J.K. Dobbins (knee) was limited in practice Tuesday, and he could return in Week 17 at New England after missing the past four games. If he's back then Dobbins would be worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
There's obvious risk in trusting Dobbins due to his lengthy absence, especially in the Fantasy championship in the majority of leagues. But prior to getting hurt in Week 12 against Baltimore, Dobbins had scored at least 16.8 PPR points in three of his past four games and was a must-start Fantasy option in all leagues.
Now, if Dobbins can't play, there's a chance for Gus Edwards to have another quality performance for the second game in a row. He's coming off his best game of the season in Week 16 against Denver with 14 carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns and one catch for 3 yards on two targets.
Edwards hasn't been great as the replacement for Dobbins in some tough matchups against Atlanta, Kansas City and Tampa Bay, but he does have three touchdowns in his past three games. And the matchup against the Patriots is favorable since New England is No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs.
Three running backs in the past three games against the Patriots have rushed for at least 96 yards. And a running back has scored at least 17.3 PPR points against New England in four games in a row.
We'd love to see Dobbins back for this game and ready to go at 100 percent. But if he's out then this could be another chance for Edwards to have a quality outing given the favorable matchup against the Patriots.
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RBs to Start
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If Kenneth Walker III (ankle) is out for Thursday's game as expected then Charbonnet is a must-start running back in all leagues. He started four games this season for Walker, and Charbonnet scored at least 13.6 PPR points in each outing, including three games with at least 17.9 PPR points. The Bears have allowed a running back to score at least 15.4 PPR points in six games in a row, with eight rushing touchdowns over that span. Charbonnet has top-10 upside in all formats if Walker is out in Week 17.
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Irving was excellent as the Start of the Week in Week 16 at Dallas with 16 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 24 yards on three targets. He scored 18.2 PPR points, and he's now scored at least 17.7 PPR points in four of his past six games, with only one game below 13.3 PPR points over that span. He faced the Panthers in Week 13 and had 25 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 33 yards on three targets, and Carolina is No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Rachaad White is also worth using as a sleeper in this matchup, but Irving has top-10 upside in all leagues in Week 17.
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Ford did better than expected in Week 16 at Cincinnati with 24.1 PPR points, and he had 11 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 39 yards on five targets. He's now scored at least 15.5 PPR points in four of his past seven outings where Nick Chubb (foot) was either out or injured, including two in a row, and Ford is worth starting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues against the Dolphins. It's tough to run on Miami, but Ford should be heavily involved in the passing game with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. The Dolphins have allowed 20 receptions to running backs in their past four games.
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Tracy is dealing with an ankle injury, so hopefully he's 100 percent for Sunday's game against the Colts. If he's able to play then he's worth starting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. Tracy has scored at least 14.5 PPR points in four of his past five games, and he's been excellent in the passing game with Drew Lock at quarterback. In Lock's past two starts against New Orleans and Atlanta, Tracy has nine catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets. Indianapolis is No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and six running backs in the past five games against the Colts have scored at least 12.2 PPR points.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Abdullah and Mattison are both in play as potential starters this week against the Saints. They split touches in Week 16 against Jacksonville in the first game without Sincere McCormick (ankle), with Mattison playing 57 percent of the snaps and Abdullah at 43 percent. Mattison had 12 carries for 27 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 29 yards on seven targets, while Abdullah had seven carries for 38 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 47 yards on six targets. I like Abdullah slightly better than Mattison in PPR, and he's now scored at least 17.5 PPR points in three of his past five games. He also has 12 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets in his past two outings. The Saints are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and three Packers running backs just scored touchdowns against New Orleans in Week 16.
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We'll see what happens with Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) in Week 17 at Cincinnati, but if he's out again then I like Williams as a low-end starter in all leagues. In Week 16 at the Chargers with McLaughlin sidelined, Williams had four carries for 24 yards and seven catches for 29 yards on 11 targets. This game should be a shootout, and Williams will hopefully stay heavily involved in the passing game. The Bengals have allowed eight running backs to score at least 10.4 PPR points in their past five games, and Williams has the most upside of all the Denver running backs heading into Week 17.
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It wouldn't surprise me if Tony Pollard has a big game this week against the Jaguars, especially if the Titans are playing with a lead. Jacksonville is No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Pollard had a solid game against the Jaguars in Week 14 with 21 carries for 102 yards and two catches for 22 yards on two targets. But in the past two games, Tennessee has fallen behind early against Cincinnati and Indianapolis, which has helped Spears play more snaps than Pollard. Spears scored at least 21.6 PPR points in each of those two games, with four total touchdowns and nine catches for 126 yards on 11 targets. But he also has just 14 carries for 32 yards over that span as well. Game script matters a lot here, but Spears is worth using as at least a flex option in all leagues.
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RBs to Sit
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If you have to use a Steelers running back in Week 17 then I would lean toward Jaylen Warren over Harris. Warren has played more snaps than Harris in each of the past three games, and Warren will likely be more involved in the passing game as usual if the Steelers are chasing points. Harris has one catch for 7 yards on two targets in his past three games, and he scored a combined 7.3 PPR points in his past two outings against the Eagles and Ravens. The Chiefs are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Harris is a risky flex option in this matchup on Christmas Day.
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Things went from bad to worse for Pacheco in Week 16 against Houston when he was outplayed by Kareem Hunt, and now you can't trust Pacheco as even a flex in most leagues at Pittsburgh in Week 17. Since coming back from his broken leg in Week 13, Pacheco has scored 8.1 PPR points or less in all four outings. He has no touchdowns and a combined five catches for 25 yards on eight targets over that span. I'm hesitant to trust Hunt as well since the Chiefs will also use Samaje Perine on passing downs, but Hunt is the best bet as a flex if you need a Chiefs running back in this matchup on the road.
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We have an interesting situation at play with the Patriots in Week 17 since Jerod Mayo indicated Antonio Gibson could start for New England against the Chargers because of Stevenson's fumble woes. Stevenson lost his third fumble of the season in Week 16 at Buffalo, and he also dropped a backward pass from Drake Maye that was recovered in the end zone by the Bills. And just because Gibson starts that doesn't mean Stevenson won't play. The Chargers have given up some big games lately to Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson and Bucky Irving in their past five games, and Stevenson has scored at least 12.3 PPR points in three of his past six games. But he also has 9.5 PPR points or less in three games over that span. I still like Stevenson as a flex option, but he's risky if Gibson starts in this game.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Dowdle had a rough game in Week 16 against Tampa Bay with 13 carries for 23 yards and three catches for 28 yards on three targets. It snapped his three-game streak of rushing for at least 112 yards, and he had a four-game streak of scoring at least 10.8 PPR points that ended against the Buccaneers. I don't expect Dowdle to get back on track in Week 17 at Philadelphia, and he was limited to 8.6 PPR points against the Eagles in Week 10 when he had 12 carries for 53 yards and three catches for 3 yards on three targets. Philadelphia is No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and the Eagles just held the Steelers and Commanders running backs to a combined 19.8 PPR points in the past two games. Dowdle is a flex option at best in most leagues in Week 17.
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