This week’s look back at backfield usage in Week 9 kicks off with an electric debut from a back playing in his first game for a new team. Also, I gloat about the analysis I provided last week in regard to a backfield and eat some humble pie for a misstep a couple of weeks ago. There’s even the rare occasion of highlighting a backfield due to a potential dip in value for a popular handcuff.

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Cardinals last week vs. 49ers, this week at Buccaneers

 
Talk of Drake being eased into action with his new club on a short week turned out to be hogwash, as his playing time in the table above indicates. He was acquired before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline and blew up in the Thursday Night Football contest. Remarkable when considering the quick turnaround.

He toted the rock 15 times for 110 rushing yards and a touchdown, and he caught all four of his targets for 52 receiving yards. Not a bad day at the office for a guy facing an elite defense. Drake’s a slam-dunk RB2 with RB1 upside while David Johnson and Chase Edmonds are sidelined. Things will get murkier when all are healthy, but if Johnson beats Edmonds back, there’s potential for both Drake and Johnson to post RB2 value if the club opts to use the duo together and shift Johnson out to wideout. If you’re still holding Edmonds and someone intriguing is on the waiver wire, don’t hesitate to cut bait.

Bills last week vs. Redskins, this week at Browns

 
I gushed a bit about Singletary last week here and here. He made me look good in Week 9 by repeatedly gashing the Redskins and amassing 95 yards and a score on the ground on 20 carries while adding three receptions for 45 yards on four targets. Add it up, and that’s 140 yards from scrimmage. He had a decided advantage over Gore in playing time, as the table above illustrates, and the rookie’s 23 touches were more than double Gore’s 11. Singletary’s an RB2 going forward.

Vikings last week at Chiefs, this week at Cowboys

 
Cook is a workhorse, and even without reaching pay dirt, he was solid for gamers with 71 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards on four receptions. The Vikings aren’t in this space because of Cook, notice Abdullah played more snaps than Mattison.

The rookie runner carried the ball three times for six yards and failed to corral his only target. Abdullah rushed one time for two yards and hauled in a 16-yard touchdown grab. The Abdullah touchdown was tilting for gamers using Cook and those throwing a hail mary with Mattison in lineups, too. Mattison remains an elite handcuff, but Abdullah’s inclusion in last week’s game plan might not portend well for Mattison simply absorbing all of Cook’s work if the top back has to miss any time with injury. In other words, if Cook gets hurt, Mattison might find himself in a bit of a running back by committee with Abdullah.

Lions last week at Raiders, this week at Bears

 
Since analyzing this backfield last week, Tra Carson was placed on Injured Reserve and the club worked out Jay Ajayi.

Lions are working out RB Jay Ajayi today, per source.

– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2019

They ultimately didn’t sign Ajayi, and Johnson led the backfield last week in carries with nine. He mustered only 29 rushing yards, and he added just seven receiving yards on three receptions. McKissic was the most productive back in the committee, carrying four times for 32 yards and turning in a 3-40-1 line on four targets. Perhaps McKissic can turn his solid showing into a larger workload and emerge as a flex, but it’s unwise to trust any of Detroit’s backs in anything but larger PPR formats — where McKissic is a defensible option.

Chargers last week vs. Packers, this week at Raiders

 
A couple weeks ago, I suggested benching Gordon until he showed signs of life. In Week 8, he carried the ball eight times for 31 yards and a score, and he caught two of three targets for three receiving yards. I suppose that could be considered a sign of life (it was his first game this year with a yards per carry north of three and saw him reach pay dirt), and hopefully it resulted in getting him back in fantasy lineups for his 20-80-2 line on the ground with a 3-29-0 line through the air in Week 9 against the Packers.

This was the Chargers’ first game since firing offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, and Gordon was clearly used as the feature back with Ekeler still chipping in 12-70-0 and 4-23-0 in his change-of-pace gig. I’m not yet ready to call Gordon a weekly RB1, but he’s at least a slam-dunk RB2 with RB1 upside, and Ekeler’s stuck in low-end RB2/flex territory as long as Gordon remains healthy.

Buccaneers last week at Seahawks, this week vs. Cardinals

 
Jones bested 50% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps for the first time this year. He carried the ball 18 times for 67 rushing yards and a score, and he chipped in two grabs on two targets for 15 receiving yards. Barber was a distant second in carries and rushing yards with four and 15, respectively. Ogunbowale scored a one-yard rushing touchdown on his only carry and caught his only target for 12 receiving yards. Head coach Bruce Arians took note of his play, and he named him the starting running back.

Bruce Arians names Ronald Jones the Buccaneers’ starting RB https://t.co/cgJpybb80z

– JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) November 4, 2019

This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s 100% smooth sailing for him week in and week out, but he should be treated as an RB2.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.