This fantasy football season continues to move along as we head into Week 10. Over the next few weeks, everyone's fantasy teams will be looking to clinch a playoff spot, making those start and sit decisions even more difficult down the stretch. In this article, we will compare whether you should start or sit these three running backs.
Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards scored another two touchdowns last week. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook only totaled six carries in Week 9, and Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison seems to be in a workhorse role again following Cam Akers' (Achilles) season-ending injury.
Should you start Edwards, Cook, and Mattison in fantasy in Week 10? Let's dive in.
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Should I Start Gus Edwards for Fantasy Football?
Edwards continues to be fantasy-relevant and has been providing managers with a big boost at the running back position. He has scored 17-plus fantasy points in half-PPR formats in three straight games, scoring six touchdowns during that span. Last week, though, the veteran had just five carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
It is important to note that Edwards did not play the entire fourth quarter, which led to rookie Keaton Mitchell getting more opportunities. But because of that, the Ravens will likely move into a three-back committee. If Mitchell -- who practiced in a limited fashion on Thursday with a hamstring injury -- does play in Week 10, Edwards is a touchdown-dependent flex play against a Browns defense that ranks fourth in fantasy points allowed to running backs this season.
He is the RB25 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.
Should I Start James Cook for Fantasy Football?
It's been a rough couple of weeks for Cook. He has failed to top 10 half PPR fantasy points in four of the past five games and is coming off a game in Week 9 where he had just six carries for 20 yards. That recent production makes Cook a risky start moving forward.
Even despite that, though, Cook is a strong start in Week 10 against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos' defense is allowing over 30 fantasy points and 154.1 rush yards to running backs per game this season, both dead last in the NFL. The 24-year-old back is averaging 5.8 yards per carry this year and has the perfect matchup to score a bunch of fantasy points on Monday night.
He is the RB23 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.
Should I Start Alexander Mattison for Fantasy Football?
Mattison put together his best fantasy day of the year last week, totaling 16.3 half-PPR fantasy points. The 25-year-old had 16 carries for 44 yards while also catching two passes for 49 yards and one touchdown. That receiving score was the third of the year for him.
With Akers now out for the season, Mattison should see much more volume moving forward like he saw in the first three weeks. To start the year, he played an average of 76.3% of the Vikings' offense snaps in Week 1 through Week 3. The matchup is tough against a New Orleans Saints defense that is the fifth-best against fantasy running backs this season. But the volume should be there, which makes Mattison an RB2 in Week 10.
He is the RB21 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.
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