Top Tier
The Top Tier range of backs this week is incredible, so it’s looking like a spend-up type of week at the position with finding your values elsewhere. Taylor and Zeke aren’t listed, but I like them this week as well.
Christian McCaffrey, CAR – CMC is back and we love to see it. He wasn’t given the full snap share in his first game back, but he still played really well, rushing 14 times for 52 yards and catching four passes for 54 yards to finish with 14.6 fantasy points. Over 100 yards from scrimmage in his first game back is impressive and we can probably count on him to see about 20 touches (or more) in his second game back in action now. The matchup with the Cardinals is a tough one, but also we are getting CMC at a price tag lower than we are used to and we need to take advantage of it before it gets back to its normal crazy price.
Dalvin Cook, MIN – Cook failed to find the end zone in the crazy shootout game with Baltimore (34-31 final score), but he did rack up 110 yards on the ground while catching three passes for 12 yards to finish with 18.2 fantasy points on DK. Now he gets a great matchup with the Chargers and he should have no issue keeping the good times rolling. You might even get him at low ownership too as I expect most people will be looking at CMC, Taylor, or Harris in this price range. We know Cook has monster upside and I wouldn’t be shocked if this is one of those games where he really pops off for a huge day.
Najee Harris, PIT – What is not to love about Harris? He is averaging over 20 fantasy points per game this season and now he gets a stellar matchup with the Lions. He is the bell cow of all bell cow backs (now that Henry is out) as he has racked up over 20 touches in five straight games and racked up at least 25 touches in four of those games. The only downside with Harris so far is that we haven’t really seen slate-breaking upside, but he is a pretty good bet for a strong point total and maybe this is the matchup where he really goes nuts and finds the end zone multiple times. He is a fantastic play in all formats.
Mid Tier
Leonard Fournette, TB – Fresh off the Bucs Week 9 bye week, Fournette will be looking to rebound from a tough game in Week 8 against the Saints in which he finished with just 7.3 fantasy points. The Bucs trailed the majority of that game though and I doubt that will be the case when they take on the Football Team and look to rebound with a win. I expect him to be heavily involved in this game and rack up near or north of 20 touches and I would not at all be shocked if he finds the end zone as well in this one. I imagine most people will be looking to either spend up for the elite backs and/or spend down for the (potential) replacement backs this week, which could allow for someone like Fournette to be overlooked and under rostered this week.
Value Tier
Both value tier backs fully depend on the status of the team’s main back. Moss is currently in concussion protocol and Chubb tested positive for Covid. If either of them are forced to miss this weekend’s game then Singletary and/or Johnson would become great value plays.
Devin Singletary, BUF – When Moss was inactive in Week 1, Singletary scored 11.0 fantasy points and when Moss was still not heavily involved in the offense in Week 2, Singletary scored 17.1 fantasy points. It has been all downhill from there with Moss being heavily involved, especially over the last three games prior to the game with the Jags in which Moss left early. Singletary managed to rack up seven receptions and 13 total touches with Moss leaving that game, for his third double-digit fantasy point game of the season. He is very cheap and he gets a matchup with the Jets… who just gave up over 200 yards rushing to the Colts in Week 9. UPDATE: Moss is ACTIVE, taking Singletary away as a play for me.
D'Ernest Johnson, CLE – With Chubb being vaccinated there is still a chance he plays Sunday, but if he is out… it’s pretty easy to love Johnson. The last time we saw Johnson in the starting role with Chubb and Hunt out, he racked up 24 touches and scored 27.8 fantasy points. The Browns will feed their back, no matter who it is. The Patriots also rank as a good matchup for running backs this season, so there a lot of reasons to like Johnson if he is starting. We probably won’t know for sure if he is or not until Saturday or Sunday though, if I had to guess. UPDATE: Chubb is OUT and Johnson is a great play.
Mark Ingram, NO – Let's keep this brief, shall we? With Kamara out, Ingram becomes a free square in DFS this week. He will see a hefty workload and should even catch a few passes. There is a chance he could find the end zone once or twice and this matchup against the Titans is a fine one.
Fades
Adrian Peterson, TEN – Peterson found the end zone and finished with 9.6 fantasy points in his first game with the Titans and he is still a cheap back, so DFS players could feel enticed to give him a go in their lineups, but they shouldn’t. He rushed for just 21 yards on 10 carries and he very much looked like the 36-year old back that he is. This matchup with the Saints ranks as one of the worst matchups in the league for running backs this season too, so there really just isn’t anything to like about Peterson here and there are plenty of stronger plays at RB on this slate.