In need of a fantasy football win? We aren’t too far from the midway point of our regular season, and you can’t afford to fall too far behind. I’m here to help you break those RB start/sit ties and have your team pointing in the right direction when Week 4 is all said and done.
Which Running Backs Should Fantasy Managers Start in Week 4?
All stats are from TruMedia unless otherwise stated.
Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs (at LAC)
Isiah Pacheco vacated 20.5 touches and 94.5 total yards per game, a role that Steele seems poised to assume the majority of. He’s obviously not Pacheco, but Steele runs with a similar “hit or be hit” style.
That allowed him to pick up at least five yards on 47.1% of his carries, as he received his first taste of an RB1 role — one which he should hold through October at the very least.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Carson Steele:
“For his first game, I thought he did a really nice job. He’s gotta do a couple things on protection, but he’ll take care of that… He gives you an honest down. He’s gonna run hard. He’s a big kid. He’s gonna come at ya.” pic.twitter.com/XaHE79WQGe
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 25, 2024
Steele’s head coach, Andy Reid, had plenty of positives to say about him.
“For his first game, I thought he did a really nice job. He’s gotta do a couple things on protection, but he’ll take care of that… He gives you an honest down. He’s gonna run hard. He’s a big kid. He’s gonna come at ya.”
This role is going to land Steele around RB20 in my weekly rankings, with a slight adjustment in either direction based on the matchup.
With the uncertainty around Kareem Hunt’s involvement and the fact that the Chargers own the third-highest rush success rate thus far, Steele is a Flex play for me more than an RB2. Nevertheless, I’m still playing him in most spots in which I have him.
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. PHI)
While Rachaad White’s production hasn’t impressed, his snap share hasn’t flinched:
- Week 1 vs. WAS: 68.9%
- Week 2 at DET: 70.2%
- Week 3 vs. DEN: 73.2%
However, White’s production relative to expectation paints a less optimistic picture. In Week 1, it was 3.8% below what we’d project for the average NFL back, given the proximity to the end zone of his touches, a minor blip. But White has produced 33.2% below expectation in the two weeks since.
White has 432 career carries and has never had a 40-yard gain. Heck, he’s played 10 straight games without recording a run gaining more than 22 yards. The risk in White is that his backup is a version of him and thus a threat to take over his role as opposed to simply assuming a portion of it.
The positive element for White is that Bucky Irving is dealing with an injury. While it seems likely he will play, there is every chance Irving will be lucky. I still have White ranked as a low-end PPR RB2, but I’d be lying to you if I said it was with great confidence.
Which Running Backs Should Fantasy Managers Sit in Week 4?
Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. CLE)
It’s possible that no running back has underwhelmed more through three weeks than Zamir White. For the season, he’s averaging just 0.45 points per touch and checks in 38.4% below expectations, the second-worst rate among regulars.
Mattison punches it in 💪#CARvsLV | 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/uifsNi3A3H
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 22, 2024
White managers ran into some misfortune last week as he got the first six carries before coming out for a blow. With Alexander Mattison on the field, Gardner Minshew II picked up a questionable third down. The Raiders, in an effort to prevent a challenge, ran hurry-up, and Mattison cashed in with a short touchdown dive.
If not for the sped-up offense, does White get back on the field? It’s possible, though his lack of versatility is what resulted in him coming off the field in the first place, which is damning for White’s fantasy stock moving forward.
White holds the lead role in an NFL offense, and that requires he be rostered. However, he’s not a top-30 player at the position for me in a less-than-perfect matchup.
Samaje Perine, Kansas City Chiefs (at LAC)
The idea around Samje Perine was that his third-down role would add a dimension to KC’s offense, but with Kareem Hunt’s addition, is there enough volume to justify keeping him?
Long term, I’d argue no, though I would advise hanging onto Perine through this week at the very least as we get a feel for what this three-headed committee looks like.
Perine got his hands on the ball nine times last week in Atlanta, something I view much more as a ceiling than an expectation.