The road to a fantasy football championship isn’t always well-paved. Analyst Pranav Rajaram sifts through several backup RBs managers might need to rely on in Week 16.
Running backs remain king in fantasy football. While it feels like there are more elite quarterbacks and wide receivers than ever before, the amount of consistent, dependable running backs is dwindling. This makes it all the more important to find value at running back in fantasy football. In order to help you do that, I will be taking a look at a few backfields each week who stick out based on recent trends or new information we learned.
The premise of this article will be similar as usual, but instead of examining teams as a whole, I will be focusing on a few specific running backs who could be fantasy-relevant for your semifinals (and finals). There were a lot of running back injuries last week, so I will place an emphasis on unexpected names that you might end up having to start in Week 16 and how confident you should be in each option.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints
Star running back Alvin Kamara left Sunday’s game with a groin injury in the second half and was later diagnosed with an adductor injury. The timetable for Kamara’s return is unclear as of now, but if he were to miss any time, second-year back Kendre Miller would become a valuable fantasy asset. Miller received eight carries after Kamara left the game and played nearly all of the snaps at running back, a sign that he would operate as the bellcow if Kamara is out. Veteran Jamaal Williams is the No. 3 back behind Miller, but he did not register a carry or target even after Kamara’s injury.
I would spend the rest of my FAAB budget on Miller this week, especially if I have Kamara. With Derek Carr, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Taysom Hill all injured, the Saints essentially have no choice but to play through their running backs, giving Miller a fairly high fantasy floor. He is at the very top of my priority list this week on waivers if still available, and I would be comfortable firing him up as a top-20 option if he is the starter.
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Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
Spears had a massive fantasy day in Week 15, putting up 24.2 fantasy points en route to a top-five finish at the position. At long last, Spears showed the damage he is capable of doing through the air, racking up six catches for 87 yards and a score. He also punched in a picturesque touchdown leap from a yard out. Starter Tony Pollard had a decent fantasy day himself, running for 45 yards and a touchdown. However, the split between Pollard and Spears was a lot more like what we expected at the beginning of the season, with Pollard in as an early down and short-yardage back while Spears handled the third down and passing work.
Pollard is clearly still the lead back in this offense, but I think Spears could vault into the FLEX territory in fantasy if Mason Rudolph continues to be the starter over Will Levis, who was benched on Sunday. The Titans have a fairly soft schedule the next two weeks, playing the Colts and Jaguars, which means Spears could be in for more productive fantasy performances.
It is also worth noting that Pollard has been dealing with an ankle injury recently, and I wouldn’t be stunned if the Titans ease up his workload or shut him down with their season effectively over. In any case, Spears is worth a pickup this week if he’s still available, and I would be comfortable starting him as a FLEX in PPR leagues.
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Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
Browns starting running back Nick Chubb broke his foot against the Chiefs in Week 15, keeping him out for the rest of the season. This paves the way for Jerome Ford to become a potential league winner. Ford had a rather efficient day after Chubb went down, with seven carries for 84 yards and a touchdown, although his stats are heavily padded by a 62-yard score he broke off late in the fourth quarter.
Nonetheless, Ford is slated to see double-digit carries for the rest of the year, making him an important add on waivers this week, given that the Browns play two relatively weak run defenses the next two weeks (Cincinnati and Miami). Ford is also quietly one of the better pass-catching running backs in the league. Like Miller, I would be spending the rest of my waiver wire budget on him this week if still available.
Ty Johnson, Buffalo Bills
Seemingly out of nowhere, Johnson has emerged as a phenomenal pass catcher in the last two weeks. During this stretch, he has caught seven passes for 169 yards and a touchdown, giving him more fantasy points than receivers like Cooper Kupp, Zay Flowers and DK Metcalf.
Johnson hasn’t been on the field a whole lot, playing 21 offensive snaps in both games, but has a knack for finding the right spot when Josh Allen starts to create out of structure. I wouldn’t say James Cook is in any danger of losing his starting role, but we might see Johnson stay more involved in the two-minute drill and other pure passing situations moving forward.
The Bills play an awful Patriots defense next week in a game that should be fruitful for all Bills offensive players. So, I wouldn’t mind starting Johnson as a FLEX play in deeper PPR leagues if you are scrambling to find a replacement. I would not consider him in standard or half-PPR formats given how much he relies on passing work to produce fantasy points.
