Committee Report: Relevant backup fantasy RBs heading into Week 8

Staying on top of fluid backfield situations from week to week for all 32 teams is quite the tedious task, even for fantasy diehards. To help with your fantasy preparations, my weekly RB Committee Report is intended to be your one-stop shop for tracking each and every fantasy backfield. Each week, we’ll go around the league to hone in on who’s trending up or down in terms of workload distribution and volume, as well as efficiency, in order to pinpoint which backs are making the most (and least) of their opportunities.

STOCK UP	WK 7 RB SNAPS % / SEASON %	STOCK DOWN	WK 7 RB SNAPS % / SEASON %
Marlon Mack	47.8 / 28.3	Tevin Coleman	33.3 / 36.9
Jalen Richard	31.7 / 26.2	C.J. Prosise	2.6 / 21.4
Latavius Murray	47.0 / 25.8	Bilal Powell	37.5 / 44.9
T.J. Yeldon	33.8 / 33.8	Derrick Henry	41.7 / 39.4
Chris Thompson	57.8 / 50.0	LeGarrette Blount	38.5 / 32.4

Arizona Cardinals

Fantasy Starter	Backup to Own
Adrian Peterson	Andre Ellington (PPR)

Adrian Peterson came back down to earth after his big Cardinals’ debut, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that Arizona was shut out in London and wound up throwing the ball 75 percent of the time. Still, the offensive line has generated only 1.2 yards before contact this season, and the injury to Carson Palmer isn’t going to keep defenses honest. Peterson may be the only Cardinals’ RB worth rostering at the moment, but he’s little more than a bye week fill-in when the Cardinals come out of their own bye.

Atlanta Falcons

Starter	Backup to Own
Devonta Freeman	Tevin Coleman

Tevin Coleman played only 19 snaps against the Patriots. Being that Coleman has not logged double-digit carries in a game this season, his standalone value is trending downward. He ranks 27th among running backs in PPR points per game (10.7), keeping him in flex territory.

Baltimore Ravens

Starter	Backup to Own
Javorius Allen	Alex Collins (12+)

The Ravens boast PFF’s fifth-best run-blocking grade, but that hasn’t led to much fantasy success. As impressive as he’s been at evading tacklers, Alex Collins’ fantasy value is largely dependent on touchdowns, which is a box he has yet to check off. He also has yet to catch a pass this season. Javorius Allen has played 61.3 percent of the offensive snaps and is on pace for 70 catches, but he ranks only 19th in PPR fantasy points per game (12.4). Terrance West could further muddle things when he returns from his calf injury.

Buffalo Bills

Starter	Backup to Know
LeSean McCoy	Mike Tolbert (12+)

Replacement-level backups

Carolina Panthers

Starter	Backup to Know
Christian McCaffrey	Jonathan Stewart (12+)

Jonathan Stewart ranks seventh out of 47 qualifiers in elusive rating this season, although he has been out-snapped by Christian McCaffrey, 331-204. McCaffrey is on pace for 101 catches and currently sits 14th in PPR points per game, while Stewart sits outside the top 50.

Chicago Bears

Starter	Backup to Know
Jordan Howard	Tarik Cohen (PPR)

Rookie Mitch Trubisky has completed a grand total of only 12 passes over the last two weeks, as the Bears have run the ball 69 percent of the time with the rookie at the helm. Still, Jordan Howard isn’t leaving any scraps with his 20 carries per game and 60-percent snap share. Tarik Cohen played only seven snaps against Carolina and has not caught more than one pass in a game since Week 4.

Cincinnati Bengals

Starter	Backup to Own
Joe Mixon	Giovani Bernard (PPR)

The Bengals were in catchup mode at Pittsburgh and wound up with a 71-29 pass-run split. Joe Mixon had 48 yards on seven first-half carries but then didn’t get a single carry in the second half. The rookie still led the backfield in touches and was averaging 19 touches over his previous three outings. However, with the Bengals owning PFF’s worst run blocking grade and Mixon getting only 0.73 yards before contact, he ranks only 36th in fantasy points per game.

Cleveland Browns

Starter	Backup to Own
Isaiah Crowell	Duke Johnson (PPR)

There hasn’t been a game this season in which Duke Johnson has not been more productive than Isaiah Crowell. And yet, coach Hue Jackson continues to allot 15 touches per game to Crowell, who ranks 43rd in PPR points per game (7.6). In fact, Johnson has forced the same number of missed tackles as Crowell on 44 fewer touches, as he’s averaging 0.51 fantasy points per opportunity to Crowell’s 0.28 PPO. The good news is Johnson did get a season-high seven rushes against Tennessee, and he’s still inside the top-15 PPR backs this season on a per-game basis. His time will come eventually.

Dallas Cowboys

Starter	Backup to Own
Ezekiel Elliott	Alfred Morris

A judge denied the NFL’s request to expedite Ezekiel Elliott’s injunction hearing, which means Elliott remains available to fantasy owners in Week 8 after his huge performance against San Francisco. Those who scooped up Alfred Morris and/or Darren McFadden on waivers will want to hold tight until the situation gets resolved.

Denver Broncos

Starter	Backup to Know
C.J. Anderson	Devontae Booker
	Jamaal Charles

Jamaal Charles totaled 28 carries over the first three games but only 14 over his last three, and he logged just 15 snaps in Week 7. He and Devontae Booker have essentially split snaps and touches behind C.J. Anderson over the last two weeks, but Denver’s ground game as a whole has been quiet in back-to-back losses. Anderson has played 64.2 percent of the snaps this season, although that number has dipped slightly since Booker was activated from his wrist injury a few weeks ago.

Detroit Lions

Starter	Backup to Know
Ameer Abdullah	Theo Riddick (PPR)

The Lions come off their bye to face the Steelers’ middle-of-the-pack run defense. Abdullah has done the heavy lifting, with 78 percent of his 342 rushing yards this season coming after contact. But as mentioned last week, Abdullah has posted only one top-24 fantasy week, while Theo Riddick has gotten double-digit touches only once. There’s simply not much fantasy appeal here.

Green Bay Packers

Starter	Backup to Own
Aaron Jones	Ty Montgomery

The Packers have a bye this week, but there has been a changing of the guard in the backfield. Aaron Jones is a sleeper name that’s been on our radar since before training camp, as Ty Montgomery has never proven capable of holding up to workhorse usage. Against New Orleans on Sunday, 63 percent of Jones’ 131 rushing yards came on runs of 15-plus yards. While the rookie has no doubt acquitted himself well, he’s also been afforded quite a bit of room to run. In fact, no back in the league averages more yards before contact (2.9). The buy-low window has obviously closed, but those wanting a share of Jones need to be mindful of his limited sample size in optimal running conditions.

Houston Texans

Starter	Backup to Own
Lamar Miller	D’Onta Foreman

Lamar Miller headed into Houston’s Week 7 bye ranked seventh among RBs in yards from scrimmage after turning 18 touches into 81 yards against Cleveland his last time out. D’Onta Foreman saw 12-plus touches for the third time in five games, and he’s averaging 5.8 YPC over his last two games but has no passing-down role and no touchdowns under his belt.

Indianapolis Colts

Starter	Backup to Own
Frank Gore	Marlon Mack

In the wake of Robert Turbin’s season-ending injury, Marlon Mack was more involved in the passing game, as his six targets exceeded his season’s total going into Week 7’s game against Jacksonville. In fact, Mack saw a season-high (48 percent) of the offensive snaps, logging 10 more snaps than Frank Gore. The rookie is averaging 4.9 yards (3.5 YAC) on 32 carries this season and has forced eight missed tackles. Gore will remain the lead dog, but Mack now carries standalone flex value in addition to being one of the league’s premier handcuffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Starter	Backup to Know
Leonard Fournette	T.J. Yeldon (12+)

In his first action of the season, T.J. Yeldon came out of nowhere to run for 122 yards on nine carries against the Colts in Week 7. Excluding Yeldon’s 58-yard TD scamper, he still averaged eight yards on his other eight carries. Whereas Chris Ivory was the hot pickup last week, folks are now flocking to Yeldon after his breakout performance and subsequent buzz that he may surpass Ivory on the depth chart. But keep in mind, Leonard Fournette had logged 58 percent of the backfield snaps and 61 percent of the team carries through six weeks. In other words, there’s not much standalone value behind Fournette, who ranks third in fantasy points per game.

Kansas City Chiefs

Starter	Backup to Own
Kareem Hunt	Charcandrick West (12+)

Charcandrick West has performed well enough in the past for RB2 consideration if anything were to happen to Kareem Hunt. However, he hasn’t seen 30 percent of the snaps in any game since the opener.

Los Angeles Chargers

Starter	Backup to Know
Melvin Gordon	Branden Oliver (12+)

Replacement-level backups

Los Angeles Rams

Starter	Backup to Know
Todd Gurley	Malcolm Brown (12+)

Replacement-level backups

Miami Dolphins

Starter	Backup to Know
Jay Ajayi	Kenyan Drake (12+)

Replacement-level backups

Minnesota Vikings

Starter	Backup to Know
Jerick McKinnon	Latavius Murray (12+)

Proceed with caution here. Latavius Murray starred against Baltimore in Week 7 with 113 yards and a score on 18 carries after getting bottled up the previous two weeks. But in the three games since Dalvin Cook’s season-ending injury, Jerick McKinnon has out-snapped him by a 126-86 margin, including 35-31 in Week 7. Both will continue to be involved, with McKinnon getting work on passing downs and Murray the preferred short-yardage back.

New England Patriots

Starter	Backup to Own
Dion Lewis	James White (PPR)

Dion Lewis has replaced Mike Gillislee as Bill Belichick’s preferred early-down back. Despite the crowded backfield, there is fantasy appeal given that New England boasts PFF’s third-best run-blocking grade on the season. Lewis is also the league’s second-most elusive RB on the season. However, due to the presence of James White, Lewis’ role in the passing game is not what it once was in Belichick’s offense.

New Orleans Saints

Starter	Backup to Own
Mark Ingram	Alvin Kamara (PPR)

The takeaway from the Adrian Peterson trade was that Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara both offered solid RB2 value, and that’s certainly proven to be the case. Ingram had 100-plus yards and a touchdown on the ground against Green Bay in Week 7, finishing as the RB7, while Kamara caught 5-of-7 targets and also went over 100 scrimmage yards to finish as the RB10. Both can eat in this offense.

New York Giants

Starter	Backup to Know
Orleans Darkwa	Wayne Gallman

Week 7 reinforced that the Giants’ backfield is one to avoid at all costs in fantasy. Coming off a breakout performance at Denver, Orleans Darkwa came back down to earth with 35 yards on nine carries against Seattle in a game that saw the Giants throw the ball 70 percent of the time. Darkwa played one fewer snap than rookie Wayne Gallman but finished with 12 touches to Gallman’s seven. Darkwa ranks dead-last with an 11.2 elusive rating, having forced only two missed tackles on 59 touches. The Giants rank 25th in PFF run-blocking grade and are generating only 1.5 yards before contact.

New York Jets

Starter	Backup to Own
Bilal Powell	Matt Forte

Bilal Powell is losing passing-down work to Matt Forte, who has hauled in 13-of-13 targets for 100 yards over the past two games. Forte also out-snapped Powell in Week 7, 28-21, although Powell did turn his 11 touches into 83 yards against the Dolphins. If you’re curious about the shift in usage, one key factor to be mindful of is that Powell averages the third-most yards before contact, yet he ranks only 39th out of 47 qualifiers in elusive rating.

Oakland Raiders

Starter	Backup to Own
Marshawn Lynch	Jalen Richard (12+)

His suspension aside, Marshawn Lynch made the “Stock Down” list previously in this space, as he’d been averaging only 10 carries since the season opener and sits outside the top-50 in PPR points per game. In fact, Lynch has played only 37.7 percent of the team’s snaps on the year. Jalen Richard has out-snapped DeAndre Washington, 111-81, on the season, but the two split the workload evenly on Sunday, and that should be the case against Buffalo this week. Outside of a desperation bye-week fill-in, neither is a recommended option this against a Bills defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards per attempt and is graded third-best against the run by our analysts.

Philadelphia Eagles

Starter	Backup to Own
LeGarrette Blount	Wendell Smallwood

Wendell Smallwood returned from his two-game absence in Week 7 and got the start, but LeGarrette Blount wound up with a 14-10 edge in touches with the Eagles in clock-killing mode in the second half. Save for Philadelphia’s Week 2 loss at Kansas City in which Blount didn’t log a single carry, he has gotten between 12 and 16 carries in every game. He’s been the most elusive runner in the league this season, but somewhat surprisingly, neither he nor Smallwood average better than 0.70 yards before contact behind Philadelphia’s O-line. Blount is also tied for the third-most carries inside the 10, although just one of his 14 attempts has gone for a TD. T Jason Peters’ season-ending injury is a concern for the Eagles’ ground game.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Starter	Backup to Own
Le’Veon Bell	James Conner

Le’Veon Bell leads all RBs with 435 snaps, while Todd Gurley is the next-closest with 367. Given that Bell has also gotten 35-plus touches in each of his last two contests, it’s worth keeping in mind that he’s played one 16-game season in his four-year career. Rookie James Conner (5.2 YPC) would be a plug-and-play RB2 if Bell were to miss time for any reason.

San Francisco 49ers

Starter	Backup to Own
Carlos Hyde	Matt Breida

After playing a season-high 35 snaps against Indianapolis in Week 5, rookie Matt Breida has totaled only 32 snaps over his last two games. Carlos Hyde is tied with LeSean McCoy with the eighth-most yards from scrimmage this season (590) and ranks seventh in PPR scoring. Hyde also has 14 rushes inside the 10 (third-most), four of which resulted in a touchdown.

Seattle Seahawks

Starter	Backup to Own
Eddie Lacy	Thomas Rawls

Point blank, deploying any Seahawks’ running back in fantasy lineups is a fruitless pursuit. Along with the backfield timeshare, Seattle owns our third-worst run-blocking grade on the season. In the two games since Chris Carson’s season-ending injury, Eddie Lacy has 20 carries for 53 yards, while Thomas Rawls has 19 for 56. And then there is C.J. Prosise, who re-injured his ankle on the first series against the Giants and promptly exited. A tantalizing talent, Prosise simply cannot stay healthy. J.D. McKissic retains the passing-down role, but his usage is unreliable outside of a GPP dart throw in daily formats.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Starter	Backup to Know
Doug Martin	Jacquizz Rodgers

Replacement-level backups

Tennessee Titans

Starter	Backup to Own
DeMarco Murray	Derrick Henry

DeMarco Murray gets a bye week to rest up after playing through a hamstring injury the past few weeks and raining on the Derrick Henry breakout parade. Henry played only 41.7 percent of the snaps against Cleveland and was held to 13 yards on 13 carries, just one week after playing a season-high 55.7 percent of the snaps and running for 131 yards. Henry has gotten 81 percent of his yards after contact and is miles ahead of Murray in elusive rating, but his volatile usage makes him tough to trust in fantasy lineups.

Washington Redskins

Starter	Backup to Own
Chris Thompson (PPR)	Robert Kelley (standard)

The week-to-week volume isn’t ideal, but Chris Thompson continues to produce at a high level despite minimal touches. Thompson was the RB8 in Week 7, turning 7 carries into 38 yards while also catching 5-of-5 targets for 26 yards and a score. Whereas Robert Kelley and Samaje Perine have been largely ineffective behind a Washington O-line that ranks No. 6 in PFF run blocking grade, Thompson has maximized his opportunities. Only Aaron Jones has run for more yards before contact than Thompson (2.77), who is also forcing a missed tackle once every five touches on average.