I like Najee Harris as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 14 against Cleveland. I just hope he does better against the Browns in the rematch than he did in Week 12.
Harris has scored at least 11.3 PPR points in six of his past seven games, including four games during that stretch with at least 16.1 PPR points. The lone game where he struggled was at Cleveland when he had 16 carries for 41 yards and two catches for 13 yards on two targets.
The hope is Harris does one of two things -- if not both. The Browns have allowed eight rushing touchdowns in their past four games, and Harris has scored a touchdown in four of his past seven outings. Jaylen Warren scored a rushing touchdown against Cleveland in Week 12, but hopefully, that goes to Harris in Week 14.
I also hope Harris remains a significant factor in the passing game. In Week 13 at Cincinnati, Harris had six catches for 54 yards on six targets, which was the second time in three games he had at least five targets and four catches. He didn't have those same chances in the passing game against the Browns.
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With six teams on a bye, Harris has the potential to be a top-15 Fantasy running back in all leagues. I also like Warren as a solid flex option given the matchup. Hopefully, both Pittsburgh running backs can find the end zone and work in the passing game against this Cleveland defense in Week 14.
RBs to Start
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I made the wrong choice of Tampa Bay players as Start of the Week in Week 13 when I was deciding between Irving and Baker Mayfield, and Irving had a breakout performance at Carolina with 25 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 33 yards on three targets for 27.5 PPR points. He now has at least at least 15.4 PPR points in six of his past seven games, including three in a row, and he should stay hot against the Raiders in Week 14. Nine running backs have scored at least 15.5 PPR points against Las Vegas this season, and hopefully, Irving is fine with the hip injury he dealt with against the Panthers. If healthy, Irving has top-five upside in all leagues.
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Pollard only scored 8.8 PPR points in Week 13 at Washington, and he's been held to 10.3 PPR points or less in three of his past four games. I still trust him in Week 14 against Jacksonville as a must-start running back in all leagues based on the matchup. The Jaguars are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and in their past four games, Jacksonville has allowed 119 carries for 587 yards and five touchdowns and 16 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown to opposing backfields. Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Joe Mixon have all scored at least 12.1 PPR points against the Jaguars, and Pollard should follow suit in Week 14.
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The Bengals were without linebacker Logan Wilson (knee) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (illness) in Week 13 against the Steelers, and it showed. Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and Cordarrelle Patterson combined for 22 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown and 13 catches for 146 yards on 13 targets. We'll see what Cincinnati's defense looks like for Monday's game against the Cowboys, but the Bengals have now allowed a running back to score at least 14.1 PPR points in three games in a row. Dowdle is coming off his best game of the season in Week 13 against the Giants with 22 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 11 yards on three targets. He's worth starting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Guerendo is the starting running back for the 49ers with Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) out, and Guerendo is worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 14. Chicago has allowed 11 running backs to score at least 12.4 PPR points this season, including four in the past three games, and Guerendo scored 19.2 PPR points in his lone outing this season with at least 11 total touches, which was Week 8 against Dallas. We'll see who the 49ers use to share touches with Guerendo, but the runway is clear for him to have a strong finish to the season, starting with this game against the Bears.
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The concern for Tracy in Week 14 would be that he has only nine carries in each of his past two games against Tampa Bay and Dallas and 13 total touches or less in each outing. Fumbles have been an issue for him, and the Giants are still giving Devin Singletary a chance to share the backfield. That said, Tracy has still scored at least 14.5 PPR points in two of his past three games, and he has a favorable matchup this week against the Saints, who are No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Since Week 5, eight running backs have scored at least 16.8 PPR points against New Orleans, and Tracy should be considered a solid No. 2 running back in all leagues in this matchup.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Swift has struggled in the past two games against Minnesota and Detroit, scoring 9.5 PPR points or less in each outing. Those are two of the best run defenses in the NFL, and Swift had scored at least 14.2 PPR points in six of his previous seven games prior to facing the Vikings and Lions. This week, Swift is facing a 49ers defense that is No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Six running backs in the past four games have scored at least 13.7 PPR points, and the backfields from Tampa Bay, Seattle, Green Bay, and Buffalo combined for 110 carries for 517 yards and seven touchdowns and 17 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown over that span. Swift should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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I like Najee Harris as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 14 against the Browns, but Harris is also worth using as at least a flex, especially in PPR. He scored at least 10.4 PPR points in three games in a row, and in Week 12 at Cleveland, he had his best game of the season with 15.4 PPR points. The Browns have allowed eight rushing touchdowns in their past four games, and three running backs over that span have scored at least 12.9 PPR points.
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This could be a big game for Abdullah catching the ball in Week 14 at Tampa Bay, especially if Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps) remain out. The Buccaneers are tied for second in most receptions allowed to running backs with 71, and 10 running backs this season have scored at least 7.4 PPR points against Tampa Bay with just their receiving totals alone. Abdullah has scored at least 10.7 PPR points in two of his past three games, with 10 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets over that span. He could be a solid flex option in PPR in Week 14.
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There are six teams on a bye in Week 14, and Fantasy managers could be desperate for running back help. I could see a scenario where Gainwell is getting the chance for some garbage time production if the Eagles, who are 12-point favorites at home against the Panthers, have a big lead and are resting Saquon Barkley. Prior to Week 13, Gainwell had at least five total touches in six games in a row, and he scored at least 7.7 PPR points in two of those outings. Carolina is No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, so maybe Gainwell could be an option in deeper leagues.
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RBs to Sit
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Hubbard is more of a bust alert than a must-sit running back, but I don't like the setup for him in Week 14. He's on the road at Philadelphia, and the Eagles are 12-point favorites. Philadelphia is also No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and only four running backs have topped 12 PPR points against the Eagles in their past eight games, with four touchdowns allowed to the position all season. Hubbard also just had 12 carries for 43 yards and no targets in Week 13 against Tampa Bay, which is the second game he's played with Jonathon Brooks. It's the fewest total touches for Hubbard since Week 1, and this could be a sign of things to come. I would only use Hubbard as a flex option in the majority of leagues in Week 14.
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Isiah Pacheco returned in Week 13 against Las Vegas for the first time since suffering a broken leg in Week 2, and Hunt's production cratered. He had seven carries for 15 yards and two catches for no yards on four targets, and his nine total touches were the fewest he's had since returning to Kansas City in Week 4. The Chargers are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, so you can't trust Hunt in a reduced workload, and he's a flex option at best in deeper leagues. As for Pacheco, he's worth using as a low-end No. 2 running back. He had seven carries for 44 yards against the Raiders, with one catch for 5 yards on one target. He played less snaps than Hunt, but Pacheco's workload should increase in Week 14.
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Etienne has scored 8.8 PPR points or less in five games in a row, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 2. He also just went over 50 total yards in Week 13 against Houston for the first time since Week 5. I wish we could rely on his role in the passing game, but Etienne only has six catches for 18 yards on six targets in his past two games, and this isn't a good matchup against the Titans. While Washington had success against Tennessee in Week 13, with Brian Robinson Jr. and Chris Rodriguez Jr. both scoring at least 15.4 PPR points, the Titans shut down J.K. Dobbins, Aaron Jones, and Joe Mixon in the previous three games, holding that trio to 9.5 PPR points or less in each outing. Etienne is a flex option at best in most leagues in Week 14.
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Edwards did not take advantage of J.K. Dobbins (knee) being out in Week 13 at Atlanta with six carries for 32 yards and one catch for 1 yard on one target. He's yet to score more than 7.1 PPR points in any game this season, which includes scoring a touchdown in Week 12 against Baltimore and having two games with at least 12 total touches. I'd love to see the Chargers give rookie Kimani Vidal more work with Dobbins on injured reserve, but this is a bad matchup for both in Week 14 at the Chiefs. Kansas City is No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and only five running backs have scored more than 12 PPR points against the Chiefs this season. Edwards is a borderline flex option at best in most leagues in Week 14.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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The last time Chubb faced the Steelers in Week 12, he had 19 PPR points, which came on the strength of two rushing touchdowns. He had 20 carries for 59 yards, two touchdowns, and one catch for 1 yard on one target. Chubb also scored 12.5 PPR points in Week 13 at Denver with nine carries for 21 yards, two catches for 24 yards, and a touchdown on two targets. Since returning from his knee injury in Week 7, Chubb is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry, and the only games where he's scored more than 5.2 PPR points is when he found the end zone. The good news is the Steelers have allowed a running back to score in nine games in a row, but Chubb's production could be minimal if he doesn't score. I prefer Chubb as just a flex option in most leagues in Week 14.
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