Fantasy Football Buy Low: Running Back Breakout Candidates for Week 2

Whether you're deciding who to start in season-long, who to roster in NFL DFS, or which NFL prop bets to consider on FanDuel Sportsbook, there are still plenty of ways to buy low on players poised to bounce back from disappointing outings.

While looking ahead at the games across the NFL, which running backs should we buy low on ahead of this week?

All fantasy football projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Statistics mentioned are via NextGenStats or Pro Football Focus unless stated otherwise.

Running Backs to Buy Low in Fantasy Football

Omarion Hampton, Chargers

Running room was tough to find for Omarion Hampton and the Los Angeles Chargers in their Week 1 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was to be expected against a Steve Spagnuolo defense. As a team, the Chargers totaled only 90 rushing yards on 25 attempts, and Hampton accounted for 48 of those yards.

Despite the box score not looking ideal for the rookie running back, Hampton saw elite usage, earning a healthy 80.6% snap rate, 43.9% route rate, 100.0% red-zone rushing share, and 15 of the 18 carries by players not named Justin Herbert. Veteran Najee Harris was active for the Chargers in Week 1, and while he could see more snaps moving forward, it's clear that Hampton is the featured back in this offense barring an injury.

A Week 2 matchup versus the Las Vegas Raiders isn't exactly inviting, but we don't really know what their run defense looks like this year after Vegas faced the new-look offensive line of the New England Patriots and an inefficient starter like Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 1.

With the Chargers favored on the road and Herbert's ability to push the ball down the field keeping defenses honest, I expect better results from Hampton in the weeks to come.

TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots

Speaking of Rhamondre Stevenson, it seems like it's only a matter of time before his workload gets trimmed down in favor of rookie TreVeyon Henderson. During New England's Week 1 defeat to Las Vegas, Stevenson turned a 66.2% snap rate, 38.9% route rate, and 9 total touches into only 27 scrimmage yards and a 42.9% rushing success rate.

Inefficiency was a theme for Stevenson a season ago, as he tallied the ninth-fewest yards per attempt (3.9), 15th-fewest yards after contact per attempt (2.90), and most fumbles (7) among the 46 backs with 100-plus carries in 2024. Meanwhile, Henderson flashed explosiveness in his limited playing time in Week 1, producing 51 scrimmage yards on just a 33.8% snap rate, 31.5% route rate, and 11 total touches.

Additionally, it was a positive sign to see Henderson receive one of the two red-zone rushing attempts and a 13.3% target share for the Patriots in their season opener. And on top of that, Henderson gets to face a Miami Dolphins team that has horrendous vibes and is tied for the 25th-ranked schedule-adjusted run defense after Week 1.

Head coach Mike Vrabel exclaimed that the Patriots need to "run it more efficiently" following New England's loss to begin the year, which tells me that Henderson should see an uptick in usage sooner rather than later.

James Conner, Cardinals

The split between James Conner and second-year back Trey Benson in Week 1 was much closer than what we saw a season ago. Amid the Arizona Cardinals' victory over the New Orleans Saints to begin their season, Conner handled a 63.9% snap rate, 50.0% route rate, and turned 16 total touches into only 44 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.

As for Benson, he recorded a 34.4% snap rate, 26.3% route rate, and 75 scrimmage yards on 9 total touches, displaying his explosiveness as a change-of-pace option behind Conner. Despite everyone freaking out about Conner's usage, the veteran back is still the clear starter, and there are better weeks ahead -- potentially beginning in Week 2 versus the Carolina Panthers.

Although it's a sample of just one game so far, the Panthers are 28th in schedule-adjusted run defense, as Travis Etienne gashed them for 143 rushing yards on 16 attempts in Week 1. Just last season, Carolina had the 32nd-ranked schedule-adjusted run defense, so it could be more of the same from their front seven in 2025, making them a premier team to target with running backs in fantasy football.

If Conner is unable to deliver a notable performance with the Cardinals being favored by a decent margin at home against the Panthers, then it might be time to inch closer to hitting the panic button when it comes to Conner's rest-of-season outlook.

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