Fantasy football turns every game into a personal decision about who to trust in your lineup. Each week, you weigh recent performance, injuries, and matchups without ever having the whole picture.
Sometimes, even a strong box score can hide warning signs, while a quiet week can set the stage for a breakout. The fun is in making those calls before the results prove you right or wrong.
Start ‘Em: Omarion Hampton or Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. PHI)
Omarion Hampton practiced all three days last week for the first time since suffering a small fracture in his ankle back in Week 5. His return is imminent, but it’s not quite guaranteed for this week. Hence, the dual designation here. The point is more that you want to start the Chargers RB1 this week.
If it is another week of Kimani Vidal, he is coming off his third 100-yard rushing effort of the season. Vidal ran for 26 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. The bye week did not interrupt his pattern of alternating bust weeks with boom weeks that has occurred since Week 5.
You will not be able to convince me that this is anything more than happenstance. The fact that Vidal smashed last week does not preclude him from exploiting a favorable matchup once again…unless, of course, Hampton returns.
If Hampton does play, I think both Chargers backs will be viable, as they are unlikely to thrust the rookie back into a feature role in his first game back.
The Eagles have a good defense overall, but their vulnerability is on the ground. They allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to running backs. With a banged-up Justin Herbert (and potentially Trey Lance starting), a run-heavy game plan makes all the sense in the world, giving both backs viability.
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (vs. TEN)
It is exceedingly rare for the Cleveland Browns to find themselves in a situation where they are unlikely to face a negative game script. That is what we have this week with the Browns home favorites against the worst team in football.
Quinshon Judkins’ ability to produce RB2 numbers is mighty impressive when you consider the team circumstances he is dealing with. The Browns are starting a fifth-round rookie at quarterback. Shedeur Sanders is their third QB of the season after Dillon Gabriel, another rookie, and 40-year-old Joe Flacco both lost their jobs for various reasons. Yet, Judkins has six games with at least 13.8 fantasy points.
MORE: Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer
Judkins has scored in all three of Cleveland’s wins. In fact, just one of his seven touchdowns has come in a loss. The rookie second-rounder averages 19.8 fantasy points per game in wins.
The Browns are very likely to win this game and should do so by controlling it on the ground. Expect a heavy workload for Judkins against a defense allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
Sit ‘Em: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. DEN)
If there’s one thing the 2025 NFL season has taught me, it’s that everything matters. You cannot rank or draft players purely based on talent. Now, that’s not to say it’s possible to account for every variable. The NFL is unpredictable, and there are many things we don’t see coming. But even the most talented players are only as good as their offensive environment lets them.
I am pretty confident that if Ashton Jeanty and Jonathan Taylor switched places, we’d be talking about Jeanty like a top-five pick next season and Taylor as disappointing (but not outright a bust). If anything, Jeanty’s ability to post near-RB1 numbers is a testament to his talent.
We saw this matchup four weeks ago. Jeanty managed to squeak out 15.3 fantasy points because he fell into the end zone. Had he not scored, he would’ve been stuck with single-digit fantasy points.
Over the past few weeks, Jeanty has been PPR scamming his way to usable weeks with empty receptions. He’s caught 20 passes over his last three games. That will have to continue for him to give fantasy managers anything useful against a Denver Broncos defense allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (at GB)
Kyle Monangai looked really good last week. He’s worked his way into a near-even timeshare with D’Andre Swift. If the rookie continues to see 12+ touches per game, he will be fantasy viable…but he’s also matchup-dependent.
Things went very well with both Monangai and Swift rushing for over 100 yards against the Eagles on Black Friday. How often are both backs going to do that? Chances are never again.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
Monangai has now rushed for a touchdown in four consecutive games. But outside of last week, had he not scored, he wouldn’t have gotten close to posting usable fantasy numbers.
The Green Bay Packers allow the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. Last week, David Montgomery’s rushing touchdown was the first one they allowed all season. Monangai is probably looking at like a 10-60 line this week, at best, which is not getting done for fantasy managers.