Fantasy Football Week 11 Running Back Preview: Waiver adds, deep stashes, starts, sits, and more

Isiah Pacheco has had his practice window opened to return from Injured Reserve. If you're a Pacheco Fantasy manager, that sounds like music to your ears. If you've been starting Kareem Hunt, it sounds quite different. I think people should be very careful with both backs once Pacheco is officially active.

Let's start with a Week 11 discussion. For now, we are not expecting Pacheco to return to play in Week 11, which makes Kareem Hunt close to a must-start RB2. He has five straight games with at least 20 touches, and he's scored a touchdown or reached 100 total yards in all five. Since Week 5, he's been the number five running back in Fantasy Football, averaging 18 PPR Fantasy points per game. The Bills have allowed the fourth-most Fantasy points points per game to opposing running backs. As long as we're right about Pacheco not being ready yet, you should start Hunt.

Longterm, things are much messier. Pacheco is returning from a broken leg and Hunt has done everything the Chiefs have asked of them. When Pacheco is back I would expect a full-blown committee with both Pacheco and Hunt ranking as flexes. I think Pacheco will be better in the Fantasy Football playoffs, but he may be still ramping up at that point.

In the trade market, whether they're a buy or a sell determines on cost. I expect that someone in your league may look at Pacheco as an RB1 for the playoffs. If they do, I would be selling him. I may also try to buy Hunt as a short-term starter, the Chiefs have the Panthers and Raiders in the next two weeks and they don't have to active Pacheco to the game-day roster until after those games.

In other words, I'm not sure Pacheco managers should be as excited about this news as they are, and I'm not sure the Hunt managers should be so despondent.

You can find my projections for every position over at Sportsline.

Now, let's get to the rest of the Week 11 RB Preview:

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Week 11 RB Preview

The following players are not being projected to play in Week 11 at this time. Here's what it means:

Tank Bigsby RB JAC Jacksonville • #4 Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs. Travis Etienne is a borderline RB2 without Bigsby

• 22.3 -- Since Week 5 Bijan Robinson is averaging 22.3 FPPG, tops amongst running backs.
• 68.9% -- Kareem Hunt has handled 68.9% of the Chiefs rush attempts since Week 5.
• 54% -- Tony Pollard played 54% of the Titans offensive snaps in Tyjae Spears' first game back. This looks like a committee again.
• 42 -- De'Von Achane has 42 receptions in nine games. Alvin Kamara is the only running back with more.
• 19 -- Christian McCaffrey saw 19 touches in his 2024 debut. He's an RB1 again.
• 35.4% -- Kenneth Walker leads all running backs with a 35.4% tackle avoid rate.
• 17.7 -- Austin Ekeler has averaged 17.7 PPR FPPG over the past two weeks without Brian Robinson. He's a start if Robinson misses another week.
• 1 -- Javonte Williams had just one carry in Week 10 as Audric Estime took over early downs.

Matchups that Matter

Projections powered by Sportsline

Kareem Hunt RB KC Kansas City • #29 Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ BUF BUF -2.5 O/U 45.5 OPP VS RB 31st PROJ PTS 12.8 RB RNK 16th YTD Stats RUYDS 449 REC 14 REYDS 116 TD 5 FPTS/G 16.8

Najee Harris RB PIT Pittsburgh • #22 Age: 26 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs BAL BAL -3.5 O/U 48.5 OPP VS RB 9th PROJ PTS 10.2 RB RNK 28th YTD Stats RUYDS 645 REC 17 REYDS 152 TD 3 FPTS/G 12.7

Travis Etienne RB JAC Jacksonville • #1 Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DET DET -13 O/U 47 OPP VS RB 6th PROJ PTS 13.3 RB RNK 25th YTD Stats RUYDS 298 REC 19 REYDS 96 TD 2 FPTS/G 8.6

Nick Chubb RB CLE Cleveland • #24 Age: 28 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ NO NO -1 O/U 44.5 OPP VS RB 29th PROJ PTS 12.1 RB RNK 24th YTD Stats RUYDS 113 REC 2 REYDS 6 TD 1 FPTS/G 6.8

Tony Pollard RB TEN Tennessee • #20 Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs MIN MIN -5.5 O/U 39.5 OPP VS RB 4th PROJ PTS 12.1 RB RNK 22nd YTD Stats RUYDS 666 REC 28 REYDS 154 TD 3 FPTS/G 14.3

Week 11 Adds (RB Preview)

Audric Estime RB DEN Denver • #23 Age: 21 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs ATL DEN -2.5 O/U 44 OPP VS RB 11th RB RNK 30th ROSTERED 16% YTD Stats RUYDS 148 REC 0 REYDS 0 TD 0 FPTS/G 2.1 It's been a while since we had a low-rostered running back on the waiver wire who might see 15 touches the next week. Estime had 14 carries against the Chiefs and faces a more favorable matchup this week against Atlanta. The downside is that he has zero targets on the season. The upside is that he leads all Broncos running backs in efficiency at 5.1 yards per carry. He could be an RB2 in non-PPR leagues, but he's more of a flex in leagues where catches count.

Cam Akers RB MIN Minnesota • #27 Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ TEN MIN -5.5 O/U 39.5 OPP VS RB 19th RB RNK 41st ROSTERED 33% YTD Stats RUYDS 231 REC 7 REYDS 32 TD 2 FPTS/G 4.8 Aaron Jones took a shot to the ribs in Week 10 and we won't likely know his status before Friday. If he's out, Akers would be a borderline RB2. He out-carries Ty Chandler three-to-one in Week 10 and saw the only running back target that didn't go Jones way. Still, this isn't a great matchup and we don't know how hurt Jones is.

Tyjae Spears RB TEN Tennessee • #2 Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs MIN MIN -5.5 O/U 39.5 OPP VS RB 4th RB RNK 31st ROSTERED 53% YTD Stats RUYDS 161 REC 15 REYDS 80 TD 1 FPTS/G 7.5 Spears' floor is much higher than Akers, and if something happens to Tony Pollard down the stretch, Spears' upside might be higher too. Spears has three or more targets in half of his games this season and 22 carries combined in his last two healthy games. He's a flex with Pollard healthy and has top-15 upside if Pollard misses a game.

Stashes (RB Preview)

Zach Charbonnet RB SEA Seattle • #26 Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ SF SF -6.5 O/U 50.5 OPP VS RB 20th RB RNK 34th ROSTERED 58% YTD Stats RUYDS 213 REC 25 REYDS 189 TD 5 FPTS/G 10.6 If you're looking for a back to stash in case of injury you'd be hard-pressed to do better than Charbonnet. He was a top-10 back early this year when Kenneth Walker missed time, but he's seen his roster rate dip below 60% because Seattle was on bye. If you're just looking for bench upside he's a great add.

Top DFS Play

Projections powered by Sportsline

Alvin Kamara RB NO New Orleans • #41 Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CLE NO -1 O/U 44.5 OPP VS RB 7th PROJ PTS 19.8 RB RNK 2nd YTD Stats RUYDS 715 REC 51 REYDS 421 TD 7 FPTS/G 20.7 Kamara had a down week last week and still scored 15.9 PPR Fantasy points. That's exactly the type of floor you want in your cash game anchors. He has seven straight games with at least six targets and is functioning as the number one option in both the run game and the pass game for the Saints.

Contrarian DFS Play

Projections powered by Sportsline

Nick Chubb RB CLE Cleveland • #24 Age: 28 • Experience: 7 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ NO NO -1 O/U 44.5 OPP VS RB 29th PROJ PTS 12.1 RB RNK 24th YTD Stats RUYDS 113 REC 2 REYDS 6 TD 1 FPTS/G 6.8 Chubb has been terribly inefficient and the Saints bounced back last week, so I would expect Chubb's roster rate to be very low. I think last week's Saints performance was a mirage and they'll let down against a Browns team coming off bye. The Saints have given up the second most FPPG to opposing running backs and a league-worst 5.17 yards per carry to the position.

My full set of Week 11 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You'll find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 11. Projected stats for all starting running backs are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.