Fantasy football lineups are getting tighter, and this week’s slate is loaded with backfields that could swing close matchups in either direction. Between shifting roles, uncertain workloads, and a few offenses that just can’t seem to find a rhythm, there’s more volatility than the standings might suggest.
Some situations look like they’re on the verge of breaking wide open, while others are quietly drying up at the worst possible time for managers. If you’re trying to separate signal from noise heading into the fantasy playoffs, this rundown will give you just enough to know where the real upside might be hiding.
Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN (vs WAS)
Aaron Jones suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter last week, and he may sit out this week as the Vikings play out the string of this season, with a year left on his contract.
Even if he plays, what exactly are you chasing?
He has one game this season with double-digit rush attempts, and while the role in the passing game has elevated his floor to a tough (3+ catches in four straight games), all you have to do is ask a Justin Jefferson manager about how sideways counting on this passing game can go.
If active, I prefer his reception projection to Jordan Mason’s edge in close, but he’d still be ranked no better than a middling flex. Should he sit, we get a situation where the RB touches all go to one place, and if you roster both, this is the outcome you want.
Alvin Kamara | NO (at TB)
A low body injury resulted in Alvin Kamara missing his first game of the season on Sunda,y and while the timetable is TBD, reports noted that the veteran RB wasn’t expected to be placed on IR.
Is the glass half empty or half full?
This suggests his absence will be fewer than four games (three more), but it doesn’t exactly inspire optimism about his availability in the short term. He doesn’t have a finish better than RB14 this season and has finished the majority of his games outside of the top 25 at the position.
The answer to your lineup questions this time of year shouldn’t include Saints: you’re playing Chris Olave, or you’re grasping for straws. That sentiment won’t change unless Kamara finds the fountain of youth, recovers in a hurry, and proves both of those things to us over the next month.
Yeah, not betting on it.
Ashton Jeanty | LV (vs DEN)
Not all high-pedigree players are capable of putting an entire offense on their shoulders from the jump.
Personally, I haven’t adjusted my career expectation for Ashton Jeanty this season: he simply has no help, and I hope that we see that change in short order.
There’s simply no reason that a player like this doesn’t have a 15+ yard rush since September and doesn’t have a qw-yard touch in three of his past four. He has three straight games with negative yards per carry before contact, and that brings him to under half a yard before contact for the season (86.3% of his rushing yards come after being touched, league RB average: 70.3%).
Roster building malpractice.
The struggles in that regard forced the Raiders to explore creative ways to get him the rock, proving in the process that he can be one of these offensive focal points (6+ receptions in three straight after minimal usage in that role prior).
Jeanty is doing enough to start in all formats, but you drafted him for so much more. I’d recommend taking your lumps and not holding it against the future star.
Bam Knight | ARI (vs LAR)
We are nearing the return of Trey Benson (knee), and that’ll move everyone attached to this backfield down a spot on the depth chart.
I don’t expect this offense to give us multiple valuable backs every week, but we did gain valuable information last weekend.
Snap Splits, Week 13
- Third Down: Michael Carter leads Bam Knight 7-1
- Red Zone: Knight leads Carter 3-0
- First Quarter: Knight leads Carter 9-2
Half of Knight’s rushing yards in Tampa Bay last week came on the first drive, but the Cards identified a mismatch, targeted him on consecutive plays, and got him the first TD reception of his career.
Carter is clearly the preferred option in the pass game, while Knight is more of a traditional RB. I don’t think either is flexible if Benson is active, but moving forward, Knight is the handcuff I’d roster in Arizona and I feel good about that call, even with the lost fumble proving impactful in a three-point loss..
Bijan Robinson | ATL (vs SEA)
Early on, it looked like it was going to be one of THOSE days.
The Falcons gave Bijan Robinson a rare goal-line carry; he failed, and Tyler Allgeier finished the drive on the next snap.
All’s well that ends well, however. Robinson cashed in a five-yard opportunity to open up the second half, a score he set up with a 42-yard catch. He flirted with 1,900 yards from scrimmage last season and should hit 2,000 in 2025: Robinson was in the 1.01 discussion this August, and that’ll be the case entering 2026 as well.
Blake Corum | LAR (at ARI)
Blake Corum ran hard for a two-yard score last week, a touchdown he earned with a second effort.
That was the most valuable carry of the best day of his pro career (81 rush yards against the Panthers), but it was a third straight game with under 10 touches. Until Kyren Williams gives the Rams a reason to lengthen the leash of his backup, Los Angeles has shown no interest in doing so.
Week 13 Participation Data
- Corum: 33.3% snaps, 8 routes, 7 touches (2 red zone)
- Williams: 66.7% snaps, 16 routes, 13 touches (5 red zone)
In essence, Corum is Tyler Allgeier, but without the TD vulture portion of that role consistently.
He’s rosterable because of where his value would sit if something were to happen to Williams, not because he’s in the flex conversation in this backfield as it currently stands.
Brashard Smith | KC (vs HOU)
The idea of having a rookie who required draft capital to pick up in an Andy Reid offense with some question marks when it comes to running the ball was good.
Keep making bets like that in your drafts, and you’ll have success; it just didn’t work this time around.
With Isiah Pacheco back, a small role got even smaller. Brashard Smith doesn’t have a touchdown this season and didn’t touch the ball once on Thanksgiving. He appears to be two injuries away from a role that matters, and at this point in the season, there’s no need to hold out hope.
Kareem Hunt will hit free agency this summer, and we can have the Smith conversation when he moves up this depth chart as a result.
Breece Hall | NYJ (vs MIA)
Breece Hall turned 21 touches into 76 yards against the Falcons last week, and that’s nothing to write home about, but he benefited from a muffed punt that set the Jets up at the two-yard line and found the end zone for the fourth time this season.
He was lucky to have that happen. New York averaged 4.3 yards per play for the game, and if not gift-wrapped that TD, he finishes the week RB37, not RB17.
I’m not asking you to apologize for the fantasy points; you take them where you can get them, but this is a broken offense that needs some fortunate bounces to get you the points they need.
We’ve begun to see more versatility from Hall of late, including a remarkable sideline catch for 13 yards last week (he caught all 11 of his November targets), and that’s why he’s a lineup lock. He projects for 18-20 touches, and that can land him in starting lineups even without the boost of a touchdown.
The Dolphins allowed him to pick up 111 yards back in September and are the fourth-worst post-contact rush defense in the league. The end of the season might be clunky (Jacksonville next week and New England in Week 17 when leagues are being decided), but I think you have a low-end RB1 rostered this week.
Bucky Irving | TB (vs NO)
Todd Bowles was non-committal entering last week. He told us that Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) would get the first shot at a backfield that was going to lean into a “hot hand” approach.
That was a lie on multiple fronts.
Not only did Rachaad White get the first carry of the game, but Irving ran away with the backfield despite not really flashing a hot hand.
He finished the game against the vulnerable Cardinals’ defense with 61 yards on 17 carries. That’s below average, and if that qualifies as “hot,” then the expectations are awfully low for those around him.
Irving found the paint in the third quarter last week, making good for fantasy managers after an early TD got wiped off the board by a holding penalty that probably wasn’t needed.
All systems go.
The Saints have given up 15+ PPR points to a running back in four straight games, and I think that’s the floor for Irving this week as he naturally trends closer to full strength. He’s my RB8 for this week, and this looks like a player poised to reward you for your patience with his rehab process.
Chase Brown | CIN (at BUF)
Remember three months ago when you got irrationally excited about drafting Chase Brown?
How about two months ago, when you were questioning your life choices in relying on him to dictate your mental stability during the long NFL season?
It’s been a bumpy ride, but we are trending toward an inverse bell curve where the end-of-season production lives up to your expectations with a significant dip between the two.
Better late than never. Brown seems to be rounding into form at the right time, and with this offense now whole, you can count on the good times rolling.
Brown has three straight games averaging north of five yards per carry and has caught at least six passes in three of his past four. He’s not Christian McCaffrey, but he can have Christian McCaffrey-like weeks, and this spot certainly profiles as one of them.
Regardless of how you stack up the top of the board at the position, Brown is a great play this week. The conversation goal posts shift when talking DFS ownership levels, and I doubt I take an overweight position, but the upside is undeniable. Everything is trending toward the elite.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at MIN)
Chris Rodriguez is the running back to roster in Washington, but that’s more of a roster depth conversation than one that is going to impact your starting lineup in a meaningful way over the final month.
He did punch in a powerful eight-yard touchdown in the second quarter last week, and that was good to see. Still, at the moment of that score, he only had seven of 16 Commander rush attempts (Marcus Mariota had four, Jacory Corskey-Merritt had three, and Jeremy McNichols/Deebo Samuel one apiece).
For this to work, he’d have to own a Quinshon Judkins-like role, but nothing this team has shown us suggests that we are likely to get that in 2025. The Vikings are the third-best rush defense in terms of running back YPC before contact, making this even more of an uphill battle.
Rodriguez is the only Washington RB that I have any interest in rostering, but he’s outside of my top 25 at the position this week, and it never really crossed my mind to elevate him.
D’Andre Swift | CHI (at GB)
D’Andre Swift was great on Black Friday, and the evolution of Kyle Monangai is overlooking that.
Not only did he set a season-high in rushing yards (125) and score his first touchdown of the month, but he also gained yardage on every one of his 18 carries against an Eagles defense that is certainly closer to elite than average.
Even with Monangai running well, Swift did finish with a slight snap edge, and that is about what I think we can expect moving forward.
The rookie is the pounding back, which I have ranked a few spots higher because I’m allocating the inside-the-10 touches that way, but that doesn’t mean we pivot off of Swift. I still favor him to lead this backfield in touches and slot him ahead of Monangain in the target hierarchy.
Until proven otherwise, this is a run-centric offense that can support a pair of backs.
De’Von Achane | MIA (at NYJ)
This De’Von Achane season is at risk of not getting the notoriety that it deserves because of what some of the elites at the position are doing, but I’d encourage you not to do so.
Miami’s star 99 rushing yards OR 5+ targets in 11 straight games. He’s ripped off a 20+ yard run in four straight and in six of his past seven. This offense threatens defenses in very few ways, and yet, Achane always seems to find himself in a favorable spot.
Last week could have been even better had Tua Tagovailoa not misfired on a perfectly schemed up red zone target that had touchdown written all over it if delivered as designed.
The ‘Fins have a good chance to win this game and, not surprisingly, five of Achane’s seven best fantasy performances this season have come in victories. I suppose you could complain about Jaylen Wright getting the second carry of the game, but Achane finished that drive with a 29-yard score and doesn’t seem to be in any real danger of losing work (22+ touches in three straight games).
I said it last week, and I’ll say it again: reaching on Achane in 2026 is going to be near impossible.
Derrick Henry | BAL (vs PIT)
If you started Derrick Henry on Thursday night, you were fine with the final results (104 total yards and a touchdown), but again, this Baltimore offense just doesn’t look right.
Henry had five carries in both halves, even after finishing their first drive with a 28-yard score. The Ravens hardly had the ball (21:14 time of possession), and with Lamar Jackson struggling to play up to expectations, defenses aren’t being threatened, and drives aren’t being extended.
He got home for you because of the one chunk gain on the ground and an outlier 44-yard reception. Outside of that, it was a blah week in a season full of them.
Yes, “blah” is the technical term.
Henry is up to 10 rushing scores and is still picking up 4.7 yards per carry. The total numbers aren’t bad, but there is no confusion this year for what we had expected. Until this offense finds some sort of groove, I can’t lock him into my top 10 at the position.
The floor is reasonable thanks to his role on the goal line, but the upside isn’t even remotely close to what we associate with this name. You’re playing him for the role and hoping beyond recent logic that this offense as a whole can rediscover its form of years past.
Devin Neal | NO (at TB)
I’m not sure what you expected last week, but the Devin Neal performance was roughly in line with projections. He assumed the lead role (17 touches, though I wasn’t thrilled with seeing Mason Tipton handle the first carry against the Dolphins), showed some versatility, and finished with 9.9 PPR points.
He was able to fall forward at a high rate (92.9% gain rate), but offered very little in the way of explosive play potential. Evan Hull got five carries, and we’ve seen the Saints show comfort in calling designed runs for Tyler Shough, so his six rush attempts shouldn’t be viewed as an outlier.
What New Orleans didn’t do was lean into the Taysom Hill packages (one carry), which has me thinking there is more room for Neal’s value to decline than to improve.
This is a brutal matchup for any traditional run game. The Bucs rank third in success rate against running backs this season, and you don’t have to go far back to see an ultra-impressive performance (James Cook turned 16 carries into just 48 yards against them).
The Saints lack offensive options, and that leaves the door open for Neal, presuming he’s the lead back again, to catch a handful of passes and slip into the back-end of flex consideration. Still, I think you’re swallowing an awful lot of risk for a limited reward.
Dylan Sampson | CLE (vs TEN)
Dylan Sampson was featured in all sorts of coverage this time last week after being responsible for Shedeur Sanders’ first career touchdown pass, a 66-yard play in which he did all the heavy lifting.
The speed is no secret, but neither is this team’s opinion of Jerome Ford. Quinshon Judkins is pretty clearly the back Cleveland wants to feature, and this offense isn’t built to lend value to multiple backs.
That said, because Ford out-snapped Sampson 13-11, we have no clarity as to who would be the handcuff should an injury occur. Judkins is realistically the only Brown that needs to be rostered in most situations.
Emanuel Wilson | GB (vs CHI)
The Packers have been a one-back system for a while now, and that didn’t change in Week 12’s win over the Vikings when Emauel Wilson took over for the injured Josh Jacobs (30 touches for 125 yards and two touchdowns).
So there should have been no surprise when they fully embraced Jacobs in his return to action, relegating Wilson to a role of no interest to us (18.3% snap share). Heck, Chris Brooks was on the field more and led the position in targets last week.
Wilson remains the proper Jacobs handcuff, and given their stubborn commitment to this offensive scheme, he’s worthy of a roster spot over a WR7 type that you’re never realistically playing.
But make no mistake about it: there is no standalone value to chase here (Bo Melton outrushed him in Week 13).
Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs HOU)
Isiah Pacheco returned last week to give this backfield an added dimension.
The dimension?
An added spectator.
In the loss to the Cowboys, Pacheco finished with a 13% carry share. He matched Kareem Hunt with two targets, but with Patrick Mahomes funneling 75% of his looks to his big three targets (Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Travis Kelce), banking on much usage in the passing game for any member of this backfield is dangerous.
Hunt has been the goal-line back for this entire season, even when Pacheco was trending toward taking the lead role, and that’s crippling any hopes of squeezing flex value out of this distressed asset.
Pacheco is a hard-nosed runner and capable of earning more work, but we need to see this offense show confidence in him, and we are running low on time. On Thursday, 10 of his 16 snaps played were routes run, and that’s not how he earns his way into fantasy lineups for the stretch run.
J.K. Dobbins | DEN (at LV)
A foot injury has landed J.K. Dobbins on IR and will likely end his fantasy season.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for managers, as he’s been a stable source of work all season, but you failed to build your roster properly if you were banking on a full season from the oft-injured running back.
Dobbins was drafted in 2020 and has played 47 career games (of a possible 101 regular-season games when this season ends). Use this as a reminder that you can NEVER have too much depth at the position, especially as the season nears its conclusion. This is the RJ Harvey show moving forward, and if you want to take a flier, Jaleel McLaughlin is worth a look for those struggling to build out their RB room.
Sean Payton is likely to keep multiple backs in the rotation, and while I think you’re drawing thin with McLaughlin, he figures to be on the field some and now carries a reasonable amount of contingent value.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS (at MIN)
This was a fun story this summer, and he held the starting gig for a while, but the Jacory Croskey-Merritt days have come to an end in Washington, and he no longer needs to be rostered.
If I had to guess, I don’t think any running back from this roster makes a big impact in the fantasy postseason. If one back
Week 13 Participation Data
- Jeremy McNichols: 39 snaps, 26 routes, 1 red zone touch
- Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 37 snaps, 19 routes, 3 red zone touches
- Croskey-Merritt: 12 snaps, 6 routes, 0 red zone touches
Week 5 was the last time that JCM had a touch gaining more than 12 yards, and that was also the last time he scored. He just doesn’t have a single skill that plays well, and that means there would have to be multiple injuries ahead of him for me to want to roster him, let alone start him.
James Cook | BUF (vs CIN)
James Cook doesn’t have a role that allows him to threaten the top tier at the position, but if he did, I think he’d have a real chance at putting up similar numbers to the elite.
He’s doing just fine in this role that he has, and that has him locked in RB1 status until otherwise noted.
He’s caught at least three passes in four straight games, a great sign after he went four games with one total reception. We know he’s an elite runner of the football (six games with over 110 rushing yards, two more than any other back in the sport), and that should play just fine against the NFL’s third-worst run defense in terms of success rate (only the Giants and Cowboys have been worse).
This game has two of my top-5 running backs for Week 14 in it, and I prefer Cook to Chase Brown if you’re splitting DFS hairs (it’s also to run a correlated stack in that direction than the other).
Jaylen Warren | PIT (at BAL)
Jaylen Warren ran for a TD in consecutive games, helping mask stat lines that were otherwise gross (3.7 yards per carry with a 5-% catch rate), and while that’s great, the floor feels at risk of falling out.
We haven’t seen a 15+ yard run from Warren in four of his past five games, and he has been worked out of the passing role that we entered the season assuming was safe.
He had 142 receiving yards through three weeks to open this season and has just 86 since (14 over his past three games). We need that rectified quickly so he can retain RB2 status.
The Ravens defense is trending up, and in Warren’s last game against them, 66.2% of his PPR points came through the passing game. I’m nervous, but he does slide just inside of my top 20 at the position and is the only Steeler that I’m starting in Week 14.
Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at MIN)
Jeremy McNichols is more viewed as the pass-catching back in this boring Washington offense, so the fact that he’s been held under five receiving yards in three of his past four games tells you all you need to know about his status.
There really isn’t a double-digit touch upside in this offense for him, and I’m not sure that changes with who is under center. This is a committee that, at large, I’m not touching, and if I am forced to look at Washington, it’s not by way of McNichols.
Jonathan Taylor | IND (at JAX)
Two straight weeks without a touchdown feels like a slump for Jonathan Taylor, but the second-longest reception of his season last week (33 yards on a play-action rollout) helped him to clear 100 scrimmage yards and save you from a real stinker against the Texans.
Taylor has multiple receptions in every game this season and has a 19+ yard gain through the air in four of his past six. He’s already five receptions away from matching a career high in receptions, and that adds fire to a profile that is that of a fantasy MVP based solely on the rushing numbers.
But wait. There is at least one breadcrumb that I want to highlight as defenses begin to dare Daniel Jones to beat them.
Over the past two weeks, very tough matchups in Kansas City and against Houston, he’s picked up 2.08 yards per carry after first contact (first 11 weeks: 4.47). The Jags happen to be the fifth-best run defense at preventing yardage before contact, so if this flaw is something to worry about, we could see a third straight inefficient day on the ground.
Not making a move or downgrading him; simply sharing the information as I come across it.
Jordan Mason | MIN (vs WAS)
Jordan Mason has averaged 5.2 touches per game over the past month and isn’t a player that is on our flex radar should Aaron Jones play.
That much, I think, we can agree on and need no further analysis.
But Jones is dealing with a shoulder injury, and this season has gotten away from the Vikes. I’m not sure their winning window starts next season, but the veteran RB does have another year left on his deal, so what motivation do they have to push him?
If Mason sits atop this depth chart come the weekend, I’m in.
He has a 15+ yard run in three straight games despite the limited role, and he’s proven to have staying power in fantasy land when extended. The Washington run defense hasn’t been as stout as it was on Sunday night (RJ Harvey: 2.7 YPC) for all seasons, and that has me thinking that Mason can blend efficiency and volume nicely if given the full workload.
At the very least, we could get bailed out with a touchdown should this Minnesota offense connect the dots for a drive or two. The Commanders are the eighth-worst red zone defense (60.9% TD rate), and we saw Mason pull a dud game out of the fire back in Week 7 when filling in for Jones with a touchdown (15 carries for 57 yards against the Eagles).
Jones would be a low-end flex if active. If he sits, Mason would soar past that and make a push for my top 15 at the position in Week 14.
Josh Jacobs | GB (vs CHI)
We saw Emanuel Wilson fill the Josh Jacobs role admirably in Week 12. Still, the Packers showed no interest in making this a committee situation with their RB1 recovered from the leg injury.
Green Bay opened Thanksgiving with a heavy serving of Jacobs (four carries on their first six plays), and he finished with 83 yards on 17 carries (Wilson had four for 14). The win over the Lions was the eighth time this season that he’s cleared 15 carries, and his 29-yard run was his longest of the season.
All systems go. It appears that your RB1 is poised to carry a top 10 role into the fantasy postseason, and with them in the thick of the NFC playoff arms race, you can count on plus-production moving forward.
Jacobs scored in both Bear games last season while picking up five yards per carry.
Kareem Hunt | KC (vs HOU)
Kareem Hunt had 30 carries in Week 12, and while the volume wasn’t the same in the loss to Dallas on Thursday, the return of Isiah Pacheco didn’t really dent his rest-of-season outlook.
As per usual, Hunt handled all three of the red zone running back touches for KC, and he held a 40-16 snap edge over their RB2. I suppose it’s possible that Pacheco, the harder runner for my money, works into a role that truly subtracts from Hunt’s bottom line, but I’m not projecting it until we get proof of concept.
This is a brutal matchup, and with some touch variance at least in the conversation, I can’t get Hunt inside of my top 20 at the position. That said, with touchdown equity and a clear path to 15 touches, I find it unlikely that you have three better options.
Keaton Mitchell | BAL (vs PIT)
I like Keaton Mitchell as much as the next guy. The 23-year-old clearly has an explosive profile (6.5 yards per touch this season), and it was good to see him get on the board with his first touchdown of the season last week against Cincinnati.
But there’s no reason to go this direction as you fill out your roster for the stretch run.
The pride of East Carolina hasn’t cleared eight touches in a game this season, and given that Derrick Henry typically gets stronger this time of year, it’s near impossible to pencil in Mitchell for the type of role growth it would take to put him anywhere near the flex conversation.
Holding injury replacements this time of year is a strong strategy, but with Henry not having missed a game since 2022 and projecting for such a high percentage of the usage as Baltimore tries to claw into the playoffs, this isn’t the spot to target.
Kenneth Gainwell | PIT (at BAL)
In a different offense, the Kenneth Gainwell role would have my interest, but I enter most weeks assuming that it’ll be an absolute slog to get the Steelers to 20 points, and that’s not the environment for a secondary RB.
He was on the field for 41.9% of their offensive snaps against the Bills last week and split the red zone work with Jaylen Warren. Gainwell is a strong handcuff and has a role in this offense, but not one that lands him on our radar in anything but a great matchup.
The opposing RB1 has failed to reach his season average in three of the past five Ravens games, making this a very tough sell to trust Gainwell in the RB2 role.
Kenneth Walker III | SEA (at ATL)
Kenneth Walker’s playing time continues to move in a decent direction, but we all know the issue here.
The most explosive Seattle RB has just one score since Week 3, and as long as Zach Charbonnet is active, there is no obvious way for Walker to improve upon that weakness.
He’s still my favorite RB on this roster, even without the scoring equity. Walker has a 20+ yard touch in four straight games and has exactly three receptions in three consecutive contests. We saw the Falcons hold Breece Hall to no 10+ yard rushes last week, but over the season as a whole, they rank fourth-lowest in success rate against the position.
Walker is my RB18 this week, a tier he has lived in for the past two months and will likely remain in for the remainder of the season.
Kimani Vidal | LAC (vs PHI)
Kimani Vidal has shown well for himself and figures to remain involved if Omarion Hampton returns as expected, but he’d fall from an RB2 to a low-end flex should that situation come to pass.
He piled up 126 yards on the ground against the Raiders last week and has at least 95 rushing yards in every game this season in which he’s been handed the ball more than 12 times. Hampton is the higher pedigree player and is viewed as the future, but a 60/40 type of committee is a logical expectation as he works back into game shape.
The Eagles had their noses bloodied on Black Friday by the Bears (Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift ran for 255 yards and two scores on 40 totes), but they showed well prior and have had extended rest to prepare for this game. They are the fourth-best red-zone defense in the league, drastically reducing the TD equity for all involved.
That’s assuming that Justin Herbert plays. If he sits, this is an offense that, for our purposes, is drawing close to death with Trey Lance under center.
Kyle Monangai | CHI (at GB)
The Bears have a high-pedigree quarterback and a big-name playcaller, but this is a traditional offense that runs the ball at a high level.
Ben Johnson shipped D’Andre Swift out of Detroit when he was there, so I think we can say with a level of certainty that he doesn’t view him as a game-changer. We don’t know that Kyle Monangai is, but we don’t have any evidence that Johnson believes it’s not true of him, and that’s enough.
The rookie has run for a score in four straight, and it’s not an accident as he leads Swift 13-5 in red zone snaps over the past two weeks. He impressed at the beginning of November with a monster showing sans Swift (29 touches for 198 yards against the Bengals) and is now thriving alongside him.
Is it only a matter of time until he takes the keys to this backfield?
It certainly seems that way.
I’m not projecting that to be the case this weekend; it’s a little tough to relegate the starter after an 18-125-1 performance against one of the five best defenses in the sport, but Monangai’s role certainly seems more likely to expand than retract.
Give me the scoring equity of the rookie when stacking up the backs in Chicago this week. It’s a tough matchup, and if Green Bay can establish its own run game, this could be a low-possession game that leaves us all wanting more. I’m OK with starting both parts of this backfield given this offense’s focus.
Kyren Williams | LAR (at ARI)
Kyren Williams was banged up in the second quarter last week, and that paved the way for a Blaker Corum score, but he did return and got a score of his own after Puka Nacua made one of the best catches you’ll see.
First Half Usage Splits at Panthers
- Kyren Williams: 17 snaps, 7 touches (3 in the red zone)
- Corum: 15 snaps, 5 touches (2 in the red zone)
That split wasn’t all the result of the injury. I don’t think Sean McVay is looking for a committee, but he is a forward-thinking coach, and taking some of the wear-and-tear off of his RB1 is a logical desire (four straight games with under 15 carries)
Without consistent involvement in the passing game (eight catches in the two months following his eight-catch game against the 49ers), Williams relies more on touchdowns than I think most want to admit.
In the past, that hasn’t been an issue, but the presence of Davante Adams certainly introduces week-to-week risk in this Williams profile. We can worry about that over the next two weeks (Lions and Seahawks) more than we can about this zone (Cardinals: fifth-worst rush defense after contact).
We saw Williams used like a bellcow in the second half last week, despite the success of Corum (17-2 snap edge with all of the routes and red zone touches for the position), and that has me ranking him as a low-end RB1 in this plus-matchup.
Nick Chubb | HOU (at KC)
Woody Marks was dinged up early and returned, but that opened the door last week for Nick Chubb to hold a little more value than we anticipated, an opportunity he cashed in on with a four-yard score in the second quarter.
I don’t think it matters.
The Texans have made it clear they want the rookie to lead their backfield in a significant way, which leaves Chubb without a role that matters for us. This is a low-volume player who isn’t used in the passing game and is only really good at getting what is blocked at this point in his career … and this offensive line isn’t great at moving bodies.
Chubb has been great to fantasy managers in the past, but in 2025, he doesn’t need to be rostered.
Ollie Gordon II | MIA (at NYJ)
I think Ollie Gordon is going to have a greater role, but that’s more of a 2026 discussion. The rookie does run hard, but with no real equity in the pass game and no more than three rush attempts in three of his past four games, there just isn’t a reason to hold out hope for the stretch run this season.
Jaylen Wright got work on the first drive, an annoyance to De’Von Achane managers and a clear sign that even if the starter were to go down, this would be more of a muddled mess than a clear fantasy starter.
You can find more upside elsewhere. Be it in skill set (a deep threat receiver) or a running back that is one injury away from a clear role, that would have a chance at elevating him into the top 30 of the weekly ranks.
Omarion Hampton | LAC (vs PHI)
The hope at this point is that Omarion Hampton (ankle) returns from IR this week, but I typed that exact sentence last week, and by Friday, he was wearing a non-contact jersey.
Justin Herbert threw a red-zone interception last week against the Raiders after a few failed goal-line rush attempts, a spot where Hampton would have been helpful.
The rookie had at least a dozen carries, AND five receptions in each of the last three games he’s played, a level of versatility that tempts me to put him in the flex ranks the second he is activated, even if the role could be limited.
Kimani Vidal has been good enough in Hampton’s stead, but this franchise wants more than that. Herbert’s salary jumped from a base of $6 million last season to $15 million this season and will continue to rise until hitting $47 million in 2028. Winning with a franchise quarterback on a reasonably affordable deal is what every team aims to do.
Quinshon Judkins | CLE (vs TEN)
Usually, it takes time to get used to the NFL game.
Don’t get me wrong, Quinshon Judkins isn’t skirting that, but the rookie runs hard and grinds out yardage like he’s been doing it for years. He’s been handed the ball at least 16 times in five straight healthy games, and with this game expected to be as competitive as any moving forward, we can safely pencil in plenty of work on the ground.
What I can’t figure out is how the Browns feel about Judkins in the pass game. He caught all three targets last week against San Francisco after consecutive zero-catch performances. We know the reception ceiling isn’t all that high, but if we are nitpicking in an offense that struggles to score, access to those “free” points is huge.
Judkins cleared 100 yards and helped his fantasy day around the edges (three catches and a two-point conversion). I think we’ll see more of the same in this spot, which has him ranked as a very strong RB2 this weekend.
Rachaad White | TB (vs NO)
Rachaad White faceplanted in Bucky Irving’s return to action (five touches for 29 yards). While he was the victim of an OPI flag costing him a touchdown, I think you’re largely chasing a ghost if you want him to return flex-worthy value when this backfield is whole.
Tampa Bay Running Back Snaps By Quarter (1-2-3-4)
- White: 7 – 8 – 2 – 4
- Irving: 5 – 11 – 7 – 8
- Sean Tucker: 0 – 2 – 2 – 4
The ramp-up period for Irving spanned the course of the game, not just a handful of contests, which is why I don’t have either of Tampa Bay’s secondary running backs close to flex territory this week.
Even if the Bucs were to jump out to a big lead, that game script works more in favor of Tucker than it does White. You’re holding a luxury stash: the minute your roster is needy for immediate production, I’m not hesitating to cut ties here and chase the hot pickup of the week with the playoffs so close.
Ray Davis | BUF (vs CIN)
I think Ray Davis runs hard.
I like what he brings to the table (nine carries for 62 yards against the Steelers), and his 220-pound frame only gets more difficult to drag down as the weather cools.
That said, James Cook isn’t giving him a chance to carve out a flex-worthy niche. That’s not going to change any time soon, and that makes Davis’ roster depth more than someone who has a real chance at hitting your lineup.
There are only a handful of backups in the league who would walk into an RB2 ranking if elevated up the depth chart, and Davis is one of them.
RJ Harvey | DEN (at LV)
Sean Payton clearly wants RJ Harvey to be confident leading this backfield, thus sticking with him as he acclimates to this new role. With 65 yards on 24 carries since the JK Dobbins injury, Harvey hasn’t exactly been a difference maker, but this is a rookie taking on increased responsibilities, and the Broncos can be patient given their sparkling record.
The volume feels safe, and the versatility is a plus-asset for Denver and fantasy managers alike (31 catches on 36 targets this season). The Raiders have given up productive days to young RBs in consecutive weeks entering this matchup (16.7 to Quinshon Judkins in Week 12 and 20.7 to Kimani Vidal over the weekend), and this is a critical spot for how this offense functions moving forward.
If he can explode, this unit becomes a balanced one that doesn’t have to overload Bo Nix with responsibilities (Packers-Jags-Chiefs-Chargers to round out the regular season). This is obviously the goal, and I think there’s a good chance that Payton gives Harvey every chance to prove himself as that sort of difference maker for what they hope is a deep playoff run.
Maybe I’m sipping the Kool-Aid a little too much, but Harvey is my top-ranked rookie RB for Week 14.
Saquon Barkley | PHI (at LAC)
The Eagles missed a chance to send a message on Black Friday against the Bears, and they are running out of time to rediscover the high-end form it’ll take to repeat.
It goes without saying that Saquon Barkley is a huge part of that. He dropped a screen pass late last week (inconsequential to the result of the game, but every opportunity matters in our world) and was held without an 18+ yard run for the 11th time in 12 games.
You’re aware of the struggles. You’re aware that he has just two rushing TDs since opening the season with one in each of the first two games. You’re aware that he has six games with single-digit receiving yards and that this offense is simply average at best.
The Rams’ defense is stout and certainly not a get-right spot. That said, an extended week for this team as a whole can’t be a bad thing, and Barkley averaged 2.0 yards per carry before first contact last week, the second-best mark of his season.
I’ve docked him in my Week 14 rankings, but that’s a short-term punishment. There were some running lanes last week, and if that’s what we see again this week, I think Barkley may be a swing piece in fantasy postseasons.
- Week 15 vs. Raiders
- Week 16 at Commanders
- Week 17 at Bills
Sean Tucker | TB (vs NO)
Sean Tucker’s run as a fantasy asset was impressive, but it didn’t last very long. Bucky Irving returned last weekend against the Cardinals and played the majority of their offensive snaps, a rate that figures only to rise as the postseason nears.
I like Tucker as the Thunder role if Irving were to suffer some setback, and that makes him a better stash than a random WR7 who might see two targets in a given week, but if you play in a league with shallow benches, cutting Tucker might be a call you have to make.
Tony Pollard | TEN (at CLE)
There was a glimmer of hope if you were paying awfully close attention to Titans/Jags last week.
If you had better things to do on your Sunday, I get it.
Tony Pollard had runs of 10, 11, and 15 yards to open the game. He gave this offense some nice balance, and if you’re trying to squeeze value out of every roster spot, the hot start was good to see as you try to build out a deep team for your playoff run.
If you blinked, you missed it.
Pollard carried seven times for 24 yards the rest of the way as the game script worked away from his role. Tyjae Spears finished with -1 rushing yard, but his fluidity in the passing game (team-high six receptions) left Pollard on the pine and stopped an optimistic start before it had a real chance to gain momentum.
The Browns are built like the Titans in that they don’t have enough offensive talent to script enforce on anyone, and that’s why I prefer Pollard to Spears this week in my AFC South-only leagues.
Outside of that, we aren’t talking about a backfield that you want to rely on.
Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (vs IND)
In the first week coming out of their bye, Travis Etienne had 27 touches in an overtime win against the Raiders. It was great, and we thought we had a chance to get top-12 production the rest of the way.
However, in the following weeks, his usage is on the decline, and Bhasyul Tuten is picking up valuable work in scoring position.
- Week 11 vs. Chargers: 21 opportunities (carries + targets)
- Week 12 at Cardinals: 19 opportunities
- Week 13 at Titans: 13 opportunities
Those are all victories. Jacksonville is doing more in the record column with less from their RB1, and that’s not the type of trend I like to see this time of year.
The Colts are coming off a loss to the Texans, but it wasn’t because their run defense struggled (108 yards on 34 carries). It’s still Etienne over Bhayshul Tuten for me. Still, the rookie is making this something of a Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet situation, and I’m not confident that this Jags offense is built to sustain a committee like that.
Trey Benson | ARI (vs LAR)
Trey Benson hasn’t played since September, and while I’m reasonably confident that this is his backfield to own when he returns, the fact that they’ve been awfully cautious with working the 23-year-old back into action has me thinking that we are looking at a one-week buffer between when Arizona activates their RB1 and when I’m comfortable starting him.
Especially if that week is this week.
The Rams gave up 164 yards on the ground last week to the Panthers, but this rush defense has been stout for three months (Week 12 against the Bucs: 132 yards and zero touchdowns allowed on 29 attempts as a recent example), and that’s what I prefer to trust over a singular date point.
If Benson returns this week, I think you’re watching from a distance if at all possible.
Tyjae Spears | TEN (at CLE)
Tyjae Spears has been pigeon-holed into a pass-catching role (more catches than carries in back-to-back-to-back games) in an offense that struggles as much as any to move the ball through the air.
Not ideal.
Tennessee lacks a reliable pass catcher, and that gives Spears a clear path to a handful of targets, but is that enough?
It wasn’t last week (six catches and 24 yards from scrimmage without much hope at a touchdown), and that projects to be the case more often than not. This is a fantasy wasteland: throw your darts on better offenses, even if the player in question requires an injury to become relevant (I’d rather bet on an injury than the Titans stumbling their way into scoring 25+ points).
Tyler Allgeier | ATL (vs SEA)
Tyler Allgeier punched in his eighth rushing touchdown of the season last weekend against the Jets, a score that came after Bijan Robinson first got the doorstep attempt.
Don’t worry, Robinson got there eventually, but this has been some bizzaro version of Detroit’s offense over the past two seasons: Allgeier is the scoring threat of 2024 David Montgomery, but has a role, in terms of volume, similar to that of 2025 Montgomery.
I’d love to give you some groundbacking analysis, but there’s nothing new here: Allgeier is more annoying to Robinson managers than he is productive in his own right. This is a brutal matchup to draw in a week where you could be a little shorthanded, and that’s why Allgeier doesn’t sit inside my top 25 at the position.
The Falcons have the Bucs, Cardinals, and Rams left on the fantasy schedule, spots that I’m not likely to have Allgeier ranked as a viable flex as long as Robinson is active. If their RB1 were to go down, however, we’d be looking at a top 15 option, and that’s why he’s worthy of rostering over a sixth receiver type that has no realistic path to a role that projects well.
Woody Marks | HOU (at KC)
Any player evaluation is three-pronged: role, talent, and situation.
Running backs that check at least two of those boxes have a way of finding their way into our lineup.
I’m not sold on the situation in terms of run blocking or respect given to the passing game being optimal. That leaves role and talent.
The role is there and unquestioned at this point. Entering Week 14, only four running backs have 16+ carries and a reception in each of their past three games: Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Javonte Williams, and Marks.
That’s a list that Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Bijan Robinson aren’t on, but Marks is. I say that not to sell you on Marks, but to sell you on the role of Marks. It’s locked in and something we can count on (the Nick Chubb touchdown last week came as Marks was working his way back from an early trip to the locker room due to a foot injury).
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 14 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
So now the million-dollar question: is Marks “good”?
The very small sample that we have puts him on the wrong side of average. But we are talking about a fourth-round pick who has 152 touches in his career, making any drastic claims hard to make.
That leaves us at 1-1-1 in my three boxes. He has the role, not the situation, and the talent discussion is in the eye of the beholder. For me, that makes him a low-end RB2 with the ability to move up 5-7 spots in the rankings when the matchup dictates.
We could see that in the coming weeks (home games against the Cardinals and Raiders await), but I’m not sold we do on Sunday. The Chiefs are the ninth-best defense after contact, ranking fifth in average time of possession, giving them the ability to hold onto the ball. Marks can do a lot of things, but scoring fantasy points when Houston is playing defense isn’t one of them.
He’s my RB23 this week, and I expect to be considerably higher in the coming weeks as the matchups lighten.
Zach Charbonnet | SEA (at ATL)
Kenneth Walker continues to out-snap Zach Charbonnet, but unless you play in a PPS league (point per snap), you’re left wanting more. This season, just 15% of Walker’s touches have come in the red zone, a number that is dwarfed by Charbonnet’s 25.4%.
In theory, that should make Charbonnet a viable play as the recipient of valuable work in a potent offense, but he’s yet to clear 15 carries in a game and has 10 targets for the season.
If you’re flexing Charbonnet, you’re chasing a single carry that accounts for the majority of your points: there’s very little volume or splash play upside in a role that is trending away from him.
