Running backs remain king in fantasy football. While it seems like there are more elite quarterbacks and wide receivers than ever before, the number of consistent, reliable running backs is dwindling. This makes it all the more important to find value in running backs in fantasy football. To help you with that, each week I’ll take a look at a few backfields that stand out based on recent trends or new information we’ve learned.
The regular fantasy football season certainly ended with a bang. Five different players scored over 35 fantasy points in one of the highest scoring weeks I can remember. Let’s unpack everything we’ve learned about the league’s running back rooms as we head into the most important three weeks of the year.
San Francisco 49ers
After Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason were both placed on IR last week, the stage was set for Isaac Guerendo on Sunday. And for most of the match, he put on quite a show. Guerendo lived up to the hype against the Bears, running for 78 yards and two scores on top of 50 yards through the air. Guerendo’s day was cut short, however, as he left the game in the fourth quarter with a foot injury and is officially questionable for Week 15.
Fourth-year back Patrick Taylor Jr. was next in line for the 49ers, punching in a touchdown after replacing Guerendo. Taylor is a hot waiver wire this week given how easily running backs succeed in the 49ers’ offensive scheme, and I completely understand spending whatever FAAB money I had left on him.
Behind Taylor, Israel Abanikanda and Ke’Shawn Vaughn will also likely be involved in the attack if Guerendo is out. Therefore, I wouldn’t say Taylor has as high a ceiling as Guerendo, but he should still be a serviceable starter for you this week.
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Las Vegas Raiders
Is Sincere McCormick the 2024 fantasy football league winner? Imagine telling that to someone in August. With Zamir White and Alexander Mattison both out with injuries, McCormick led the Raiders backfield in carries for the second straight week. Considering how bad White and Mattison have been in terms of efficiency this year, McCormick’s numbers rightly jump off the page. Over the past two weeks, he has converted 27 carries into 142 yards and added four receptions. McCormick also led the Raiders in short order on Sunday, playing 61% to Ameer Abdullah’s 39%.
Going forward, I think McCormick could very realistically continue the fantasy-relevant production. I see no reason for the Raiders to return to White and Mattison, as they have long since been eliminated from the playoffs, and McCormick has objectively looked a lot better. His ceiling is limited as Abdullah will remain involved in the passing game and the Raiders offense is generally unproductive, but McCormick should be able to return FLEX value based on his volume and efficiency.
I would have easily spent the rest of my FAB budget on him this week too, since there are so few weeks left in the season, and especially since the Raiders are playing one of the softest fantasy playoff schedules in the league ( Falcons, Jaguars, Saints). Not to mention, McCormick got the stamp of approval from his head coach.
The heads of Kansas City
The Chiefs continued to employ a running back-by-committee approach to their backfield. Isiah Pacheco was the most used of the bunch, playing 32 snaps and running for 55 yards on 14 carries. As expected, Kareem Hunt was used as a 1B, with 20 snaps, five carries and 16 yards. As if things weren’t already busy, Samaje Perine also played 17 snaps, but only saw two touches. For the second week in a row, the 12-1 Chiefs somehow ran zero plays inside the five-yard line, so we don’t have a good idea of who the favored goal line defender is either.
I’m not really a huge fan of anyone in this fantasy backfield. As the “1A,” Pacheco is startable, but I’m still not convinced he’ll be the clear top-15 option we saw before his injury. His volume should support him as a FLEX option, but I’m not too excited about playing him unless he starts getting more goal line work.
Hunt should remain on the rosters, but I’d move him to my bench right now because he’s starting to lose reps to Pacheco. I’ll continue to monitor this situation as the Chiefs have a few more potential slugfests against the Browns, Texans and Steelers over the next three weeks.
Seattle Seahawks
Zach Charbonnet is having one of the funniest seasons I can remember. When playing next to Kenneth Walker III, he looks mediocre at best. In games, Walker has been healthy, Charbonnet has converted 43 carries into just 137 yards, good for a paltry 3.1 YPC. However, when Walker is inactive, Charbonnet is essentially the best running back in fantasy football. In three starts, he has 369 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns, easily making him the overall RB1.
The Seahawks reported that Walker is dealing with a calf injury and additional testing will be conducted this week to determine its severity. If Walker misses more time, Charbonnet would clearly remain an elite starter in fantasy. However, I would move him back to my bench if Walker returns, as Charbonnet’s usage and efficiency are clearly night and day when he is the backup.
New York fighter jets
After Breece Hall was ruled out last Saturday with a knee injury, it appeared Braelon Allen would join Guerendo and Charbonnet as elite backups turned starters. However, Allen was just average in the Jets’ loss to the Dolphins, especially since he essentially split time evenly with fellow rookie Isaiah Davis. Allen played one more snap than Davis, had one more carry and three more rushing yards, but ultimately became the less useful fantasy asset when Davis ran in a 17-yard score.
It seemed like Hall had the inclination to play this week, despite the Jets not having much to play for besides their pride. That said, Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich reportedly said Hall is “struggling a little bit” with his knee injury.
If he gets healthy, starting Hall would be fine, but I expect him to see a little less work than normal. If Hall can’t play, both Allen and Davis could start in fantasy as the Jets play the Jaguars’ porous rush defense. I’d still prefer Allen over the two, but Davis is definitely worth adding this week as a FLEX option in deeper leagues.
