RADIO
When choosing who to start in fantasy football, it's important to take a lot of things into account. The skill level of the player, the talent and run-blocking prowess of the offensive line, the effectiveness of the offense in general, and even how good the team's defense is all play a part in RB opportunities in scoring.
It helps to have a team that's committed to running the ball or using its backs heavily in the passing game. It also helps to have a positive game script so the team doesn't abandon the run due to something like allowing the other team to score a ton of points.
So, let's look at five popular running backs and break down why you should or shouldn't start them in Week 12!
Should I Start Jonathon Brooks for Fantasy Football?
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will finally make his debut in Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs. It's not great that it will be against the best run defense in the NFL, but at least he won't be shut down for the season. Brooks will work in a committee with Panthers lead runner Chuba Hubbard.
@Panthers #NFL question: Will Chuba Hubbard (30) and Jonathon Brooks (24) combine for over or under 125 rushing yards versus @Chiefs on Sunday?… pic.twitter.com/v816EYiMSj
— Jeff Hawkins (@WriterHawkins) November 21, 2024
Here's some practice film because there's nothing on him in the NFL. Anyway, he may only see a few touches in his first NFL action and isn't worth starting (the author of this piece may or may not have lost so many players to injury in one league that he's starting Brooks anyway).
Hubbard will still be the guy and should get most of the rushing work. It may be a few weeks before we see Brooks get a respectable volume.
Should I Start Aaron Jones for Fantasy Football?
Yes. Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (ribs) had his worst game of the season in Week 11, scoring just 5.3 PPR fantasy points. Most of the time, he's a lot better than that, though. Credit the Tennessee Titans defense for shutting down Minnesota's run game -- it did an impressive job bottling him up.
The #Vikings have tried running the ball with Aaron Jones 8 times at the goal line so far this season.
Jones is -7 yards and only one TD.
(H/T): @MatthewColler via @Purple_Insider pic.twitter.com/Kw8uvqPFhq
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 21, 2024
The one consistent area of concern has been his performance at the goal line. As you can see from the above tweet, it hasn't been good. Still, with running backs, you want to chase volume, and Jones typically gets 15 or more carries in his games, meaning he should be started. He's still highly talented.
AARON JONES TAKES IT TO THE OUTSIDE AND WALKS IN UNTOUCHED 😱 pic.twitter.com/uFrvQREYfG
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) October 20, 2024
He's injury-prone but has great speed, acceleration, vision, and change-of-direction ability. He should have a better game in Week 12 if he's fully healthy.
Should I Start Cam Akers for Fantasy Football?
No. Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers is simply a handcuff to the lead back, Jones, and you should treat him that way for fantasy purposes. He had 13 carries in Week 10 and 10 in Week 11, but that was due to the injury to Jones. The RB1 missed time in the first of those games and was likely load-managed in the second.
Cam Akers got 7 touches in his first game back with offensive snaps as a member of the Vikings. He had only gotten special teams run in the previous two games. pic.twitter.com/aP8CvqUgHX
— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) November 5, 2024
His volume wasn't enough to be fantasy-relevant in those contests aside from Week 11, when he caught a touchdown pass. You can't count on backup RBs scoring touchdowns consistently. Keep him on the bench if you have him.
Should I Start Roschon Johnson for Fantasy Football?
Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson is another RB who benefited from an injury to the team's starting back. D'Andre Swift injured his groin in Week 11 and was playing far fewer snaps after picking up that ailment.
D'Andre Swift Out Wednesday
Bears RB D'Andre Swift (groin) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Matt Eberflus said Swift is dealing with "just a little bit of a groin strain" and said he's "hopeful" Swift will be able to play vs. the Vikings this weekend. It sounds like the... pic.twitter.com/kVqM1w9MkV
— Draft Sharks (@DraftSharks) November 21, 2024
Swift missed practice on Wednesday and was upgraded to a limited participant for Thursday. His status for Week 12 is still up in the air, so we could see some kind of committee with Johnson if Swift isn't at 100%. Either way, Johnson will likely not be relevant if he doesn't score a rushing touchdown.
He's needed them all season to put up decent fantasy points -- he simply doesn't get enough targets to rely on receiving yardage or PPR scam points. He should be benched.
Should I Start Trey Benson for Fantasy Football?
Surprisingly, Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson easily led the team in rushing yards in Week 10, logging 62 yards on 10 carries. The team's RB1, James Conner, was highly inefficient, rushing 12 times for 33 yards (under 2.8 yards per carry), but he scored a touchdown and caught five passes for 80 yards.
A Trey Benson Week 10 reel that is also a reminder to play RBs vs. the Jets defense (league-high missed tackle rate vs. RBs) pic.twitter.com/WiZbCQaTYa
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) November 12, 2024
Weird games happen sometimes, though. Like the previous RB on this list, the rookie Benson is a handcuff to his lead back. Conner is the workhorse, and it will likely stay that way. The freshman could cut into his workload slightly over time, but he has just five catches all year, so he doesn't have standalone value right now.
He should remain on the bench. Conner managers should be rostering him as a handcuff.
Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Jonathon Brooks, Aaron Jones, Cam Akers, Roschon Johnson, Trey Benson compared to others. You can also use the free Who Should I Start tool to run your own start/sit comparisons, up to four players at once:
Trey Benson or Cam Akers
Roschon Johnson or Cam Akers
Jaylen Warren or Cam Akers
Aaron Jones or Jk Dobbins
Roschon Johnson or Trey Benson
Justice Hill or Roschon Johnson
Trey Benson or Audric Estime
Aaron Jones or Dandre Swift
Jaylen Warren or Roschon Johnson
Jerome Ford or Roschon Johnson
Aaron Jones or Chuba Hubbard
Raheem Mostert or Cam Akers
Aaron Jones or Bucky Irving
Roschon Johnson or Audric Estime
Trey Benson or Justice Hill
Aaron Jones or Tyrone Tracyjr
Audric Estime or Cam Akers
Justice Hill or Trey Benson
Roschon Johnson or Gus Edwards
Cam Akers or Trey Benson
Najee Harris or Aaron Jones
Raheem Mostert or Roschon Johnson
Trey Benson or Alexander Mattison
Aaron Jones or Tyrone Tracy
Cam Akers or Gus Edwards
Cam Akers or Roschon Johnson
Trey Benson or Jaylen Warren
Devin Singletary or Trey Benson
Roschon Johnson or Zach Charbonnet
Audric Estime or Trey Benson
Brian Robinsonjr or Aaron Jones
Cam Akers or Audric Estime
Cam Akers or Justice Hill
Gus Edwards or Trey Benson
Jonathon Brooks or Trey Benson
Aaron Jones or Brian Robinsonjr
Cam Akers or Alexander Mattison
Cam Akers or Tyjae Spears
Chuba Hubbard or Aaron Jones
Raheem Mostert or Trey Benson
Roschon Johnson or Jonathon Brooks
Roschon Johnson or Raheem Mostert
Tyrone Tracyjr or Aaron Jones
Aaron Jones or Kareem Hunt
Audric Estime or Roschon Johnson
Cam Akers or Devin Singletary
Cam Akers or Elijah Moore
Cam Akers or Jerome Ford
Devin Singletary or Roschon Johnson
Kenneth Walkeriii or Aaron Jones
Tank Bigsby or Trey Benson
Trey Benson or Raheem Mostert
Trey Benson or Roschon Johnson
Zach Charbonnet or Cam Akers
Aaron Jones or Jonathan Taylor
Alexander Mattison or Cam Akers
Alexander Mattison or Trey Benson
Javonte Williams or Trey Benson
Kyren Williams or Aaron Jones
Roschon Johnson or Devin Singletary
Trey Benson or Devin Singletary
Tyjae Spears or Roschon Johnson
Will Dissly or Cam Akers
Zach Charbonnet or Roschon Johnson
Aaron Jones or Austin Ekeler
Aaron Jones or David Montgomery
Aaron Jones or Terry McLaurin
Cam Akers or Raheem Mostert
James Conner or Aaron Jones
Jaxon Smithnjigba or Aaron Jones
Jaylen Warren or Jonathon Brooks
Kareem Hunt or Jonathon Brooks
Rhamondre Stevenson or Aaron Jones
Romeo Doubs or Roschon Johnson
Roschon Johnson or Braelon Allen
Roschon Johnson or Justice Hill
Roschon Johnson or Xavier Legette
Trey Benson or Ameer Abdullah
Trey Benson or Javonte Williams
Trey Benson or Tyjae Spears
Aaron Jones or Cade Otton
Aaron Jones or Cedric Tillman
Aaron Jones or Jerry Jeudy
Aaron Jones or Josh Downs
Aaron Jones or Ladd McConkey
Aaron Jones or Najee Harris
Aaron Jones or Rachaad White
Amonra Stbrown or Aaron Jones
Austin Ekeler or Aaron Jones
Bucky Irving or Aaron Jones
Bucky Irving or Roschon Johnson
Cam Akers or Aaron Jones
Cam Akers or Austin Ekeler
Cam Akers or Jalen Coker
Cam Akers or Jalen Tolbert
Cam Akers or Jaylen Warren
Cam Akers or Jonathon Brooks
Cam Akers or Los Angeleschargers
Cam Akers or Terry Mclaurin
Cam Akers or Xavier Legette
Curtis Samuel or Cam Akers
Dandre Swift or Aaron Jones
David Montgomery or Aaron Jones
DeAndre Hopkins or Trey Benson
Elijah Moore or Roschon Johnson
Gus Edwards or Cam Akers
Jatavion Sanders or Trey Benson
Jerome Ford or Cam Akers
Jonathan Taylor or Aaron Jones
Jonathon Brooks or Roschon Johnson
Jordan Addison or Roschon Johnson
Jordan Mason or Roschon Johnson
Nick Chubb or Trey Benson
Rico Dowdle or Roschon Johnson
Roschon Johnson or Alexander Mattison
Roschon Johnson or Jatavion Sanders
Tank Bigsby or Jonathon Brooks
Tee Higgins or Aaron Jones
Trey Benson or Braelon Allen
Trey Benson or Gus Edwards
Trey Benson or Jonathon Brooks
Trey Benson or Mike Williams
Trey Benson or Xavier Worthy
Tucker Kraft or Trey Benson
Will Dissly or Trey Benson
Aaron Jones or Bijan Robinson
Aaron Jones or CeeDee Lamb
Aaron Jones or Deandre Hopkins
Aaron Jones or Deebo Samuel
Aaron Jones or DeVonta Smith
Aaron Jones or DK Metcalf
Aaron Jones or Jamaal Williams
Aaron Jones or James Cook
Aaron Jones or Jauan Jennings
Aaron Jones or Javonte Williams
Aaron Jones or Jayden Reed
Aaron Jones or Joe Mixon
Aaron Jones or Kenneth Walkeriii
Aaron Jones or Kyren Williams
Aaron Jones or Malik Nabers
Aaron Jones or Marvin Harrisonjr
Aaron Jones or Patrick Mahomes
Aaron Jones or Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Jones or Tony Pollard
Aaron Jones or Zamir White
Adam Thielen or Jonathon Brooks
Alec Pierce or Roschon Johnson
Alexander Mattison or Jonathon Brooks
Amari Cooper or Aaron Jones
Ameer Abdullah or Jonathon Brooks
Ameer Abdullah or Roschon Johnson
Ameer Abdullah or Trey Benson
Audric Estime or Jonathon Brooks
Austin Ekeler or Roschon Johnson
Cam Akers or Benson Temp
Cam Akers or Braelon Allen
Cam Akers or Brian Robinsonjr
Cam Akers or Bucky Irving
Cam Akers or Cam Akers
Cam Akers or Christian Kirk
Cam Akers or Courtland Sutton
Cam Akers or Jaylen Waddle
Cam Akers or Kareem Hunt
Cam Akers or Michael Pittmanjr
Cam Akers or Nick Westbrookikhine
Cam Akers or Rico Dowdle
Cam Akers or Tony Pollard
Cam Akers or Wandale Robinson
Cam Akers or Xavier Worthy
Cam Akers or Zach Charbonnet
Cedric Tillman or Cam Akers
Cedric Tillman or Jonathon Brooks
Cedric Tillman or Roschon Johnson
Cedric Tillman or Trey Benson
Dalton Schultz or Roschon Johnson
Dandre Swift or Jonathon Brooks
Deandre Hopkins or Aaron Jones
Deebo Samuelsr or Aaron Jones
Derrick Henry or Aaron Jones
Devaughn Vele or Aaron Jones
Elijah Moore or Cam Akers
Elijah Moore or Trey Benson
Garrett Wilson or Aaron Jones
Gus Edwards or Roschon Johnson
Hunter Henry or Jonathon Brooks
Isiah Pacheco or Trey Benson
Jaleel McLaughlin or Cam Akers
Jalen Coker or Jonathon Brooks
Jalen McMillan or Cam Akers
Jalen Tolbert or Trey Benson
Jameson Williams or Aaron Jones
Jauan Jennings or Aaron Jones
Javonte Williams or Roschon Johnson
Jaylen Waddle or Trey Benson
Jaylen Wright or Cam Akers
Jaylen Wright or Roschon Johnson
Jerome Ford or Jonathon Brooks
Jerry Jeudy or Aaron Jones
Jerry Jeudy or Jonathon Brooks
Jerry Jeudy or Trey Benson
Jk Dobbins or Aaron Jones
Jonathon Brooks or Aaron Jones
Jonathon Brooks or Audric Estime
Jonathon Brooks or Bucky Irving
Jonathon Brooks or Cam Akers
Jonathon Brooks or Cameron Dicker
Jonathon Brooks or Dandre Swift
Jonathon Brooks or Devin Singletary
Jonathon Brooks or Garrett Wilson
Jonathon Brooks or Jaylen Warren
Jonathon Brooks or Jerome Ford
Jonathon Brooks or Jk Dobbins
Jonathon Brooks or Jonathon Brooks
Jonathon Brooks or Nick Chubb
Jonathon Brooks or Ricky Pearsall
Jonathon Brooks or Zach Charbonnet
Jordan Addison or Cam Akers
Josh Downs or Jonathon Brooks
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