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
Tuten has incrementally improved in each game this season, culminating in a 90-yard, 17-point fantasy performance against New England's tough D in Week 3. He has topped 65 rushing yards in every contest and scored a touchdown in each of the last two. Among qualified running backs, Tuten is second in success rate behind Bijan Robinson and has the highest rate of runs with a speed of 15-plus miles per hour (41.9%). Facing a Bengals defense allowing the sixth-highest explosive run rate (13.1%) and the second-highest rate of rushes over expected yards (47.3%), Tuten is worth playing as a high-end RB2.
Notable starts
While Skattebo hasn’t enjoyed a breakout performance yet in 2026, he is averaging 78.7 scrimmage yards per game and has been more productive as a receiver with each passing week. Skattebo is a volume play in what should be a close game versus Arizona.
Hubbard is one of five running backs with at least 14 fantasy points in all three games this season, alongside Jahmyr Gibbs, Kenneth Walker III, Derrick Henry and Kyren Williams. In what projects to be a high-scoring affair against Detroit, he’s a legitimate RB1.
Irving is coming off a tough outing against the Vikings, but he’s had at least 15 touches in all three games. With the Packers' defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs, Irving is a strong RB2 play in Week 4.
Jones has established an impressive floor in Jordan Mason’s absence, topping 90 scrimmage yards in consecutive games. In Week 4, he faces a Dolphins defense allowing 32.9 fantasy points per game to running backs, most in the league.
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
While Hampton leads the Chargers' RB room in snaps and touches, Keaton Mitchell is getting significant work, particularly in the red zone, and the offense is struggling as a whole. It’s resulted in two single-digit fantasy outings for Hampton entering an atrocious matchup with the Seahawks, who haven't allowed 60 rushing yards or a TD run to a running back in eight straight games. Seattle also ranks tops in rush success rate allowed this season. Hampton’s tough to bench, but it’s unfortunately where he belongs in Week 4.
Notable sits
In near-ideal circumstances last week -- 20 touches in a close game against a soft run defense -- Judkins scored just 9.9 fantasy points. It’s hard to envision the fantasy upside right now, so he’s better suited on the bench, unless you're desperate for an eight- or nine-point flex option.
Price has flashed little upside and is losing meaningful volume to Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. The rookie, who fumbled early in last Sunday's loss to Washington, totaled 22 yards on six touches in Week 3 and shouldn't be considered a fantasy starter against the Chargers.
Coming off his best fantasy performance of the year (13.6 points on 21 touches), Pollard might feel like a decent start, but the Titans are averaging 12.3 points per game (30th in the NFL) and are heavy underdogs against the Ravens in Baltimore.
While Dobbins comfortably leads Denver's backfield in carries (35) and rushing yards (121), he also has recorded the third-lowest rush success rate among qualified running backs league-wide (25.7%) and has been wildly inefficient on his six red-zone carries. Leave him out of your lineup against San Fran.
