Backfield Breakdowns: Week 2

Running backs are always the best Week 1 reveal. Training camp and preseason prevent them from shining, as contact is discouraged. Even coaches admit they aren't sure what they have until the physicality begins. The entire league learns quickly.

And then they adjust.

Breaking down every initial backfield reveal across the league is one of my favorite signals that the season has arrived. Watching how it changes in Week 2 is just as fun. 

We have our baseline starting point.

Bellcow Backfields

• Robinson tied his career high with 8 receptions. Since 2018, only Breece Hall (2023) has posted a game with 80+ rushing yards, 8+ receptions, and 90+ receiving yards. Brian Robinson Jr. mixed in on obvious run downs to give Bijan Robinson a rest. With Cooper Rush at quarterback, the Falcons did not run any red zone plays, which kept Brian Robinson Jr. from looming as a vulture like Tyler Allgeier. As long as Rush is starting, the Falcons do not need to worry about goal-line backs.  

• The Cook target watch is on. Cook is on pace for 68 targets and 51 receptions. His previous career high is 54 targets and 44 receptions. This was a floor game against a strong Texans defense. Cook's involvement in the pass game is the key to pushing him up the running back scoring board. Gore Jr. played in Ty Johnson's vacated role as Johnson scratched, which is noteworthy for Ray Davis. 

• The Bengals' backfield usage looked exactly like 2025. Brown averaged 13.6 carries, 59.9 yards, 4.05 receptions, and 25.7 receiving yards last year. Time is a flat circle. 

• The positive? Judkins was the latest Bellcow back available in ADP. Hooray! Another positive? Judkins is on pace to blow by his 2025 receiving production (34 catches and 289 yards vs. 26 catches and 171 yards). Judkins has averaged 3.0 yards per carry over his last 11 games (3.6 on his career). The least efficient backs with 1,000 career attempts:

• Williams 5 receptions were his most since Week 6 in 2025. He has gone over two just once since. It was his first multiple-touchdown game since Week 8. The late-week injury to Malik Davis could have shifted some passing work to Williams; Demercado's installation into the office is worth monitoring. Brian Schottenheimer calls Williams his Bellcow; it's safe for us to do the same. Maintaining this pass game usage pushes Williams up a tier in fantasy potential. 

• Gibbs earned his usual spot in The Roundup's Stats of the Week. He joined Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes, and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players with multiple 150+-2+ / 5-30 games. He's pretty good. 

• Taylor recorded his 15th career game with 90+ rushing yards and 2+ touchdowns. That ties Steve Van Buren and Lawrence Johnson for the 13th most in NFL history. Derrick Henry (26) is the only active player ahead of Taylor on the list. Josh Jacobs (11) is the only other active player with more than 7. We will still call Jacobs an active player, even though, well, you know. Taylor moved into a tie with Chuck Muncie and Joe Perry for 35th on the career rushing touchdown list. McGowan is clearly the backup to roster here.

• Walker posted his career high with 173 yards. He was the first Chiefs running back to top 170 yards since Kareem Hunt in 2017, the last year the Chiefs had a 1,000-yard rusher and the season before Patrick Mahomes II took over at quarterback. He tied for the 15th most in team history. Johnson looked good behind him, giving clarity to the only other back worth rostering in fantasy. Walker's performance is especially noteworthy as the Broncos defense allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs in 2025. 

• Jeanty recorded his third career 100-yard game and second career game with 100+ rushing yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He is the only player in Raiders history with 100+ yards and 2 receiving touchdowns in a game.  Since 2017, Christian McCaffrey is the only other player to hit those marks twice in a game, while Kyren Williams and De'Von Achane are the only other players to do it once. Washington had some involvement, as Kliff Kingsbury hinted at following Jeanty's ankle injury, but the Raiders were leading Miami comfortably, and Washington was not overly involved in the plan. Jeanty showed no signs of the ankle injury that scared all of us multiple weeks ago.

• More good news! Achane was second behind Taylor as his team's opportunity leader. The bad news: the Raiders allowed the ninth most fantasy points to running backs in 2025. While Malik Willis looked competent, the overall team environment in Miami looked every bit as bad as worst-case fears. Jeanty and Achane in the same game felt like a sliding-doors moment after Achane was a dominant fantasy performer in 2025 and Jeanty was stuck in offensive environment hell.

• Stevenson is a Bellcow at the moment, with TreVeyon Henderson a scratch in Week 1. Seattle is a difficult matchup, and 95 scrimmage yards is an admirable performance given the rest of the offense's struggles. Without Brown, the Patriots offense lacks explosives, which could shift their hand at running back when Henderson is available.

• Barkley is the Week 1 Rorschach Test. He was RB28 in Week 1. His 83 yards were better than all but four of his 2025 games. His 5.5 yards per carry were better than all but three 2025 games. He is worth exploring in trade offers.

Committees With a Lead Back