We will have you covered throughout the fantasy football season with our bevy of tools, including our Waiver Wire Assistant. Find the top available players and get detailed analysis on how potential fantasy football waiver wire adds will impact your team. Of course, our team of analysts will also have written advice each week. Check out some of our top fantasy football waiver wire running backs to target for the week below. And here are all of our fantasy football waiver wire targets for Week 1.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Running Back
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs
Written by Ellis Bryn Johnson
Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson: 43% and 45% rostered
Rookie Quinshon Judkins has faced legal issues this offseason and has yet to sign his contract, potentially facing discipline by the league when he does. As a result, Ford and Sampson are holding down this backfield. Unfortunately, the Browns are projected to be the worst offense in the league. I know that sounds less appealing than pineapple on pizza, but sometimes you can’t knock it until you’ve tried it. As it stands, Ford is the starter, and we already know he is a solid NFL back with a limited ceiling. Sampson is a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee who exploded in 2024 for nearly 1,500 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. His ability is limited in the passing game and he needs to improve in pass protection. Ford is the priority pickup of the two, as he has rushing upside and should dominate the receiving work. Considering that Cleveland will often be playing from behind, that could be a valuable role. It’s also worth kicking the tires on Sampson just in case he has more of a role than anticipated.
Najee Harris: 46% rostered
It’s been a forgettable offseason for the former first-round pick. Moving on from the Steelers, Harris landed in arguably the perfect spot. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman loves gritty backs who can pick up the tough yards. That’s exactly what Harris has made a career out of. Then, the Chargers drafted a runaway train in Omarian Hampton in the first round. Hampton’s aggressive style and versatility quickly dampened the excitement for Harris. Then, Harris injured his eye in a fireworks mishap and missed the entire offseason. Hampton appears to have taken over, despite the coaches’ insistence on splitting the backfield. Now that Harris has returned to practice, it will be interesting to see how the team uses the two first-round talents. Harris is worth a look in case this backfield is a true split.
Jaydon Blue and Miles Sanders: 37% and 2% rostered
A role in the Dallas backfield seems to be more of a participation award than an accomplishment. As it stands, Javonte Williams appears to be the “winner,” being named the starter for Week 1. Still, this backfield is wide open. Williams has never been a particularly efficient rusher, with only seven career games over 75 rushing yards. He was underwhelming as a pass catcher in 2024 despite having the fifth-most targets at the position Blue and Sanders will have their chances to steal touches all season. Sanders was brought in from the Panthers. He had a solid year in 2022 with the Eagles but has been largely ineffective since. The priority if you’re waiver-shopping at RB should be Blue, an explosive back who can turn any play into a big gain. But Blue had some fumbling issues in college and lacks the size to be a downhill power back. Of the options in this backfield, Blue is by far the most explosive and could win over the coaches by breaking off a few big runs.
Ollie Gordon: 33% rostered
If you blinked, you probably missed Gordon climbing Miami’s depth chart and becoming the top backup to the banged-up De’Von Achane. After being selected in the sixth round of this year’s draft, Gordon was firmly behind Achane, Jaylen Wright, and Alexander Mattison going into training camp. But Mattison is out for the season with a neck injury, and Wright had a procedure to fix a lower-leg injury. Since Achane is not a power runner, Gordon will likely be the short-yardage back in addition to being Achane’s direct backup to start the season. Although Wright is expected back sometime in September, Gordon was outproducing him in the preseason and may take the role completely if he starts hot. With Achane dealing with a calf injury, Gordon is on the cusp of being a fantasy starter early on.
Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 6% rostered
Rodriguez was drafted by the Commanders two years ago and has been a steady backup over that span. The top three RBs on this team will likely split the work in distinct roles. Jacory Croskey-Merritt will be the early down back, Austin Ekeler will be the passing back and will likely play in two-minute drills, and Rodriguez will be the short yardage/goal-line back. If this arrangement seems messy, that’s because it is. However, messy backfields can yield value. If Rodriguez is more involved than expected, he’ll see a jump in value. If you have an open roster spot, Rodriguez is great to grab and see what his role is in Week 1.
