because listen it's week one love hate that's why you're really here let's waste no time jump right into it with the running backs here and listen Jay it's starting off with James Cook against Arizona this was RB 11 in points per game after Joe Brady took over this offense last season yeah I don't think people think of James Cook as a quintessential kind of Workhorse bcal type of back but there are worlds where he could be that this season the bills are clearly favored in this game I think that game script should be favorable to them and yeah if they continue to be a kind of run first type of Team then James Cook can just get rid of kind of the drops and the fumbling issues then he could be in for a massive gam a mess of you Matthew yeah you know what yeah and the other the other the other piece of it here is so Jay is completely right in terms of the usage we expect we expect him to have like I am as a top seven running back this week as well the other thing is is and again you know it's week one so we really don't have a ton to go off of we have some preseason usage we have what we think will happen but we also have to think about last year right and last year the Cardinals no team in the NFL allowed more rushing yards to running backs no team allowed more fantasy points to running backs no team allowed more rushes of 10 plus yards than the Arizona Cardinal so it's an unbelievable matchup for a talented player remember the bills are 6 and a half Point favorites friend according to our friends at DraftKings home home favorites by almost a touchdown I think James Cook gets a ton of work top seven play for me today or this week I should say how about Kenneth Walker making this list against the Broncos Matthew all the preseason Buzz is that we could finally see Kenneth Walker have a bigger role in the passing game this year yeah 100% And I think that's the key right we know about the big play ability I mean here's the thing about kw3 I call him kw3 Ken La over the last two years Chris mcaffrey is the only guy literally the only running back with more plays of 20 or more yards than Ken Walker like he's got that big play ability and we know what Ryan Grub's going to want to do get the ball in your playmaker's hands let them get yards after the catch and so I expect Ken Walker to get a lot more work in the passing game he's obviously going to be the Bellow between the tackles as well last year Broncos allowed 5.2 yards per Carri to running backs that was most in the NFL they also low the second most fantasy points to opposing running backs again Seattle favored at home I think Ken Walker has a big day in terms of usage I'm as a top 10 play in week one yeah Matthew you mentioned the big playability with Ken Walker I think as much as he did break some runs last year like he didn't break the 60 yard type runs that he was in his rookie season when finished second in offensive rookie of the year he had 3 60 plus yard runs that year last year he had didn't have a run over 45 yards so I mean it doesn't sound like much but you just kind of add those three runs in the complexion of his whole season looks different and just bit more variance than normal for someone like Ken Walker just with Ryan grub coming in new offense uh new system uh and it seems like yeah he he has Workhorse potential and of course as Matthew said the matchup you just have to love against the Broncos Seattle one of the bigger favorites of the week sometimes those week one spreads can lie to you but it's looking good for Kenneth Walker against Denver Matthew how about Joe Mixon against the Colts this is a massive division matchup obviously the Texans trade for Joe Mixon they paid Joe Mixon and now they hope to unleash Joe Mixon against a division foe right and and I think you know again I think people don't realize how balanced the Texans offense was because all the highlights you saw was stra deniko Collins strad to tank Dell but I'm telling you that was a balanced offense last year over the second half of the Year especially with Deon single ter and now they get Joe Mixon who I would argue is better than Devin single ter right it's a nice match up with the Colts who allowed the third most uh rushing touchdowns to running backs last year and the fifth most uh fantasy points to opposing running backs but again this is going to be a a balanced offense and I just think if you're the Colts and you're sitting here like how we stopping how we stopping the Texans are we going to are we G to like are we going to double um uh are we going to are we going to you know um load the box to stop Joe Mixon and leave either tank Dell Stefon digs or n Collins and single coverage or are we're going to play too high deep we're going to have to play back and we'll give five yards a carry up to Joe Mixon we just don't want to get beat over the top my expectation here is they're going to play back they're going to try to protect against the speed of those Texans wide receivers you're going to see a light box for Joe Mixon who should get a heavy workload against the Colts I have him as a top 12 running back in week one yeah and I think the other thing too Conor is there's this idea that the Texans are going to be this highflying passing offense like let's see it first cuz last year they were 19th and pass rate overexp expected I thought to a fault Bobby slowick just leaned on the run too much maybe he takes the shackles off year two of CJ stad but suspect that you know at his Cory kind of wants to run the ball and Mixon will be a beneficiary and Jay it feels like the total for this game on DraftKings has kind of reflected that there's big expectations for not only the Texans and their pass offense but also on the other side of the ball the Colts in this yep absolutely and I mean this is a massive game like the Texans the two and a half Point favorites I mean it's early but like this is the type of game that can potentially decide and shape a division so uh Joe Mixon again like a very kind of unsexy pick everyone's been drafting Joe Mixon for years now but in that offense he should really produce Matthew some others receiving votes here Devon aan uh Aaron Jones Jalil mcclaflin on this list as well who really stands out in this one as we get further down the board especially mlin against Seattle yeah that's the one I want to highlight here aan and Jones everyone's that's have having them is going to start them as well I mean Jones Ians is the top 20 player remember the Giants allow the third most rushing on some running backs last year but how about Jalil mlin who should have a larger role in this offense remember last year he was eighth in fantasy points per touch when Jalil mofen touches the ball he is effective and so you know he's also got some big playability 16% of his rushes gained 10 or more yards that was fourth among qualified running backs and so you think about this offense they're on the road at Seattle as you mentioned uh uh Connor they are they are big underdogs here you've got a rookie quarterback Bo Nicks going into Seattle one of of the toughest places to play in the NFL if you're Shawn pyton what do you want to do you want to lean on your run game try to take pressure off the rookie quarterback and oh by the way if you're trailing you're going to have to throw julen m glofin is their passing down back so I think a big second half coming from M glofin so he's just I think a good flex play this week given the matchup and his expected role in this offense I know you love audri esime I do as well but I think uh at least for week one jul mofin is a uh is a sneaky start this week yeah we're going to be a little patient for the ese show to take over hey it's Matthew Barry from nbcsports.com and rotoworld.com and I want to thank you so much for watching whatever it is you just watched or if nothing else being too lazy to click out of the autoplay after this video started after whatever it is you actually wanted to watch finished but now that you're here I'd like to take a moment here to ask you respectfully respectfully now okay I'm asking you respectfully to subscribe to the NFL on NBC YouTube channel you'll get the latest Rota World fantasy news headlines all sorts of great shows including my own fantasy football happy hour so go subscribe now again I'm asking respectfully