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Week 2 of the fantasy football season saw a pair of surprise names finish as the leading running back scorers. Brian Robinson of the Washington Commanders, and newly crowned Los Angeles Rams starter Kyren Williams, each finished as RB1 and RB2 respectively. While any tailback is liable to put together an explosive performance, identifying the best matchups can offer a glimpse at who can be equipped for a big game.
As we turn the page toward Week 3, these are the best running back matchups to keep an eye on and leverage if you have these names on your roster.
Fantasy football, Week 3: Best RB Matchups
Josh Jacobs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The NFL’s reigning rushing leader has looked like anything but his 2022 form, with Jacobs averaging a pedestrian 23.0 rushing yards per game to start the season. One factor is defenses stacking the box, while the other is undoubtedly some rust from his training camp holdout. A matchup with the Steelers could be just what the doctor ordered, as Pittsburgh is giving up the most fantasy points per game (28.8) to running backs this season.
Kenneth Walker III vs. Carolina Panthers
Walker followed up a quiet season opener with a more explosive Week 2 performance, totaling 18.4 PPR fantasy points off of 54 combined yards and two rushing touchdowns. Seattle picked up a big win against Detroit on the road and now welcomes the 0-2 Panthers to Lumen Field on Sunday. Better yet for Walker, they just so happen to allow the second-most fantasy points to his position, with an average of 27.0 points per game.
Isiah Pacheco vs. Chicago Bears
Pacheco is averaging a decent 8.7 PPR fantasy points per game through two weeks, but he was unable to find the endzone for the second consecutive contest. Help could be on the horizon, as welcomes a nice matchup against a Bears defense that has given up an average of 383.0 yards per game in two losses this season, which is fourth-most in the league. Chicago is also giving up the third-most fantasy points per game (24.4) to opposing running backs.