Swift had a slow start to the season, but has turned it on as of late. He has scored a TD in four straight games and is coming off his best rushing performance of the season, rushing for 129 yards against the Commanders. This weekend he faces the Cardinals who rank 26th in the NFL against the run.
Start: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
I love this matchup for Jones, as the Colts have been brutal against RBs for the past month (including a 45-burger to Tank Bigsby and the Jaguars). DeForest Buckner is back and played a hell of a ball game against the Texans, but Joe Mixon was still heavily involved (29 touches, 134 yards, TD). I expect ample opportunity here for Jones against a defense susceptible to receiving backs. Super sturdy floor for Jones, RB19 on the season, and he’s finished in the Top 24 at the position in 5/7 games in 2024. Sam Darnold has fallen back to earth in the last three weeks, but I still expect Jones to pull 4-5 targets in this one, maybe more. 100 total yards and a touchdown will work just fine for us.
Start: Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
I think that outside Derrick Henry, Kyren Williams has been just about the most consistent producer at the RB position, finishing in the Top 24 all season long, including two Top 10 finishes. Super tasty matchup against the Seahawks, who rank 26th against the position on the season, and even worse over the last four weeks. Kupp and Nacua are back, which means the defense can’t stack the box against him. In fact, his opportunity-share actually went up with stud WRs back in the lineup. Williams is a near-lock for 20+ carries, five or so targets, and 100+ yards against the Seahawks, and he’s just about my favorite RB play of the week.
Sit: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
I love that Chubb is back – I think it’s great for the NFL. He’s just not in rhythm yet, and the Browns offense under Watson has been brutal. Maybe both situations will change this week, but I want to see it before I’m comfortable trotting him out there in a week with so many good RB matchups. Last week, the tight ends went nuts; this week, it’ll be the RBs. Also, the Chargers have been exceptional against the RB position on the season, holding opposing running backs to under 20.0 points in 6/7 games so far. Granted, they haven’t played all studs, but they held up pretty well against Kamara and Miller last Sunday. Sit him until we see it.
Sit: Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
It’s honestly a pretty good matchup for Stevenson, as the Titans – who are a respectable defense – have been absolutely gashed the past two weeks (27.3 and 44.55, respectively). Stevenson is just terribly inefficient. Take last week – a week where Stevenson posted a Top 5 finish. If it weren’t for the two touchdowns, we’d be looking at a finish outside the Top 24 at the position. Speaking to the inefficiency and inconsistency, Stevenson is about 50/50 on where he lands on a weekly basis – four Top 10s and three finishes outside the top 40. It all just depends on the week and game script for Rhamondre, and he could just as easily crack the Top 10 again this week. It’s that kind of inconsistency I hate to have on my team, and I’m rolling with my gut this week.
