Running backs are at the center of fantasy football debates this week and will greatly impact lineups. Every matchup offers new wrinkles, with teams making strategic changes that catch managers off guard. With defenses adjusting and offensive roles evolving, the running back landscape is anything but predictable.

Dive in to see which fantasy football trends are shaping Week 5’s most important games.

Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN (at CLE)

We saw what was at risk from Aaron Jones Sr. taking almost a 2024 Jaylen Warren role to Jordan Mason’s Najee Harris in Week 2, so given that the former Green Bay Packers star is on injured reserve for at least another three weeks, it saved you from yourself.

It’s human nature.

When we spend something meaningful, we take an overly optimistic view of it when asked to evaluate. Jones cost you a sixth-round pick this summer and, therefore, you were naturally more likely to look at his Week 1 usage as optimistic, citing the downfield routes as a path to rare upside.

In theory, those routes do offer something that few running backs have access to, but if not complemented by the stuff that every running back has access to, the juice isn’t really worth the squeeze.

Jones is a 30-year-old back with more than 1,700 touches on his NFL resume. The truth of the matter is that an injury was a real risk, and with a fading role, he may never return to an RB2 range this season.

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You’re holding tight, but that’s more because you really don’t have a choice. He wasn’t involved much before the injury, and that tanked any trade value he could have had. You’ll be without Jones for at least two more weeks, though there is a real chance you’ll never feel great about playing him again this season.

Alvin Kamara | NO (vs NYG)

I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but what do the New Orleans Saints have to gain by continuing to hand Alvin Kamara the football?

We are more than three years removed from his last 25+ yard rush, and Kendre Miller showed some juice in the upset bid of the Bills last week.

First half rushing splits, Week 4 at BUF:

Kendre Miller: 38 yards on 5 carries (long run: 18-yard TD)
Spencer Rattler: 38 yards on 5 carries (long run: 15 yards)
Kamara: 37 yards on 9 carries (long run: 17 yards)

From a fantasy perspective, receiving numbers for running backs are what rushing numbers are for quarterbacks in that they are a cheat code. Kamara has been riding the coattails of that train of thought for a while now, but has the bill come due?

No Saint had multiple receptions in the first half, and this offense has shown no ability to pile up garbage-time numbers. That’s not to say that Kamara is an outright bench player just yet, but he’s not a lineup lock, as is the case with everyone attached to this offense.

Omarion Hampton gashed these New York Giants last week (12 carries for 128 yards, including a 54-yard TD), and maybe Kamara can benefit from this spot… or maybe Miller continues to build momentum. Kamara is under contract for another season, but it’s pretty clear that he’s on the back nine of his career, and that’s not something I want the fate of my fantasy season to rely on.

Ashton Jeanty | LV (at IND)

It looked good on paper.

The pedigree didn’t go anywhere.

The script worked.

There is no better feeling in this world than when everything points in a direction and it plays out as suggested.

OK, so maybe I live in a sheltered world, but it makes me happy when that happens, and it certainly did for Ashton Jeanty against a Chicago Bears defense that entered last week as the worst pre-contact unit in the league.

The 155-yard, three-touchdown performance jumps off the screen, and as good as it was, it was only baby steps in the right direction. His 0.71 yards per carry before contact was well below the league average, but his rate through three weeks was -0.04.

He caught his first two touchdown passes of his career, but those were the only two targets he earned, matching his average through three weeks.

This Las Vegas Raiders situation is far from fixed, but guess what?

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off their worst pre-contact defensive performance of the season and have replaced the Bears as the worst such unit in the league.

Repeat?

Bhayshul Tuten | JAX (vs KC)

It won’t show up in the box score of a standard league, but Bhayshul Tuten’s 54-yard kick return toward the end of the first half is the type of thing that earns brownie points with the coaching staff.

I’ve largely been impressed with the rookie, but that doesn’t matter. I can like the film and profile as much as I want, but the role isn’t changing until Travis Etienne lets it happen.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting back continues to rip off big plays, thus making it difficult to justify taking him off the field. Tuten has yet to play 26% of the offensive snaps in a game this season and recorded one touch for every four that Etienne got last weekend against the 49ers.

He’s a fun roster stash that the coaching staff clearly likes.

He’s also nothing more than a handcuff RB who only holds contingent value until otherwise noted.

Braelon Allen | NYJ (vs DAL)

Week 4 was about as good as it could get for Braelon Allen.

Not only did he cough up the ball at the goal line on the New York Jets’ first drive, but he also exited before halftime with a knee injury that occurred on a kick return.

News broke on Tuesday that an MRI confirmed an MCL sprain, and an extended absence is likely.

You’re free to move on unless you have an unused IR slot. Allen was handling just 5.3 touches per game prior to the injury, and while he was trending for more in that contest with the Miami Dolphins, there have been no breadcrumbs laid about him turning this backfield into a committee.

I wouldn’t hesitate to drop Allen for Isaiah Davis, the new RB2 in New York. I don’t think he holds weekly value either, but he’s healthy, and we saw him handle more than 250 touches in each of his final two collegiate seasons.

Should something happen to Breece Hall, Davis would assume a 15+ touch role and shift favorably into my flex ranks.

Breece Hall | NYJ (vs DAL)

To my eye, Hall looked about as good in September as you could possibly expect for a player who ranks outside of the top 20 at the position in scoring.

In three of four games, he has a 17+ yard rush and 30+ receiving yards. His struggle to make a splash is twofold: role and help.

First drive rushing production

Justin Fields: 3 carries for 29 yards
Allen: 4 carries for 26 yards, fumble lost
Hall: 3 carries for 15 yards
Davis: 1 carry for 6 yards

Allen is now injured, so that should clear up some of this, but the Jets haven’t been willing to feature Hall in a meaningful way (under 15 carries in three straight games). This is as good a spot as any to start tying that, and I’d expect 18-20 touches like we saw last week in a competitive game.

The supporting cast was a problem this preseason, and that’s not going to change. Hall has yet to find the end zone because the Jets are rarely in the same zip code as the end zone. Even last week, they had two touchdowns of significant length, and that makes it difficult for a back like Hall to reach his ceiling.

This Dallas Cowboys defense, however, has a way of fixing all problems. Hall is going to be a viable RB2 for me most weeks, but his top-10 potential is as high as it’ll get this season this week.

Bucky Irving | TB (at SEA)

News surfaced on Wednesday that a foot sprain is plaguing Bucky Irving, and while the team doesn’t believe it to be a serious issue, they have labeled it as a week-to-week situation, rather than day-to-day.

Players like Jones are at risk of losing their starting gig after an absence, but that isn’t the case here. Irving is viewed as both the present and the future in Tampa Bay, so you should feel fine about having him as an RB1 for the second half of the fantasy season.

That said, you will need to find a replacement option this week and potentially next.

Cam Skattebo | NYG (at NO)

I’m not sure how many games the Giants will win this season, but they will learn a great deal about the future of their offense.

With Malik Nabers done for the year, New York’s mission is to develop their rookie QB/RB tandem so that we have a triplets situation in 2026. Jaxson Dart is, of course, the focal point, but they’ve committed to Cam Skattebo as an every-down grinder, and fantasy managers should like the usage patterns.

He was handed the rock 25 times (21-5 carry advantage over Devin Singletary over the final three quarters), and he continues to impress with soft hands out of the backfield.

I don’t think we get the Week 4 game script more than a few times this season for the Giants, but with maybe the worst team in the league on tap, we could see it in consecutive weeks.

Skattebo was on the field for 75.4% of the offensive snaps last week, the highest mark for a Giants RB this season, and proof that he is here to stay. I’d have no hesitation in starting him in any league that I have him in this weekend.

Chase Brown | CIN (vs DET)

Chase Brown came into this season with so much promise, but like his teammates, one Joe Burrow injury has proven to be enough to undo all of it.

He’s yet to rush for 50 yards in a game and has a total of two red zone touches since Jake Browning assumed the starting gig.

Brown is averaging 2.3 yards per carry this season (long rush: 11 yards), so it’s not as if he’s helping himself, but this offense is a mess, and it’s no secret. Last season, he ran into a loaded box on under 27% of his carries as defenses worried about being exposed elsewhere, but this season, that rate has crept over 42%.

We know that Brown is back on the roster in Cincinnati, and that fact alone keeps him on the flex radar, but he’s outside of my top 20 with ease this week, and you could justify starting a popular waiver wire add in Woody Marks over him on Sunday.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at LAC)

Chris Rodriguez Jr. ripped off a 48-yard first-quarter run last week as the Atlanta Falcons overreacted to the gravity caused by Marcus Mariota.

That made for a good highlight, but I found it telling that, despite the monster play, Washington still functioned as a committee.

Week 4 Commanders (snaps, touches, routes)

Chris Rodriguez: 20 / 7 / 8
Bill Croskey-Merritt: 17 / 9 / 5
Jeremy McNichols: 16 / 3 / 12

This is truly one of those situations where, if you have more than one player occupying a role, for fantasy purposes, you have nobody of interest.

Jayden Daniels is expected back this week, and maybe we’ll see one of these three fit better next to him than the others, but we’d just be guessing at this point to assign that role to anyone.

Rodriguez can be held onto in deeper formats if for no other reason than the Commanders don’t go on bye until Week 12, and he gives you a warm body that is connected to an above-average offense.

I’m not overly optimistic that we’ll get much role development here, but a speculative stash is plenty acceptable.

Christian McCaffrey | SF (at LAR)

I had all of my 50/50 (rushing yards/receiving yards) stats researched and ready to go, but then Christian McCaffrey finishes one yard shy of doing it for a fourth straight game, and it’s now all on the cutting room floor.

That’s about the only thing he’s done wrong.

McCaffrey ended September with 100 touches and has a real claim to be the greatest pass-catching back this sport has ever seen (pace: 132 receptions). He’s essentially a low-end WR1 who gets handed the ball 16-19 times a game, a true one-of-one situation.

I’m more confident that the 3.3 yards per carry average improves than I am that his top-five standing in receptions and targets regresses. McCaffrey is a special talent whose only true downside is health, a concern that affects literally every running back in this spot.

You got a discount on CMC this draft season, and you need to make it count for as long as he is on the field.

Chuba Hubbard | CAR (vs MIA)

We all seem to agree that Chuba Hubbard is an above-average talent, and there is no debating his role as the bellcow in Carolina, but if he’s not finding the end zone, he’s in trouble.

In Weeks 1-2, he scored and was a top-10 producer at the position. In Weeks 3-4, he didn’t and wasn’t a top-25 running back in PPR formats.

All running backs at some level need touchdowns to sustain value, so I’m not turned off by that idea, but given the ineptitude of the Carolina Panthers, it’s a problem.

Splash plays have also been hard to come by for Hubbard in 2022: 10.4% of his carries gained 10+ yards last season, 3.8% this season. There simply isn’t much room to operate in this Bryce Young system, but he’s been able to salvage some value with 3+ targets in all four weeks.

There is no real blueprint for Hubbard to post a top-5 week, but in this matchup, where the game script should stay reasonably neutral, I suspect we see him flirt with RB1 status for the week, and that makes him a viable play in every form of fantasy.

David Montgomery | DET (at CIN)

I get the cute Sonic and Knuckles thing, but this isn’t a committee. This is a backfield with one good and one great back, the former of whom is getting the run he deserves.

David Montgomery proved against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 that he can take advantage of a good spot (RB2 for the week), but the norm is going to be the other three weeks, where he’s battling for RB2/flex status.

He’s not a bad play, and he’s capable of finishing off these goal-line drives that come more often for the Detroit Lions than most. But labeling this as a “committee” feels disingenuous.

This is the Jahmyr Gibbs show, with Montgomery doing the best he can in an 11-14 touch role. Is he the best 11-14 touch role player in the game? I’d say so, but looking for any sort of role expansion moving forward is more optimistic than I’m willing to be.

De’Von Achane | MIA (at CAR)

Through the first month of the season, De’Von Achane ranks 16th of 36 running backs in yards gained per carry before contact, a rate I expect to dip following the career-threatening injury to Tyreek Hill.

The motion schemes and respect that his speed carries spread defenses thin, thus opening up some running lanes that otherwise may not exist.

The efficiency could fall (4.9 yards per carry this season), but his stock as a fantasy lineup lock isn’t going anywhere, thanks to his involvement in the passing game. Achane is pacing for an 81-catch season and will be counted on more than he was Monday night (two yards on one catch) moving forward, as the game script will force Miami to lean into that.

He gave you 101 total yards and a touchdown last week, and that 15-20 PPR point range is where I expect him to trend more often than not. The scoring equity isn’t great, but he already has a pair of 7+ reception games this season, and I could see 6-8 targets being the norm moving forward.

The injury to Hill hurts this offense in a ton of ways, but I don’t think Achane’s fantasy outlook changes in a major way.

Derrick Henry | BAL (vs HOU)

We have to live with some things.

If you schedule an East Coast wedding in July, you’re betting on the weather being nice.

If you buy tickets to a Los Angeles Lakers game that isn’t a back-to-back, you’re betting on seeing LeBron James.

If you rent an Airbnb, you’re betting on the electricity bill being paid.

These are all strong percentage bets, and if you’re wrong, you simply take it on the chin. You’d make the same decision every time, understanding that there are far more positive outcomes than negative ones, and you’ll live with the probability game.

That’s what Derrick Henry is to me. He has three straight games with under 11 PPR points, and that matches his total from last year.

I think you take it and move on, looking forward, not back.

Henry isn’t always fast out of the gates (he’s actually averaging more points per touch and per carry this season than he averaged through the first four weeks in the two years prior), but he’s typically there when it matters (over 18 PPR points in 10 of his last 14 games played in Weeks 12-17).

He’s always been a player who is at risk of the game script, so your bet this summer was also one on the Baltimore Ravens as a whole. If you think this team is going to continue to win only 25% of their games, then yes, you’re in trouble.

However, considering that the Ravens have three losses, all of which have come at the hands of teams that could still be playing late into January (Buffalo Bills, Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs), I’m not yet in panic mode.

I’m not looking to trade King Henry and am not entertaining benching him against a legitimate Houston Texans defense. Charge the early struggles to the game and move on.

Dylan Sampson | CLE (vs MIN)

Dylan Sampson is the type of player that inactive fantasy managers tell on themselves with.

There’s zero reason for him to be rostered. The pass-catching role that made him valuable in Week 1 has evaporated, and Quinshon Judkins, who wasn’t on the active roster when that big Week 1 performance occurred, is the alpha back in Cleveland.

In total, Sampson has zero rushing yards and zero catches over the past two weeks. Both of those busts came against NFC North opponents, and I can’t imagine a third straight game against maybe the best division in the sport holds much of a different result.

Judkins has one of the 10 most favorable roles in our game, and it’s clear that the Browns are in no hurry to take food off of his plate.

Emari Demarcado | ARI (vs TEN)

Emari Demarcado had the big touchdown reception last week, and the fact that he was even on the field for that play indicates that the team is confident with him in situations, but that situation has now changed.

Trey Benson was placed on IR on Wednesday (knee), opening the door for Demarcado to handle double digit carries in addition to the route running niche he was carving out.

How he does with the extended work is a bit of a mystery. We are almost two full years clear from the last time he was used like that and the efficency was so-so at best.

That said, this is a soft landing spot, and that makes him a fine PPR flex play, even with the uncertainty about his exact role and ability to fill it efficiently.

His workload in future weeks will likely hinge on how he looks Sunday, but the schedule does him no real favors. The Colts are up next with the Packers in Week 7 before the bye.

Rachaad White was another RB who was elevated in role on Wednesday, and I much prefer him to Demarcado this week if you can pick and choose, but both can be started in most formats thanks to a sudden high-floor role.

Isiah Pacheco | KC (at JAX)

The Chiefs’ offense looked fixed last week against the Ravens, and “fixed” essentially meant letting Patrick Mahomes cook with Xavier Worthy back in the fold.

Not a bad plan.

Week 4, Chiefs Backfield (snaps, touches, routes)

Hunt: 31 / 14 / 15
Pacheco: 26 / 9 / 16

Isiah Pacheco isn’t the third-down back, isn’t the red-zone back, and doesn’t have a game with more than 10 carries or two catches in it this season. I don’t doubt that he’ll make some important plays for the Chiefs this season, but the number of opportunities combined with the snaps in which he is on the field isn’t fantasy-friendly in the least.

I’ll continue to track Pacheco because I want a piece of this offense if I can get it, but I’ll be tracking him while he’s on my bench. Of his 38 touches in 2022, none have gained more than 12 yards, and a major problem is that the sheer number of opportunities is going to cap out under 15.

J.K. Dobbins | DEN (at PHI)

J.K. Dobbins has seen his rushing yardage improve each week and has three top 20 performances under his belt through four weeks.

I was out on Dobbins this summer, fearing the limited work in the pass game, the health track record, and the potential of RJ Harvey.

I’ve been wrong so far, but I do think I could win the war, despite losing the September battle.

The health thing is what it is: a 15-17 touch role is a lot to ask for from a player who has struggled to stay on the field for a half-decade now.

The passing game? Dobbins doesn’t yet have a multi-catch game and is averaging 4.5 receiving yards per game.

The rookie? Harvey is coming off his best game of the season. Now, it came against the Bengals, and that’s important, but the confidence he gained and the reps he put on tape for Sean Payton are also important.

Dobbins is a viable RB2 for now, and I expect that to be the case as long as he remains healthy. How long do you wait to cash in this chip?

Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS (at LAC)

Is it possible that this team didn’t trade away Brian Robinson this summer because of anything against him, but because they simply had no interest in committing to a single RB in this committee era?

Washington RB snaps, Week 4

Chris Rodriguez: 20 (eight routes and two red zone touches)
Croskey-Merritt: 17 (five routes and zero red zone touches)
Jeremy McNichols: 16 (12 routes and one red zone touch)

If I had to pick, Croskey-Merritt would be my guy, but it’s a limited skill set (three receptions in four games) in an offense that trusts a healthy Jayden Daniels to do it all.

This running game is essentially sunscreen for a vacation: it’s required but not exciting.

Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (at CIN)

Jahmyr Gibbs has averaged north of 6.0 yards per carry or caught five passes in all four games this season. Other than that, he’s been ordinary.

Detroit’s lead back is in the mix for top scorer at the position this season and hasn’t experienced any dip in usage resulting from the coordinator change. The fact that he doesn’t have a 100-yard rushing game or a 10-yard reception is about as fluky as it gets: what do you say we check both of those boxes on Sunday?

The Bengals struggle to stop everyone, and everyone struggles to stop Gibbs. It’s hard to see this going well for the home team on short rest.

James Cook | BUF (vs NE)

From 2022-23, 61 players had more rushing scores than James Cook.

From 2024-25, Cook leads the NFL with 21 rushing scores.

That total since 2024 is more rushing touchdowns than 23 teams have over that same stretch. The man they call “Jimbo” has had at least one touchdown in every game this season (a franchise record eight straight dating back to last season) and has caught 3 or more passes in three of four contests.

He doesn’t have the borderline irresponsible usage rates of a McCaffrey, but with an MVP-level quarterback, he’s as featured as you could possibly ask, and I suspect we see more of the same in this spot.

Cook has had 17 red zone touches in his past four games against the Patriots, and with them having allowed a touchdown on seven of eight trips inside their 20 this season, all signs point to continued dominance for #4.

Javonte Williams | DAL (at NYJ)

The list of running backs with a stronger role than Javonte Williams is a small one if it’s really a list at all.

Against the Packers last week, he had eight more carries than any of his teammates had rushing yards and earned 3+ targets for the fourth consecutive game.

Reasonable minds can differ when it comes to the skill set of a player, but the usage is nothing short of elite, and if this Dallas offense is going to be playing with the sort of confidence we saw in Week 4, that puts Williams in the low-end RB1 discussion.

Williams has been very good, and that’s how this backfield is going to pay off: one player dominates the work. Blue opened the season with a chance to be that guy, but that’s not going to be the case.

That’s a little rich for my liking, but he’s a lineup lock regardless of where you sit in that discussion. Williams has posted elite post-contact numbers in consecutive weeks and has gained at least five yards on 41.3% of his carries.

For the record, Jonathan Taylor is the only other RB with a 90% gain rate and a 40% 5+ yard gain rate this season. The Jets’ defense can be stingy, but getting them on a short week isn’t a bad thing, and Williams enters Week 5 with RB1 status for me.

Jaydon Blue | DAL (at NYJ)

Another healthy scratch for Jaydon Blue in Week 4, and I think we can move on without much concern as we near bye week involvement.

This is Williams’ backfield to lose, and it really is that simple. Miles Sanders has been the secondary option. If his ankle injury proves to be something of note, maybe Blue can work his way onto the field, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to garner our interest.

Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at LAC)

McNichols is on the field, but as far as we are concerned, he’s not really a part of this committee. The 60-yard touchdown in Week 3 is a highlight that may jump to mind when you hear this name, but he’s yet to record five touches in a game this season, and that’s never going to get it done.

Against the Falcons last week, a game without Daniels, McNichols accounted for 9.1% of Washington’s rush attempts and 8.3% of their targets. This is an annoying committee, but it’s not one with three heads that need to be rostered.

Joe Mixon | HOU (at BAL)

Joe Mixon battled an ankle injury throughout the summer, and considering he has missed three games in two of the past three seasons, not to mention that he has over 2,100 NFL touches, he will be tough to trust in any capacity in the short term. The team announced on Aug. 25 that its starting back had been transferred to the reserve/non-football injury list, which rules him out for at least the first four games of this season.

The 29-year-old has averaged more than 4.1 yards per catch just once in his career, making him more of a volume-based fantasy asset than one that can hit your lineup with limited work. With over 1,200 scrimmage yards in four straight seasons, Mixon stands to be a weekly option, but you’re playing the long game.

Houston goes on bye in Week 6 and has some difficult matchups sprinkled in its schedule over the first two months. But if we get a bellcow version of Mixon as winter nears, he could be a popular name on rosters playing for fantasy glory (Weeks 15-16, home games against the Cardinals and Raiders).

That said, if you’re burning a valuable roster spot on Mixon, I’d be comfortable moving on.

Jonathan Taylor | IND (vs LV)

Taylor gained 96 yards from scrimmage last week … his lowest mark of the season. Not only is that a remarkably high floor, but it also shouldn’t be the case, as he had a 53-yard touchdown pulled back due to an Adonai Mitchell holding penalty that probably wasn’t necessary.

But Mitchell hasn’t had a good week, so I won’t pile on. Taylor has a 17-carry, 2-catch floor right now, and that puts him ahead of anyone not named McCaffrey in terms of usage.

The Raiders’ run defense has been better than expected, but JT is on a different level than Rhamondre Stevenson, Najee Harris, Hall, or D’Andre Swift.

Taylor is a member of my RB Tier 1 this week, for the remainder of the season, and for the remainder of the decade until I see signs of aging.

Jordan Mason | MIN (at CLE)

Mason lacks the fluidity in the pass game that I want from my backs, but the volume on the ground is enough to land him as an RB2 in my rankings, even against a Dawg Pound that is hard to run at.

An early fumble was returned for a score last week before replay overturned it: the Minnesota Vikings showed zero hesitation in going back to him.

When all was said and done in that Ireland game, Mason accounted for 16 of 18 RB carries with Zavier Scott serving as the pass-catching back. Last week was a version of how I expect this offense to look when Jones returns, and that means Mason is poised to be a viable starter the rest of the way in my eyes.

The offensive line impacts two-down backs quite a bit, and that’s a concern these days in Minnesota. OT Brian O’Neill (knee) and C Ryan Kelly (concussion) were removed early last week, and their statuses deserve to be monitored.

I’m playing Mason regardless, but he’ll fall outside of my top 15 should one of those two big men miss this game.

Kareem Hunt | KC (at JAX)

Sometimes I wonder if Andy Reid will just remove all running backs from his play designs and see how much chaos he can cause with Patrick Mahomes at the controls.

Kareem Hunt is getting the goal-line work, and that makes him a touch more valuable than Isiah Pacheco, but the role in the passing game isn’t there for either (Hunt has six targets in four games), and this team wants their fate decided on their dropbacks.

I prefer Hunt to Pacheco this week, believe Pacheco has the better chance to win this role outright, and have zero confidence in starting either in any sort of format.

Kenneth Walker III | SEA (vs TB)

Kenneth Walker touched the ball in three of the Seattle Seahawks’ first three plays last week, a run of usage that included a well-designed pass play that picked up 29 yards. On the second drive of the game, Sam Darnold put the ball in his stomach for three straight carries, and they picked up 9, 21, and 8 yards.

There is no denying the upside play in this backfield is Walker over Zach Charbonnet. There’s not much debate there, but he’s also the running back most likely to put the Seahawks behind the chains, and that is where this gets complicated.

I’m going to prefer Walker to Charbonnet because I like to have access to a week-winner at the running back position. For this matchup specifically, I like the idea of the perimeter runner. With Darnold playing at a high level, Walker feels poised to expose a thinly spread defense in a big way sooner than later.

And I want to be there for when it happens.

Kyren Williams | LAR (vs SF)

Kyren Williams has killed the 49ers in the past, and it’s easy to fall in love with the metrics from those games.

In three career matchups, 24 of Williams’ 77 touches have come in the red zone, netting him five touchdowns. That includes a TD hat trick in Week 3 last season. Still, it should be noted that neither Puka Nacua nor Cooper Kupp was active for that contest (Tutu Atwell and Colby Parkinson were the top target earners in that game, hence the heavy Williams usage).

That’s obviously not the case these days with Nacua looking like the best receiver on the planet and Davante Adams aging with grace. I’m intrigued by Blake Corum seeing 20 snaps last week against the previously unbeaten Colts and seeing his touch count increase each week (2, 5, 8, 11) this season.

Corum isn’t going to unseat Williams, but he could subtract from a bottom line that I already thought carried some risk due to the tight end equity tied up in the passing game.

Williams remains a starter in all formats, but I’m a big game away from moving on (we are 10 months removed from his last 20-yard gain).

Miles Sanders | DAL (at NYJ)

Sanders suffered an ankle injury in the first half of last week’s tie against the Packers, and while his status is worth monitoring, his value is pretty set at this point.

Williams has locked himself into the bellcow role for America’s Team, with Sanders as the clear RB2 and rookie Blue an afterthought.

Williams has run out of gas in the past, so if you want to roster Sanders as a cheap bet against Dallas’s current RB1, I think that’s logical.

Nick Chubb | HOU (at BAL)

Nick Chubb has been held under nine PPR points in three of his past four and is trending away from the high-volume role that made him of any interest to use in the first place.

In Weeks 1-3, the veteran’s snap share was hovering around 50%, but it fell to 40% against the Tennessee Titans, and that’s much more in line with what I’m expecting moving forward, given the juice shown by Woody Marks.

Of the 36 qualified RBs, Chubb ranks 30th in fantasy points per run. This offensive line ranks in the bottom tier of the NFL, and that removes almost all hope for a player like Chubb.

I have no problem with you holding onto Chubb for a few more weeks, but I certainly wouldn’t plan on having him near your starting lineup.

Ollie Gordon II | MIA (at CAR)

Ollie Gordon II is a secondary back who doesn’t catch passes. Normally, that type of player doesn’t make this column, but due to the Hill knee injury, we have to weigh all possibilities.

Could Achane see his slot usage tick up and leave us with a pounding run game that relies more on a 225-pound rookie?

I’m not ruling it out. Even if that doesn’t come to pass, Gordon is a legitimate handcuff back worth rostering. Still, I think there’s a reasonable path for him to work into flex value, and that’s why you have to make sure he’s not just sitting on your waiver wire due to the underwhelming season stat line (20 touches for 64 yards).

Omarion Hampton | LAC (vs WAS)

Injury breeds opportunity, and there may be no better example in 2025 than Hampton.

Harris was lost for the season in Week 3, and that has spurred back-to-back top 7 finishes at the position for Los Angeles’ first-round pick.

In both of those games, he rushed for a score (the 54-yard one last week saw him outrun every angle that the New York defenders had), earned 5+ targets, and picked up 19+ yards on one of his receptions. Hampton is a do-it-all back capable of carrying the mail at a high level for a potentially elite offense.

The concern for the foreseeable future is running room. This was already a struggling offensive line, and now it will be without Joe Alt for a bit. Remove the 54-yard dash last week, and Hampton is averaging a tick over four yards per carry, something that isn’t reflective of his overwhelming talent.

You’re starting Hampton and not thinking twice about it, but I’m inclined to look elsewhere in DFS contests this weekend.

Quinshon Judkins | CLE (vs MIN)

Judkins ranks seventh at the position in gain rate (87.8%) and second in yards per carry after first contact. He’s already one of the hardest running backs in the sport, and it would seem that the Browns finally opened their eyes to that last week.

After messing around with a few Joe Flacco attempts, Cleveland called Judkins’ number on the doorstep in Detroit, and he paid it off. We saw some glimpses of creativity after that, including a play-action screen pass where he was the focal point for the entire play and picked up 16 yards in the process.

The Browns haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game with Judkins this season, and that’s going to continue to be a limiting factor, but the versatile skill set and unquestioned role give him a top 20 floor in any given week with the potential for more.

Rachaad White | TB (vs SEA)

White spent September as a secondary back to Irving, one who would get on the field on occasion, but not of any real interest to us.

I still expect that to be the case down the stretch of the season, but with Irving labeled as ‘week-to-week’ with a foot sprain, White vaults into the RB2 conversation for the short-term.

We’ve seen him be a productive weapon in the passing game, and that’s a reliable trait, but the rushing metrics have looked great in his limited work this season.

His gain rate sits at 91.3% in 2025, well above the worst showing of his career in 2024 (79.9%) and something that could earn him close to a 50/50 carry split with Sean Tucker in addition to dominating the route running role.

This isn’t a great matchup, and there isn’t a strong spot until Week 8, but Irving’s role lands him in my top 20 this week, and that’ll be the case as long as Irving is on the shelf.

Ray Davis | BUF (vs NE)

Ray Davis would, in theory, slide into the role that has made Cook a fringe Tier 1 running back, and that potential alone makes him worth rostering.

That said, he’s failed to clear two touches in three of four games and is a long way away from standalone value.

I like rostering a piece like this, but not too many. Weaponizing your bench is critical when it comes to positioning yourself to win your league, and a player like Davis can certainly be a part of that mix, even if he’s completely off the weekly radar when Cook is active.

Rhamondre Stevenson | NE (at BUF)

Mike Vrabel pretty clearly doesn’t care about us fantasy managers.

Even after a game with two lost fumbles that came on the heels of a preseason lost fumble that came on the heels of a season with ball security issues, Stevenson was used as the RB1 in New England.

Drake Maye’s versatility eliminates all RBs from fantasy lineup consideration if they aren’t heavily featured, and I fear that is the direction we are headed. Stevenson, as “the guy,” has yet to reach a dozen carries in a game this year.

Whether you want to rank it Stevenson-Henderson or Henderson-Stevenson, I’m not sure it matters. Personally, I prefer Henderson based on the projected game script, but neither is a top 25 play for me this week, and I expect that to be the case moving forward.

RJ Harvey | DEN (at PHI)

The final snap data from Monday night paints an optimistic picture (two fewer snaps, one more route, and three more red zone touches than Dobbins), but the score disrupted the flow of that blowout win.

Dobbins held a 19-14 snap edge when the game was within 14 points, but this game never really felt competitive, which makes it difficult to get too excited.

That said, 98 total yards and a touchdown is impressive against any level of NFL competition. Harvey looked, as expected, dangerous in space, and I thought he ran hard despite none of his 14 carries gaining more than nine yards.

Context is king, and I need to see more. This game wasn’t close, and Denver was fully aware that they now have a short work week to prepare for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Harvey is still off my flex radar, ranking in the same neighborhood as Demercado, Miller, and Gordon as complementary RBs that should be penciled in for a handful of touches.

The value lies more in the long-term outlook. My hunch is that Harvey was cut in plenty of leagues (18 touches through the first three weeks) and that was a mistake. Even if you’re taking the cautious approach with his October rates like I am, Dobbins’ health track record leaves plenty to be desired, making it very possible that this is the Harvey show when your league is on the line.

Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs DEN)

Is it weird that I’m higher now on Saquon Barkley than I was during the preseason?

The All-Pro has cleared 60 rushing yards just once this season, but he’s scored in three of four and has caught four passes in three of four, a major accomplishment given the limited opportunities through the air as a part of this offense.

The concern entering this season was potential workload regression. We haven’t seen an ounce of that. The dramatic plays haven’t been there yet, but those sorts of plays are fickle and can resurface at any time.

Barkley is a top 5 running back for me and could take advantage of a run defense that struggled before last week and is now on short rest.

Sean Tucker | TB (vs SEA)

Tucker has just one touch this season for a reason, but he’s now a must-add with Irving (foot sprain) out for at least one week and potentially more.

White has excelled in the passing game in the past and will likely still dominate the usage from a routes perspective, but the two-down work could be split pretty evenly, and that at last puts Tucker on the flex radar, given the potency of this offense.

At the very least, he’s someone who should be rostered in every league.

Tony Pollard | TEN (at ARI)

Tony Pollard is checking the volume boxes (18+ carries or multiple receptions in every game this season), but he’s not doing anything with it. And I’m not sure that changes against the seventh-best post-contact run defense in the league.

Of the 36 qualified running backs, Pollard ranks 33rd in fantasy production relative to expectations. Cam Akers has his moments, but not enough of them to impact how defenses approach this offense, and that leads me to believe that Pollard is unlikely to see his efficiency improve.

I like the fact that 14.3% of his touches over the past two weeks have come in the pass game (Weeks 1-2: 2.6%), though there isn’t enough scoring equity as a part of this offense to get him inside of my top 20, even with an elite workload.

Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (vs KC)

It feels like the Jags are fortunate to be where they are, and that has helped the case for their bellcow back (16+ touches in every game thus far).

Etienne has taken full advantage of the work. If it feels like you see a chunk play from him weekly, you’re not wrong. He’s the only RB with a 30+ yard run in three of four weeks and has looked great in committing to his running lanes.

I do worry a bit about the fact that he’s averaging just eight receiving yards per game this season, but his resume does suggest that this is in his profile.

There is a yin-and-yang to this situation, and while I do think his exact role will change with time, I’m confident enough that he can handle any shift and provide RB2 value for the remainder of the season.

TreVeyon Henderson | NE (at BUF)

Sadly, I think we can all tell where this is headed, at least in the short term.

Vibes were high for Henderson’s managers after the fumble fest that was Week 3, and we got a glimpse of a lead role.

Week 3 after Stevenson’s second lost fumble:

Henderson: 26 offensive snaps (9 rushes)
Gibson: 6 (2 rushes, 1 fumble)
Stevenson: 5 (0 rushes)

Or so we hoped. Vrabel insisted on needing a committee, and he stuck true to his word in the Week 4 win over the Panthers. Stevenson played more snaps than Gibson and Henderson combined, while the touches were pretty evenly split among the trio.

If you have three backs, you have none as far as we are concerned.

Henderson is the long-term winner of work, but that doesn’t appear to be an imminent situation. I’m interested in this spot, a defense that hasn’t performed well, and an offense that could apply pressure. So, I’m not ruling out a nice Henderson game, but I’m also not actively looking to flex him in situations where I have similar options.

Trey Benson | ARI (vs TEN)

Benson was banged up a little in Week 4, but little was made of what we assumed was some minor knee soreness.

Not so much.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals placed their starting running back on injured reserve, ruling him out for the next month at a minimum. Adam Schefter reported optimism surrounding his ability to return in the second half of this season. Still, if you thought you had a weekly asset, you now have to pivot.

Demarcado is the next man up, and he’s a viable flex play in PPR formats, should you be able to scoop him up.

Tyjae Spears | TEN (at ARI)

Tyjae Spears (ankle) ran reasonably hard last year when given the chance, and by earning 15 targets in his last three games, there’s something here. What “something” means isn’t clear, but this former third-round pick is in a key evaluation year — midway through his rookie deal as Pollard’s guaranteed money expires. He’s part of a team trying to climb from rock bottom with its new franchise quarterback in place.

I’m comfortable making the second-half-of-the-season case for Spears (currently on injured reserve, but eligible to be activated), but not before that. The Tulane product has averaged under 10 touches per game for his career, and that’s the role I’m projecting for the short term.

If you have room on your bench/IR, stashing Spears is the play, understanding that your patience could be rewarded, but outright aggression likely won’t be. Pollard is handling a ton of work (38 rushes through two weeks) and not showing much upside (long run: 10 yards).

Spears offers cheap exposure to the Cam Ward experience that you can ditch at a moment’s notice if the roster space becomes more valuable and is used differently.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG (at NO)

They tell young kids that you can’t lose your job due to injury, and in amateur athletics, I’m all here for that messaging.

This isn’t that.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. is expected to miss up to another few weeks with a dislocated shoulder, and much like Jones in Minnesota, I’m not the least bit confident that the role he’s leaving behind is remotely comparable to what he’ll get when he returns.

I’m keeping Tracy rostered if for no other reason than Skattebo runs like a maniac and that carries injury potential of its own, but with this franchise giving the keys to Dart, the youth movement is underway. While Tracy isn’t old even by running back standards, he’s more than two years older than Skattebo, and that matters.

Tracy is a good player, but at 3.1 yards per carry this year, it’s not as if what he’s doing can’t be replicated.

Woody Marks | HOU (at BAL)

Did we just witness a changing of the guard?

Marks certainly looked to provide this limited offense with something that it has been missing last week in the shutout win over the Titans (21 touches for 119 yards and two scores), and the versatility has my attention.

That said, it was a game against lowly Tennessee, so let’s not get too crazy.

Marks held a 5-4 carry edge over Nick Chubb in the first quarter last week and picked up a fourth-and-short situation later in the first half. Houston is clearly interested, and a matchup with a Ravens defense that is limping in could be a nice spot to soft-launch their rookie as their lead back.

I’ve got Marks 10 spots higher than Chubb this week at the RB position, and that puts him firmly in the flex conversation, ahead of Isiah Pacheco and Breece Hall.

Zach Charbonnet | SEA (vs TB)

A foot injury cost Charbonnet in Week 3 against the Saints, but I can’t help but think that was as much a matter of strategy as a limitation.

Seattle was highly likely to win that game with or without the end of their committee, and with a short week on deck, was it possible that the Seahawks were intentional with his recovery?

Walker got the first run on Thursday night and looked good. Through two drives, Walker had picked up 35 yards on his five rushes while Charbonnet was stuffed on a fourth-down effort for his only carry.

The rest of the game, however, went basically to script. Walker either lost yardage or picked up 5+ yards on the majority of his carries, while Charbonnet was more of the consistent runner.

The strong start for Walker left him with a 33-26 edge in snaps and 20-14 in touches, but it was Charbonnet who finished with more fantasy points, thanks to a hard-nosed TD plunge.

If a second score doesn’t come off the board due to a Jaxon Smith-Njigba holding penalty, one that ultimately didn’t impact the play, we are probably having a slightly different conversation.

Both running backs carry risk this week, but I think both are viable flex plays against a top-5 rush defense in all metrics. Charbonnet carries a more narrow range of weekly outcomes, and given that he is the primary red zone/passing-down option (two more red zone snaps than Walker this season, despite the missed game), a double-digit point performance in this spot is a reasonable expectation.

Soppe’s Fantasy RB Start-Sit Week 5 Players Include Chase Brown, David Montgomery, Kyren Williams, and Others