Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, J.K. Dobbins and Tony Pollard have been dominant at times for Fantasy managers in the first four weeks of the season, but all of them are on a bye in Week 5. Replacing them will be a challenge, but some running backs we thought might be done seem to be on the rise again.
D'Andre Swift and Javonte Williams were getting dropped by Fantasy managers after a sluggish start to the season. But Swift came out with a dominant performance of 29.5 PPR points against the Rams in Week 4, and he should have the chance for another solid outing in Week 5 against the Panthers. And Williams just had a solid outing in Week 4 at the Jets, and he should do well again in a plus matchup against the Raiders this week.
I'm hopeful Najee Harris can have his best game of the season against the Cowboys, especially since Jaylen Warren (knee) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) are out. And Jerome Ford (at WAS) should have the chance for a big game in a plus matchup with the Commanders.
Two big stories to monitor for this week are the Colts with Jonathan Taylor (ankle), and what's going to happen for the Chiefs now that Kareem Hunt is coming off a strong game in Week 4 against the Chargers. For Indianapolis, Taylor is out, so Trey Sermon should be considered at least a flex option in all leagues.
The Chiefs will likely lean on Hunt against the Saints on Monday night. Maybe that changes if Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is active in Week 5, but as of Wednesday, we consider Hunt a borderline starter in all leagues.
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RBs to Start
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Hubbard delivered as the Start of the Week in Week 4 against the Bengals with 18 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 17 yards on four targets. He's now scored at least 22.1 PPR points in each of the past two games started by Andy Dalton, and Hubbard got good news this week that the Panthers aren't ready to make Jonathon Brooks (knee) active. The matchup against the Bears isn't scary since Chicago is No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Hubbard once again has top-10 upside in all leagues in Week 5.
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I was wrong about Swift in Week 4 against the Rams, and he was dominant with his best game of the season by far. He had 16 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown and seven catches for 72 yards on seven targets for 29.5 PPR points. To put that in perspective, Swift had 19.4 PPR points combined in his first three games. I'm hopeful this is the caliber of play we'll get from Swift moving forward, and he has a great matchup in Week 5 against Carolina for an encore performance. The Panthers are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and six running backs have scored at least 12.1 PPR points against Carolina this year. Swift is worth trusting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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Jaylen Warren (knee) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) are out this week, so Harris should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. He's been disappointing this season with no touchdowns, and he's averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. But in the past two games with injuries to Warren and Patterson, Harris has come alive as a receiver with eight catches for 70 yards on 11 targets. The Cowboys have allowed three running backs to score at least 18.9 PPR points this season, and hopefully, this can be Harris' best game of the year.
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Ford's time is running out as the starting running back for the Browns, with Nick Chubb (knee) close to making his 2024 debut. Ford will remain the lead running back in Week 5, and he has a great matchup against the Commanders, who are No. 11 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Washington has allowed one running back each week to score at least 16.5 PPR points, and I'm hopeful Ford can keep that streak alive. It helps that Ford has also scored at least 15.5 PPR points in two of four games this year.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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We're waiting to see what the Chiefs will do with their backfield in Week 5, and it could be messy if Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is activated off the NFI list. Carson Steele and Samaje Perine are also in the mix, although Steele's role could be reduced after he fumbled in Week 4 against the Chargers. That miscue likely opened the door for Hunt, and he should be the lead running back for the Chiefs against the Saints no matter what happens with Edwards-Helaire. Hunt played well against the Chargers with 14 carries for 69 yards and two catches for 16 yards on three targets, and he's worth using as at least a flex against the Saints in the majority of leagues.
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Williams has yet to score a touchdown, but he's coming off one of his better games of the season in Week 4 at the Jets with 16 carries for 77 yards and two catches for 3 yards on three targets. He's now scored at least 10 PPR points in two of his past three games, and Week 5 could be his breakout performance against the Raiders. Las Vegas is No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and five running backs have scored at least 11 PPR points against the Raiders this year. Williams should be considered at least a flex in the majority of leagues in Week 5.
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Zamir White (groin) has been ruled out for Week 5 at Denver, which makes Mattison the lead running back for the Raiders. He was likely trending toward becoming the starter anyway, but now Mattison can run away with the job with a strong performance against the Broncos. We'll see what the Raiders do with Ameer Abdullah or Dylan Laube as backups to Mattison against Denver, but Mattison should get the majority of touches. He just averaged 12 yards per carry in Week 4 against Cleveland, and Mattison also scored a touchdown in each of the first three games, with at least 13.4 PPR points in two of those outings. The Broncos have allowed three running backs this season to score at least 11.5 PPR points, and Mattison should be considered at least a flex option in all leagues.
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I still like Rhamondre Stevenson as the best running back for the Patriots, but Jerod Mayo might decide to give Gibson more work in Week 5 against the Dolphins. On Wednesday, Mayo said it is "definitely under consideration" that Gibson starts over Stevenson, who has fumbled in each of the first four games. For the second time in three games, Gibson scored at least 10.9 PPR points in Week 4, and he might be worth using as a flex option against the Dolphins. Miami is No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and a running back has scored at least 13.9 PPR points against the Dolphins in every game this season.
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Josh Jacobs should have the chance for a huge game in Week 5 at the Rams, but everyone knows to start him. I like Wilson as a flex, and the Rams have allowed four running backs this season to score at least 16.3 PPR points, with five different running backs scoring touchdowns. Wilson didn't do much in Week 4 against Minnesota, with eight carries for 27 yards and no catches on one target, but it's clear he has an established role in tandem with Jacobs. And if that continues, especially in Week 5, Wilson could be a spot-starter for Fantasy managers in deeper leagues.
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RBs to Sit
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White is still playing more snaps than Bucky Irving, but the rookie might be on the verge of taking over the starting job in Tampa Bay. White actually had a good outing in Week 4 against Philadelphia with 10 carries for 49 yards and two catches for 35 yards on three targets, but his role in the passing game has shrunk. He only has eight catches in his past three games on 10 targets, and Irving had 10 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles with one catch for 6 yards on two targets. I would only use White and Irving as flex options this week against the Falcons, who are No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Alvin Kamara, in Week 4 is the lone running back to score a touchdown against Atlanta this year.
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Dowdle is coming off his best game of the season in Week 4 at the Giants with 13.1 PPR points, and he should be rostered in all leagues in case he's ready to take over the Dallas backfield completely. But that doesn't mean you need to start him in Week 5 at Pittsburgh. The Steelers are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Pittsburgh has allowed just one touchdown to a running back this season. Dowdle is just a flex at best in Week 5 in the majority of leagues.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Moss has been great so far this season, and he's scored at least 14.1 PPR points in three of four games, including two in a row. But in Week 4 at Carolina, Chase Brown emerged as a legitimate threat to Moss' job, and it's a situation to monitor heading into Week 5 against Baltimore. Brown played a season-high 40 percent of the snaps against the Panthers, and he finished with 23.2 PPR points with 17 total touches (two catches), which was just two shy of Moss. In Week 5, both Bengals are flex options against the Ravens, who are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Isiah Pacheco, in Week 1, is the lone running back with more than nine PPR points against Baltimore this year.
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