity lessens as Gordon gets more comfortable in head coach Mike McDaniel's system and the game scripting plays more to his unique strengths.

Factor in that Achane doesn't have a three-down build and has been injury-prone throughout his NFL career—he missed six games as a rookie and was limited in several last season—and it's easy to envision Gordon becoming a bigger factor as the season progresses.

Expect the 6'2", 225-pounder to become the primary chain-mover and short-yardage option, a role that would be fantasy relevant when Miami isn't getting blown out.

Don't shy away from adding Gordon as a high-value handcuff for now. He's a shoo-in starter in any game Achane is sidelined for and could have standalone flex appeal if the Dolphins find a way to be more competitive than they were in Week 1.

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs (18 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

The Chiefs decided not to shake up their running back platoon after coming up shy of a Super Bowl three-peat last season.

Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt remain locked into their respective starter and backup roles, although it now appears that the tandem may wind up equally splitting the backfield workload in 2025.

Kansas City's backfield tandem both logged the same number of touches in the team's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Pacheco was involved on more offensive plays (he had a 51 percent snap share compared to 38 percent for Hunt) and was more efficient on the ground (turning his five totes into 25 yards while Hunt had 10 yards on the same number of carries), but Hunt fared better as a receiver.

Hunt tallied 10 yards on his two receptions while his counterpart had just three yards on his pair of catches. Both backs drew a trio of targets in the contest.

While neither back truly moved the needle in fantasy—Pacheco finished as Week 1's RB42, three spots ahead of Hunt—better days are ahead for both.

While Pacheco was drafted in most formats, Hunt is still available in over 80 percent of leagues and could be a nice value addition for managers desperate for RB depth.

Hunt's days as a high-end fantasy RB1 may be behind him, but he did record nine top-30 finishes in the 13 contests he participated in after signing with the Chiefs last season. While most of those occurred while Pacheco was recovering from a fractured fibula, Hunt is trending towards having more standalone value in 2025.

Although Hunt's Week 1 production wasn't anything special, his usage in the contest has him on the fantasy radar again. He's looking like a nice early-season free-agent pickup managers can roster for the remainder of the year and deploy when they need an injury fill-in or bye week replacement.

Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (10 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Erin Hooley

One of the key reasons the Bears squandered what appeared to be a surefire victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the season's first Monday Night Football game was an inability to establish the run.

Quarterback Caleb Williams led Chicago in rushing yards, picking up 58 yards and the team's lone rushing touchdown on just six totes.

The backfield wasn't anywhere near as efficient. With backup Roschon Johnson sitting out due to injury, D'Andre Swift was the lone Bears back to even carry the football in the opener. The starter's efforts left much to be desired, however, as Swift gained just 53 yards on 17 carries.

The team's disappointing rushing performance could lead to Kyle Monangai getting more involved. Fantasy managers should add the rookie to their rosters ASAP, as he's an ideal lottery ticket with potential to cash in his immense upside as early as Week 2.

Despite Swift's failures, first-year head coach Ben Johnson kept the veteran on the field for 81 percent of the offensive snaps. Monangai may have only logged a meager nine offensive snaps and had just one touch—an 11-yard catch early in the first quarter—in his NFL debut, but his usage rate could spike up significantly against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

With Swift struggling and Johnson dealing with a foot issue, Monangai represents Chicago's best chance to jump-start what has long been a flailing ground game. The first-year back has earned Johnson's trust and it now appears inevitable that he'll at least get his shot to shine within the next few weeks.

Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (69 Percent Rostered)

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

The Giants looked so tepid in their opener that it would hardly be a surprise to see head coach Brian Daboll make some sweeping changes in the coming weeks.

No team put up fewer points than the six Big Blue mustered against the Washington Commanders in Week 1.

The Giants offense generated just 231 yards on the day, with the backfield's performance being particularly putrid. After removing the 44 yards quarterback Russell Wilson put up on his eight carries, the G-Men were only able to muster 30 rushing yards on 15 carries.

While Cam Skattebo didn't help these concerning marks with his negative-three yards on two carries, the rookie brought a level of intensity and effort onto the field that his platoonmates largely lacked.

That energy, coupled with his versatility and ceiling, deserves to be rewarded with more playing time going forward.

Although he only got onto the field for eight offensive snaps—well below the 50 starter Tyrone Tracy Jr. logged and two behind veteran backup Devin Singletary—and notched a pedestrian nine yards on four touches, Skattebo's impact was undeniable.

The Arizona State product delivered a crushing blow on one of his pass protection assignments and valiantly battled multiple defenders before being brought down after catching a screen pass.

These types of plays may not have put many fantasy points on the board, but it shouldn't be long before Skattebo starts delivering in that area as well.

The G-Men are a strong candidate to embrace a youth movement in the coming weeks, bringing Jaxson Dart in to relieve Wilson of his duties and giving Skattebo more work as he gets up to speed following an injury-plagued preseason.

While Skattebo was taken in a majority of fantasy drafts, he's still sitting on the free-agent pile in 31 percent of leagues. If he's still available in yours, ignore the RB50 Week 1 finish and add him for his status as one of the highest upside backups in the league right now.

Fantasy points, rankings and average draft positions courtesy of FantasyPros' PPR data. Roster percentages courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.