Usually, I feel compelled to start this column with bad injury news because it makes for the most “headline-worthy” takeaways. This week, there are plenty of injuries to discuss, from Elijah Mitchell‘s concussion to Miles Sanders‘ and Kenyan Drake‘s ankle injuries and Damien Harris‘s hamstring tweak.
Still, let’s try to focus on a bit of good news for once: the Javonte Williams breakout game finally happened! I’ll dig into what we can expect from Williams rest-of-season in the Broncos section, but if you have Williams in a keeper or dynasty league right now, you have to be smiling. Williams has been proving all year that he is one of the toughest backs in the league to bring down, and he finally got to show what he could do in the spotlight of a primetime game. Pretty cool.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t highlight the ultimate RB showcase game: New England vs. Buffalo in up to 55 mph winds and wintry conditions. If you love the running game, this was the game for you. The Patriots became the first team since the 1978 Saints to run the ball on 90 percent of their offensive plays, and it got them a huge victory over their division rival. Amazing.
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As always, this week’s Roundup will break down all of the fantasy-relevant happenings in backfields across the NFL. If you don’t see a backfield listed here, it just means that the backfield hasn’t significantly shifted since I wrote about it in a previous Roundup. I’m always happy to talk about any backfield situation or anything fantasy-related on Twitter @andrew_seifter. You can also get my thoughts on waiver wire pickups, weekly rankings, and rest-of-season player values by going to ROSrankings.com and subscribing to the Rest of Season Rankings podcast.
Arizona Cardinals
James Conner played a season-high 91 percent of the snaps in Week 13, delivering top-10 fantasy stats again. The Cardinals expect to get Chase Edmonds back for their battle with the Rams next Monday, but the days of Edmonds out-snapping Conner are likely over. Edmonds will surely play more than Eno Benjamin has been, but I’d anticipate at least a 60-40 split in Conner’s favor. He looks better than he ever did in Pittsburgh, and Arizona’s offense now runs directly through him.
Atlanta Falcons
Cordarrelle Patterson keeps churning out valuable fantasy production, but less of it is coming through the air than earlier in the season. So it’s a little surprising that his two highest rushing totals of the year have come in the two games since he returned from an ankle injury, but fantasy managers will gladly take the fantasy numbers however they may come.
It’s a little less surprising that his snaps are down following the injury, a sign the team could be trying to keep the 30-year old fresh and healthy. The fact that he’s suddenly running fewer pass routes than Mike Davis is a tad concerning, but Patterson’s big-play ability remains indispensable to both the Falcons and fantasy managers.
Baltimore Ravens
It was already evident last week that Devonta Freeman had retained lead back duties over Latavius Murray, but Freeman’s edge in playing time grew even larger in Week 13. At this point, Freeman merits RB2 consideration, and Murray looks more like waiver wire fodder than a viable RB3/flex option.
Buffalo Bills
One week after being inactive, Zack Moss was back in the fold for the Bills’ Monday night showdown with New England. Of course, Moss’s inclusion may have had something to do with wintry weather conditions that necessitated a run-heavy approach. Still, whatever the case may be, he played well ahead of Matt Breida after Breida mishandled a handoff from Josh Allen (the fumble was “credited” to Allen). Whether one of Moss or Breida goes back to being inactive next week is anyone’s guess.
Devin Singletary led the backfield in snaps for the third straight week. Still, he is struggling to maintain fantasy relevancy on a team whose featured runner is often its quarterback.
Chicago Bears
David Montgomery already saw elite usage, and in Week 13, that finally translated into elite production against a formidable Cardinals defense. As I mentioned last week, the Bears face the Vikings, Seahawks, and Giants in Weeks 15-17, all plus matchups for running backs. So imagine what he might do in the fantasy playoffs if Montgomery can post 141 scrimmage yards and a TD against Arizona.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon didn’t have the biggest game against the Chargers, but he did score his 11th rushing touchdown in the last nine games. The production as a pass-catcher wasn’t there for the third straight game, but that’s ok when you’re getting the kind of rushing workloads that Mixon has seen lately. Mixon did get a bit banged up during the contest, and while he should be fine, let it serve as a reminder to stash Samaje Perine on your bench if you have the room.
Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott didn’t quite get the “serious load” on Thursday night that Jerry Jones promised, but he did once again play more snaps and handled more touches than Tony Pollard. Once again, it was Pollard who ended up with the better fantasy numbers, thanks to a 58-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Otherwise, neither back could get much of anything going against a stout Saints front.
Playing through a sore knee, Elliott has been one of the least elusive backs in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. So it might be the best thing for the Cowboys and fantasy managers (at least the ones who have already locked up a playoff berth) if Zeke took a game or two off to try to get healthier.
Denver Broncos
Javonte Williams managers finally got a glimpse of what he could do without Melvin Gordon around, and it was glorious. Williams piled up 178 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against Kansas City, finishing as the overall RB1 for the week.
That said, it would be unwise to expect this to be Williams’s backfield as we advance entirely. The Broncos lost to the Chiefs by double digits, so it’s not like Williams carried them to victory, and Vic Fangio seems like the type of old-school coach loyal to veteran players. With Gordon trending towards a return this week, a return of the backfield committee is also likely.
Williams did overtake Gordon in snaps in the two weeks surrounding Denver’s Week 11 bye, so it’s fair to expect roughly a 60-40 split in Williams’s favor going forward, especially after his eye-opening performance. That should generate enough touches for Williams to produce RB2 value, but the true breakout may not come until Gordon departs in 2022.
Detroit Lions
Jamaal Williams‘s RB26 finish in Week 13 was hardly awful, but Williams was not as heavily relied upon as many (including yours truly) anticipated. In a close game that the Lions mostly led, Williams played just 47 percent of the snaps and ran a route on only nine of Jared Goff‘s 46 dropbacks.
Godwin Igwebuike picked up most of the remaining playing time, and while it wasn’t enough for him to make much noise in the box score, it did serve to lessen Williams’s upside. With D’Andre Swift likely to miss at least one more week, Williams can only be considered a low-end RB2 in Week 14 against Denver.
Houston Texans
You have to be pretty desperate to consider starting any Texans running backs. Still, it did seem like Rex Burkhead was set up for a reasonably sizable workload last week against Indianapolis. Instead, Burkhead split snaps almost evenly with newcomer Royce Freeman. David Johnson could return to the mix this week, and the return of QB Davis Mills under center saps any remaining fantasy upside that may have existed with Tyrod Taylor. As it’s been for most of the season, this is a messy backfield that isn’t worth the effort in fantasy.
Indianapolis Colts
This week, there’s nothing new to say about the Colts backfield except that Jonathan Taylor vs. the Texans defense is not a fair fight. Taylor “only” finished second among RBs in fantasy points last week (behind Javonte Williams) and heads into his Week 14 bye as far and away the top-scoring RB in fantasy football.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Poor James Robinson. He seems like a good dude, but he’s had to endure one slight after another from Urban Meyer. First, Meyer drafted Travis Etienne in the first round when he already had a cheap, elite running back on the roster. Then he forced Robinson to split touches with Meyer’s favorite, Carlos Hyde. Now, Robinson has been benched two weeks in a row for fumbling.
Look, I get it. Fumbling is bad. Is it bad enough to justify benching your best offensive playmaker, though? Meyer appears to be intent on propping up players like Hyde, Tavon Austin, Jamal Agnew, and Laquon Treadwell. In contrast, his most talented skill position players — Robinson, Laviska Shenault, and Marvin Jones — don’t get the touches they deserve. The Jaguars probably wouldn’t be a good football team anyway, but this “strategy” certainly isn’t helping.
Robinson tried his best not to call out Meyer when pressed about this situation by the media, but at this point, we can only hope that Meyer is gone soon — or that Robinson gets a fresh start somewhere else next season.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders backfield was already shifting in Josh Jacobs‘ favor, especially when it comes to pass-catching opportunities, and that should only continue now that Kenyan Drake has been lost for the season to a broken ankle. Jacobs played a season-high 85 percent of the snaps in Week 13 and set a new career-high with nine receptions.
The Raiders have never allowed Jacobs to be a true bell-cow back, but perhaps new coach Rich Bisaccia is more open to that approach than Jon Gruden was. As a result, we should expect another back to play some snaps, whether Peyton Barber spelling Jacobs on early downs or Jalen Richard playing a pass-catching role once he’s off the Covid list — but we can also expect Jacobs to shoulder sizable workloads down the stretch. He would be a high-end RB2 in the future if he weren’t there already.
Los Angeles Rams
Darrell Henderson (quad) was active last week but never saw the field. Sony Michel played an every-down role in his place, handling 97 percent of the snaps and posting the Rams’ first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
After the game, Sean McVay was asked whether Michel might be the lead back moving forward, and he certainly left the door open for that to happen. McVay said that he wants to keep both backs involved and pointed to how the Cowboys use Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard as inspiration. We may see Michel as the team’s primary early-down back and Henderson in the pass-catching role, but we’ll have to wait and see how McVay decides to play it. Both backs have proven RB1 potential when given a major role in this offense.
Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook is expected to miss another week from the dislocated shoulder and torn labrum he suffered in Week 12. Still, the fact that he got in a limited practice on Tuesday bodes well for his chances of returning in Week 15, AKA the first week of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. Meanwhile, Alexander Mattison delivered top-5 fantasy numbers in Cook’s absence last week and remains a plug-and-play RB1 for Thursday’s matchup with Pittsburgh.
New England Patriots
The Patriots went full-on 1940’s football on Monday night in wintry Buffalo, running the ball 46 times and throwing it thrice. In the first quarter, Damien Harris again opened the game as New England’s lead back and got off to a great start with a 64-yard touchdown run. Harris pulled his hamstring just before halftime, however, and was done for the night after one more painful-looking 22-yard run in the third quarter. Rhamondre Stevenson took it from there, ultimately tallying 24 carries for 78 hard-earned yards. Brandon Bolden played sparingly.
The fact that Harris was able to return to the game briefly suggests the injury is not a major one, although it’s possible he made it worse by trying to play through it. New England goes on bye this week, so we may not have a great sense of his Week 15 availability until early next week. Stevenson has worked his way into RB3/flex consideration even with Harris around and would be a bonafide RB1 if Harris were to miss more time.
New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara has now missed four straight games with a knee injury that has never been associated with a clear timetable for his return. Several times, he’s gotten in limited practices during the week only to miss the game ultimately. Perhaps this will be the week he returns to action, but there’s been no indication of that yet.
Mark Ingram put up some nice fantasy numbers in the first two games that Kamara missed, but then Ingram missed Week 12 with a knee issue of his own. He returned in Week 13 against Dallas but played fewer snaps than Ty Montgomery, who appeared to be the Saints’ back of choice in passing situations. Montgomery was unavailable the last time Ingram got heavy usage, so it’s possible the two would form a fairly even committee if Kamara remains out this week. Nevertheless, Ingram would still make for an intriguing fantasy option against the Jets and their woeful run D.
New York Giants
Saquon Barkley has now had three straight subpar fantasy outings since he returned from a month-long absence due to an ankle injury. Barkley is playing the lion’s share of the snaps, has been active on passing downs (he had nine targets last week), and seems to break off at least one long run every week. The problem is the Giants are a dumpster fire offensively, and whether it is Mike Glennon or Jake Fromm under center, the immediate future is bleak. Barkley defines a volume-based RB2, but his upside is severely lacking in this offense.
New York Jets
For the second week in a row, Tevin Coleman played less than half of the Jets’ offensive snaps but was the clear running back of choice when Gang Green attempted to run the ball. His 11 rushes in Week 13 may not sound like much, but no other Jets RB had more than one. Coleman is a decent bet to get around 15 touches again this week, but he’ll still be a dicey RB3/flex option against a Saints defense that has been unforgiving to opposing running backs.
Rookie Michael Carter will be eligible to return in Week 15, so it will be worth tracking any reports on his progress that emerge over the next week. He has infinitely more gas left in the tank than Coleman and should remain stashed in most fantasy leagues. As for Ty Johnson, he continues to see plenty of snaps but rarely touches the football. As a result, he can be dropped in all but the deepest of leagues.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are the kind of offense that can drive fantasy managers crazy. This team boasts a very productive running game, but it never seems to be the same guy putting up numbers from one week to the next. Of course, part of that is due to injuries, but Philadelphia has typically employed a three-person committee over the last six weeks by design.
Things looked a little different last week. With Jordan Howard out since Week 11 with a knee injury and Boston Scott active but barely playing after missing practice time with an illness, Miles Sanders reminded the world of what he can do as a feature back, gashing the Jets for 142 scrimmage yards. But, unfortunately, his good day ended prematurely with an ankle injury. Rookie Kenneth Gainwell stepped in as the primary back the rest of the way.
Howard should be back following the Eagles’ Week 14 bye so that the Eagles may have all four backs available for the first time. If Sanders is healthy, he is the best bet to lead the backfield, but it will certainly be some committee. Given this team’s rushing prowess, you could do worse than stash an Eagles back while we await more details about how the team plans to divvy up touches after the bye.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers backfield has been a walking infirmary all season long, and that is very much the case heading into Week 14. Rookie Elijah Mitchell has been nothing short of terrific when he’s been on the field, but he missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a shoulder injury and Week 11 with a broken finger and now finds himself in the concussion protocol.
If Mitchell didn’t get cleared in time for this week’s game, the next man up would be Jeff Wilson. Wilson’s knee reportedly flared up on Sunday, but Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem overly concerned about it, stating that Wilson is “expected to be back at practice this week.” Should both Mitchell and Wilson miss Week 14, it would likely mean a sizable role for JaMycal Hasty, who has mostly only seen action in passing situations up to this point. Trey Sermon and Trenton Cannon are hurt, too, so San Francisco may also sign someone off the street.
Seattle Seahawks
The Adrian Peterson experiment was a failure in Tennessee, but that did not dissuade Pete Carroll from giving it a try. The Seahawks signed the 36-year old last week and quickly shuffled him into a significant role in their moribund backfield. Peterson’s 11 carries for 16 yards against San Francisco looked an awful lot like the numbers he was putting up as a Titan, but at least he found the end zone. So it should come as no surprise if Peterson gets 15+ touches this week against Houston.
Peterson is unlikely to become anything more than an RB3/flex option in deep non-PPR leagues at this stage of his career. Still, his presence does serve to kill any remaining fantasy intrigue associated with Alex Collins, Rashaad Penny, or DeeJay Dallas.
Washington Football Team
This season has been a slow build for Antonio Gibson, perhaps due to the nagging shin injury that hampered him through the year’s first half. While Gibson had more than 14 carries in just two of Washington’s first eight games, he has at least 19 carries in all four games since the Football Team’s Week 9 bye. All four have been Washington victories.
Simply put, Gibson is carrying this team on his back right now, and that is unlikely to stop anytime soon with key home-and-away divisional matchups with Dallas and Philadelphia up next. J.D. McKissic may well return from his concussion in Week 14, but expect the Football Team to stick to its winning recipe of feeding Gibson early and often.
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Andrew Seifter is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @andrew_seifter.