Staying on top of fluid backfield situations from week to week for all 32 teams is quite the tedious task, even for fantasy diehards. To help with your fantasy preparations, my weekly RB Committee Report is intended to be your one-stop shop for tracking each and every fantasy backfield. Each week, we’ll go around the league to hone in on who’s trending up or down in terms of workload distribution and volume, as well as efficiency, in order to pinpoint which backs are making the most (and least) of their opportunities.
| STOCK UP | WK 6 RB SNAPS % / SEASON % | STOCK DOWN | WK 6 RB SNAPS % / SEASON % |
| Alex Collins | 30.1 / 21.9 | DeMarco Murray | 55.7 / 64.8 |
| Orleans Darkwa | 50.0 / 26.8 | Jamaal Charles | 24.7 / 25.8 |
| Aaron Jones | 65.2 / 69.6 | Marshawn Lynch | 51.7 / 43.9 |
| Dion Lewis | 42.6 / 21.5 | Mike Gillislee | 19.1 / 30.0 |
| Chris Ivory | 40.6 / 38.0 | Jonathan Stewart | 32.9 / 43.3 |
Arizona Cardinals
| Fantasy Starter | Backup to Own |
| Adrian Peterson | Andre Ellington (PPR) |
Adrian Peterson made the “Stock Up” list in last week’s Committee Report, although I’d be lying if I said I envisioned a 134-yard, two-touchdown performance behind a Cardinals’ offensive line that was generating only 0.77 yards before contact entering the week. In fact, Peterson logged more snaps in one game with his new team than he did through his entire four-game stint with the Saints. That he picked up the Cardinals’ offense so quickly is a testament to Peterson’s veteran savvy. Coach Bruce Arians will give the veteran all the touches he can handle, while Andre Ellington’s passing-down role remains unchanged.
Atlanta Falcons
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Devonta Freeman | Tevin Coleman |
Devonta Freeman (11 touches) and Tevin Coleman (10) split the backfield work evenly against Miami in Week 6. Despite averaging 5.6 YPC on the season, Coleman has yet to log double-digit carries in a game and has played 37.5 percent of the snaps. Coleman also ranks third among RBs with 3.63 yards after contact, but Freeman has been more elusive, forcing a missed tackle at nearly twice the rate as Coleman. The third-year pro remains a premium handcuff and does carry standalone value as the 1B to Freeman’s 1A, but his ceiling remains capped at the RB2 (PPR)/Flex (standard) range as long as Freeman is healthy.
Baltimore Ravens
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Javorius Allen | Alex Collins (12+) |
Even when Terrance West returns from his calf injury, the Ravens backfield is shaping up as a two-man rotation between Alex Collins on early downs with Javorius Allen mixing in on passing downs. After getting 21 carries (for 73 yards) in Week 5, Allen saw his workload scaled back to 10 carries (for 49 yards) against Chicago. The reason for that, quite simply, is because Alex Collins has been awfully productive, averaging a league-best 6.4 yards on 52 carries while ranking ninth in elusive rating. Collins has seen his usage gradually increase each week, culminating in a season-high 15 carries and 30.1 percent of the snaps against the Bears. Still, he’s more of an asset in standard leagues, considering he’s been targeted only twice this season and has yet to catch a pass. It’s also worth noting that Baltimore’s offensive line generated a healthy 2.69 yards before contact in Week 6
Buffalo Bills
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| LeSean McCoy | Mike Tolbert (12+) |
It’s been a down year for LeSean McCoy, but there’s been no indication that Mike Tolbert is in line for any kind of increased role with the Bills set to come out of their bye week.
Carolina Panthers
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Christian McCaffrey | Jonathan Stewart (12+) |
In a game that saw the Panthers’ O-line generate a healthy 2.16 yards before contact, Jonathan Stewart turned in his worst rushing output of the season. Sitting outside the top-50 RBs in fantasy points per game, there’s really no justification for deploying the veteran in fantasy lineups at this point. Christian McCaffrey continues to see minimal work as a rusher, but the Panthers have done a better job of getting him the ball in space. The rookie drew 13 targets against the Eagles and hauled in 10 of them for 56 yards and a score. Currently on pace for 99 catches, McCaffrey the No. 15 PPR RB in fantasy points per game.
Chicago Bears
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Jordan Howard | Tarik Cohen (PPR) |
Tarik Cohen has not topped 50 yards from scrimmage since Week 3, and he hasn’t found the end zone since Week 1. Still owned in 70 percent of ESPN leagues, Cohen is safe to drop, and he certainly doesn’t belong in starting lineups.
Cincinnati Bengals
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Joe Mixon | Giovani Bernard (PPR) |
Joe Mixon finally found the end zone in Week 5, but it’s still tough to trust him (or any Bengals’ RB) as anything more than a desperation flex play or bye week replacement. Mixon’s 44-percent snap share leads Cincinnati’s three-man rotation, but he’s also been given less room to run than every other back in the league (0.42 yards before contact). He ranks just 39th among RBs in PPR scoring with 8.8 ppg.
Cleveland Browns
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Isaiah Crowell | Duke Johnson (PPR) |
Even with Cleveland throwing the ball 71 percent of the time against Houston, Isaiah Crowell out-touched Duke Johnson, 14-8, in Week 6. Still, Johnson was more productive, turning his five carries into 40 yards. Crowell has been a massive disappointment, but even more frustrating has been coach Hue Jackson’s unwillingness to give more work to Johnson, who entered last week ranked seventh in both PPR scoring and elusive rating despite limited usage. For what it’s worth, Johnson has actually played more snaps (235-215).
Dallas Cowboys
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Ezekiel Elliott | Alfred Morris |
A temporary court order will allow Ezekiel Elliott to play in Week 7, and perhaps Week 8, as well. Those who scooped up Alfred Morris and/or Darren McFadden on waivers will want to hold tight until the situation gets resolved.
Denver Broncos
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| C.J. Anderson | Devontae Booker |
| Jamaal Charles |
Denver fell behind against the Giants last week and wound up with a 79-21 pass-run split, with no Broncos’ running back reaching double-digit carries. Jamaal Charles had been solid in his limited role, entering Week 6 with the league’s third-best RB elusive rating. But Devontae Booker, the team’s leading rusher as a rookie last season, was integrated back into the game plan after missing the early portion of the season with a broken wrist. Booker actually out-snapped Charles, 23-20, and led the backfield with 80 yards on five touches. Booker is little more than a name to monitor at this point, while Charles is now a drop candidate and no longer a priority handcuff.
Detroit Lions
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Ameer Abdullah | Theo Riddick (PPR) |
Ameer Abdullah doubled up Theo Riddick in touches (14-7) against New Orleans, but Riddick doubled up Abdullah in fantasy points (10.3-5.4). It was a shootout game in which the Lions threw the ball 78 percent of the time, including all four plays inside the five. With Detroit headed for its bye this week, Riddick has gotten double-digit touches only once, while Abdullah has posted only one top-24 fantasy week. There’s no real trade value here in selling low, nor is there much evidence to support buying low for either back.
Green Bay Packers
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Ty Montgomery | Aaron Jones |
Ty Montgomery was a “Stock Down” player in this space last week, and even if the ribs are fully healthy, all signs point to a workload split with Aaron Jones after the rookie got more touches and yards against Minnesota. However, the two combined for only 73 scrimmage yards. Jones now has one big week sandwiched in between a couple of so-so weeks, although he has averaged 15 carries over the last three games. Of greater concern is the impact of Aaron Rodgers’ injury, as Brett Hundley failed to keep the sticks moving.
Houston Texans
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Lamar Miller | D’Onta Foreman |
Lamar Miller is seventh among RBs in yards from scrimmage after turning 18 touches into 81 yards against Cleveland in Week 6. D’Onta Foreman saw 12-plus touches for the third time in five games, and he’s averaging 5.8 YPC over his last two games. Still, with no passing-down role and no touchdowns, he carries no standalone value but would be an RB2 if Miller were to miss time. The Texans have their bye this week.
Indianapolis Colts
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Frank Gore | Marlon Mack |
A week after coach Chuck Pagano talked about getting Marlon Mack more involved, the rookie had this pretty dazzling inside run that went for 22 yards on the Titans’ second play from scrimmage, but then saw just one more carry the rest of the way. Five of Mack’s 27 carries this season have gone for 15-plus yards, compared to three in 85 carries for Frank Gore, the 34-year-old with the 3.7 YPC average since the start of 2015. As maddening as it’s been to watch Chuck Pagano and Rob Chudzinski bungle things with their most dynamic playmakers (T.Y. Hilton saw three targets), Robert Turbin’s season-ending injury opens up some opportunities in short yardage and passing downs. Turbin played 21 snaps to Gore’s 23 on Monday night, while Mack was on the field for 14 snaps.
Jacksonville Jaguars
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Leonard Fournette | Chris Ivory (12+) |
Leonard Fournette has been given bell-cow status from the get-go as a rookie, but his gimpy ankle puts Chris Ivory on the radar this week. Ivory has no standalone value – he’s barely inside the top-40 PPR backs in fantasy points per game. However, he’s a worthy handcuff for Fournette owners in deeper leagues, as Ivory is averaging 4.1 yards on 40 carries this season, including 2.4 YPC after contact.
Kansas City Chiefs
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Kareem Hunt | Charcandrick West (12+) |
Charcandrick West (concussion) has already been ruled out for Week 7, although it’s been the Kareem Hunt Show from the get-go.
Los Angeles Chargers
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Melvin Gordon | Branden Oliver (12+) |
Replacement-level backups
Los Angeles Rams
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Todd Gurley | Malcolm Brown (12+) |
Replacement-level backups
Miami Dolphins
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Jay Ajayi | Kenyan Drake (12+) |
Replacement-level backups
Minnesota Vikings
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Jerick McKinnon | Latavius Murray (12+) |
Over the last two weeks, Jerick McKinnon has tallied 32 carries for 164 yards (5.1 YPC) and two touchdowns to go with 11 catches (on 12 targets) for another 81 yards and a score. Still, Latavius Murray has averaged 15 touches in those two games. Granted, he’s done little with that volume and does not warrant fantasy roster space. But it’s also important to note that McKinnon’s 29.8 elusive rating in that span ranks just 24th out of 37 qualifiers. He’s broken only five tackles on 32 touches, with nearly half of his rushing yardage coming on two long runs behind PFF’s No. 23-graded run-blocking unit.
New England Patriots
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| James White (PPR) | Dion Lewis (PPR) |
| Mike Gillislee (standard) |
Dion Lewis has seen his snap share increase every single week this season. On Sunday, Mike Gillislee was benched after fumbling, and Lewis saw a season-high 42.6 percent of the offensive snaps. Over the last two weeks, Lewis has produced 105 yards and a TD on 18 carries, along with a league-best 217.5 elusive rating. James White remains the back to own in PPR, but make no mistake, Lewis is ceding grip of the early-down role from Gillislee, who ranks 39th out of 48 qualifiers in elusive rating.
New Orleans Saints
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Mark Ingram | Alvin Kamara (PPR) |
In examining the impact of the Adrian Peterson trade last week, my takeaway was that Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara both offered solid RB2 value. While that certainly holds true, I may have undersold Ingram, who played a season-high 66.2 percent of the snaps and turned 25 carries into 114 yards (95 YAC) and two TDs while also catching 5-of-5 targets for another 36 yards. Although Ingram did double up Kamara in touches (30-14), the rookie still turned in the No. 18 RB fantasy performance (PPR) in Week 6 and tied his season-high with 31 snaps. It’s worth noting that New Orleans had a 54-46 run-pass ratio against Detroit, but both backs should continue to eat moving forward.
New York Giants
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Orleans Darkwa | Wayne Gallman |
Never mind that Denver’s run defense had bottled up every opposing RB this season to less than 100 yards. Never mind that the Giants’ backfield had been a frustrating committee. Never mind that the O-line had been among the league’s worst in generating yards before contact. In churning out a season-high 117 rushing yards in Week 6, Orleans Darkwa’s 21 carries were almost double that of Wayne Gallman and Shane Vereen combined. Darkwa also had three carries that went for 15-plus yards, plus the team’s lone attempt inside the five. A repeat performance might be a tall order, but it sure looks like we’ve got some clarity in this backfield.
New York Jets
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Bilal Powell | Matt Forte |
With Bilal Powell (calf) inactive, Elijah McGuire was in line for a bigger workload in Week 6, but Matt Forte (knee, toe) returned from his two-week absence and turned 17 touches into 81 yards. As a result, McGuire got only 10 touches and was held below 25 rushing yards for the second straight week. At the end of the day, this is still a low-ceiling tandem between Powell (when healthy) and Forte, and neither back has proven a usable fantasy option to this point in the season.
Oakland Raiders
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Marshawn Lynch | Jalen Richard (12+) |
For those still waiting for vintage “Beast Mode,” it’s time to accept the reality of 2017 Lynch as a Raider. And that reality is that Lynch hasn’t topped 13 carries in a game since the opener and is averaging just 3.7 YPC on the season. With a minimal receiving role and only two TDs, Lynch finds himself outside the top-40 PPR backs in fantasy points per game. While he does rank a respectable 13th out of 48 qualifiers in elusive rating, the weekly volume, combined with his role in the Raiders’ offense, drops Lynch into flex territory moving forward. Jalen Richard remains a name to earmark if Oakland’s season continues its downward trajectory.
Philadelphia Eagles
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| LeGarrette Blount | Wendell Smallwood |
Wendell Smallwood (knee) returned to limited practice this week and expects to play against the Redskins on Monday night. In his absence, LeGarrette Blount got 14 carries in each of the last two weeks, matching his average carries over his first three games. He also leads all RBs with a 173.0 elusive rating and, as the Eagles’ short-yardage back, should continue seeing the same type of volume moving forward while Smallwood reclaims his allotment of 8-12 touches.
Pittsburgh Steelers
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Le’Veon Bell | James Conner |
Le’Veon Bell leads the league with 316 snaps and has played one 16-game season in his four-year career. Rookie James Conner (4.9 YPC) would be a plug-and-play RB2 if Bell were to miss time for any reason.
San Francisco 49ers
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Carlos Hyde | Matt Breida |
Maybe the demise of Carlos Hyde as a 49er has been grossly overstated in recent weeks. Maybe San Francisco is trying to showcase him. Hyde managed only 28 yards on 13 carries against Washington, but he did catch five passes for 47 yards and played 78 percent of the snaps, his highest snap share since Week 2. Breida was effective in his own right, producing 36 yards on six touches, although he’s forced only one missed tackle on 19 touches over the last two games. Hyde has forced seven missed tackles on 27 touches in the same span.
Seattle Seahawks
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Eddie Lacy | Thomas Rawls |
| C.J. Prosise (PPR) |
The Seahawks are coming off a bye, and for all intent and purpose, this remains a fantasy backfield to avoid if possible. Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls both got 10 carries in Week 5 and did little with them. With C.J. Prosise set for his first action since Week 3, things are only about to get more muddled. Prosise carries the most upside, but he needs to prove he can stay on the field before the coaching staff can trust him with heavier usage.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Starter | Backup to Know |
| Doug Martin | Jacquizz Rodgers |
Replacement-level backups
Tennessee Titans
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| DeMarco Murray | Derrick Henry |
DeMarco Murray’s hamstring didn’t look particularly close to 100 percent on Monday night, and that’s a development that could lead to some more opportunities for Derrick Henry at Cleveland this week. Granted, the Browns are no cupcake matchup, but Henry currently ranks fourth out of 48 qualifiers in elusive rating. Henry has forced a missed tackle once every 5.6 rushes and is averaging 3.9 yards after contact, second-best behind only LeGarrette Blount. The Titans coaches held true to their word about getting Henry more involved, as he wound up with 19 carries for 131 yards and a TD after totaling only 10 carries over the previous two weeks.
Washington Redskins
| Starter | Backup to Own |
| Chris Thompson (PPR) | Robert Kelley (standard) |
I’ve mentioned Samaje Perine as J.A.G. a few times in this space, and the rookie has averaged only 3.0 yards on 55 carries this season, while his 21.5 elusive rating ranks 43rd out of 48 RBs. With Robert Kelley nearing a return, the door has closed on Perine for the time being. Chris Thompson is the No. 8 PPR back in fantasy points per game despite limited usage. Kelley, who last year finished fourth with a 61.5 elusive rating, remains a bench stash.
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