Running backs remain king in fantasy football. While it feels like there are more elite quarterbacks and wide receivers than ever before, the amount of consistent, dependable running backs is dwindling. This makes it all the more important to find value at running back in fantasy football. In order to help you do that, I will be taking a look at a few backfields each week that stick out based on recent trends or new information we learned.
A lot has transpired in the NFL since the last version of this column two weeks ago. Namely, there are key players returning from injury, others getting injured and a few veterans showing signs of decline. So, with just one week separating us from the fantasy football playoffs in many leagues, let’s get into my top backfield takeaways in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs
Isiah Pacheco made his long-awaited return this week after missing nine games with an ankle injury. As expected, Pacheco did not immediately receive a full workload. He saw seven carries, the same as Kareem Hunt, and turned them into 44 yards. Pacheco was far more efficient than Hunt, who totaled just 15 yards rushing. The two essentially played the same amount, with Pacheco being on the field for 26 snaps compared to Hunt’s 27.
Pacheco showed why he is the more explosive running back — he ripped off a 30-yard run that would have been Hunt’s season-long — but the Chiefs evidently want to keep Hunt involved in the offense. From a passing perspective, neither Pacheco nor Hunt had more than two catches, but Hunt did run 10 more routes.
Moving forward, I would treat both Pacheco and Hunt as borderline startable options in fantasy. I anticipate that Pacheco will start to make this more of a 70/30 split than a 50/50, but at the same time, the Chiefs have no reason to risk getting him re-injured.
One thing to look out for in the next few games is the goal-line usage. The Chiefs ran zero plays within the 5-yard line on Friday, but if either of the two sees an overwhelming share of the high-value work, they would get a boost in fantasy value. For now, I am comfortable starting both of them as low-end RB2s/high-end FLEX options.
I would definitely temper my expectations for Pacheco, as he probably won’t be the top-15 back you drafted him as in the summer the rest of the season.
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Carolina Panthers
Rookie Jonathon Brooks made his season debut against the Chiefs in Week 12 and continued to be involved in Week 13. Brooks saw his carry count jump from two to six and added three catches for 23 yards. He outplayed starter Chuba Hubbard, who turned 12 carries into 43 yards and had a game-losing fumble for the Panthers. Hubbard still dominated the playing time split, with 55 snaps to Brooks’ 15, but had his worst game of the season since Week 1.
Truth be told, I am a bit worried about Hubbard’s fantasy value now that Brooks is healthy. Hubbard has been surprisingly effective as a pass-catcher this season, but if Brooks keeps eating into that work, it would lower Hubbard’s floor by a significant amount. I wouldn’t say Hubbard is in any danger of losing his starting position, especially since the Panthers curiously chose to give him a four-year contract extension last month. But, if the David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs dynamic is what Carolina is hoping for, they will have to see if Brooks can live up to his draft cost.
I think Hubbard will be a serviceable fringe RB2 in fantasy but might be a bit streakier than before as Brooks gets ramped up.
Los Angeles Chargers
J.K. Dobbins got placed on IR due to a knee sprain, leaving a sizable hole in the Chargers backfield. To help fill it, the Chargers deployed a running back by committee approach. Gus Edwards led the team in snaps and touches against the Falcons, while rookie Kimani Vidal came in second. Neither of them was particularly impactful for fantasy as the Chargers failed to get within the Falcons’ 15-yard line, but we were at least able to get a clearer idea of the backfield hierarchy. Hassan Haskins appears to be a distant third behind Edwards and Vidal, especially after fumbling away his lone carry.
Edwards is likely the running back you want for the next few weeks. He has a history of goal-line production and has always been an efficient runner, and I expect him to be more reliable in fantasy once the Chargers play more normal game scripts. Although he may be a bit touchdown-dependent, I would be fine with Edwards as a FLEX starter until we know more about the split. However, I would still add Vidal this week on waivers, as he is currently rostered in just 13% of Yahoo leagues. If Vidal can start to contribute as a pass-catcher or break off a couple of explosive runs, he could quickly make this a near-even timeshare.
Los Angeles Rams
Blake Corum had a career day on Sunday, setting his season high in carries (8), yards (42) and snaps (18) in the Rams win over the Saints. Corum likely saw an increase in usage after starter Kyren Williams put the ball on the ground four times in four weeks. Williams bounced back on his own right, running for 104 yards and a score.
While Williams has been a lot worse in fantasy football ever since Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned from injury, he still looks like the clear top running back in this offense. So, I’m still not ready to seriously consider Corum as anything but a stash, even though his usage looks like it is trending up. Unless Williams struggles even more with fumbles and efficiency, he is a safe and sound RB2 in fantasy, albeit with a slightly lower ceiling.
Quick Hitters
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Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones Sr. seems to have gotten on the bad side of Vikings fans and coaches alike with five fumbles in 12 games this year. Sunday was a low point on the season, as Jones played only 53% of snaps and was benched for a portion of the game. Cam Akers largely operated as the top back with Jones off the field, but he didn’t leave much of an impact with the Vikings down two scores. Jones’ spike weeks remain elite and he is definitely still startable in fantasy, but be wary of his rather low floor.
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Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker II has been a bit of a disappointment of late, failing to crack 13 fantasy points in five straight games. Zach Charbonnet hasn’t been the reason for that though — Charbonnet himself has been ineffective in fantasy aside from a vultured touchdown or two. Walker’s volume has stayed similar to the start of the year, but his efficiency is way down. I would stay the course with Walker and am optimistic his yards per carry marks will regress positively to the mean, and his volume makes him a definitive starter even with less production.
