“YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!” That’s what thousands of fantasy football players yelled, give or take a not-so-child-friendly word or two, in the last 24 hours.
Week 4 was extremely unfriendly to fantasy football players and the running back position. Multiple elite fantasy running backs suffered injuries on Sunday. Javonte Williams has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the year. Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) yesterday because of a knee injury. However, he should return in four weeks when eligible to come off IR.
There were a few other running backs also injured this weekend. Jonathan Taylor suffered an ankle injury. While it’s reportedly not severe, Taylor might miss Thursday Night’s matchup against the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, D’Andre Swift and Alvin Kamara missed Sunday’s action because of injuries, and their availability for Week 5 remains in question.
With so many injuries this weekend, fantasy managers are desperate to find a replacement option. While they won’t be able to completely replace their star running backs, managers can find suitable alternatives to lessen the blow.
The following running backs fall into three categories: short-term replacements, long-term dart throws and possible trade targets.
- Short-term options are running backs with value for the next few weeks.
- Long-term dart throws are running backs with potential league-winning upside but are far from a guarantee.
- Possible trade targets are veterans with a lower perceived value than their actual value.
Let’s look at nine potential options to help fantasy managers lighten the blow from Week 4’s injury barrage.
Rostered percentages are based on ESPN leagues.
Short-Term Options
Tyler Allgeier (ATL) | 16.8% Rostered
With Patterson out the next four weeks, the rookie Tyler Allgeier is the next man up. He led the Atlanta backfield with 11.6 half-point PPR fantasy points on Sunday. The rookie also had a team-high 10 rushing attempts for 84 yards in the game. More importantly, Allgeier led all Atlanta running backs in snaps played with 24 on Sunday. The fifth-round rookie has 26 rushing attempts over the past three games, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. He will get the first chance to replace Patterson as the Falcons’ lead back. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should also consider adding Caleb Huntley (0.1% rostered).
Raheem Mostert (MIA) | 53.3% Rostered
The Dolphins’ backfield is a two-headed attack of Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert. However, the former San Francisco running back is the better fantasy option. Yet, he is rostered in 30.5% fewer leagues than Edmonds. Over the past three weeks, Mostert has scored nine or more half-point PPR fantasy points twice while playing an average of 61.2% of the snaps. Furthermore, he has out-touched Edmonds 39-20 during that span. While Edmonds found the end zone in Week 4, Mostert had nearly 2.5 times as many touches and averaged 3.4 more yards per rushing attempt. Until an injury puts him on the sidelines, Mostert is a flex option in all fantasy leagues.
Rex Burkhead (HOU) | 25.7% Rostered
After playing 71% of the snaps in Week 1, Rex Burkhead has played 36.9% over the past three weeks. His drop in playing time isn’t surprising, given Damien Pierce’s elite play the past few games. However, the veteran remains fantasy relevant, especially in PPR leagues. Burkhead is averaging four receptions per game this season, catching four or more passes in all but one contest. Furthermore, he has averaged 7.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game this season, putting him in the top 40 running backs. Last week the veteran had zero rushing attempts but was third on the team with five targets. Until the Texans completely trust Pierce in obvious passing situations, Burkhead will remain fantasy relevant.
Long-Term Dart Throws
Brian Robinson (WAS) | 37.4% Rostered
Washington’s offense has looked dramatically different the past three weeks compared to Week 1. On opening weekend, the Commanders scored 28 points. However, they have averaged only 15 points per game over the past three weeks. More importantly, Antonio Gibson has struggled, averaging only 3.3 yards per rushing attempt this season. Meanwhile, rookie Brian Robinson reportedly had earned the starting running back role in the preseason before being shot during a carjacking in late August. The rookie is eligible to return as early as this week. Even if he sits out until Week 6, Robinson is the top waiver wire add this week at the running back position.
Kenneth Walker (SEA) | 52.2% Rostered
Yes, Rashaad Penny had 151 rushing yards, two touchdowns and scored 28.2 half-point PPR fantasy points on Sunday. However, Seattle faced the Detroit Lions and their Swiss cheese run defense. The Lions had given up an average of 4.6 yards per rushing attempt and 27.5 fantasy points per game to running backs over the first three weeks. Furthermore, Penny averaged 4.4 yards per rushing attempt and 5.5 fantasy points per game before his outstanding performance in Week 4. Meanwhile, the rookie has played well with limited work, averaging 4.4 yards per rushing attempt over the past two weeks. When Penny inevitably misses time because of an injury, Walker will step into a featured role on a surprisingly solid offense.
Rachaad White (TB) | 11.3% Rostered
The third-round rookie barely played over the first three weeks of the year. Rachaad White scored only 3.8 half-point PPR fantasy points in the first three games this season while playing 12.4% of the snaps. However, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich said he wanted to get the rookie more involved in the offense last week. White saw an uptick in work on Sunday, playing 38% of the snaps and scoring 12.1 fantasy points, including his first NFL touchdown. White’s five targets last week were only two less than Leonard Fournette and fifth-most on the team. The rookie should earn more of a role moving forward. More importantly, White is an injury to Fournette away from a featured workload.
Possible Trade Targets
While the veteran running back is averaging only 10.3 half-point PPR fantasy points per game this season, Dalvin Cook has played well. He is averaging 4.4 yards per rushing attempt. However, Cook has averaged 4.6 yards per rushing attempt in the three games, not against the Philadelphia Eagles and their elite run defense. More importantly, the veteran running back has averaged 0.57 fantasy points per touch this season despite only a 1.4% touchdown rate. Cook had 22 touches for 86 scrimmage yards last week but scored only 9.6 fantasy points. Meanwhile, Alexander Mattison found the end zone on only four touches. Once he consistently finds the end zone, Cook will return to his elite level of play.
Devin Singletary has played well this season, averaging 9.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. However, he has picked up his play the past two weeks, averaging 16.5 touches and 14.6 fantasy points per contest. After earning 14 rushing attempts over the first two games, Singletary has 20 over the past two weeks. Furthermore, the veteran running back has 13 receptions on 16 targets in the past two games after averaging only 2.9 targets per game last year. More importantly, Singletary ran an average of 16.8 routes per game last year but is averaging 24.7 routes per game this season. While he lacks elite upside, Singletary can be a reliable RB2 for fantasy managers moving forward.
Unfortunately, Elijah Mitchell suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that will likely keep him sidelined until early November. However, the second-year running back averaged 6.8 yards per rushing attempt before suffering the injury. Furthermore, he was the RB12 on a points-per-game basis in half-point PPR scoring last season, averaging 14.1 fantasy points per contest. Yet, the second year back is rostered in only 72.8% of ESPN leagues. Fantasy managers should check the waiver wire to see if he’s available. Even if Mitchell isn’t on the waiver wire, wait a week and trade for the veteran back.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
