Is Saquon Barkley ready to be a star again? Who is healthy enough in San Francisco to start at running back? Is Sony Michel worth starting when the Rams play the loaded Buccaneers?
Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for running backs are here for Week 3 to help you find answers. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' running back preview for more help with matchup notes, numbers to know, and more.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
Start 'Em
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It's strange having to tell people to start Barkley because that should be an automatic thing, but clearly that hasn't been the case through the first two weeks of the season. We expected a slow start coming back from last year's knee injury based on preseason reports, and it's been a struggle for Barkley, who has combined for just 23 carries for 83 yards and three catches for 13 yards. But it feels like a big game is coming since he's had extra rest after last playing on Thursday night in Week 2 against Washington. In that game, Barkley flashed his big-play ability with a 41-yard run, and the Giants also kept him on the field for 84 percent of the snaps after he played just 48 percent in Week 1 against Denver. He's not quite all the way back, but hopefully we can say that after this week against the Falcons.
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It's been fun to watch Harris dominate carries for the Patriots through the first two weeks of the season, and he should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues this week against the Saints, with his value higher in non-PPR. He has at least 16 carries in each game, and he scored at the Jets in Week 2 after rushing for 100 yards against Miami in Week 1. I like James White as a sleeper this week in PPR, and he's also playing well with six catches in each game this season. But the Patriots are leaning on Harris right now on the ground, and he's a quality Fantasy option this week against New Orleans at home.
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Edmonds has yet to find the end zone this season, but he does have at least 75 total yards in each game. He also has nine receptions on the season, and he's a quality starter in PPR in Week 3 against Jacksonville. While he's sharing touches with James Conner, Edmonds has still played at least 58 percent of the snaps in each of the first two games. The Jaguars have yet to face a pass-catching running back like Edmonds, and it will be hard for Jacksonville to slow down this Arizona attack behind Kyler Murray. Edmonds is a flex option in non-PPR leagues, but he has top-15 upside in PPR this week.
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We'll see what happens with Tua Tagovailoa (ribs) and if he's able to play this week, but the Dolphins might have bigger concerns with their offensive line after struggling against Buffalo in Week 2. That said, I'll still use Gaskin as a No. 2 running back this week against the Raiders given his role in the passing game. He has nine catches on 10 targets in two games against the Patriots and Bills, and he played 61 percent of the snaps in Week 2 against Buffalo. Last year at Las Vegas, Gaskin had the best game of his career with 14 carries for 87 yards, along with five catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders also have allowed three touchdowns to running backs on the season.
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In his last two games against the Cowboys, Sanders has rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries, along with nine catches for 104 yards. He's averaging 21.0 PPR points over that span, and hopefully he keeps that up this week. Sanders was great in Week 1 at Atlanta with 16 PPR points, but he regressed in Week 2 with just six PPR points. The nice thing is he's played at least 66 percent of the snaps in each game, and he's averaging 16.5 touches per game on the year. Dallas has yet to allow a running back to score, but Leonard Fournette and Austin Ekeler each had at least five catches against the Cowboys so far. We could see Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell make plays against this defense in the passing game, and Sanders should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues, with Gainwell a sleeper as a flex play in deeper formats.
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Sleepers
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Davis falls into the sleeper category because it seems like Fantasy managers are getting too excited about Cordarrelle Patterson. While Patterson had a great game against Tampa Bay in Week 2 (23 PPR points), Davis is still playing almost double the snaps. And Davis also had 16 total touches in Week 2, including seven catches, and should still be the primary running back this week against the Giants. It's not an easy matchup, but I still like Davis as at least a flex option in all leagues. Patterson remains a low-end flex this week.
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Pollard should be considered a flex option in PPR this week, and he has seven catches for 60 yards on seven targets in two games while playing in tandem with Ezekiel Elliott. He had a huge outing in Week 2 at the Chargers with 13 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, along with three catches for 31 yards, and he looks more explosive than Elliott right now. We'll see if that continues against the Eagles, who are among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs with 14 and just lost standout defensive lineman Brandon Graham (Achilles).
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We'll see if Josh Jacobs (toe/ankle) is able to play this week, but if he's out, Drake should be considered a flex option in PPR against one of his former teams. He played 71 percent of the snaps in Week 2 at Pittsburgh with Jacobs out, and he had seven carries for 9 yards, along with five catches for 46 yards on six targets. He clearly needs to run the ball better -- and the Raiders should keep Peyton Barber off the field -- but Drake has 10 catches for 115 yards on 11 targets on the season. The Dolphins also have allowed four running backs to score at least 11 PPR points in two games this season.
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Williams ran well against the Jaguars in Week 2 with 13 carries for 64 yards, and he also added one catch for 10 yards. He continues to work in tandem with Melvin Gordon, and both Broncos running backs should be considered sleepers this week as flex options. This will be Williams' first game in Denver, and hopefully he shows the home crowd his upside with his first NFL touchdown. It helps that the Jets just allowed two rushing touchdowns in Week 2 against New England.
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Sit 'Em
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Robinson made strides from Week 1 to Week 2, and hopefully he's heading in the right direction. But I still don't want to start him in Week 3 against the Cardinals. Robinson went from eight total touches and 51 total yards in Week 1 at Houston to 14 total touches and 64 total yards in Week 2 against Denver. He should be considered a flex option against Arizona, but the Cardinals haven't allowed a rushing touchdown yet in matchups with Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook.
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Williams was great in Week 1 against San Francisco with nine carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, along with eight catches for 56 yards on nine targets. He significantly regressed in Week 2 at Green Bay with seven carries for 25 yards, along with three catches for 12 yards on three targets. His production will probably end up somewhere in between those two outings this week against Baltimore, but he should only be considered a low-end flex option. D'Andre Swift is a No. 2 running back this week, but I'm concerned about both running backs against the Ravens. They need volume in the passing game, and hopefully Jared Goff goes back to throwing them the ball like he did in Week 1.
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Singletary is still worth using as a flex option this week against Washington, and he's played well to start the season with 24 carries for 154 yards and a touchdown, along with five catches for 17 yards on eight targets in two games against Pittsburgh and Miami. But he could continue to lose touches to Zack Moss, who returned to action in Week 2 after being inactive in Week 1. And Washington has done a solid job in limiting Austin Ekeler and Barkley in two games, holding both to a combined 19 PPR points. Singletary's Fantasy production could be minimal this week if he doesn't find the end zone.
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Ingram, as we said last week, probably had his best game of the season in Week 1 against Jacksonville when he scored 14 PPR points. He went down to five PPR points in Week 2 at Cleveland, and he should be in that range again this week against the Panthers. Carolina just held Alvin Kamara to 30 total yards in Week 2, and the Panthers have allowed just 110 total yards to running backs on the season against the Jets and Saints. Ingram also should suffer with Tyrod Taylor (hamstring) being out and Davis Mills under center. Ingram is barely a flex play in non-PPR leagues this week.
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Michel could start with Darrell Henderson (ribs) banged up, and Michel is worth picking up in all leagues where available. Just don't expect Michel to do much in that role against the Buccaneers this week. We'll see what his involvement will be in the passing game, but it's doubtful he'll have much success running against Tampa Bay. In two games against Dallas and Atlanta, the Buccaneers have given up 99 rushing yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. Michel had 10 carries for 46 yards in relief of Henderson last week at the Colts, but I'm not excited to use him in this matchup. I also would consider Henderson a bust alert if he's able to play this week at less than 100 percent.
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Bust Alert
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In his past 10 games with Nick Chubb on the field, Hunt has as many games with at least 14 PPR points (four) as he does with six PPR points or less. That's already happened in two games this season, and Hunt is a risky Fantasy option whenever he's in the No. 2 role. He got 13 carries in Week 2 against Houston but managed just 51 rushing yards to go with one catch for 2 yards. Maybe he gets more work in the passing game with Jarvis Landry (knee) out, but Hunt will likely have minimal Fantasy production if he fails to score. I would still use him as a flex option in most leagues, and Henderson scored against Chicago in Week 1. But the Bears also just held Joe Mixon to just 71 total yards and no touchdowns on 21 total touches last week, so this isn't an easy matchup. I'm not worried about Chubb, but Hunt will likely need a touchdown to have a productive day.
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So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 3 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has out-performed experts big-time.
