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We seem to have, thankfully, moved away from some of the nightmares the running back position has provided us with this season, but with the fantasy playoffs rapidly approaching, we still need to stay on our toes with each and every possible change. I am still a firm believer in scooping up Spencer Ware and Malcolm Brown if they are available as the Chiefs and Rams continue to win games and give their respective coaches further reason to rest their stud running backs. We’re going to get one heck of a show this weekend as the two teams square off in Los Angeles (not Mexico City), but the winner is probably one step closer to being rested in the coming weeks. They’re not going to fully sit Kareem Hunt or Todd Gurley , but if they get a comfortable lead, you can bet that Ware and Brown will see more touches.
In addition to that reminder, here are a few other things of which to take note heading into Week 11:
Carolina Panthers
It’s obviously still the Christian McCaffrey show here in Carolina, but the team opted to make an adjustment to their depth and have parted ways with C.J. Anderson . McCaffrey handles over 95-percent of the snaps out of the backfield and Anderson was apparently getting more vocal about his lack of a role. He signed in the offseason expecting to see a stronger share of the workload, but OC Norv Turner has clearly not found reasons to use him. He’ll look for another job (Tampa Bay or Philadelphia could be intriguing landing spots) in the coming weeks, but those who own McCaffrey should scoop up Cameron Artis-Payne as the handcuff right now. We don’t expect much usage here, but better safe than sorry.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins bye week is a very welcomed sight as questions regarding Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore have taken a toll on every fantasy analyst. Over the last three weeks, the snaps out of the backfield have been a fairly even split, but it’s been Gore who has led the way with carries and Drake serving in more of a pass-catching role. That pushes the standard league value for Gore up while Drake seems like the better option in PPR formats, but Adam Gase’s desire to mix and match has still made it tough to trust either as anything more than a flex play. The upcoming schedule has the Fins matched up against teams who struggle defensively against running back pass plays, but when was the last time you saw Gase actually game plan in accordance to what the numbers dictate? You’d like to think there is a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere, but it’s dark…dark in the daytime. And the only one sleeping right now is the coach.
New England Patriots
There’s nothing to discuss with regard to the hierarchy in the Patriots backfield as it remains Sony Michel as the primary between the tackles while James White serves as the change-of-pace back and primary third-down guy. The mention here is strictly to remind you that it’s down to just these two as Kenjon Barner has been shown the door. He was a fleeting DFS thought who turned out to be a bust against Buffalo and now he’s out looking for work. As we should have been in New England, we’re done with Barner no matter where he lands.
New York Jets
The Jets activated Elijah McGuire from IR and immediately inserted him into the backfield rotation in lieu of Trent Cannon. He’s rushed 13 times for 60 yards in two games, but more importantly, he’s seen 11 targets and recorded six catches for 64 yards in that span. Isaiah Crowell is still the leader in this backfield with regard to carries, but the third-down work has shifted towards McGuire, giving him an increased value as both a handcuff and a flex play. After the bye, the Jets face New England and we expect McGuire to continue fulfilling a similar role, however, with match-ups against Tennessee and Buffalo afterwards, his production may struggle at times.
Philadelphia Eagles
After watching the carry distribution over the last two weeks, it has become evident that Josh Adams is going to be the favored ball-carrier out of the backfield. Both Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement will continue to split time as change-of-pace backs, but it still looks like Smallwood is going to see the majority of third-down work. Adams has racked up 108 rushing yards on 16 carries over the last two games and could prove to be a difference-maker in fantasy if the carries-trend continues down this path. It seems unlikely that he’ll ever be an RB1, but could be a decent play when the Eagles face three-straight divisional opponents between Week 12 and 14, inclusive.
Pittsburgh Steelers
At last, we finally have closure on the Le'Veon Bell situation. He’s a moron and his agent Adisa Bakari is an even bigger moron for not knowing the details of the CBA. Bakari cost his client $15M with some of the worst advice ever and now we can get on with our fantasy lives. James Conner is locked in as the lead running back. His immediate handcuff is likely Stevan Ridley , however, there’s no way Ridley holds the job to himself should anything bad happen to Conner. Jaylen Samuels would likely serve as the change-of-pace and pass-catching back, so if you own Conner in standard, look at Ridley. If you’re in a PPR format, grab Samuels. The added bonus for Samuels – and please, don’t get crazy with the ideas or roster manipulation – is that he is eligible at the TE position in Yahoo leagues. It’s not enough to get excited about just yet, even with Conner still in concussion protocol, but just something to keep in the back of your mind as news breaks.
Seattle Seahawks
The fantasy world is getting all sorts of crazy after Rashaad Penny racked up 108 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries last week, but you better pump the brakes here. Pete Carroll has already said that Penny’s workload is going to drop when Chris Carson returns from his hip injury. That could come as early as this Thursday against the Packers. "When everybody's healthy, not everybody's going to get the ball a lot," Carroll said. "That's just the way it goes, so we'll figure that out." In addition to that, Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer said that Penny is still struggling to pick up the offense. There’s a lot of potential here and he should be mixed in, but from a fantasy standpoint, it looks like Carson ranks first, followed by and then Penny. He’s worth an add in deeper leagues, but you need to temper your expectations.