Editor's Note: Welcome to Week 3. While other positions have seen the impacts of a number of significant injuries, running back is in pretty good shape. At least in terms of health. Those of you who drafted Joe Mixon, Damien Williams, or Kerryon Johnson probably aren't feeling great yet. But there's still plenty of time to turn things around. Whether they will in Week 3 is the big question, and you might have some tough lineup decisions with some of your slow starters. Luckily, Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for Week 3 ready to go. Check out running back here, and check back later in the day for the rest of the positions.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
Start 'Em
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I'm hopeful that the Jones we saw in Week 2 is the one we'll get for the rest of the season. After scoring just four PPR points in Week 1 at Chicago, he scored 24 PPR points in Week 2 against Minnesota with 23 carries for 116 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and a touchdown, as well as four catches for 34 yards on six targets. He is still sharing touches with Jamaal Williams, but Jones is the lead back and worth trusting again. Denver has allowed two running backs (Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery) to score three touchdowns in two games, and Jones should be considered a high-end No. 2 running back this week against the Broncos.
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The Patriots are the biggest favorite this week at home against the Jets, so you should expect plenty of points and hopefully carries for Michel. We saw a similar setup last week at Miami when New England won 43-0, and Michel had 21 carries for 85 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and a touchdown. He fumbled in the game, which is never good, and he has yet to catch a pass this season. But he also had a second touchdown called back after he was ruled down at the 1-yard line, and Tom Brady finished off the drive with a quarterback sneak. We'll see if the Jets get back linebacker C.J. Mosley (groin) and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (ankle) this week, and the Jets have allowed a running back to either gain at least 98 total yards or score a touchdown in each game this season. I like James White as a starter in PPR this week as well, and Rex Burkhead is worth using as a flex in deeper leagues given the matchup and expected game flow.
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Montgomery needed more touches after Chicago's Week 1 loss to Green Bay when he had six carries for 18 yards and one catch for 27 yards. He got in Week 2 at Denver with 18 carries for 62 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown, as well as one catch for 6 yards on three targets. I'd still like to see less work for Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis, but it's clear the Bears want to rely on Montgomery as much as possible. And I expect the Bears to be playing with a lead this week, which should allow Montgomery to get plenty of carries once again. He's worth using as a high-end No. 2 running back in Week 3.
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I'm hopeful that the Lions releasing C.J. Anderson on Tuesday is a sign that Johnson will get more work and that this isn't about more touches for Ty Johnson or J.D. McKissic. Kerryon Johnson went from 18 total touches in Week 1 at Arizona to 14 total touches in Week 2 against the Chargers, but he had the better game last week. He had 12 carries for 41 yards (3.4 yards per carry), along with two catches for 47 yards and a touchdown on three targets against the Chargers. The Eagles have yet to allow a running back to score this season, but losing defensive tackle Tim Jernigan (foot) should help Johnson. He also will hopefully be a factor in the passing game since the Eagles are among the league leaders in receptions to running backs with 15 in two games. I like Johnson as a quality No. 2 Fantasy running back this week.
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Freeman has struggled so far this season with a combined 12 PPR points in two games, but this should be his breakout performance against the Colts. Indianapolis has struggled with Austin Ekeler and Derrick Henry in each game this season, and standout linebacker Darius Leonard (concussion) is now banged up. I like that Freeman has been involved in the passing game with six catches for 54 yards on eight targets in two games, and hopefully he'll average more than the 2.2 yards per carry he's been at so far this year. He's worth trusting as a No. 2 Fantasy running back this week.
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Sleepers
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Gore could be a low-end starting running back this week now that Devin Singletary (hamstring) is out. Gore is coming off a strong game against the Giants in Week 2 with 19 carries for 68 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown, as well as two catches for 15 yards, and this is a great matchup against the Bengals. Through two games, Cincinnati is allowing the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs this year.
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Mostert looked amazing in the first game without Tevin Coleman (ankle), and he's worth using as at least a flex this week against the Steelers. He had 13 carries for 83 yards (6.4 yards per carry) in Week 2 against Cincinnati, as well as three catches for 68 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Matt Breida is still the better Fantasy running back in this backfield, and Jeff Wilson is worth a look in deeper leagues. But Mostert should get 15 total touches if things work out right, and the Steelers are top 10 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs this year.
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I expect Washington to be chasing points this week, even at home against the Bears, and Thompson should again be the lead running back for the Redskins. He played more snaps than Adrian Peterson in Week 2 against Dallas, and Thompson had five catches for 48 yards on eight targets, as well as two carries for 3 yards. That's now 12 catches for 116 yards on 18 targets in two games, which makes him at least a flex option in PPR leagues. And the Bears just allowed Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman to catch nine passes for 78 yards on 14 targets in Week 2, which bodes well for Thompson this week.
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I hope we're not going to see Tampa Bay feature a different running back each week, which is what's happened so far in each game. In Week 1 against San Francisco, Ronald Jones was the lead rusher with 14 total touches, compared to 10 for Barber. Then in Week 2, Barber took the lead with 24 total touches, compared to just four for Jones. Barber should be the Buccaneers' top guy this week against the Giants, who have already allowed three rushing touchdowns this season. Barber is worth using as a flex option in all leagues this week.
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I still like Duke Johnson better than Hyde this week in all formats, but Hyde can be a useful flex option in non-PPR leagues. Through two games, he has 30 carries for 173 yards (5.8 yards per carry), and he looks rejuvenated playing in Houston. The Chargers struggled against Marlon Mack in Week 1 before clamping down on Detroit's run game in Week 2, although Kerryon Johnson scored through the air. Still, given what Hyde has done in two games, he's not a bad flex option if he's averaging nearly 6.0 yards per carry.
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Sit 'Em
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We might be starting to see the Broncos make the switch to Royce Freeman as the lead back over Lindsay. In Week 2 against Chicago, Freeman played a higher percentage of snaps compared to Lindsay, and Freeman was finally used in the passing game. We'll see what happens moving forward, but Lindsay has a tough matchup in Week 3 at Green Bay. The Packers defense struggled with Dalvin Cook in Week 2, but I expect Cook to dominate most teams this season when healthy. In Week 1, Green Bay swallowed up the Bears running backs on the road and should do the same this week against Denver. I would only use Lindsay as a flex option in PPR.
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Cohen has had a strange start to his season. In Week 1 against Green Bay, he had no carries and finished with eight catches for 49 yards on 10 targets, which is a quality game in PPR. Then in Week 2 at Denver, he got four carries for 18 yards and only two catches for 7 yards on five targets. It's just too hard to trust him with Montgomery taking the lead role, unless it's a game where you expect the Bears to be trailing. In that case, Cohen can be a useful Fantasy option in PPR. This week at Washington, Chicago should be playing with a lead, so unless Cohen finds the end zone or breaks a big play, which obviously could happen, he's someone you might want to avoid in all leagues.
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You got lucky that Peterson scored in Week 2 against Dallas if you started him because he had a miserable stat line otherwise with 10 carries for 25 yards (2.5 yards per carry), as well as two catches for 7 yards. Thompson should once again play more snaps than Peterson against Chicago given the expected game flow of Washington chasing points, and the Bears have now allowed one rushing touchdown to a running back in their past seven games going back to last year. Peterson is a low-end flex option in non-PPR leagues at best.
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You're not benching Alvin Kamara even with Drew Brees (thumb) out, but you should get away from Murray this week. And he's really been disappointing through two games in New Orleans thus far. While he did score on a 30-yard touchdown run in Week 1 against Houston, he only has 14 total touches on the season (11 carries for 50 yards and three catches for 20 yards). Seattle also has been tough against opposing running backs thus far this season, although they had Joe Mixon (ankle) and James Conner (knee) not finish their games against the Seahawks in each of the first two weeks. I'm still stashing Murray for now, but he's only worth using as a flex in deeper formats.
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Jacobs is expected to play in Week 3 at Minnesota despite dealing with injuries to his hip and groin, as well as battling an illness that apparently led to him dropping 10 pounds. It makes me a little nervous to trust him, especially in a matchup against the Vikings. Minnesota's run defense was awesome at home against Atlanta in Week 1 before struggling on the road at Green Bay in Week 2. While Jacobs has been great through two games, averaging 16.0 PPR points over that span, he hasn't shown a big role in the passing game yet, which could be important if the Raiders are chasing points on the road. I'm fine with Jacobs as a flex option in most leagues, but he's not a must-start running back in Week 3.
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Bust Alert
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Mixon has struggled through two games this season, and you have to wonder how healthy he is after suffering an ankle injury in Week 1. He's combined for 12 PPR points in two games against Seattle and San Francisco, with 17 carries for 27 yards, as well as five catches for 17 yards on eight targets. He was hurt against the Seahawks in Week 1 and likely played at less than 100 percent in Week 2 against the 49ers, so better days are ahead. But I don't consider him a must-start Fantasy option this week against Buffalo. The Bills gave up big games against Le'Veon Bell and Saquon Barkley in the first two games of the season, but those running backs are on a different level than Mixon right now. You will likely start Mixon in most leagues, but just lower expectations and don't expect a dominant performance on the road in Week 3.
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So who should you sit and start this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 3 Fantasy football 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 out-performed experts big time last season.
