As we head into Week 10 of the NFL season too many football backfields are looking like MASH units these days. As this article is being written several teams including the Panthers, Eagles, Dolphins, Seahawks, Bears, Cardinals, Chargers, Ravens, Giants, 49ers, Texans have injury related question marks regarding at least one of their running backs eligibility for the upcoming week. With more and more coaches providing unrealistic and sometimes vague, (“he’s day to day”), mid-week injury related player updates managing your fantasy football team’s RBs has become increasingly difficult.
For the past couple of weeks we’ve all been trying to figure out how the 49ers would utilize their remaining healthy RBs. After leading the 49ers backfield in carries in Week 8 many of us expected a big game from Jamychal Hasty in Week 9. However, apparently 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan felt that it was Jerick McKinnon ’s turn to play the role of lead back in Week 9.
Nevertheless, keeping tabs on who is considered to be the next man up is especially important when it comes to the volatile RB position. It is particularly important during this crazy 2020 season full of COVID related uncertainty.
As always, Fantasy Alarm will keep you up to date on all the latest breaking fantasy football injury news as it happens. In the meantime, the following analysis provides a closer look at a few of the NFL backfields that deserve your attention. We hope that it helps you better manage your fantasy football team(s).
Baltimore Ravens
With the Ravens utilizing a true running back by committee approach this season most fantasy football players have wisely avoided regularly starting Ravens RBs this season. However, as you try to manage your fantasy teams through the treacherous bye weeks sometimes you do what you have to do. Gus Edwards has been a sneaky adequate play over the past couple of weeks, averaging 13.1 fantasy points per game (FPPG) in PPR scoring formats. He leads Ravens RBs with six carries from inside the five yard line and also has a three game TD scoring streak. J.K. Dobbins is averaging 9.3 FPPG during the same two game period.
Cleveland Browns
Nick Chubb is eligible to come off of the IR this week and while Fantasy Alarm will provide an update on his status as it becomes apparent, it’s looking like he’ll have a good chance to play in Week 10. The Browns are looking forward to having their one-two punch of Kareem Hunt and Chubb working out of their backfield once again. Hunt’s production has suffered with Chubb on the sidelines. In the first four games of the season with Chubb active, Hunt averaged 12.5 carries per game, 5.5 YPC and scored five total TDs. In the four games in which he’s been the featured back Hunt has averaged 16 carries per game, 3.91 YPC and just two total TDs. Two of those four games in which Hunt was the featured back came against the tough Colts and Steelers run defenses, but could those extra carries per game have also negatively affected Hunts recent performances?
Indianapolis Colts
Last week we were led to believe that Jonathan Taylor’s diminished role in Week 8 was due to an ankle injury. In Week 9, Taylor, Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines played just about the same number of snaps. However, Wilkins had almost twice as many carries (11) than Taylor (6) and in post-game interviews head coach Frank Reich didn’t use Taylor’s “little bit of an ankle injury” as an excuse for his lack of touches. Instead, he pointed out that the Colts didn’t run the ball much in the second half. He’s got a point, but Wilkins did take four of the Colts’ six second half carries. Perhaps Taylor’s first quarter fumble was the true reason for his lack of work in Week 9. Wilkins handled nine of the Colts’ remaining 11 carries of the game after the Taylor fumble. It was only his first NFL fumble but he had 18 fumbles (15 lost) in 41 college career games at Wisconsin.
New York Jets
If you’ve been holding on to your shares of Jets rookie RB La’Mical Perine in hopes that he’d have a bigger role in the Jets backfield after the Jets cut ties with Le’Veon Bell, your patience may finally be paying off. In the four games since Bell took his last snap as a Jet, Perine has averaged eight carries and 28 rushing yards per game for a modest 3.5 YPC. During the same four games, Frank Gore has averaged 11 carries for 45 yards per game (4.09 YPC). According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini once the Jets come back from their Week 10 bye, Perine will take over as the team’s featured back. Will the 0-9 Jets play a game in which game script warrants that they actually run the ball? Stay tuned…
Los Angeles Chargers
Will Kalen Ballage be the latest Adam Gase RB castoff to go off on a late season surge and become fantasy relevant? Last week many fantasy managers were surprised when they kept on seeing a zero next to Justin Jackson ’s name as they checked their Sunday afternoon live fantasy scores. Unfortunately, Jackson injured his knee in pregame warmups, played in the Chargers’ first drive, and was quickly taken out of the game. Ballage played the early downs, rushing for 69 yards on 15 carries and he scored a TD. Joshua Kelley had nine carries but also played the majority of passing downs, adding five catches for 31 yards. It looks as if Austin Ekeler (hamstring) isn’t quite ready to be activated from the IR, and if Jackson’s knee injury keeps him out of the Chargers’ Week 10 matchup against the Dolphins, Ballage might be worth a start against Miami.