Honorable mention Start: Saquon Barkley (PHI), D’Andre Swift (CHI), Breece Hall (NYJ)
Honorable mention Sit: Josh Jacobs (GB), Aaron Jones (MIN), Isiah Pacheco (KC)
Start: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
I have picked on the Cowboys here since Derrick Henry made me see the light, and I continue to do so this week. Great matchup for Brown in a game with the biggest O/U for the week in front of a national audience. Since taking over as HIM in this backfield, Brown has shined, returning four top-10 finishes in four chances (RB5, RB4, RB10, RB10). Against a soft Dallas run defense, he’s absolutely going to make it five in a row. Yes, Dallas’s defense has been better against RBs as of late, but I’m not worried about that necessarily. This offense is tops in the league, and Brown is a big part of that. Khalil Herbert is there, but he’s done nothing since coming to town. This is the Chase Brown show, all day.
Start: Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Another huge O/U has me chomping at the bit on this one. Williams (RB9 on the season) has been steady-Freddy all year, presenting one of the sturdiest floors out there. As expected, he is ceding more carries to Blake Corum lately (62% to 32% snap share last week), but so what. Williams is damn effective with his touches, and he gets into the endzone regularly (10 tuddys on the year). Buffalo has been pretty generous to RBs in 2024, particularly to really good ones (Achane, Conner, Hall, Henry, etc.), and Williams fits that mold. My guess is LA controls the clock in this tilt with the run, and Williams should be able to bank on that. Potential for a top-10 finish this week.
Sit: Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Chubba Hubbard has been phenomenal this season, and if you drafted him or scooped him via FA, kudos. From Weeks 2-12, Chubba was counted on, and he delivered for us (six top 10 finishes in 10 games and was only outside the top 24 just once). In fact, I’d be willing to bet he’s one of the main players on most playoff teams. Unfortunately, that ride may be over. Jonathon Brooks is back, and it looks like the Panthers are intent on getting a look. In Brooks’ first week back, Chubba had his highest snap share of the season (89%), but last week it dipped to 79%, while Brooks saw his share rise from 5% the week before to 21%. More concerning, the touches were almost even – 12 (all carries) for Hubbard and nine (six carries and three receptions) for Brooks. And friends, Brooks looks good enough to not only stick, but turn this backfield into a true timeshare. Plus, it’s the Eagles this week, and they’re just about the best team in football. It was fun while it lasted, Chubba.
Sit: Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Etienne Jr. is back to being the top dog in this backfield, but it’s so mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. He hasn’t produced a double-digit points game since Week 3, and hasn’t finished above RB29 in any game since. Granted, Tank Bigbsy (who is also an advisable sit) was in there for a few good games, but the storyline doesn’t change. The Jacksonville offense is a mess, and after Lawrence got his bell rung against the Texans (which was brutal, by the way), it’s Mac Jones again, which doesn’t bode well for anyone. Tennessee is middle of the pack against RBs, so the matchup isn’t daunting. These guys just aren’t good right now, sorry to say, and I’m willing to bet you have better on the bench or the wire.
