RB Starts/Sits
Three backs to plug in, three to park on the bench. Here’s the case for each.
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Now, on to the picks…
✅ START: Kyren Williams (LAR) @ Raiders
Blake Corum may be cutting into the carries, but Williams’ receiving role keeps him in RB1 territory, and this week’s matchup is a good one.
Leads all NFL running backs with 38 targets this season, including six in Week 6
Logged six-plus receptions in three straight games from Weeks 3-5, with 27 targets in that span
Las Vegas is allowing 21.7 fantasy points per game to running backs and the seventh-highest EPA per game, one of the softer run defenses in the NFL
Coming off a 71% snap share and a quiet box score, Williams is set up for a bounce-back RB1 week.
🚫 SIT: Cam Skattebo (NYG) @ Texans
Skattebo went from the Giants’ lead back to the end of the bench in a single week.
Played just six snaps with zero touches in Week 6, the fewest among all four Giants running backs
Lost a fumble in overtime of Week 5 as ball security issues followed him into the season
Houston has been one of the 10 toughest defenses in the NFL against running backs
Until John Harbaugh shows he trusts Skattebo again, he’s a bench-and-wait RB3 at best.
✅ START: Braelon Allen (NYJ) vs. Dolphins
With Breece Hall (quad) out the last three games, Allen has stepped into a featured role.
Has captured a 55% touch share over the last three weeks
Topped 100 scrimmage yards in back-to-back games, including 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in Week 5
Miami allows the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs and let five backs score 15+ fantasy points in its first five games
If Hall sits again, Allen is a plug-and-play high-end RB2 in a smash spot.
🚫 SIT: Tony Pollard (TEN) vs. Browns
Pollard is getting the volume, but Tennessee’s offense keeps turning it into empty fantasy days.
Turned 19 carries into just 7.6 PPR points in Week 6, with one target and no catches
Has handled 14-plus carries in five straight games but has only one touchdown to show for it
Cleveland allows the third-fewest fantasy points (14.2 PPG) and sixth-lowest EPA to running backs
In a game with a week-low 38.5 over/under, Pollard’s ceiling is too low to trust.
Up next: a veteran workhorse who has stacked three straight 14-plus-point games and gets a get-right spot at home.
✅ START: Aaron Jones (MIN) vs. Colts
With Jordan Mason on IR, Jones has turned back the clock as Minnesota’s workhorse.
Averaging 96.4 scrimmage yards per game this season
Scored 14-plus PPR points in three straight starts, capped by 25 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown in Week 5
Indianapolis is surrendering 22.0 to 24.0 fantasy points per game to running backs
Mason is eligible to return after the bye, so watch the injury report, but Jones’ recent workload makes him a strong RB2 start against the Colts.
🚫 SIT: Alvin Kamara (NO) vs. Steelers (Paris)
Kamara made history in Week 6, but his role in the Saints’ backfield keeps shrinking.
Kendre Miller out-carried him 20 to 7 in Week 6, with a 44% to 22% snap split
Was third among Saints running backs in snaps, and his only score came on a 17-yard catch
Pittsburgh has been one of the toughest run defenses in the NFL, holding Jonathan Taylor and Bucky Irving to single-digit fantasy outputs
Kamara became just the sixth player ever with 5,000 rushing and 5,000 receiving yards, but on seven carries a week against this front, he’s a touchdown-or-bust bench call.
That’s the list. Set your lineups, and we’ll be back this weekend with the week’s news updates.
-Joe
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