Now the byes start to bite us, too. D'Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, D'Andre Swift, Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry are enjoying a week off. Jonathan Taylor,, D'Andre Swift, James Conner, Damien Harris, Rashaad Penny, Cordarrelle Patterson, Nyheim Hiines,, Elijah Mitchell, Darrel Williams, Justice Hill, Gus Edwards, and Damien Williams are among those dealing with injuries. So which running backs should you be counting on this week?
It is be our objective to help you find running backs you'll want to move in and out of your lineups based on matchups every week. Playing matchups is key, and we're here to find you the perfect path to a winning in 2022.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
RBs to Start
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Damien Harris (hamstring) is out this week and could miss several games, so now we get to see if Stevenson was worth the hype he got this offseason as a breakout candidate. He looked the part in tandem with Harris the past three games, averaging 16.7 PPR points over that span, and he was amazing against the Lions with a full workload of 25 carries for 161 yards, along with two catches for 14 yards on two targets. The Browns have allowed six total touchdowns to running backs in their past three games, and for the season, five running backs have scored at least 13 PPR points against this Cleveland defense. Stevenson has top-five upside this week.
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Wilson has been fantastic stepping in for Elijah Mitchell (knee) this season, and he should have the chance for another quality outing this week at Atlanta. In four starts for Mitchell, Wilson has three with at least 100 total yards, and he has scored a touchdown in each of his past two outings against the Rams and Panthers. He has scored at least 11 PPR points in each of the past four games, and the Falcons have been shredded the past two games by Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette, with each scoring at least 19 PPR points. Wilson has top-10 upside this week.
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Montgomery returned from his one-game absence due to an ankle injury in Week 5 at Minnesota and had a productive Fantasy performance with 18 PPR points. He only had 12 carries for 20 yards, but he scored a touchdown. And he contributed in the passing game with four catches for 62 yards on four targets. More importantly, he played 72 percent of the snaps compared to just 28 percent for Khalil Herbert. Washington has allowed four running backs to score at least 12 PPR points this season, and Montgomery should be trusted again as a No. 2 Fantasy option in all leagues.
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Rashaad Penny (ankle) is out for the season, and now Walker will take over as the primary running back for Seattle. He should be considered a high-end No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues with this matchup. The Cardinals have allowed four running backs to score at least 12 PPR points this season, and Walker should be looking at a hefty workload for the Seahawks. He ripped off a 69-yard touchdown run in Week 5 at New Orleans after Penny got hurt, and his big-play ability should come into play here against Arizona at home. Fantasy managers who added Walker this week or have kept him on the bench should fire him up now with his increased role.
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This post will change if James Conner (ribs) is able to play in Week 6, but all signs point toward Conner being out as of Wednesday. And the Cardinals already ruled out Darrel Williams (knee), so Benjamin could be looking at a big workload in a plus matchup. The Seahawks have allowed every running back this season to gain at least 100 total yards, and Javonte Williams in Week 1, Cordarrelle Patterson in Week 3, Jamaal Williams in Week 4 and Alvin Kamara last week all scored at least 21 PPR points against this defense. Benjamin has top-15 upside if he starts for the Cardinals in Week 6.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Gordon had a solid game in Week 5 against the Colts in the first outing without Javonte Williams (knee), gaining 103 total yards. He had 15 carries for 54 yards, along with three catches for 49 yards on three targets. He should continue to dominate the workload this week ahead of Mike Boone, and we'll see what happens with Latavius Murray, who was inactive against the Colts. This is a revenge game for Gordon, who started his career with the Chargers, and it's also a great matchup. The Chargers allow the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs, as six guys have scored at least 14 PPR points against this defense.
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Mostert has established himself as the lead running back in Miami, and Chase Edmonds might have fallen to third on the depth chart behind Myles Gaskin. Mostert has at least 17 total touches in his past two games against the Bengals and Jets, and he took off against New York with 18 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 9 yards on three targets. With Skylar Thompson expected to start for Miami at quarterback, look for the Dolphins to lean on Mostert again this week. And the Vikings have allowed four running backs to score at least 13 PPR points this year.
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It was awesome to see Robinson back on the field in Week 5 against Tennessee after he was shot in August in an attempted robbery. He led the Commanders in carries with nine, but he only managed 22 yards and no catches. This week, things should improve for Robinson now that he has a game under his belt. And the matchup is fantastic since Chicago's run defense has been abysmal all year. Four running backs in a row have scored at least 18 PPR points against the Bears, with five total touchdowns scored over that span. Robinson could be a top-20 running back in all leagues this week. As for Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, they should probably be avoided in most leagues, with McKissic having some appeal in deep PPR formats.
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As of Wednesday, Jonathan Taylor (ankle) was still sidelined at practice, and Nyheim Hines (concussion) was in a non-contact jersey. If both are out then Jackson could be a flex option in all leagues. In Week 5 at Denver after Hines got hurt, Jackson had 13 carries for 62 yards, along with four catches for 29 yards on four targets. The Jaguars have fallen apart against the run the past two games against Philadelphia and Houston, and Jacksonville is No. 3 in receptions allowed to running backs with 34.
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We got word Friday that Cam Akers is out Sunday at Carolina for personal reasons. All coach Sean McVay said is Akers is "working through some things," so hopefully everything is OK, and we'll see what happens with his status for the rest of the year. For Week 6, this means you can rely on Henderson as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. The Panthers allowed six touchdowns to running backs on the season and four guys have scored at least 15 PPR points. The Rams have issues running the ball, but this should be a good spot for them given the opponent. And if the Rams are playing with a lead -- they are 10.5-point favorites -- we could see Henderson getting plenty of opportunities to get a lot of work. He already has two games this season with at least 10 PPR points, but this could be his best game of the year. Henderson is a top-20 Fantasy option in all leagues with Akers out.
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RBs to Sit
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Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that backup running back Jaylen Warren will continue to get more work in tandem with Harris, and that's a terrible situation for Harris' Fantasy value. Part of his appeal was his expected domination of touches in Pittsburgh's backfield, but Warren played 51 percent of the snaps in Week 5 against Buffalo. Harris has just two touchdowns on the season, and he combined for 13 PPR points the past two games against the Jets and Bills. And now he has to face the Buccaneers in Week 6, and Tampa Bay has allowed just one running back to score more than 10 PPR points all year, which was Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Week 4. Harris is a flex option at best this week.
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Elliott continues to get a lot of work, but he's failing to do much with it. He has consecutive games of at least 21 total touches, but he scored just 17 combined PPR points over that span against Washington and the Rams. He has one touchdown on the season, and he only has five catches on seven targets. Tony Pollard has been the better Fantasy option in the Dallas backfield, but both are risky plays this week against the Eagles. In Philadelphia's past four games, no running back has more than 55 rushing yards or 63 total yards, and only two running backs have scored touchdowns. If Elliott fails to score again this week then you could be looking at minimal production once again.
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Robinson was a huge letdown last week against the Texans when he was the Start of the Week. He only had 10 carries for 27 yards and two catches for 12 yards on two targets, and he's now combined for just seven PPR points in the past two games against Houston and Philadelphia. We could be seeing the Jaguars trying to get Travis Etienne more work, and Etienne has played more snaps than Robinson the past two games. Now, go back to Week 2 when the Jaguars played the Colts, and Robinson had 23 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 14 yards on two targets. But Robinson scored on a 37-yard touchdown run in that game, so you see that his stat line would have been miserable without that play. I would use Robinson and Etienne as flex plays this week, with Etienne the better option in PPR. He just had his best game of the season against the Texans with 10 carries for 71 yards, along with three catches for 43 yards on five targets.
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This is not the week to use Allgeier against the 49ers. While San Francisco has allowed a rushing touchdown in two of the past three games against the Broncos and Panthers, no running back has more than 58 yards on the ground against this defense. The 49ers have allowed 31 receptions to running backs on the season, but Allgeier has just two catches on two targets in four games. Atlanta will continue to use a committee backfield in this matchup, and even though Allgeier is ahead of Caleb Huntley and Avery Williams, none of them should have success against the 49ers in Week 6.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Edwards-Helaire has been fantastic so far this season, and he only has one game with fewer than 14 PPR points, which was last week against the Raiders when he scored just six points. He had nine carries for 15 yards, along with three catches for 20 yards on four targets, and he played fewer snaps than Jerick McKinnon in that game. The Chiefs were trailing in that game, and McKinnon is more valuable in that scenario. For Week 6, the Chiefs are actually underdogs at home against Buffalo (minus-3), so Kansas City could be chasing points again. If Edwards-Helaire fails to score then his Fantasy production could be minimal, and he had seven carries for 60 yards, along with one catch for 9 yards on two targets when these teams met in the playoffs last year.
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