Week 3 has come and gone, and we’re beginning to see some trends in NFL backfields. The names at the top of the leaderboards were familiar, but there was also a Phillip Lindsay sighting after the All-Pro was nowhere to be found in Weeks 1 and 2. The biggest story of the week was Saquon Barkley’s high-ankle sprain, and the consensus No. 1 fantasy pick will be sidelined for multiple weeks. Mark Ingram hit pay dirt thrice, James Conner and Todd Gurley continued to disappoint, and Chris Carson coughed up another fumble. Let’s take a look at some other important news and notes in this week’s Running Back Roundup.

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Week 3 Rushing Leaders

1. Christian McCaffrey (CAR): 153
2. Ezekiel Elliott (DAL): 125
3. Dalvin Cook (MIN): 110
4. Tony Pollard (DAL): 103
5. Mark Ingram (BAL): 103

Week 3 Scrimmage Yards Leaders

1. Christian McCaffrey (CAR): 188 yards
2. Alvin Kamara (NO): 161 yards
3. Dalvin Cook (MIN): 143 yards
4. Ezekiel Elliott (DAL): 139 yards
5. Mark Ingram (BAL): 135 yards

Week 3 Fantasy Leaders (PPR)

1. Alvin Kamara (NO): 38.1
2. Mark Ingram (BAL): 36.5
3. Christian McCaffrey (CAR): 32.8
4. Phillip Lindsay (DEN): 29.0
5. Dalvin Cook (MIN): 25.3

Week 3 Biggest Busts

1. Todd Gurley (LAR): 4.3
2. Josh Jacobs (OAK): 4.4
3. Chris Carson (SEA): 5.1
4. Saquon Barkley (NYG): 7.7
5. James Conner (PIT): 8.7

Devonta Freeman Delivers His Best Game of the Season
Devonta Freeman: 16 carries, 88 rush yards, 3 receptions, 7 receiving yards
Ito Smith: 1 carry, no gain

Smith and Freeman have been splitting work fairly evenly this season, but Smith exited the game early in the first quarter with a concussion and did not return. This led to Freeman totaling 95 yards – his highest tally of the season. If Smith is forced to miss time, Freeman should operate as the unquestioned workhorse, with little depth behind him.

The Ageless Frank Gore
Frank Gore: 14 carries, 76 rush yards, 2 receptions, 13 receiving yards, rushing TD
T.J. Yeldon: 8 carries, 30 rush yards, 2 receptions, 19 receiving yards

Gore had a fantastic game, racking up chunk yardage plays on his way to 89 total yards and the game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes of the contest. As long as Devin Singletary (hamstring) is out, Gore should continue to receive heavy volume. T.J. Yeldon received 10 touches of his own, but he worked clearly behind Gore, who was also involved in the receiving game.

<David Montgomery Shines, Needs More Touches
Tarik Cohen: 4 carries, -2 rush yards, 2 receptions, 26 receiving yards
Mike Davis: 1 carry, 2 rush yards
David Montgomery: 13 carries, 67 rush yards, 3 receptions, 14 receiving yards

Montgomery operated as a true lead back, and he’s clearly separated from Davis and Cohen as the leader in this backfield. It’s a bit puzzling that Matt Nagy hasn’t found a way to get the ball in his hands more, considering his success on a limited number of touches. Regardless, he’s a flex play based on volume right now, but his value would skyrocket if given a heftier workload by the coaching staff. Cohen is a disappointment this season after a breakout 2018 season and he can be left on benches right now — even in PPR formats.

Phillip Lindsay Makes an Appearance
Royce Freeman: 15 carries, 63 rush yards, 4 receptions, 10 receiving yards
Phillip Lindsay: 21 carries, 81 rush yards, 4 receptions, 49 receiving yards, 2 rushing TDs

Lindsay had a huge game, piling up 130 total yards and two scores on 25 touches, though Freeman chipped in 19 touches of his own. This is still an RBBC, but for one out of three weeks, Lindsay got the better of Freeman. If he can start putting together efforts like this on a consistent basis, Lindsay will be an every-week flex, as will Freeman. There are plenty of touches to go around in this backfield.

Kerryon Gets His Carry on with a Career-High 20 Totes
Kerryon Johnson: 20 carries, 36 rush yards, 7-yard reception, rushing TD

Johnson saw a career-high 20 carries on a day when no other Lion received more than four. His inefficiencies continued to show through, as he failed to gain even two yards per carry. Johnson’s poor effort on the ground was saved thanks to a touchdown, but this season, the “Wayward Son” has amassed just 126 rushing yards on 48 carries, good for a pitiful 2.6 yards per carry average. He’s caught only five passes for 67 yards and an additional score. In three weeks of play, it’s clear Johnson is the workhorse, but he’s doing little with his opportunities. Still, with this kind of volume, expect Johnson to start paying dividends.

A Confusing Timeshare in Title Town
Aaron Jones: 10 carries, 19 rush yards, 4-yard reception, 2 rushing TDs
Jamaal Williams: 12 carries, 59 rush yards, 2 receptions, 27 receiving yards

Matt LaFleur alluded to a more even touch distribution, and that’s exactly what happened Sunday. Williams finished with 14 touches to Jones’ 11, but it was Jones who made two Lambeau Leaps in the victory, pushing Green Bay to 3-0 on the season. Williams has garnered enough work to be used as a low-end flex, while Jones is still the back to own in this offense as an RB2/3 with capped upside thanks to an unforeseen timeshare.

The Other D. Williams
Darrel Williams: 9 carries, 62 rush yards, 5 receptions, 47 receiving yards
LeSean McCoy: 8 carries, 54 rush yards, 3 receptions, 26 receiving yards, rushing TD, receiving TD
Darwin Thompson: 4 carries, 8 rush yards

In a very unexpected turn of events, Darrel Williams got the start at running back against Baltimore. LeSean McCoy, however, worked as the lead back until he left the game in the fourth quarter after re-tweaking his injured ankle. Darwin Thompson was an afterthought. If McCoy is forced to miss time or is limited in Week 4 against Detroit, Williams makes an interesting flex option.

Gurley Underwhelms
Todd Gurley: 14 carries, 43 rush yards
Malcolm Brown: 3 carries, 7 rush yards

Gurley played clearly ahead of Malcolm Brown for the second straight game, though he was unable to muster much running room against a strong Browns front. The upside is still there for Gurley, but it is waning with each passing week. You have to keep trotting him out, but if you can get good value for him on name alone, dealing him wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

Say It Ain’t So(ny)
Sony Michel: 9 carries, 11 rush yards, rushing TD
Rex Burkhead: 11 carries, 47 rush yards, 6 receptions, 22 receiving yards, rushing TD

Michel was completely ineffective Sunday for the second time in three games. He scored on a five-yard plunge and racked up a pathetic six yards on eight additional carries. Meanwhile, Burkhead outcarried and outgained Michel to the tune of 69 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. So far this season, Michel has 45 carries for 108 yards – good for 2.4 yards per carry. He’s highly touchdown-dependent and is best viewed as a low-end RB3/flex, but you can’t be comfortable playing him right now.

Sanders on Display in Philly
Miles Sanders: 13 carries, 53 rush yards, 2 receptions, 73 receiving yards
Jordan Howard: 11 carries, 37 rush yards, rushing TD
Darren Sproles: 2 carries, 4 rush yards

Jordan Howard got the spike, but Sanders piled up 126 scrimmage yards, thanks to 73 yards receiving (the second most among running backs this week). He’s slowly separating from the pack and, if given more opportunities, he could become a weekly RB3/flex play. Darren Sproles has been phased out of the offense over the last two games after being regularly involved in Week 1.

Jeff Wilson – Touchdown Machine
Matt Breida: 14 carries, 68 rush yards, 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards
Raheem Mostert: 12 carries, 79 rush yards
Jeff Wilson: 8 carries, 18 rush yards, 2 rushing TDs

Breida and Mostert split carries again, and both look like consistent producers in a run-heavy offense. Neither offers a lot of touchdown upside, however, as the proclaimed goal-line back, Jeff Wilson, scored two times for the second week in a row. Tevin Coleman is reportedly targeting a Week 5 return, though his health and potential involvement when he returns are unclear. For now, treat Mostert and Breida as flex options and Wilson as a cheap DFS option.

Carson Coughs It Up…Again
Chris Carson: 15 carries, 53 rush yards, 1 reception, -2 receiving yards
C.J. Prosise: 4 carries, 5 rush yards, 5 receptions, 38 receiving yards

With Rashaad Penny (hamstring) out, Carson got the bulk of the carries, but he lost a costly fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Vonn Bell. Carson has had issues holding onto the ball this season – losing a fumble in all three games this year — and it’s unclear if he’s found his way into the doghouse after this performance. Even though he was expected to have more involvement in the receiving game this season, it was Prosise who was in on the hurry-up offense and finished with five receptions. A 16-9 touch advantage on a third-string back isn’t particularly encouraging for Carson’s outlook moving forward. We may be seeing more of Rashaad Penny once he’s healthy.

Riding the Hot Hand in Tampa Bay
Ronald Jones: 14 carries, 80 rush yards, 1 reception, 41 receiving yards
Peyton Barber: 13 carries, 48 rush yards, 2 receptions, 7 receiving yards
Dare Ogunbowale: 3 receptions, 23 receiving yards

After a four-carry, nine-yard debacle in Week 2, Ronald Jones led the backfield in carries, rushing yards, and scrimmage yards, out-gaining Peyton Barber 121 – 55 with both players receiving 15 total touches. Neither is trustworthy on a weekly basis, though it’s clear that Jones is the more explosive back who offers the most upside.

Peterson Plods, Thompson Delivers
Chris Thompson: 7 carries, 29 rush yards, 4 receptions, 79 receiving yards
Adrian Peterson: 12 carries, 37 rush yards, 1 reception, -3 receiving yards 

Peterson plodded along to 34 total yards on 13 touches while Thompson went for nearly 120 yards on just 11 touches. Thompson remains the back to own in Washington’s offense, particularly in PPR leagues. Counting on Peterson as an RB3 means banking on a touchdown. He’s too volatile to put into lineups right now.

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Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.