Injuries and byes are piling up in the fantasy football world, creating an odd list of names at the top of the fantasy football leaderboard.
Jonathan Stewart, Jordan Howard and Theo Riddick were three of the top five fantasy scorers for week 8 among running backs. All three were solid in running and catching the ball out of the backfield.
The key is if it’s sustainable. I have my doubts regarding Howard and Riddick, but I’m a little more bullish on Stewart. He’s a touchdown machine and if the Panthers start catching fire, which is possible, he could be a major beneficiary.
It’s worth keeping an eye on a healthy Stewart going forward. For the rest of the week 9 running backs start ’em, sit ’em guide, here’s the best bets.
Start
Tim Hightower vs. San Francisco 49ers
An absolutely golden matchup became a little less shiny in week 8 for New Orleans.
The 49ers are absolutely atrocious against the run. San Francisco allows 185 yards per game on the ground. The second-worst defense in the league allows 143.8 yards per game on the ground.
That’s an incredible disparity.
So pretty much every running back is an RB1 possibility against the 49ers. So you would think Ingram would be the prime suspect for getting the bulk of the carries against such a hapless defense, but week 8 happened. He was pulled early in the game thanks to a fumble, allowing Hightower to dominate the workload.
Head coach Sean Payton came out this week and said Hightower has earned more carries. That creates a more committee role, meaning that Hightower has more value than he previously had. There’s room for two running backs against San Francisco. With so many byes this week, Hightower offers an option that could pay big dividends.
Matt Forte vs. Miami Dolphins
At one point this season, Forte was a non-play in fantasy football.
Injuries were hampering his production, along with just plain ineptitude. In the last two weeks, though, Forte has been one of the best running backs in fantasy football.
Forte has three touchdowns in the last two games with 182 combined yards on the ground.
He’s been a high-volume running back in the last two weeks and I expect that to be a similar story in week 9 against Miami. The Dolphins, much like the team Forte faced last week in the Browns, are once again terrible against the run.
Miami allows 135 yards per game on the ground, the third-worst mark in the NFL.
To limit the mistakes by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets are running the ball more. That’s been evident in their recent strategy and will continue again in week 9. Forte is becoming an RB1 and is quickly becoming non-matchup dependent.
Terrance West vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s been one week since we saw West tally only eight carries against a tough New York Jets rush defense.
So it might be surprising as to why I’m starting West in week 9. But the Steelers aren’t the same defense we’ve become accustomed to seeing on a weekly basis.
Pittsburgh allows more than 100 yards per game rushing and gives up 4.7 yards per rush, the sixth-worst mark in the NFL.
That should open up some running lanes for West, as long as the Ravens give him the ball. With Baltimore struggling, I’d hope they revisited their offensive strategy during their bye week. If they decide to give the West the ball, he should be a solid start for fantasy owners.
Sit
Jay Ajay vs. New York Jets
It’s tough to get away from Ajay after his monstrous two weeks, but I just don’t see much opportunity for him in week 9.
Head coach Adam Gase said during the bye week that Ajay was going to start seeing a diminished role in the offense after racking up huge numbers during the previous two weeks. Running the ball less against New York isn’t something new for teams.
The Jets don’t give up rushing yards. I’ve already mentioned the amount of carries registered by West two weeks ago against New York. Last week against a surprisingly good Cleveland running team, the Jets allowed only 68 yards on the ground.
New York gives up only 3.3 yards per carry and 74 yards rushing. It’s smarter for the Dolphins to focus more on the pass than the run. That will limit Ajay’s opportunities at producing a decent amount of fantasy points.
Frank Gore vs. Green Bay Packers
At some point Gore’s production is going to diminish. He’s been a bright spot for the Colts in the fantasy world this season, going for double-digit fantasy points in every game but two this season.
He’s been a low RB1 choice more times than not this season, but I’m starting to believe his value will take a nose dive soon.
There are multiple factors against him, but his past volume doesn’t help as the season progresses and the Colts’ inability to be ahead also is an issue.
Gore had a bad game overall in week 8 against Kansas City, but was aided with a touchdown reception. I can’t expect Indianapolis will be ahead against Green Bay, meaning the Colts will likely be forced to air it out again, diminishing Gore’s role in the offense.
And even if Indianapolis was going to run the football, the Packers are stout against the run. Green Bay allows just 0.4 rushing yards per game more than the New York Jets. It’s tough to sit Gore after his start to the season, but if you have some decent options, take a chance with Gore on your bench.
Latavius Murray vs. Denver Broncos
Usually I’m pretty bullish regarding running backs against Denver in fantasy football. I’m not going to start wide receivers or quarterbacks, but running backs have shown the ability to make some plays.
The Broncos actually allow 117 yards per game on the ground, the ninth-worst mark in the NFL. They’re just coming off of a game in which they allowed Melvin Gordon to rush for 111 yards.
It’s not a bad play to pick a running back against Denver. In this case, though, I’m skipping out on Murray thanks to the situation in Oakland.
The Raiders own one of the murkiest backfield situations in the NFL. Three running backs receive considerable looks and there doesn’t always seem to be a rhyme or reason to pinpointing the bellcow.
Murray was the main man last week, but he still only managed 11 carries against a bad Tampa Bay rush defense.
I just don’t trust the volume for Murray. That’s why I’m staying away from the Raiders’ backfield in week 9.
