Derrick Henry wonders if his Giants setup is real life, Zach Charbonnet angles for plug-and-play goodness, and Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard battle for “surprise” RB1 status.
Other positions: Quarterback | Receiver | Tight End/Kickers/Defense
Week 15 Running Backs
RB Notes: Derrick Henry as a two-plus touchdown favorite might be the funniest thing that’s happened all season. … Saquon Barkley needs to average 121 yards over the next four weeks to set the single-season rushing record, 161 to do it in the same 16 games as Eric Dickerson. … Bijan Robinson came out of the Falcons’ bye week to the two biggest carry counts of his career. The Falcons’ plan isn’t subtle as they look to hide Kirk Cousins. … Even with the Bengals’ bye week mixed in, Chase Brown is seventh in the NFL in touches since taking over as lead back in Week 9. He’s behind only Saquon Barkley and Ja’Marr Chase in yards from scrimmage during that timespan. … Kyren Williams finally broke out of his “touches slump” against the Bills last Sunday. Now he faces the 49ers’ extreme run-funnel defense on a short week. The Niners are not a pushover on the ground, but you would rather get them there than through the air. Williams is a safe top-10 option. … Josh Jacobs has ridden a touchdown avalanche back to his RB1 mean. The Seahawks’ defense is most vulnerable in the run game.
De’Von Achane is averaging just 2.26 yards per carry on 31 rushes over the past three weeks, flopping at the goal line in the process. The not-so-secret weapon remains his pass catching, as his 17 grabs in that span have resulted in three scores. Nothing should be expected to change in the Dolphins’ offense down the stretch. … David Montgomery has caught at least three passes in four straight appearances, shoring up his touchdown-based RB1/2 appeal. D-Mont is never anyone’s “favorite starter,” but he’s a strong option for the quarterfinals in the highest-totaled game of the year. … With Jonathon Brooks back on ice and the Panthers favored for the first time in two years, Chuba Hubbard could be a one-man advancing crew against a Cowboys defense coughing up 4.8 yards per carry and 142 rushing yards per game. … Opposing Hubbard will be Rico Dowdle, who is second in the league in rushing since his snap rate climbed above 60 percent three weeks ago. It’s been above 70 the past two games. If Hubbard’s matchup is good, Dowdle’s is golden. The Panthers continue to allow both the most rushing yards and RB fantasy points. … Bucky Irving (back, hip) appears doubtful. Rachaad White sneaks into the top 24 if Irving sits.
Kenneth Walker (calf, ankle) hasn’t looked healthy in a while. He appears poised to miss a consecutive contest. That leaves Zach Charbonnet positioned for another plug-and-play RB1 day following his RB1 overall finish in Week 14. The only difference here is that the Seahawks do not project to control the proceedings in the same dominant fashion they did vs. Arizona. Road favorite Green Bay surrenders the ninth fewest rushing yards. … Jonathan Taylor has reached 25 touches in each of the Colts’ past two competitive contests. Say what you will about the Broncos, they seem unlikely to blow Indy out. They are stingy enough on the ground that Taylor can’t be considered a genuine RB1 for the first week of the fantasy playoffs. … Brian Robinson Jr. was back to health and back in fantasy business heading into the Commanders’ Week 14 bye. The Saints are quietly one of only two teams allowing at least 5.0 yards per carry. The Commanders are 7.5-point favorites against the fightin’ Jake Haeners and rising. You do the math. Jeremy McNichols also merits desperation second FLEX appeal. … Alvin Kamara and Tyrone Tracy are weekly RB2s who get knocked for hellacious Week 15 offensive environments.
James Cook was one of Week 14’s biggest disappointments. Josh Allen has six rushing scores over the past four weeks, while Ty Johnson keeps catching passes. That’s bad for Cook’s bottom line, but he can’t be faded in this offense with this game total (54.5). … Always banged up, Tony Pollard is now nursing an ankle injury. If he’s healthy and the Titans can keep it at all close, there are always yards to be had against the Bengals’ “defense.” … Isaac Guerendo (foot) is genuinely questionable for Thursday evening. If he plays, he should be considered a re-injury risk FLEX. If he doesn’t, Patrick Taylor Jr. probably fights his way into the top 24. With Guerendo in the lineup, Taylor will find himself somewhere in the RB36-44 range. … Isiah Pacheco approached 50 percent of the snaps last Sunday. That number should again trend upward this weekend before maybe falling ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 16 and 17 short-week extravaganzas. … Tank Bigsby finally found good game script in Week 14 and easily vaulted ahead of Travis Etienne on the depth chart. With the Jaguars only modest home underdogs against a Jets team that’s 25th in the league in scoring, the proceedings should remain close enough for Bigsby to handle a FLEX-level workload.
With Breece Hall (knee) trending toward another inactive and possible season shutdown, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis will once again be duking it out in the Jets’ backfield. They played nearly identical snap shares in Week 14 while posting nearly identical touch totals. That includes in the red zone, where both backs handled the ball twice. It makes them difficult to trust in the top 30, though they both offer wild hair upside against a Jaguars defense surrendering the second most RB fantasy points. … Alexander Mattison (ankle) is finally expected back for the Raiders, and coach Antonio Pierce’s official opinion appears to be “who cares, doesn’t matter.” Pierce has said “hot hand” Sincere McCormick will remain the RB1. Cool story, though Desmond Ridder’s (likely) presence under center is far less touching, and renders McCormick a low-upside FLEX despite a decent floor. … Jaleel McLaughlin is the only Broncos back worth FLEXing, though you know as well as I do another rug pull is possible if not likely. The more bullish case is that McLaughlin had his best performance heading into the bye week, making an easy case to game plan around him in the backfield coming out of the open date.
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