We'll be missing Darrell Henderson, Sony Michel, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams on byes for Week 11, plus there are a bunch of other big name running backs out injured, but we carry on in Fantasy.
Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for RB below. His Waiver Wire column also can direct you to the best options who may be still available. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' running back preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 11 numbers to know and more.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
Start 'Em
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While we hate to see players like Aaron Jones (knee) get hurt, it's great for those Fantasy managers with a lottery ticket like Dillon, who showed you his upside in Week 10 against Seattle with 23 total touches, 128 total yards and two touchdowns. He's set for a big role again, and he has top-five upside this week against the Vikings, who were missing five starters on defense in Week 10 against the Chargers when Michael Pierce, Anthony Barr, Danielle Hunter, Harrison Smith and Patrick Peterson were all out. It helps Dillon that Minnesota has allowed seven touchdowns to running backs in the past five games.
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Even if Damien Harris (concussion) plays, I would still trust Stevenson as no worse than a flex option this week. He's still going to play in tandem with Harris, and Stevenson might have done enough in Week 10 against Cleveland to be the No. 1 option in the backfield after he had 114 total yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons have allowed seven total touchdowns to running backs in their past five games, and Stevenson has top-10 potential once again if Harris is out.
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Fantasy managers might have been hesitant to get Montgomery back in their lineups for Week 9 against Pittsburgh after he came back from a four-game absence with a knee injury. He played well with 13 carries for 63 yards, along with two catches for 17 yards, and most importantly, he kept Khalil Herbert off the field by playing 85 percent of the snaps. This week, Montgomery gets reinforcements with the Bears hoping to have left tackle Teven Jenkins (back) active, which would also help Justin Fields. The Ravens have been stingy against opposing running backs this season, but Montgomery is still trustworthy as a No. 2 Fantasy option in all leagues.
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Barkley is expected to return after being out five weeks with an ankle injury, and he gets a boost with Tampa Bay down standout defensive tackle Vita Vea (knee). The hope is Barkley looks like the player we saw prior to hurting his ankle in Week 5 at Dallas when he had 21 and 29 PPR points in the previous two games against Atlanta and New Orleans. And Tampa Bay has allowed a running back to score or gain 100 total yards in three games in a row with Herbert in Week 7, Alvin Kamara in Week 8 and Antonio Gibson last week. Barkley should be considered a high-end No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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It's time to ride the Gaskin roller coaster again, but this time it should be fun with a matchup against the Jets. Last week, three Buffalo running backs combined for four touchdowns against the Jets, who allow the most Fantasy points to the position and have already given up 20 total touchdowns to running backs. In their past four games alone, the Jets have allowed 11 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns to running backs, and Gaskin should continue to be the lead rusher for Miami with Malcolm Brown (thigh) still out. Gaskin has two games with at least 15 PPR points in his past four outings, and he should have another quality outing this week.
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Sleepers
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We'll hopefully find out the status of Elijah Mitchell (finger) prior to Sunday, but Wilson will have a prominent role even if Mitchell plays. Wilson had 10 carries for 28 yards in Week 10 against the Rams in his season debut after being out with a knee injury, and he would be a flex option against the Jaguars if Mitchell is healthy. But without Mitchell, Wilson would have top-20 upside as the lead running back for the 49ers. Mitchell had at least 18 carries in three of his past four games, and Wilson would likely inherit the majority of that work in a matchup with the Jaguars.
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I hope the Titans decide to give more work to Foreman and less for Adrian Peterson moving forward. Peterson looks like a 36-year-old the past two games with a combined 18 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 4 yards on two targets. Foreman, meanwhile, has 16 carries for 59 yards over that span, along with two catches for 48 yards on two targets. This will probably continue to be a shared backfield, with Jeremy McNichols also in the mix, but I'd use Foreman as a flex option this week. Against the Texans in Week 11, Foreman could go off in a revenge game since he started his career in Houston in 2017.
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Drake busted in Week 10 against the Chiefs with four carries for 16 yards, along with two catches for 15 yards on three targets. That snapped a streak of three games in a row with at least 16 PPR points, but I expect him to rebound this week against the Bengals. Cincinnati is second in the NFL in receptions allowed to running backs with 70, and Drake should play in the passing game in tandem with Josh Jacobs. While Jacobs remains a quality No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues, Drake has flex appeal in PPR. He has 13 catches in his past four games.
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McKissic was a letdown in Week 10 against the Buccaneers with two carries for 4 yards, along with four catches for 35 yards on four targets. Washington surprised Tampa Bay, and Antonio Gibson was able to have success on the ground. We'll see if Gibson can do something similar against Carolina, but I expect Washington to be chasing points this week against the Panthers. As such, I expect McKissic to play more and have more action in the passing game. He's scored at least 16 PPR points in three of his past six games, and I expect him to be close to that this week. He's a high-end PPR flex in Week 11.
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Sit 'Em
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We'll find out if Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) plays this week, and if he's active then Davis should be totally ignored. If Patterson is out, Davis has a chance to help Fantasy managers, moreso in PPR. The Patriots have struggled with pass-catching running backs, and Davis has four games this season with at least three catches. But he also has one game with more than two PPR points in his past four outings, and we could see more of Wayne Gallman this week and moving forward. If Patterson is out, Davis is a flex option at best in most leagues.
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We'll find out if Miles Sanders (ankle) is able to return this week, and if that happens then it would be hard to trust Howard. But I don't love Howard even if Sanders is out. He needs to score a touchdown to help your Fantasy team since he doesn't work in the passing game, and he scored an empty eight points last week despite 12 carries for 83 yards at Denver. This is also a brutal matchup against the Saints, who are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to running backs. New Orleans hasn't allowed a running back to score on the ground in the past four games against Seattle, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Tennessee.
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We'll find out if Chris Carson (neck) is able to return this week, and if that happens then it would be hard to trust Collins. But I don't love Collins even if Carson is out. Collins has struggled for three games in a row against New Orleans, Jacksonville and Green Bay, combining for 13 PPR points over that span. Now, two of those games were with Geno Smith instead of Russell Wilson, but Collins only had 10 carries for 41 yards and one catch for 8 yards in Week 10 at the Packers with Wilson back. The matchup isn't terrible against the Cardinals in Week 11, but I would only use Collins as a flex option at best in most leagues.
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Singletary comes into Week 11 against the Colts with consecutive games of double digits in PPR points for the first time since Weeks 1 and 2. He scored 12 PPR points in Week 9 at Jacksonville and 11 PPR points in Week 10 at the Jets. He had 13 total touches against the Jaguars when Zack Moss suffered a concussion, but he had eight total touches against the Jets with Moss back, as well as Matt Breida getting work. It's a messy backfield, and Singletary is too risky to trust. From Weeks 3-8, Singletary averaged just 5.0 PPR points per game, and I'm concerned about that player showing up again in Week 11 against Indianapolis. Moss remains my favorite Buffalo running back, and he's just a flex play this week in most leagues.
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Bust Alert
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Gibson broke out of his slump in Week 10 against Tampa Bay when he had 21 PPR points, which ended a three-game stretch where he scored eight PPR points or less. I hope it's a sign of things to come, but I'm still not fully back on board with him as a must-start Fantasy running back. While it was great to see him get 24 carries against the Buccaneers, he only managed 64 yards and scored twice. He also had just two catches for 14 yards on two targets. This is also a tough matchup for Gibson in Week 11 since Carolina is No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to running backs. The Panthers have allowed just five touchdowns to running backs this year, and Gibson's Fantasy production could be minimal if he doesn't find the end zone. He's a low-end No. 2 running back at best this week, with his value slightly higher in non-PPR leagues.
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