As always, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is geared toward helping fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. You won't see "start Jahmyr Gibbs" here. Instead, I'm exploring the players closer to the perceived fringe and aiming to optimize your lineup for a win each week. Importantly, the new "Start of the Week" and "Sit of the Week" are the calls I have deemed the most notable in each category, not necessarily the most essential players to start or sit.
Also, you'll see quite a few references in this year's column to NFL Pro, spotlighting insights provided through Next Gen Stats data dashboards, matchup evaluations, All-22 film and the uniquely trained Fantasy AI Assistant. You can get access to all of those tools yourself with an NFL+ Premium subscription!
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X (@MattOkada) or Instagram (@mattokadaNFL) and hit me with your questions, congratulations or complaints throughout the year.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
There are three running backs with 300-plus rushing yards and 100-plus receiving yards in 2026: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Warren. The Steelers back has thrived in Rico Dowdle's two-game injury absence and might have secured the RB1 role after averaging 7.6 yards on 40 touches in those contests. He's the fantasy RB15 on the season despite not scoring a single touchdown (which will come in time) and sports a mark of 1.5 rush yards over expected per carry that ranks third behind Kenneth Walker III and Robinson. Warren is a strong RB2 option against the Colts ... and perhaps for the rest of the season.
Notable starts
After scoring fewer than eight fantasy points in two of the last three weeks, Love feels iffier than he should. He's shouldered 41 touches over the last two games and should have ample opportunity for points in a projected track meet against the Lions.
Monangai is top five among qualified running backs in several crucial analytics metrics, and the Packers have allowed 113.8 rush yards per game and a whopping eight scrimmage touchdowns to the position. As long as last Sunday's thumb injury doesn't sideline him this Sunday, Monangai's an RB2 consideration.
Jones has scored more fantasy points in each successive week this season and is averaging 108.3 scrimmage yards per game in Jordan Mason's absence. He's also due to find the end zone against a Saints defense that's allowed a league-high nine scores to RBs.
This is a deeper play, but following the season-ending injury to De'Von Achane, Gordon has racked up 155 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 31 touches since Week 3. Cincy's run defense has been solid, but Gordon has receiving upside to compensate.
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Montgomery's monster Week 1 -- three touchdowns and 28.9 fantasy points -- fooled a lot of fantasy managers into three straight weeks of disappointment. The Texans running back has averaged just 5.2 fantasy PPG since. The list of 44 RBs with more fantasy points than Montgomery since Week 2 includes George Holani and Tank Bigsby. Among qualified rushers on the season, Monty ranks dead last in yards per carry (2.7), success rate (23.4%) and explosive run rate (2.1%). Tennessee has allowed the seventh-fewest yards per carry to running backs. Sit the 29-year-old back in Week 5.
Notable sits
While Irving has logged 15-plus touches every game this season, he has scored fewer fantasy points in each successive week and lost significant snaps (and receiving work) to Kenny Gainwell. With undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels at QB, this offense offers very little upside, even in a good matchup against Dallas.
We're back into "frustratingly unpredictable" territory with the Patriots backfield -- particularly when it comes to Henderson, who has scored fewer than five fantasy points in each of the past two weeks. Stevenson is getting the receiving and goal-line work but has just one TD on the season. Neither back is reliable enough to trust in average matchups.
Croskey-Merritt didn't look great to start the season, then Washington signed Austin Ekeler, who led the backfield in rushing yards in London. JCM has now averaged 6.0 fantasy points per game over the past three weeks, is buried in a committee on a middling offense and cannot be started this Sunday (or anytime soon).
