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Running Back Roundup Week 5: Todd Gurley, Chris Carson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Running Back Roundup Week 5: Todd Gurley, Chris Carson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Week 5 is in the books, and it’s time to take stock of the crazy week we just experienced. What better way to do that then with a retrospective of the top stories from fantasy’s favorite position – the running back. Each Wednesday, we’ll look back on studs, busts, breakouts, timeshares, situations to monitor, and all things RB from the past week.

So settle in, partner. It’s time to saddle up for the RB Roundup. Yeehaw.

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Stud of the week: Mike Davis (CAR) 29.9 fantasy points
I know, I know. You came here expecting a running back roundup, not a Mike Davis stan article. But here we are. Mike D has become the waiver wire hero to end all waiver wire heroes. In three games as Carolina’s starter, he’s averaged 117 total yards, seven receptions, and a score – not too shabby. Until Christian McCaffrey returns, Davis should be played as an RB1.

Breakout of the week: Chase Edmonds (ARI) 20.8 fantasy points
Edmonds impressed once again, as he turned eight touches into 92 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Kenyan Drake handled a 19-touch workload but only mustered 62 yards. It remains to be seen how long this large touch disparity continues, as Edmonds has been much more efficient with his touches all season.

Bust of the week: Antonio Gibson (WAS) 10.1 fantasy points
After a big Week 4 breakout, Gibson was stifled against the Rams and was actually out-targeted and out-gained as a receiver by J.D. McKissic. While Gibson still grabbed five receptions, McKissic seems to be the preferred back when Washington is down and looking to pass. Negative gamescript will likely be an issue for Gibson moving forward.

Surprise of the week: Justin Jackson (LAC) 14.4 fantasy points
J-Jax surprised with 20 total touches in Sunday’s loss, going for 94 yards and seeing plenty of work as a receiver out of the backfield. Meanwhile, Joshua Kelley turned 12 total touches into just 38 yards. It will be interesting to monitor the touch distribution moving forward, but this looks like a timeshare that’s leaning in favor of Jackson.

TG3II = 5TD

Washed up? Can’t get it done anymore? Not going to happen in Atlanta? Gurley is hearing none of it this season. Through five weeks, the veteran star has racked up a 79/375/5 rushing line and sits as the RB10 in half-PPR scoring. He’s been surprisingly uninvolved in the passing game, though that hasn’t prevented him from having a solid start to the season.

He’s third in the NFL in rushing yards and tied for second in rushing touchdowns. Reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated, and Gurley has been fantastic thus far into his Falcons tenure. He’s averaged a whopping 18 touchdowns over the last three seasons and is well on his way to a fourth straight double-digit touchdown season. The fantasy community at large has been quiet on Gurley’s success this season, but he’s a rock-solid RB2 every week.

The Ball ‘Hawk: Chris Carson

Another season, another year of undervaluing Carson. Ranked RB15 in preseason draft rankings, CC currently sits as the RB5 in fantasy football. Though he’s seen a decline in his per-game rushing attempts, Carson is on pace to easily surpass his previous career highs in receptions (37) and receiving yards (266). Carson totaled three receiving touchdowns over his first three years in the league and has already recorded that number through five games in 2020.

In fact, Carson is on pace for his fewest touches as a full-time starter (262) as Seattle has “let Russ cook” in 2020, but his efficiency has improved. Carson is averaging a career-high 5.2 yards per touch on 82 touches this season and should continue to provide RB1 value in Seattle’s high-powered offense as long as he can stay on the field.

The End Zone: Clyde Edwards-NotThere? 

What to do about Clyde Edwards-Helaire? He hasn’t scored since Week 1, and coming off a huge letdown performance against Las Vegas in Week 5, fantasy managers may be concerned. But should they be?

After rushing for 138 yards in his Week 1 NFL debut, CEH has failed to eclipse 64 yards in any of his other four contests. However, he’s seen a robust 25 targets in those games, and racked up a 17/169 line as a receiver to buoy his fantasy value. Encouragingly, he’s the RB12 despite the touchdown drought, and he’s scored double-digit PPR points in every game this season. He’s logging nearly 20 touches per contest, and he’s ranked top-10 in rushing. Oh, and he had a receiving touchdown called back on penalty in Week 5.

The scores are coming for CEH, especially in Kansas City’s high-scoring offense. A back with this much involvement in the gameplan, especially as a receiver, should not be undervalued. If a leaguemate is panicking after the Week 5 stinker, float a trade offer for the talented rookie and get him on your team before he starts crossing the goal line with more regularity.

Quick Hitters

  • Jonathan Taylor has failed to top 17 carries since his Week 2, 26-carry performance, though he’s still scored twice in that span. Taylor should continue to be the focal point of the offense, though his volume over the last three weeks is concerning. In those games, he’s totaled 46 touches to Nyheim Hines‘ 28.
  • Le’Veon Bell is no longer a Jet. His brief and confusing run as a member of Gang Green is over, and he’s off to greener pastures (pun intended). He’s surely still got something left in the tank, and his fantasy value should shoot up on whatever team signs him, after escaping the crater that is the New York Jets offense. No, this doesn’t mean that Frank Gore will be a fantasy-relevant play this season.

  • Raheem Mostert returned from a two-week absence and immediately put in work for the Niners. He turned 14 touches into 119 total yards and should be a locked-and-loaded RB2 as long as he’s on the field.
  • Ronald Jones has quietly put together back-to-back 100-yard games, and RoJo ranks seventh in the league in rushing with 359 yards. Even when Leonard Fournette is healthy and back on the field, Jones may have done enough to hold onto the starting job.
  • Alexander Mattison is in line for a start this week after Dalvin Cook suffered a groin injury in Week 5. The Vikings have a Week 7 bye, and Cook is likely to sit this one out to get an extra week’s rest. Mattison totaled 136 yards in relief duty against Seattle, and he’s in a great spot against Atlanta in Week 6, where he should be viewed as an RB1.

  • Returning to action for the first time in three weeks, Cam Akers rushed nine times for 61 yards. With Darrell Henderson rolling and Malcolm Brown proving to be a solid change-of-pace, Akers’ role in the offense is muddy at this time. The rookie is still worth a hold, as he may overtake Brown for more work behind Henderson moving forward.

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

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