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 that stick out based on recent trends or new information we learned.
Injuries are starting to pile up around the NFL. With six weeks of football in the rearview mirror, it feels like more and more starters are going down each week, especially at the ever-fickle running back position. This means that backups and handcuffs are all the more important, as you could find starters just sitting on the waiver wire. Let’s get into some of my top backfield takeaways this week, with a focus on guys in bigger roles following an injury.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Rachaad White missing Week 6 due to a foot injury, Bucky Irving was quite effective as the Bucs starting running back. He turned 14 carries into 81 yards and ran in a touchdown while adding two catches for 24 yards through the air. However, while Irving was impressive, he was actually overshadowed by second-year back Sean Tucker.
Tucker also saw 14 carries, but churned out an impressive 136 yards and scored as well. Tucker’s stats are padded by garbage time — he had six carries for 64 yards and a score on the Bucs’ last drive of the game while they were up 17 — but his efficiency is nonetheless remarkable.
It is unclear how long Rachaad White will be out, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he is the third-best running back on the team. The Bucs are a high-flying offense with 30+ points in four of their six games and will certainly be able to support multiple fantasy-relevant running backs. I am still very comfortable starting Irving in fantasy even if White comes back, and I expect White and Tucker to eat into each other’s workload when they are both on the field. Tucker is worth an add this week, but I wouldn’t start him unless White misses more time.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers placed free agent signee Gus Edwards on IR last week, leaving J.K. Dobbins and Kimani Vidal as the main backs. Dobbins dominated the volume share on Sunday, receiving a season-high 25 carries which he turned into 96 yards and a score. With Edwards out of the picture for at least four weeks, Dobbins can be treated as a safe top-15 weekly running back. Dobbins was already outplaying Edwards before the injury, and given the Chargers’ proclivity for running the ball, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Dobbins continues to see north of 20 carries a game.
Vidal, who the Chargers took in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, was a darling among the fantasy community during the off-season. He played in his first game of the season on Sunday and immediately made an impact, hauling in a beautiful 38-yard score on his first career touch:
Vidal played 19 total snaps to Dobbins’ 57, and I would expect the Chargers to work him into the offense a bit more with Edwards out. Dobbins does not exactly have the cleanest bill of health, so Vidal has entered into the high-upside handcuff tier. I would pick him up in deeper leagues and keep an eye out on his usage in the next few games.
Tennessee Titans
Coming into the season, the Titans were expected to have a standard timeshare between Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in their backfield. Six weeks in, it looks like Pollard has taken the reins from Spears and is the clear top running back. Pollard has at least 16 carries in five of six games this season, quietly putting up consistent fantasy production — he currently ranks as the overall RB19. The Titans offense as a whole hasn’t been too valuable in terms of overall upside, but Pollard has made the most of his volume. Now almost two years removed from a broken leg, Pollard looks much more like his old self and ranks top 10 in yards after contact per attempt and missed tackles forced.
Spears left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and is considered week-to-week, but he was not particularly productive before that anyway. He has scored just one touchdown all year and has been less effective than anticipated in the passing game. Spears has just 12 total receptions this season, which is actually four less than Pollard. I would be comfortable dropping Spears in most formats as I don’t see how he becomes fantasy relevant in a far-below-average offense. He is far closer to an insurance policy than he is a viable flex play, even when healthy.
New York Giants
Devin Singletary has missed the last two weeks with a groin injury, but the Giants have not missed a beat. Rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. has filled in admirably for Singletary, with back-to-back productive fantasy performances. Tracy’s versatility has been on display. In Week 5, he gashed the Seahawks weak run defense for 129 yards on 18 carries. In Week 6, he was less efficient on the ground aside from a one-yard score, but totaled six receptions for 57 yards. He played 84% of snaps on Sunday night, and as a former wide receiver in college, looked like a great safety valve for Daniel Jones.
Singletary will likely return soon, but Tracy has proven he deserves a significant role in this offense. I would expect the Giants to start working in Tracy a lot more on passing downs once Singletary is back, which gives him a solid fantasy floor. The Giants offense probably isn’t good enough to sustain two fantasy relevant running backs on top of Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson, but Tracy should still absolutely be picked up in your league if he isn’t already rostered. For now, I would keep Tracy on your bench if Singletary is also playing, but I’ll be closely monitoring the Giants backfield split between the two moving forward.
San Francisco 49ers
49ers starter Jordan Mason suffered an AC joint sprain in theirWeek 6 TNF night win over the Seahawks. Mason missed most of the game with the injury, and it is uncertain if he will be ready to go for the 49ers’ Week 7 matchup against the Chiefs. If Mason is still injured, rookie Isaac Guerendo would be the next man up. Guerendo was the 49ers’ top running back after Mason went down, and put an exclamation point on their victory with a 76-yard run (that likely would have been a touchdown if not for an intentional slide to run the clock) late in the fourth quarter. Guerendo should be a high priority pick up this week if he’s still available on waivers.
Although Mason could still play, the 49ers would be wise to give him time to rest considering how easily different running backs can thrive in the friendly Shanahan run scheme. If Guerendo can continue the trend, he would be an immediate top-15 running back option, so I would be willing to take the risk and pay up for Guerendo this week on waivers especially if you desperately need a win or a spot starter.