Week 1 clarified the dominant patterns across seven major RB committees and sharpened Week 2 expectations. Etienne is Jacksonville’s clear RB1, while Tank Bigsby provides insurance and potential in high-leverage roles. Seattle’s Zach Charbonnet outsnapped Kenneth Walker III and could pressure a split, even as Seattle remains committed to the run. Kansas City leaned on Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith for auxiliary snaps, not relinquishing Isiah Pacheco’s early-down role. Washington’s backfield is reshaping around Jacory Croskey-Merritt as a paving path for a committee, New England’s rookie TreVeyon Henderson flashed enough to consider a rising bell-cow potential, and Cleveland’s Quinshon Judkins faces a Week 2 window of opportunity amid backfield depth. Denver’s backfield also showed who controls the workload as Week 1’s data refine expectations.

Denver signed Deuce Vaughn to its practice squad, giving a small, elusive back a path back to the active roster amid a crowded RB room. Vaughn, a 2023 Dallas draft pick, logged 40 carries for 110 yards in two seasons with the Cowboys before being cut. He joins a Denver group led by Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, with Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin also in the mix. If elevated, Vaughn could be a change-of-pace option or a add-on in the passing game, depending on how the role develops and health.

Fantasy managers should watch Vaughn’s trajectory as injuries and matchup-driven opportunities surface. A practice-squad elevation would hinge on special-teams value and situational usage; if he sticks on the active roster, he becomes a speculative dart in deeper dynasty formats or DFS for spot-starts when a favorable game script arises.

RJ Harvey starred in Denver’s season opener, piling up 70 rushing yards on six carries and ripping a 50-yard sprint that helped set up the winning score in a 20-12 victory over Tennessee. He earned NFL Rookie of the Week nomination as the breakout performance raised expectations for a bigger role in Payton’s run game.

Harvey sits in a rotating backfield but is poised to see more than the 22 snaps from Week 1, with Denver signaling a more run-friendly second-half approach and continued use of RPOs. The list of nominees also features Emeka Egbuka, Tyler Warren, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Dylan Sampson and Demetrius Knight, underscoring a wide spread of rookie talents across the league.

Denver signed J.K. Dobbins to bring north-south power and leadership to a retooled backfield. Week 1 vs Tennessee: 16 carries for 69 yards and a 19-yard TD, but 15 carries for 50 yards without the score, a 3.3-3.9 average that underscored inconsistency. Inside-zone runs looked productive, while outside tosses lacked burst, leaving yards on the table. The takeaway: Broncos should prioritize north-south rushing with Dobbins while using other backs for outside speed to maximize the offense and fantasy upside.

For fantasy managers, the path is clearer if Denver leans into power between the tackles and minimizes outside runs for Dobbins. His vision and stout frame are assets, but burst and tempo matter. The depth behind him—RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, Jaleel McLaughlin—offers complementary flexibility without forcing Dobbins into every outside scheme. Monitor how Payton balances inside vs outside concepts in the coming weeks.