De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
G-RANK Week 1: RB7
When your coaching staff spends all offseason talking about how much work you're going to get AND THEN you get the Raiders in Week 1, you have to be feeling pretty good. De'Von Achane enters 2026 with a legitimate chance to lead the NFL in touches. The receiving room in Miami is unproven, and Achane as a dual threat in the rushing and receiving room gives me confidence in his upside just about every single week despite the Dolphins' overall limitations.
Travis Etienne Jr., New Orleans Saints
G-RANK Week 1: RB15
With Alvin Kamara still questionable for Week 1, Travis Etienne Jr. should get his chance to shine in a favorable matchup: he takes on the Lions in a 49.5-point O/U game that should feature fantasy relevance on both sides of the ball. I'm looking out for how involved Etienne Jr. is in the receiving game - presumably he'll be utilized heavily as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, especially with Jordyn Tyson missing time and Alvin Kamara still banged up.
D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
G-RANK Week 1: RB17
Last week's practice injury scare turned out to merely be cramping, meaning Swift should be on the field in a really favorable Week 1 matchup against the Panthers. The training camp hype has been there for Swift who's entering his 7th season and still hasn't finished worse than RB23 overall. As a weekly RB2 or flex play, you can do a whole heck of a lot worse than Swift.
