We're back to where we were last season with the Steelers backfield with no clear-cut Fantasy starter between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. And that stinks heading into Week 13 at Cincinnati.
Harris has been solid for most of the season, scoring at least 13.3 PPR points in five of his past nine games, including three games over that span with at least 102 yards rushing. But Warren is getting hot, and he might be ready to take over.
Warren has two games in his past three outings with at least 11 carries, and he scored a season-high 15.4 PPR points in Week 12 at Cleveland. He has seven catches on nine targets in his past two games, and hopefully, his role in the passing game will continue to grow.
He also played a season-high 57 percent of the snaps against the Browns, while Harris played a season-low 39 percent, which is something to monitor. I don't expect that to be the norm, but we'll see what happens in Week 13 at Cincinnati.
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This isn't a great matchup against the Bengals, who are No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Harris will likely need to score a touchdown to help his Fantasy value, and he's only done that three times this season.
And the Bengals are No. 4 in fewest receptions allowed to running backs and No. 1 in fewest receiving yards. They also haven't allowed a receiving touchdown to a running back, so Warren isn't safe in the passing game in Week 13.
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For now, consider Harris and Warren just flex options at best. We'll see what happens moving forward, but it's frustrating that we can't get a must-start running back in Pittsburgh with the Fantasy playoffs on the horizon.
RBs to Start
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Irving was amazing in Week 12 at the Giants with 12 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown and six catches for 64 yards on six targets. He's now scored at least 15.4 PPR points in five of his past six games, and he has at least three catches in five outings in a row. The Panthers are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and eight running backs have scored at least 17.4 PPR points against Carolina this season. Irving has top-10 upside in all leagues, and I also like Rachaad White as a flex option in Week 13.
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Tyjae Spears (concussion) could return in Week 13 at Washington, but I still like Pollard as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. He was amazing in Week 12 at Houston with 21.9 PPR points, which ended a two-game slump where he scored a combined 15.2 PPR points against the Chargers and Vikings. Washington has allowed five running backs to score at least 11.3 PPR points in the past five games, including D'Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley, each scoring at least 18.9 PPR points over that span. Pollard may lose some work to Spears, but Pollard still has the upside to be a top-15 Fantasy running back in all leagues.
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In his first game with Jonathon Brooks in Week 12 against Kansas City, Hubbard still dominated playing time with 89 percent of the snaps. He finished with 16 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 2 yards on five targets, and Hubbard has now scored at least 15 PPR points in three games in a row. He's worth starting in all leagues in Week 13 against Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers are No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Four running backs have scored at least 13.5 PPR points against the Buccaneers in the past four games, and Hubbard has top-15 Fantasy upside in all leagues in Week 13.
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Dowdle had one of his best games of the season in Week 12 at Washington with 19 carries for 86 yards and three catches for 12 yards on three targets, although he lost a fumble. I loved seeing him get 22 total touches, and I hope that happens again on Thanksgiving against the Giants, who are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Three Tampa Bay running backs just scored touchdowns against the Giants in Week 12, and four running backs scored at least 16.1 PPR points against the Giants in their past four games. Dowdle has top-20 upside in all leagues in Week 13.
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Stevenson was a huge disappointment in Week 12 at Miami with 3.3 PPR points, but I still trust him as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 13 against the Colts. Prior to Week 12, Stevenson had scored at least 12.9 PPR points in three of his previous four games. And this is a great matchup against the Colts, who are No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Six running backs have scored at least 12.2 PPR points against Indianapolis in the past five games, with seven total touchdowns over that span. This should be a solid week for Stevenson in the majority of leagues.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Isiah Pacheco (leg) is slated to return in Week 13 against the Raiders, but I still like Hunt as a flex option in all leagues. Pacheco will likely be eased back into action after being out with a broken leg since Week 2, and Hunt should still get the majority of touches. He's struggled in his past two games against Buffalo and Carolina with a combined 17.7 PPR points in both outings, but he scored 13.3 PPR points in Week 8 at the Raiders. And four running backs have scored at least 13.3 PPR points against Las Vegas in the past five games.
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J.K. Dobbins (knee) is out for Week 13 at Atlanta, and Edwards and likely Kimani Vidal will share carries for the Chargers. Edwards will be the lead running back, and he should get at least 15 total touches. He won't do much in the passing game, which limits his upside in PPR, but seven running backs have scored at least 15.3 PPR points against the Falcons in the past six games. If Edwards finds the end zone, then he will deliver as a strong flex option in all leagues.
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This should be a game where Ford is involved in the passing game since Denver is among the worst teams at defending running backs out of the backfield. Nine running backs this season have scored at least 6.8 PPR points against the Broncos with just their receiving totals alone, and Ford recently had four catches for 29 yards on four targets in Week 11 at New Orleans. He's a risky flex option, but if Ford gets work in the passing game, then he'll be useful, given how Denver struggles to defend running backs out of the backfield.
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RBs to Sit
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Chubb had his best Fantasy game of the season in Week 12 against Pittsburgh with 19 PPR points because he scored two touchdowns. He finished with 20 carries for 59 yards, the two touchdowns, and one catch for 1 yard on one target. We'll see if Chubb can find the end zone again in Week 13 at Denver because he's still averaging just three yards per carry and has only three catches for 7 yards on seven targets. But this is a tough matchup since the Broncos have allowed two rushing touchdowns since Week 6 and just five rushing touchdowns for the season. I would only use Chubb as a flex option in most leagues in Week 13.
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I expected Swift to struggle in Week 12 against Minnesota, and he finished with 9.5 PPR points. That's now two games in his past three outings with 9.5 PPR points or less, and he has another tough matchup in Week 13 at Detroit. The Lions are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Swift continues to lose playing time and touchdowns to Roschon Johnson, who has scored a touchdown in each of the past two games. Swift has one touchdown in his past four outings, and I don't expect this to be a productive revenge game for him on Thanksgiving Day.
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Tank Bisgby (ankle) appears on track to play in Week 13 at Houston after missing Week 11, which is bad news for Etienne. The good news is Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is expected to return, and hopefully, his presence helps the entire Jaguars offense. Etienne has struggled of late with 6.3 PPR points or less in three games in a row against Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Detroit, which are brutal matchups. The Texans aren't an easy opponent either, ranking No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. I would only use Etienne as a flex option in the majority of leagues in Week 13.
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You're better off avoiding the Denver backfield until someone emerges as a featured option, and that's not likely to happen any time soon. Sean Payton seems to enjoy his running back carousel, and a different running back has seen a spike in playing time in each of the past three games with Williams, Audric Estime, and Jaleel McLaughlin. Williams has been the most consistent of the trio, but he scored 2.7 PPR points or less in two of his past three games. The Browns are No. 7 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Williams will likely only be useful if he scores a touchdown, which has happened just three times all season.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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We got a nice surprise Wednesday when Robinson (ankle) was able to practice, and it looks like he'll play in Week 13 against Tennessee after getting hurt in Week 12 against Dallas. And even though Austin Ekeler (concussion) is likely out, I don't love this matchup for Robinson against the Titans. Tennessee has faced a gauntlet of running backs in the past three games with J.K. Dobbins, Aaron Jones, and Joe Mixon, and all three were held to 9.5 PPR points or less. Robinson is not 100 percent, and we'll see if Washington goes easy on him with a bye in Week 14. I would still use Robinson as a flex option in all leagues, but I don't consider him a must-start running back, even if Ekeler is out.
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