Who’s ready to start Chris Evans this week?! Actually, if you’re in a deep fantasy football league, there are worse desperation dart throws. Let’s try to make sense of what needs to happen for Evans to be an RB4+ in Week 6.
What is Joe Mixon’s status?
Joe Mixon is on track to be a full go this weekend. He injured his ankle in Week 4 and was hobbled in Week 5. Cincinnati’s offense managed well enough last Sunday despite his limitations. Handcuff RB Samaje Perine paced the backfield with 59 yards on 11 carries, adding 4 receptions for 24 yards and a score. Mixon struggled to gain traction, eking out only 33 yards on the ground on 11 carries, plus 1 catch for 2 yards.
Meanwhile, Evans — a sixth-round rookie — picked up 2 receptions for 15 yards. He’s now 5-for-5 for 55 yards on the season and appears ready to step into a complementary role if needed. The University of Michigan product was never a heavy-volume running back in college, topping out at 151 touches in 13 games his sophomore season.
This week, the Bengals will face a Detroit Lions team that opposing squads love to run, pass, and score on. Teams are averaging a solid 4.4 yards per carry and 27.6 points per game against them and are also running the ball frequently (29.6 carries per game, tied for seventh-most in the league).
Cincinnati could use Chris Evans more to ease Mixon back in
While Mixon appears to be ready to resume his bell cow ways, it’s possible Cincinnati eases him back in. After all, since earning 33 touches in Week 1, his usage has dropped considerably: 21 in Week 2, 19 in Week 3, 17 in Week 4, and 11 when he was less than 100% in Week 5. Expecting another 25+ rush performance from Mixon seems unrealistic this weekend. 18-20 rushes? Sure. But I think this franchise will be a little more careful with their lead back.
Additionally, Perine might be sidelined. He would be a minor threat to cut into Mixon’s ceiling if he’s able to play, and a major threat to Evans. But as of writing this, he is a bit more of a long shot given that’s on the COVID-19 list.
Could Evans achieve RB4+ production?
And that’s where Evans could carve out a role. Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd should absorb most of the attention. Nevertheless, there’s room for Evans to snag 3-4 passes and receive 2-3 carries, particularly in lower-leverage situations like first-and-5 or second-and-1.
If you don’t have an RB3/4 to plug in — particularly if you play in a very deep league or one that requires three or more starting RBs — Evans has a decent chance of netting 6+ points. And with Mixon’s injury history, there is a small chance the Bengals might be forced to feed Evans if Mixon gets hurt.
