A sizzling Jaylen Warren welcomes Rico Dowdle back to the Steelers’ backfield, Woody Marks takes over for David Montgomery in Houston, and James Cook aims to avoid fumbles against the Raiders.
Other positions: Quarterback | Receiver | Tight End/Kickers/Defense
Updated 10/16 at 1:45 PM ET. Removed Jeremiyah Love.
Week 6 Running Backs
| 1 | Kenneth Walker III | KC | vs. LAC |
| 2 | Bijan Robinson | ATL | vs. CHI |
| 3 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | vs. TEN |
| 4 | Kyren Williams | LAR | vs. ARI |
| 5 | Christian McCaffrey | SF | vs. WAS |
| 6 | James Cook | BUF | at LV |
| 7 | Derrick Henry | BAL | at CLE |
| 8 | D’Andre Swift | CHI | at ATL |
| 9 | Jaylen Warren | PIT | at TB |
| 10 | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | vs. NYJ |
| 11 | Javonte Williams | DAL | at GB |
| 12 | Ashton Jeanty | LV | vs. BUF |
| 13 | Chuba Hubbard | CAR | at PHI |
| 14 | Bucky Irving | TB | vs. PIT |
| 15 | Woody Marks | HOU | at JAC |
| 16 | Braelon Allen | NYJ | at NE |
| 17 | Emanuel Wilson | SEA | at DEN |
| 18 | Bhayshul Tuten | JAC | vs. HOU |
| 19 | Cam Skattebo | NYG | vs. NO |
| 20 | Tyler Allgeier | ARI | at LAR |
| 21 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS | at SF |
| 22 | J.K. Dobbins | DEN | vs. SEA |
| 23 | MarShawn Lloyd | GB | vs. DAL |
| 24 | Dameon Pierce | PHI | vs. CAR |
| 25 | Tony Pollard | TEN | at IND |
| 26 | Jaleel McLaughlin | CLE | vs. BAL |
| 27 | Omarion Hampton | LAC | at KC |
| 28 | Kendre Miller | NO | at NYG |
| 29 | RJ Harvey | DEN | vs. SEA |
| 30 | Blake Corum | LAR | vs. ARI |
| 31 | Keaton Mitchell | LAC | at KC |
| 32 | Rico Dowdle | PIT | at TB |
| 33 | Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL | vs. CHI |
| 34 | Kimani Vidal | LAC | at KC |
| 35 | Roschon Johnson | CHI | at ATL |
| 36 | Rachaad White | WAS | at SF |
| 37 | Tyjae Spears | TEN | at IND |
| 38 | George Holani | SEA | at DEN |
| 39 | Alvin Kamara | NO | at NYG |
| 40 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAC | vs. HOU |
| 41 | Kaelon Black | SF | vs. WAS |
| 42 | Kenneth Gainwell | TB | vs. PIT |
| 43 | Emmett Johnson | KC | vs. LAC |
| 44 | Ty Johnson | BUF | at LV |
| 45 | Justice Hill | BAL | at CLE |
| 46 | Sean Tucker | TB | vs. PIT |
| 47 | Pierre Strong | GB | vs. DAL |
| 48 | Mike Washington Jr. | LV | vs. BUF |
| 49 | Bam Knight | ARI | at LAR |
| 50 | Isaiah Davis | NYJ | at NE |
| 51 | Najee Harris | NYG | vs. NO |
| 52 | Jawhar Jordan | HOU | at JAC |
| 53 | Jaydon Blue | PHI | vs. CAR |
RB Notes: Christian McCaffrey’s “new” is looking more and more “normal.” The longtime usage sponge has yet to reach 20 handles on the season and is averaging “just” 16 weekly touches. This being CMC, he’s still the RB11 by average PPR points, but that is not what fantasy managers were signing up for. With the 49ers’ injury issues getting worse instead of better, CMC’s carry/reception counts will probably inch upward, but for now he’s more of an ordinary RB1 than the extraordinary one we have become accustomed to. … How much did Jaylen Warren step up during Rico Dowdle’s (toe) three-game absence? Only Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Kenneth Walker III and Kyren Williams averaged more PPR running back points during that timespan. Warren finally got his every-down closeup and smashed the ball onto Waveland Avenue. Nevertheless, coach Mike McCarthy still obliquely hinted at a post-Dowdle return committee, while admitting they need to keep feeding Warren. They will, but old typecast habits die hard. Expect Warren’s usage to decline off the past three weeks while hopefully remaining ahead of his previous career levels.
Joe Brady claimed there could soon be consequences for James Cook’s fumbles. In other news, that didn’t happen. Everyone would like Cook to stop putting the ball on the ground so often, but he continues to vie for the title of the league’s “best pure runner.” That means that despite the giveaways and the lack of pass catching, his weekly spot in the RB1 ranks is secure. … Perhaps disingenuously, TreVeyon Henderson is supposedly practicing in a limited fashion after suffering what was by most accounts a Week 5 high-ankle sprain. It is, of course, good news he’s in good enough shape for the Patriots to bend the truth a little bit, but we fully expect it to be the Rhamondre Stevenson show vs. the Jets. You can quibble with the exact rank, but the takeaway is that he needs to be started in 100 percent of fantasy leagues. … For truly desperate running back desperados — and there are many of us — “Corey Kiner” will serve as Stevenson’s Week 6 breather back.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said Ashton Jeanty (foot, ankle) is “(feeling) a lot better.” It would have been nice for the Raiders to be more upfront about just how bad Jeanty was feeling even as he continued to suit up, but we digress. Jeanty is really struggling to provide high-end fantasy returns right now, but his role remains primo. Mike Washington Jr. continues to not get more involved despite rumors to the contrary. If Jeanty is truly feeling a whole lot better, maybe this will finally be the week he starts producing a whole lot better. … As our friend Ian Hartitz points out, Chuba Hubbard is doing, uhh, let’s just call it a “lot of cool stuff.” Cool though Hubbard is, he is not a true usage monster. He doesn’t catch enough passes, and the Panthers have awesome wideouts to vie for high-value touches. Hubbard’s floor is that of a high-end RB2, but the same is true of his ceiling, especially for dates like this weekend’s drearily-totaled Eagles showdown. … At long last, the Braelon Allen prophecy came true. Allen has been essentially an every-down player in Breece Hall’s (quad) absence. Isaiah Davis can barely get a toe on the field. Awesome stuff, though Allen still is not catching enough passes to earn RB1 consideration as a touchdown-plus road ‘dog against the Patriots.
At long last, it’s Woody MarksZN in Houston. Your reward is … hopefully slightly more credible RB2 play than David Montgomery. For it’s not as if Marks has been lighting the world on fire behind the Texans’ struggling and now injured starting running back. Marks nevertheless possesses the skill-set to do a little bit of everything, and does not possess a realistic Week 6 running mate. This will be paint-by-numbers RB2 stuff as opposed to explosive returns, but RB2 he is. … In the most round-about of ways, Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur propped the door open to getting Jeremiyah Love more involved in the passing game. That’s if he’s involved in the game at all this week. A physically and mentally struggling Love did not practice on Wednesday. We suspect he will play against the Rams in Los Angeles, but he’s lost high-end RB2 benefit of the doubt until we see it on the field. … The Chargers’ backfield has officially become a three-man committee. Against all odds, Omarion Hampton continues to look like the best fantasy asset, though “best” is a relative term in this case. All we really know is, if a traditionalist like Jim Harbaugh is going to circle the wagons, it figures to be around the running game, and Hampton remains the most likely early down bet.
MarShawn Lloyd, goal-line hammer? At least for one week, the answer was yes. It’s a good time to point chase with the Packers/Cowboys game total soaring skyward and Dallas boasting one of the league’s very worst run defenses. … Behind Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson was phased out for Pierre Strong while the game was still in doubt in Week 5. One game, etc. but there isn’t much reason to expect that to revert back this weekend. … Eagles running backs are in their “Spinal Tap” drummers phase. As soon as one spawns, they are blown off the map. Now it’s No. 4 RB Dameon Pierce’s turn. We don’t love the player and we don’t like the offense. We do like the projected workload against the Panthers’ bottom-basement run defense. … Jaleel McLaughlin is looking like the last Browns running back standing unless Dylan Sampson (knee, injured reserve) gets cleared. Quinshon Judkins (ankle) is on the doubtful side of questionable. … RJ Harvey didn’t catch a pass following Sean Payton’s Week 5 military coup, though he was still out there running all the routes. We’ll consider it a one-time fluke, albeit one we are keeping a close eye on this Thursday.
