Fantasy Football Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Week 5 Running Backs
Here's who you want in your lineup in Week 5, and who to avoid.
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1 min read
Last week, Fantasy managers hoped Chuba Hubbard could run to the rescue with Christian McCaffrey down. This week it is Damien Williams in relief of injured David Montgomery in Chicago. Both appear to be among the better options for Week 5.
Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for running backs are here 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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Henderson returned from his one-game absence in Week 4 against Arizona and was back as the lead backfield option for the Rams. He had 14 carries for 89 yards, along with five catches for 27 yards on six targets. He's now scored at least 15 PPR points in all three of the games he's played, and he should be in that range again this week at Seattle. The Seahawks have already allowed four running backs to score at least 14 PPR points this season, and Henderson scored against Seattle in Week 10 last year.
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Hunt is doing a great job over the past two games with at least 15 PPR points in outings against Chicago and Minnesota. He's scored a touchdown in each contest, and he has eight catches over that span on 11 targets. The Chargers have allowed four running backs to gain at least 95 total yards this season with Antonio Gibson, Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, with Pollard, Elliott and Edwards-Helaire each scoring touchdowns. Hunt is worth using as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues in this matchup.
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This game sets up perfectly for Harris as the Patriots are nine-point favorites on the road. That should give New England plenty of chances to run the ball, and Harris is due for a big game. He started off the season running well with either 100 yards or a touchdown in his first two games against Miami and the Jets. He's struggled in the past two outings against New Orleans and Tampa Bay, both tough run defenses, with a combined 10 carries for 10 yards. It was encouraging to see him catch two passes for 30 yards on two targets against the Buccaneers last week in the first game without James White (hip), and hopefully he continues to be involved in the passing game. However, that role appears to belong to Brandon Bolden, who should be considered a sleeper. As for Harris, he's a No. 2 running back in all leagues against the Texans, who have allowed three rushing touchdowns in the past three games.
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If Edmonds were scoring touchdowns he might be among the top Fantasy running backs this year. But alas the Cardinals continue to let James Conner fall into the end zone, and he has four touchdowns in the past two games. Edmonds has yet to score, but he does have at least 13 PPR points in three of four games this year. He's third among running backs in the NFL with 20 receptions, and he just had 120 rushing yards on 12 carries at the Rams in Week 4. The 49ers are No. 6 in receptions allowed to running backs, so Edmonds should have the chance for another quality PPR outing. In non-PPR leagues, consider Edmonds a strong flex, but he would be a must-start option in those formats if he was given more scoring chances.
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It was good to see Jacobs back in Week 4 against the Chargers after a two-game absence with an ankle injury, and hopefully he's healthy for the rest of the year. He had 13 carries for 40 yards, which isn't exactly encouraging, but it was great to see the Raiders give him five targets. He finished with five catches for 17 yards, and we'd like to see him continue having a prominent role in the passing game. He has a tough test against the Bears this week, and Chicago has only allowed two touchdowns to running backs this season. But I like Jacobs in matchups the Raiders have a chance to win, and Las Vegas is 5.5-point favorites at home. Consider Jacobs a No. 2 running back this week.
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Sleepers
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Williams is expected to start for the injured David Montgomery (knee), and hopefully Williams takes advantage of this opportunity. He's dealing with a thigh bruise, so keep an eye on his status, but Williams has the chance for around 18 total touches per game based on Montgomery's average this year. Williams just had eight carries for 55 yards and a touchdown against Detroit in Week 4, along with two catches for 15 yards on two targets, and this is a good matchup this week against the Raiders. Las Vegas has allowed six touchdowns to running backs this year, and a running back has scored against the Raiders in every game. Williams should be considered a low-end starter or flex in all leagues.
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Moss has played more than Devin Singletary in each of the past two games, and Moss will look to extend his touchdown streak this week to four games in a row. He has four touchdowns over that span, and he's taken over as the lead running back in Buffalo. It's still a shared backfield, but Moss has easily been more productive, scoring at least 12 PPR points in each of the past three outings. This week, he's taking on a Chiefs defense that has allowed six total touchdowns to running backs this year, including at least one touchdown in every game. Moss is a borderline starter in all formats this week.
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Davis is getting outplayed by Cordarrelle Patterson, but Davis still remains the lead running back in terms of snaps and carries. Hopefully, that leads to quality production in Week 5 against the Jets in London. The Jets have allowed five rushing touchdowns in the past three games, and Davis and Patterson are both worth starting this week. I like Patterson more, which you'll see in the wide receiver section, but Davis is a serviceable flex option in this matchup.
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Murray took over as the lead running back for the Ravens in Week 4 at Denver, and he got a season-high 18 carries. He only managed 59 yards and didn't factor in the passing game, but he found the end zone for the third time in four games this year. We'll see what Baltimore plans to do in regards to Ty'Son Williams, who was inactive in Week 4, as well as Le'Veon Bell, but Murray will most likely lead the team in carries against the Colts. That gives Murray the chance to be a low-end starter in non-PPR leagues and a flex option in PPR. The Ravens are a 7-point favorites at home, so Murray's chances for a quality workload are high if his role is the same this week as it was in Week 4.
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McKissic could be heavily involved in the game plan this week if Washington is chasing points, and the Saints are 1.5-point favorites on the road. New Orleans has also allowed at least five receptions to an opposing backfield in each of the past three games, with McCaffrey scoring 11 PPR points and Saquon Barkley scoring 18 PPR points with just their receiving totals alone over that span. McKissic has two games with at least 16 PPR points in his past three outings, and Washington could give him more work in the passing game with Logan Thomas (hamstring) banged up.
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Sit 'Em
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I had high expectations for Gaskin this season, and so far he's been a total bust. He's failed to score a touchdown, his best outing was 11 PPR points in Week 1, and in Week 4 against Indianapolis he was a non-factor with two carries for 3 yards and no catches. Miami's offensive line has been a disaster, and Malcolm Brown is being used too much. Hopefully, the Dolphins can figure out how to better use Gaskin, but right now he should be benched in all leagues. He won't have success running against Tampa Bay in Week 5, and it doesn't appear like his opportunities in the passing game will be enough to save him, especially after what happened against the Colts.
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It's amazing that Sanders has just nine carries in the past two games against Dallas and Kansas City. I love it for Jalen Hurts, but the Eagles need to do a better job of running the ball. Now, maybe that means more chances for Kenneth Gainwell because he's looked good, but Sanders can't help your Fantasy team when he's only averaging 7.5 total touches per game. He's also yet to score a touchdown this season, and Carolina has only allowed one touchdown to a running back this year. Sanders is even a questionable flex option this week.
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Perine is expected to start for the injured Joe Mixon (ankle), but I would only consider Perine a flex option at best this week. While he should get the bulk of Mixon's workload -- he averaged 22.5 total touches per game this year -- we'll see how much Perine could share with Chris Evans in the passing game. Last year, Perine had three games with at least 10 carries, and he scored 10 PPR points or less in two of them. The Packers run defense has also been tough, and Perine will likely need to score to salvage a good Fantasy outing this week.
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Last week against Baltimore was the first time in four games we saw Javonte Williams play more snaps than Gordon. It was only one, but could the rookie be starting to take over? We'll find out, but the playing time has been relatively even all year. As a result, Gordon and Williams have been inconsistent Fantasy options, and Gordon has two games with at least 15 PPR points and two games with just eight points. This week, Gordon and Williams are facing a Steelers defense that has yet to allow a running back to score a touchdown, including matchups with Mixon and Aron Jones in the past two weeks. I would only consider Gordon and Williams as flex plays this week in the majority of leagues.
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Singletary has struggled with Moss taking over as the lead running back in Buffalo over the past two games. He's combined for just 11 PPR points over that span, and he's been a relative non-factor near the goal line and in the passing game. He did have 14 carries for 79 yards in Week 4 against Houston, and he could always break off a long run against the Chiefs to boost his Fantasy production this week. But if he's not catching passes or scoring touchdowns then his Fantasy upside is limited. He's at best a flex option in deeper leagues this week.
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Bust Alert
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Edwards-Helaire has been great in the past two games against the Chargers and Eagles, and you're probably still starting him in most leagues. But this feels like a letdown game against the Bills. While Edwards-Helaire has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the past two games and caught two touchdowns over that span, Buffalo's defense should make things tough on him. Antonio Gibson's 73-yard touchdown catch in Week 3 is the only significant play against the Bills this season, and they otherwise held Gibson to 12 carries for 31 yards in that game. Buffalo has shut down Najee Harris (five PPR points) and Gaskin (eight PPR points), and the Texans combined for 70 total yards from their backfield against the Bills last week. The Chiefs are clearly a step up in competition, and Edwards-Helaire is playing well. We'll see if he can stay hot in this tough matchup in Week 5.
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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 5 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.
