Start Cam Skattebo over Dalton Schultz — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Start Skattebo: the stronger scoring profile outweighs Schultz's steadier role

Start Cam Skattebo: his physical RB1 profile and receiving ability create more paths to a useful PPR outing in a near-even game. The 5.3-point projection gap matters more than it would at quarterback, especially with Schultz facing Buffalo's third-toughest TE matchup. Schultz's 71% route-and-snap role and 19% target share are legitimate advantages, but the risk in choosing Skattebo is his 52% workload while returning from injury.

What flips it: A late setback that limits Skattebo's workload.

AI editor

Cam Skattebo

RB18NYGvs DAL

11.012.313.7 Projected Points

Start· medium

Dalton Schultz

TE19HOUvs BUF

4.76.58.4 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Why Cam Skattebo

Start· medium

RB1 and physical workhorse. Contact-balance bruiser with receiving chops, returning from late-season injury.

RB18 at 13.7 projected with a 13% target share and a one-score game script — that's a playable PPR flex/RB2, not a bench call.

His receiving chops protect the floor if New York's close game script demands short-area work.
The call carries workload risk: his post-injury role has not yet matched a full-time backfield share.

The call

Consensus has him RB18 at 13.7 projected points; in a 12-team PPR that clears the bar for an RB2/flex slot over a replacement-level back.
The 13% target share is the separator — pass-game work insulates him if the Giants trail, and a 1.5-point spread means neither team runs away with it.
A 23.5 implied team total is respectable, and the DvP composite (22 of 32, softest end) at worst doesn't scare you — though it carries a 0-game sample and zero confidence, so it's not part of the case.
Main risk is the 52% snap share: he's not a bell-cow, so ceiling is capped and a script that gets away from New York would cut into carries.

Latest on Skattebo

Giants' Cam Skattebo says he mulled retiring after 2025 injury

Giants running back Cam Skattebo said Thursday on the "Up & Adams Show" that he briefly contemplated retirement after he suffered an open fracture of his right ankle during his rookie season.

ESPN · Sep 3, 2026

Skattebo tells Eisen of 'really strong connection' with John Harbaugh

VideoESPN · Sep 3, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Dalton Schultz

Toss-Up

TE1 in high-volume pass-catching role. Reliable chain-mover over the middle with sure hands.

Toss-up — TE19 by consensus and projection: BUF is the 3rd-toughest matchup vs TEs, 19% target share in 2025.

Schultz's chain-moving profile gives him a stable path to catches when Houston needs efficient drives.
His volume is less valuable against Buffalo's difficult TE matchup, which suppresses the ceiling.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Cam Skattebo	Dalton Schultz
Projected points	11.012.313.7	4.76.58.4
Consensus rank	RB18	TE19
Opponent vs position	DAL · 22 of 320-game sample	BUF · 3 of 320-game sample
Rushing Yards	15 of 32	—
Rushing TDs	24 of 32	—
Rushing Attempts	8 of 32	—
Receptions	29 of 32	1 of 32
Receiving Yards	30 of 32	2 of 32
Anytime TD	26 of 32	5 of 32
Receiving TDs	—	6 of 32
Targets	—	1 of 32
Target share	13%(2025)	19%(2025)
Reception share	16%(2025)	23%(2025)
Implied total · spread	23.5+1.5	22.0+1.5
Depth chart	RB1	TE1
Snap share	52%(2025)	71%(2025)