• The Detroit Lions mix Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the red zone: Montgomery scored a 75-yard rushing touchdown in his return from injury, much to the delight of fantasy managers. They will want to keep an eye on the shift in red-zone usage, which could impact his ceiling in the future.
• Atlanta Falcons rookie RB Bijan Robinson finally gets some red zone work from Arthur Smith: Robinson had a season-high 22 rush attempts, which could herald the long-awaited revolution at running back for Arthur Smith and the Atlanta Falcons.
• RB for the Seattle Seahawks Kenneth Walker has reopened his doors: Walker has been outpaced by rookie Zach Charbonnet for three weeks in a row, but Walker did resume a heavy workload in Week 10, which should be encouraging for fantasy managers.
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Despite the fact that the fantasy football playoffs are rapidly approaching, plenty of questions remain about some of the league’s most important backfields for fantasy football, as each week provides just a little more insight to help secure that postseason run. Here are five running back takeaways from Week 10’s targets and touches report that could have a significant impact on Week 11 and beyond running back outlooks.
THE DETROIT LIONS’ JAHMYR GIBBS AND DAVID MONTGOMERY HAVE BOTH HAD PRODUCTIVE WEEKS… BUT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN RED ZONE USE.
Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery appear to be working well together in the backfield, accounting for 45.2% and 38.7% of the Lions’ rush attempts in Week 10. Montgomery totaled 116 yards on 12 carries in his first game back since mid-October, when he suffered a rib injury that forced him to miss Weeks 7 and 8 before the team’s Week 9 bye.
While both have encouraging usage, fantasy managers should pay attention to each running back’s usage in the end zone and red zone. Prior to Week 6, Montgomery handled 73.5% of running back red zone rushes and 73.0% of running back carries inside the five-yard line. In Week 10, however, Gibbs and Montgomery split the red zone carries fairly evenly, with Gibbs totaling five (three inside the five-yard line) and Montgomery totaling four (two inside the five-yard line). With the assumption that he won’t be breaking off 75-yard runs most weeks, the closer split between the two could mean a lower ceiling for Montgomery in most weeks.
BIJAN ROBINSON MODE IS NOW AVAILABLE.
Robinson was finally given his chance in Week 10, when he had a career-high 22 rushing attempts for 95 yards and a touchdown. This accounted for slightly more than 67% of the running backs’ rushing attempts on the day. As a result, backup Tyler Allgeier was reduced to 10 touches for 38 yards on the day. Allgeire handled four of those red zone touches, but none of them resulted in a score. Meanwhile, Robinson finally caught the attention of Arthur Smith in the end zone, with four carries inside the 20-yard line on the day, including the team’s only rush attempt inside the five-yard line.
Given the Falcons’ current state, which includes a three-game losing streak and Smith’s job in jeopardy, it doesn’t appear that he should play roulette with the running backs moving forward. Robinson may have just arrived for the rest of the season in Week 10.
Despite being outsnapped by Zach Charbonnet yet again, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS RB KENNETH WALKER RESUMES A HEAVY WORKLOAD.
Charbonnet defeated second-year stud Kenneth Walker for the third time in a row in Week 10. The good news for fantasy owners is that he has finally resumed a “normal” workload after two weeks of 10 or fewer touches. Walker has had 15 or more touches in seven of nine games this season, while Charbonnet has yet to have more than ten touches in a single game.
Aside from snap count, Walker’s usage has him among the elite this season, ranking fifth in the league with 145 carries, fourth with 36 red zone carries, and a league-high 15 rush attempts inside the five-yard line. Walker is the overall RB7 in fantasy football leagues this season as a result of his usage. Charbonnet’s 27.8% touch rate on snaps ranks 53rd out of 58 running backs this season (minimum 50 touches), giving Walker managers hope that Walker’s usage in Week 10 wasn’t a fluke.
BEFORE ALEXANDER MATTISON’S CONCUSSION, THE TY CHANDLER TAKEOVER WAS IN FULL SWING.
It’s no secret that Mattison hasn’t had the most productive season. With Dalvin Cook released earlier this offseason, Mattison has taken over as the starting running back, with less-than-desirable results, averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per attempt, 2.45 yards after contact per attempt, and 36.5 PFF elusive rating. Notably, Mattison suffered a concussion, forcing Ty Chandler to take over in the backfield for the remainder of Week 10. Chander had a career-high 15 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown on the day.
While Mattison’s concussion may have put an asterisk next to Chandler’s box score this week, it’s important to note that his usage wasn’t solely due to Mattison’s absence. Mattison did outsnap Chandler 33-19 in the three quarters he played before injury, but it’s worth noting that Chandler had just two fewer touches than Mattison in that span, averaging 5.0 yards per carry to Mattison’s 3.6 and two 10-yard runs. Even if Mattison clears concussion protocol, Chandler should see increased usage in the coming weeks.
THE BALTIMORE RAVENS RETURN TO GUS EDWARDS IN WEEK 10
Week 9 presented a bit of a challenge for those looking to analyze the Baltimore Ravens backfield, especially given the emergence of rookie Keaton Mitchell and the fact that they pulled their starters after annihilating the Seattle Seahawks through three quarters. However, Week 10 was a closer outing, providing fantasy managers with a more in-depth look at the potential deployment of these backs moving forward.
Gus Edwards resumed his normal usage after playing a season-low 18% of offensive snaps in Week 9, playing 52% of offensive snaps and leading the backfield with 12 total touches for a 44% touch rate. In addition to leading the team in total carries (and seeing both of the team’s goal line opportunities), Edwards led the running backs room with 10 routes run on the day, despite only hitting one target. While Mitchell and Hill had similar snap counts and touch totals for the week, Mitchell’s efficiency and explosive play ability should give him the clear edge as the teams’ RB2.
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