Start George Holani over Jonah Coleman — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Holani edges a fellow deep bench arm, but Seattle's youth movement is the real threat

Neither back is startable in shallow-to-medium leagues, but Holani gets the nod because his offense is simply expected to score more, and that matters more than usual when a runner's own production is this thin. Coleman is a true rookie with zero NFL sample and a brutal Kansas City draw, which is why the board has him as an outright sit while Holani stays in toss-up territory. The catch for Holani is that his 6% snap share and 1% target share already show Seattle barely uses him, and the ESPN piece on Jadarian Price becoming the lead back only raises the odds his touches shrink further, not grow. If you're forced to pick one for a deep-league flex, take Holani for the game script, but don't expect volume to bail out either roster spot.

What flips it: A report confirming Jadarian Price takes over early-down work in Seattle before Coleman's role changes in Denver.

Sources: ESPN · Aug 31, 2026

AI editor

George Holani

RB48SEAvs NE

5.15.86.4 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Jonah Coleman

RB50DENvs KC

3.13.64.1 Projected Points

Sit

Why George Holani

Toss-Up

RB2 and rotational back. Compact one-cut runner with special-teams value and limited touch volume.

Toss-up — RB48 by consensus and projection: NE is the 10th-toughest matchup vs RBs, 24.0 implied team total.

Seattle's plus team total gives Holani more garbage-time and short-yardage look opportunities than Coleman's offense projects to create.
He's an established rotational piece, not a total unknown, which caps his downside relative to a rookie with no track record.

Latest on Holani

Are the Seahawks ready for Jadarian Price to lead run game?

With Zach Charbonnet set to miss the first four weeks on the PUP list, Seattle will turn to its first-round pick.

ESPN · Aug 31, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Jonah Coleman

Sit

Rookie RB3 and depth back. Compact, physical runner with no NFL regular-season sample yet.

Sit — RB50 consensus, projects RB60 this week: KC is the 9th-toughest matchup vs RBs, 4.1 PPR projected vs KC.

Coleman still has rookie-year physical tools that could matter if Denver's touch distribution shifts later in the season.
His sit-lean grade reflects matchup and role, not any red flag on health or standing on the depth chart.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	George Holani	Jonah Coleman
Projected points	5.15.86.4	3.13.64.1
Consensus rank	RB48	RB50
Opponent vs position	NE · 10 of 320-game sample	KC · 9 of 320-game sample
Rushing Yards	5 of 32	8 of 32
Rushing TDs	4 of 32	4 of 32
Rushing Attempts	4 of 32	10 of 32
Receptions	26 of 32	12 of 32
Receiving Yards	17 of 32	14 of 32
Anytime TD	4 of 32	6 of 32
Target share	1%(2025)	—
Reception share	1%(2025)	—
Implied total · spread	24.0-3.5	20.0+2.5
Depth chart	RB2	RB3
Snap share	6%(2025)	—