Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds writers are here to provide you with weekly start/sit advice all season long. We will be making our recommendations based on weekly consensus PPR rankings. Here is the Week 8 Running Back Start/Sit from senior writer Mychal Warno.
One thing to keep in mind when making your running back start/sit decisions; it will ALWAYS depend on who your other options are. Don’t take the players below out of (or put them into) your lineup unless the alternatives are worth it.
NOTE: Rankings are sourced from FantasyPros expert consensus expert rankings (ECR) and our terminology is for a 12-team PPR league. So, saying RB2 means top 24, or RB1 means top 12, etc.
WEEK 7 RESULTS
| Player | FPts | Rush Yds | Recs | Rec Yds | TDs | Call | Rank | Result | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.K. Dobbins | 9.6 | 40 | 3 | 26 | 0 | Start | 13 | 28 | -15 |
| Brian Robinson Jr. | 13.1 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Start | 17 | 21 | -4 |
| Tank Bigsby | 23.8 | 118 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Start | 20 | 8 | +12 |
| Aaron Jones | 20.6 | 93 | 3 | 23 | 1 | Sit | 46 | 12 | -34 |
| Zack Moss | 7.0 | 7 | 3 | 33 | 0 | Sit | 31 | 38 | +7 |
| Jordan Mason | 8.6 | 58 | 2 | 11 | 0 | Sit | 9 | 30 | +21 |
RUNNING BACK START/sit
Javonte Williams | Denver Broncos | RB 17
Week 7 Stats | RB 6 | FPts 26.1 | Att 14 | Yds 88 | TD 2 | Tgts 3 | Rec 3 | Yds 23 | Confidence 80%
Javonte Williams is coming off of his best fantasy game of the season against the New Orleans Saints. Williams has finished as an RB1 in two of his last three games, and now faces the Carolina Panthers who have allowed the most fantasy PPG to opposing running backs, along with the most rushing yards and touchdowns.
Fellow Dynasty Nerd’s writer Brad Custer has a weekly article showing the percent change in expected fantasy points for every matchup. His chart this week shows Javonte Williams with the best positional matchup among all the running back options at 36% increase in expected fantasy points. Williams is a must-start in Week 8.
Check out Data Nerd Brad Custer’s full article here to understand the chart and read his breakdowns (IDP included)!
RUNNING BACK START/sit
Kareem Hunt | Las Vegas Raiders | RB 12
Week 7 Stats | RB1 | FPts 22.3 | Att 22 | Yds 78 | TD 2 | Tgts 2 | Rec 2 | Yds 5 | Confidence 90%
Kareem Hunt has been a solid option since taking over as the starter for an injured Isiah Pachecho. Hunt has finished with double-digit fantasy points in every game he’s been active for this season including back-to-back games with a rushing touchdown. He’s averaging 20.5 FPPG after the past two weeks. You can expect Hunt to confidently finish as an RB1.
Hunt gets an excellent matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders who have allowed a rushing touchdown to seven different players this season. The Raiders have allowed at least 15.5 FPPG to opposing starting running backs this year.
RUNNING BACK START/sit
Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | RB 27
Week 7 Stats | RB2 | FPts 29.1 | Att 10 | Yds 40 | TD 2 | Tgts 6 | Rec 6 | Yds 71 | Confidence 80%
With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans injured, White should be a go-to option out of the backfield for Baker Mayfield. White excels as a pass catcher, which was evident Monday Night against the Baltimore Ravens, where he caught 6 receptions for 71 yards and 2 touchdowns. He finished the week behind only Jahymr Gibbs for the best overall RB on the week.
In 5 career games against Atlanta, White has averaged 10.9 FPPG, including his highest rushing yard performance of the season where he rushed for 72 yards. White’s passing game usage should yield a high-end RB2 finish with a solid floor overall.
RUNNING BACK start/SIT
Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots| RB 28
Week 7 Stats | RB44 | FPts 4.5 | Att 7 | Yds 18 | TD 0 | Tgts 3 | Rec 2 | Yds 7 | Confidence 40%
Rhamondre Stevenson has finished outside the top 35 running backs in fantasy points in 3 of his last 4 matchups. In those matchups, Stevenson has failed to rush for over 50 yards in 3 of the contests.
Stevenson will now face the Jets, who he has never scored a touchdown against in 4 total matchups which includes a Week 3 -0.70 fantasy-point finish. In those 4 matchups, Stevenson has not rushed for over 71 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson is a risky flex option at best in Week 8.
RUNNING BACK start/SIT
Tony Pollard | Tennessee Titans| RB 21
Week 7 Stats | RB31 |FPts 8.5 | Att 16 | Yds 61 | TD 0 | Tgts 6 | Rec 2 | Yds 4 | Confidence 55%
Tony Pollard has been a reliable option for fantasy managers this season. However, Pollard is coming off of an 8.5 point fantasy performance against a favorable matchup with the Buffalo Bills. Now, Pollard faces a much tougher Lions defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest rushing fantasy points per Fantasy Points Data Suite.
Tennessee will be without Will Levis—due to injury and DeAndre Hopkins—who was traded to Kansas City. Tyjae Spears looks set for a return in Week 8 as well, which could limit Pollard’s workload. The Titans’ lack of playmakers could lead to a negative game script, which would limit Pollard’s rushing upside.
SPOTLIGHT | RUNNING BACK start/SIT
Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints | RB 15
Week 7 Stats | RB32 | FPts 8.4 | Att 7 | Yds 10 | TD 0 | Tgts 6 | Rec 7 | Yds 14 | Confidence 65%
I understand that it’s extremely difficult to bench the RB5 overall in FPPG, but Alvin Kamara has struggled while Spencer Rattler has filled in at quarterback for an injured Derek Carr. Kamara has a total of 88 yards on 31 touches and will now face the Chargers who allow the third-fewest FPPG to running backs (FPDS). Your options may be too limited to bench Kamara, but I view him more as a low-end RB2 option against Los Angeles, so adjust your lineups accordingly.
If you’re interested in learning about the incoming NFL superstars, check out our Superflex Mock Draft that dropped earlier this week:
