• The Detroit Lions change up the usage of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the red zone: In Montgomery’s return from injury, he managed to snag a 75-yard rushing touchdown to the delight of fantasy managers. They will want to note, however, the shift in red-zone usage that could impact his ceiling moving forward.
• Arthur Smith finally gives Atlanta Falcons rookie RB Bijan Robinson some work in the red zone: Robinson saw a season-high 22 rush attempts, potentially signaling the long-awaited revolution at running back for Arthur Smith and company in Atlanta.
• Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker is back in business: Rookie Zach Charbonnet has outsnapped Walker for three consecutive weeks, but Walker did resume a heavy workload in Week 10 that should be encouraging for fantasy managers.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Despite the fact that we are rapidly approaching the fantasy football playoffs, plenty of questions remain regarding some of the league’s most important backfields for fantasy, as each week provides just a little more insight to help secure that postseason run. Here are five running back takeaways from Week 10’s targets and touches report that could bear a significant impact on running back outlooks in Week 11 and beyond.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery both have productive weeks for the Detroit Lions… but there was a shift in red zone usage
With 45.2% and 38.7% of the Lions’ rush attempts in Week 10, respectively, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery appear to be existing harmoniously in the backfield. It was Montgomery’s first game back since mid-October when he suffered a rib injury that forced him to miss Weeks 7 and 8 before the team’s Week 9 bye, totaling 116 yards on 12 carries, including a breakaway 75-yard house call.
While the usage for both is encouraging, fantasy managers will want to take note of each running back’s usage in the end zone and red zone. Prior to Week 6, Montgomery handled 73.5% of red zone rush attempts from running backs and 73.0% of running back carries inside the five-yard line. In Week 10, however, Gibbs and Montgomery split the work fairly evenly, with Gibbs totaling five red zone carries (including three inside the five-yard line) while Montgomery totaled four red zone carries (two inside the five-yard line). The closer split between the two could mean a lower ceiling for Montgomery in most weeks, with the assumption that he won’t be breaking off 75-yard runs most weeks.
Bijan Robinson mode has been unlocked
Robinson was finally unleashed in Week 10, posting a career-high 22 rushing attempts for 95 yards and a score. That amounted to just over 67% of the rushing attempts from the running backs on the day. With that, backup Tyler Allgeier took a backseat, totaling just 10 touches on the day for 38 yards. Allgeire handled four of those touches in the red zone, failing to convert any of them for a score. Robinson, meanwhile, finally caught the eye of Arthur Smith in the end zone, totaling four carries inside the 20-yard line on the day, including the team’s only rush attempt inside the five-yard line.
Given the current state of the Falcons, on a three-game losing streak with Smith’s job very much in question moving forward, it doesn’t seem as though it would behoove him to play roulette with the running backs moving forward. Week 10 may have just marked the official arrival of Robinson rest of the season.
Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker resumes a heavy workload despite being outsnapped by Zach Charbonnet yet again
Week 10 marked the third consecutive outing where Charbonnet outsnapped second-year stud Kenneth Walker. The good news for fantasy managers is, however, that he finally resumed a “normal” workload after two straight weeks with 10 or fewer touches. Walker has totaled 15 or more touches in seven of nine games this season, meanwhile, Charbonnet has yet to exceed 10 touches in a single outing.
Snap count aside, Walker’s usage has placed him among the elite this season, ranked fifth in the league with 145 carries, fourth in the league with 36 red zone carries and a league-high 15 rush attempts inside the five-yard line. That usage has resulted in Walker’s standing as the overall RB7 in fantasy football leagues this season. Charbonnet’s 27.8% touch rate on snaps ranks 53rd among 58 running backs this season (minimum 50 touches), which should give Walker managers some faith that that Walker’s usage in Week 10 wasn’t just a mirage.
The Ty Chandler takeover was underway before Alexander Mattison’s concussion
It’s no secret that Mattison hasn’t had himself the most efficient season. With Dalvin Cook released earlier this offseason, Mattison has found himself leading the backfield, with less-than-desirable results, averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per attempt, 2.45 yards after contact per attempt and 36.5 PFF elusive rating. Notably, Mattison suffered a concussion that forced him out of action and Ty Chandler into a lead role in the backfield for the remainder of Week 10. Chander totaled a career-high 15 carries on the day for 45 yards and a touchdown.
While Mattison’s concussion may put an asterisk next to Chandler’s box score for some on the week, it’s worth noting that his usage wasn’t exclusively tied to Mattison’s absence. Through the three quarters that Mattison played before injury, he did outsnap Chandler 33-19, but what’s worth pointing out is the fact that Chandler had just two fewer touches than Mattison in that span, averaging 5.0 yards per carry to Mattison’s 3.6 and two runs of 10-plus yards. Even if Mattison clears concussion protocol, be on the lookout for increased usage for Chandler in the weeks to come.
Baltimore Ravens lean back into Gus Edwards in Week 10
Week 9 posed a bit of a challenge for those looking to analyze the Baltimore Ravens backfield, particularly given the emergence of rookie Keaton Mitchell paired with the fact that they pulled their starters after obliterating the Seattle Seahawks through the first three quarters. Week 10 was a closer outing, however, giving fantasy managers a more insightful look at the potential deployment of these backs moving forward.
After playing a season-low 18% of offensive snaps in Week 9, lead back Gus Edwards resumed his normal usage, playing 52% of offensive snaps, leading the backfield with 12 total touches for a 44% touch rate. In addition to leading the team in total carries (and seeing both of the team’s goal line opportunities), Edwards also led the running backs room with 10 routes run on the day, though it translated to just a single target. While Mitchell and Hill ranked closely in terms of their snap counts and touch totals for the week, expect Mitchell’s efficiency and explosive play ability to give him the clear edge moving forward as the teams’ RB2.
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