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Running back committees could be the most frustrating aspect of football for fantasy managers. For tailbacks to be viable in fantasy, they have to receive a steady amount of carries and targets. Sadly, many head coaches play games with their backfields, leaving fans pulling out their hair.
Entering this season, this issue was even more pronounced. Without any preseason games, managers had to make educated guesses about who would lead each running back room in touches. Week 1 gave us our first reliable insight into the plans of teams across the league, and there were certainly some surprises.
This article is here to help you make sense of the madness and choose the players that will be the best for your team.
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San Francisco 49ers
Mostert played 60 percent of San Francisco's snaps against the Cardinals, and with that came a lot of opportunities. Receiving 15 carries and five targets, Mostert indisputably led his team's backfield this Sunday. He also made the most of these touches, especially on the receiving side. Turning his five targets into four receptions, 95 yards, and a touchdown, Mostert revealed his underrated pass-catching skills. By also adding 56 yards on the ground, he had a very good fantasy day, scoring 25.1 points in PPR. Mostert is certainly the most valuable 49ers running back.
McKinnon played 19 of 62 offensive snaps this week, a rate of 31 percent. In his first game action since December 2017, he was given eight total opportunities. McKinnon turned his five targets into three catches, 20 yards, and a touchdown. These are hardly amazing numbers, but the target share was the same as Mostert's, suggesting possible PPR viability. McKinnon was efficient with his three carries, gaining 24 yards rushing. His YPC (8.0) was more than twice that of Mostert (3.7), so McKinnon may receive a slight increase in carries in the future. He should be considered a backup for now, but wait and see if he has a larger role going forward.
Coleman had a disappointing performance with very little usage. Playing a mere six snaps, Coleman had just four carries and two targets. His four carries and one catch became 24 total yards, so it's not as if he dominated on this low workload. Such a game would suggest that he should be waiver fodder, but this could be an outlier. Coleman has sickle cell anemia, which prevented him from playing at full strength due to the poor air quality in California. Coleman's low snap count will be very concerning if it becomes a trend, but for now, he should be given a pass.
Detroit Lions
The legendary Peterson refuses to lose to Father Time. Peterson played just 31 percent of the Lions' snaps and yet carried the ball 14 times for 93 yards, both team highs. AP also caught all three of his targets for 21 yards through the air. While he didn't have a touchdown, the performance was very encouraging, especially considering he just joined the team a week before the game.
19 yards for @AdrianPeterson on his first carry with the @Lions! #OnePride #CHIvsDET
?: FOX
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/DTlgEUZamw pic.twitter.com/PXn74pYrXa— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2020
Peterson had more opportunities than all of Detroit's other running backs combined. He should be considered the top running back for Detroit moving forward, although rookie D'Andre Swift could become a larger part of the offense as the season goes on.
D'Andre Swift
Speaking of Swift, his play left a lot to be desired against the Bears. The first-year tailback had five targets and three catches, but for just 15 yards. Quarterback Matthew Stafford may be reluctant to throw his way now as well, considering Swift dropped a possible game-winning pass in the end zone. Swift also mustered only eight yards on his paltry three rushing attempts. He did have a rushing touchdown, so he could be used around the goal line. However, it certainly appears that the team signed Peterson in order to ease the rookie into the NFL. Swift did lead the backfield by playing 44 percent of Detroit's offensive snaps, though, which is promising. Don't give up on him just yet, because he still has plenty of room for growth.
Like Swift, Johnson struggled to gain traction on Sunday. Kerryon played 26 percent of the team's snaps, a total surpassed by both Peterson and Swift. Johnson also ran for only 2.0 YPC, finishing with 14 rushing yards on seven carries. Stafford didn't throw a single pass his way either, so it's not as if his pass-catching bailed out an otherwise subpar performance. Johnson's inefficiency and lack of use as a receiver make him the least-valuable runner to own out of these three.
Miami Dolphins
Gaskin was a pleasant surprise against the Patriots this week. Many expected teammates Jordan Howard and Matt Breida to take command of Miami's backfield, but Gaskin had the best day of the three. Playing 63 percent of the team's snaps, Gaskin ran the ball nine times for 40 yards. He also added four receptions on four targets for 26 receiving yards. His 13 touches led Dolphins running backs, and his snap count dwarfed those of Howard and Breida. Gaskin definitely looks like he will be Miami's lead running back going forward, although a committee is still very likely.
Howard had a nightmare performance in the opener. Receiving eight carries, Howard accumulated a mere seven rushing yards. Failing to eclipse even 1.0 YPC, Howard's efficiency was abysmal. He did have a short rushing touchdown, indicating possible goal-line work this season, but he didn't see a single target in the passing game. Perhaps the most concerning part of the game for Howard is the fact that he played just nine snaps. The Dolphins never led in the contest, so the game script was not ideal, but he saw the field less than both Gaskin and Breida. Overreacting after the first week of the season is never a good idea, but Howard looked like the third-best running back on the squad.
Breida performed adequately on the touches that he saw. The problem is that he didn't see many touches at all. Playing just 23 percent of Miami's snaps, Breida had five carries for 22 yards. Like Howard, he did not have a single target to make up for his lack of use in the ground game. Breida was expected to make an impact after being received from San Francisco via trade, but Week 1 was not a good start for his time in Miami. Breida did play better than Howard did, and he saw more snaps, but he received three fewer carries. How the two will be balanced is still an open question, but Breida made a case to assume part of Howard's role.
Laird played just four snaps on the day, and he had zero carries. He did have two receptions for nine yards, but that is nowhere near enough work to merit being rostered in fantasy leagues. Laird could have some value should one of the above three players miss time, but for now he can be ignored in fantasy.
Baltimore Ravens
Ingram led the Baltimore backfield in touches this Sunday. However, he did so with just 10 carries and no targets. Averaging a mere 2.9 YPC, Ingram had a very lackluster fantasy performance. However, the fact that he led the team in carries is encouraging. No one else on the team ran the ball particularly well except for quarterback Lamar Jackson, so it's not as if the poor showing will necessarily lead to a reduction in workload. The Ravens rushing attack set records last season, so if Ingram continues to be the team's lead back, he should bounce back nicely. One thing to keep an eye on, though, is whether or not J.K. Dobbins outsnaps him again next week.
J.K. Dobbins
As alluded to above, Dobbins saw the field slightly more than Ingram, playing 23 snaps to his 21. This didn't translate to more touches though, as Dobbins toted the ball just seven times for 22 yards. Like Ingram, Dobbins also did not receive a target in the passing game. What set Dobbins apart, though, were his two rushing touchdowns. If Dobbins continues to be the team's goal-line back, he could rack up a fair number of fantasy points. Dobbins still appears to be the second option behind Ingram, but that gap could close in a hurry.
Edwards was clearly the team's third choice at running back against the Browns, as he played fewer snaps (15) and had fewer carries (four) than both Ingram and Dobbins. Edwards had just 17 yards on the ground, and he didn't see any work through the air. Should either Ingram or Dobbins get injured, Edwards would be a legitimate fantasy option. For now, though, it appears that his workload will not be large enough to lead to fantasy success.
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