Rico Dowdle looks to prove he is a legitimate RB1, Quinshon Judkins and Breece Hall square off in New York, and TreVeyon Henderson attempts to earn higher-value touches for the Patriots.
Other positions: Quarterback | Receiver | Tight End/Kickers/Defense
Updated 11/9 at 11:45 AM ET. Added Aaron Jones. Moved Jeremy McNichols up.
Week 10 Running Backs
1Christian McCaffreySFvs. LAR2Jonathan TaylorINDvs. ATL3Bijan RobinsonATLat IND4James Cook IIIBUFat MIA5Rico DowdleCARvs. NO6Jahmyr GibbsDETat WAS7De’Von AchaneMIAvs. BUF8Josh JacobsGBvs. PHI9Saquon BarkleyPHIat GB10Derrick HenryBALat MIN11Kyren WilliamsLARat SF12Quinshon JudkinsCLEat NYJ13Ashton JeantyLVat DEN14Breece HallNYJvs. CLE15Rachaad WhiteTBvs. NE16Jaylen WarrenPITat LAC17J.K. DobbinsDENvs. LV18David MontgomeryDETat WAS19Travis Etienne Jr.JACat HOU20Kyle MonangaiCHIvs. NYG21Aaron Jones MINvs. BAL22Kimani VidalLACvs. PIT23Kenneth Walker IIISEAvs. ARI24TreVeyon HendersonNEat TB25Zach CharbonnetSEAvs. ARI26Woody MarksHOUvs. JAC27D’Andre SwiftCHIvs. NYG28Nick ChubbHOUvs. JAC29Jordan MasonMINvs. BAL30Emari DemercadoARIat SEA31Jacory Croskey-MerrittWASvs. DET32RJ HarveyDENvs. LV33Alvin KamaraNOat CAR34Tyrone Tracy Jr.NYGat CHI35Zonovan KnightARIat SEA36Devin SingletaryNYGat CHI37Chuba HubbardCARvs. NO38Bhayshul TutenJACat HOU39Blake CorumLARat SF40Terrell JenningsNEat TB41Isaiah DavisNYJvs. CLE42Tyler AllgeierATLat IND43Jeremy McNicholsWASvs. DET44Jaret PattersonLACvs. PIT45Kenneth GainwellPITat LAC46Emanuel WilsonGBvs. PHI47Ollie Gordon IIMIAvs. BUF48Sean TuckerTBvs. NE49Devin NealNOat CAR50Brian Robinson Jr.SFvs. LAR51Keaton MitchellBALat MIN52Tank BigsbyPHIat GB53Justice HillBALat MIN54Dylan SampsonCLEat NYJ55Michael CarterARIat SEA
RB Notes: Formally named starter last week, Rico Dowdle responded with an RB2 overall performance that keyed a mammoth road upset. He got seriously banged up in the process, but will play Week 10. He is doing so as a comfortable home favorite against a Saints defense handing out the ninth most weekly rushing yards. … Quinshon Judkins comes off his Week 8 injury absence followed by the Browns’ Week 9 bye rested and ready to face a Jets defense surrendering the seventh most weekly rushing yards. Keep in mind, that was before they traded interior menace Quinnen Williams and shutdown CB Sauce Gardner. Teams will be able to do whatever they want against this defense, and road-favorite Cleveland wants to run. … The Bucs are off bye, but so far Bucky Irving (knee) isn’t joining them. It’s a major concern since Irving’s absence has already surpassed the four-game injured reserve threshold. That would imply his injury is more serious than expected. With Irving seemingly on the shelf yet again, Rachaad White will keep putzing around as an Etienne-infused RB2.
Speaking of Travis Etienne, his usage somewhat surprisingly did not change following the Jaguars’ Week 9 bye. Neither did his production. We suppose the world’s most mediocre RB2 will continue to keep Bhayshul Tuten at bay, but he is a workload- rather than production-based bet. … Breece Hall, who desperately wanted to get traded, was not traded. Left behind on a zombified, rebuilding Jets team wasn’t the best fantasy outcome, but there was nothing wrong with his mid-range RB2 status quo. Expect that to continue unless Gang Green decides Isaiah Davis deserves ever more work as the 1B back. … Do we have to issue a Rico Dowdle Warning for Kyle Monangai? Already creeping near 50 percent of the Bears’ snaps before D’Andre Swift’s (groin) Week 9 absence, Monangai went “Dowdle mode” in an admitted Bengals smash spot. Things are more complicated for Week 10, with Swift back at practice and the Bengals swapped out for the Giants. Then again, the Giants are somehow almost as bad against the run as Cincinnati. Although Swift’s presence would drop both backs outside the top 20, they can be trusted as FLEX options. I will give Monangai the rankings advantage. He’s a more natural between-the-tackles option, and Swift is not 100 percent healthy.
And then he was gone again. Briefly back in the Vikings’ backfield, Aaron Jones (shoulder) finds himself back on the shelf. Jordan Mason was a fantasy dud during Jones’ first lengthy absence, but with the team going to great lengths to hide starter J.J. McCarthy, Mason’s floor is probably a little bit higher this time around. … Week 9 was not a good showing for Kimani Vidal. Although he still handled north of 70 percent of the Chargers’ snaps, he was out-gained by Jaret Patterson and lost clock-killing duties to the No. 2 back. With LT Joe Alt done for the season, this is not a friendly run-game environment. Vidal is a precarious option on the RB2/3 borderline vs. a Steelers defense better against the run than pass. … On one hand, Jayden Daniels’ third different injury-absence of the season means the Commanders will have to lean more on the backfield. On the other, the entire offensive environment suffers with Marcus Mariota under center. That leaves Jacory Croskey-Merritt stuck where he always is as a reasonable-floor, limited-ceiling RB3/FLEX.
It was a true best of times, worst of times for fill-in Patriots starter TreVeyon Henderson in Week 9. On the good news front, his 75 percent snap count obliterated his previous season high of 50, as did his 18 total touches. On the bad news front, Terrell Jennings operated as the goal-line and clock-killing back. In other words, the Pats don’t mind giving Henderson the ball, but they avoid him in the highest-leverage spots. Maybe that will change after Henderson’s strong, turnover-free Week 9, but don’t count on it in Sunday’s likely Bucs shootout. (Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to remain sidelined.) … Seemingly bored in the absence of James Conner and Trey Benson, the Cardinals have grown almost nihilistic in their approach to the backfield. One week you’re benched or cut, the next you’re starting. Emari Demarcado got off the schneid in Week 9 for a season-high 15 touches even though he only played 40 percent of the snaps. Obviously not the best at the little things like “not dropping a 70-yard touchdown at the one-inch line,” Demercado is being given a chance to be the primary ball-handler as Zonovan Knight plays the most snaps. With Benson not expected back from I.R. this week, Demercado is a decent FLEX against the Seahawks.
Woody Marks’ snap percentage has been stuck in the 40s behind Nick Chubb, but the veteran suddenly finds himself missing practice with a foot injury. It’s possible if not probable it’s just a precaution, but Marks should be ticketed for more work regardless since C.J. Stroud (concussion) is out for Week 10. At the some point, the Texans will unable to un-see Marks’ more productive work. … RJ Harvey is suddenly doing cooler stuff like catching passes and scoring touchdowns, but his touch and snap counts remain stubbornly low. He is at least running more early-down routes. We also know this: The workload isn’t getting smaller. Hopefully it gets bigger as the Broncos eye the playoffs and attempt to keep J.K. Dobbins fresh. … It’s getting harder and harder to see the point in starting Alvin Kamara. Then again, he remains unthreatened from both a snaps and touches perspective. Perhaps the Panthers are finally a matchup Kamara’s own size. … The Giants still don’t trust Tyrone Tracy. He “started” in Cam Skattebo’s Week 9 absence but quickly gave way to plodding veteran Devin Singletary, who won both the touch and snap battles. The Bears are the kind of wide-open defensive matchups that could end up favoring Tracy’s more explosive skill-set, but he is a low-floor FLEX following last week’s disappointment.
