We’re heading into the home stretch of the season with about a month away from the fantasy playoffs. Now is the time to shore up your running back spots with players that are sure to see their fair share of snaps…and dump those that won’t. Below is who is and isn’t shining this week.

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Baltimore Ravens

• JK Dobbins – 29 snaps (44%)
• Mark Ingram – 17 snaps (26%)
• Gus Edwards – 15 snaps (23%)

There’s good news and bad news for JK Dobbins owners. On one hand, Mark Ingram returned from injury and seriously cut into Dobbins’ snap count which resulted in Dobbins seeing his lowest snap total in a month. It also contributed to Dobbins’ lowest carry total in over a month, seeing just five carries. The returning Ingram also had five carries while Gus Edwards technically led all Ravens back with seven. All three also had two targets each, further showing just how much of a committee this is.

On the flip side, Dobbins did lead all Ravens running backs in snaps, seeing nearly half of them in their Week 10 loss. But still, no back in Baltimore is consistently seeing more action than the other (when all three are healthy) and it seems like the only chance any of them have to be fantasy relevant is when scoring opportunities open up. It’s too risky to rely on any of them right now.

Next week: Ravens vs. Titans 

Cleveland Browns

• Kareem Hunt – 38 snaps (58%)
• Nick Chubb – 28 snaps (43%)

After missing nearly six weeks, Nick Chubb owners were thrilled to have him back even if he was being eased back into the lineup. He ceded more snaps to Kareem Hunt, but Chubb still managed to have a day, seeing the same number of carries as Hunt – 19 – and totaling more yards with 126 and a score. When Chubb is active, he’s been one of the best backs in the league, totaling 100-yard rushing games in three of the six games he played.

Of course, Hunt still managed to see more action in the passing game, totaling four targets to Chubb’s one but that was to be expected. If Chubb is the primary ball carrier for the Browns, his fantasy owners will be happy. Expect his usage to tick up even more down the stretch.

Next week: Browns vs. Eagles

Detroit Lions  

• D’Andre Swift – 43 snaps (73%)
• Kerryon Johnson – Nine snaps (15%)
• Adrian Peterson – Seven snaps (12%)

Better late than never, D’Andre Swift appears to have taken control of the running back depth chart in Detroit. He saw career-highs in snaps (43) and snap share (73%) which, not coincidentally, led to a great fantasy day. He rushed for 81 yards on his 16 carries plus caught five balls for 68 yards and a touchdown. Also, not a coincidence, the Lions scored at least 30 points for just the second time all season.

Unless an unexpected injury occurs, Swift is the only back to own in Detroit. Kerryon Johnson hasn’t seen more than four carries since Week Two. Adrian Peterson has also appeared to reach the end of the line, not topping 40 yards since Week Three despite seeing double-digit carries three times in that span. Both Peterson and Johnson can be dropped.

Next week: Lions at Panthers

Houston Texans

• Duke Johnson – 54 snaps (95%)
• CJ Prosise – Two snaps (4%)

In his debut as a workhorse running back, thanks to a concussion suffered by David Johnson, Duke Johnson failed to distinguish himself. Yes, he saw nearly every snap on offense, but he managed just 54 yards on his 14 carries. Perhaps more disappointing was seeing just one target all day. Granted, the weather conditions weren’t ideal for a pass-heavy scheme but with Duke having a monopoly on the position this week, it would have been nice to see more touches.

Unless Houston signs someone off the street, expect Duke to continue seeing this kind of workload. It’s possible CJ Prosise sees more snaps in either the run or passing game, but Johnson will still be a volume-based option. Just maybe not a good one.

Next week: Texans vs. Patriots

Los Angeles Rams

• Malcolm Brown – 29 snaps (41%)
• Darrell Henderson – 23 snaps (33%)
• Cam Akers – 18 snaps (26%)

What a weird week even by Rams’ running back standards. Malcolm Brown led them all with 29 snaps yet saw the least amount of carries with six. Of course, he scored on two of them which helps. He also nominally led Rams running backs with two targets, one more than Darrell Henderson and two more than Cam Akers.

Meanwhile, Cam Akers, who had the least amount of snaps, saw the most carries with 10 which was also his highest total since Week One. Just all sorts of wonky numbers with Rams running backs but the only one that mattered were Brown’s two touchdowns.

The only thing that remains a constant is the unpredictability. Everyone was ready to roll with Darrell Henderson after he saw double-digit carries in five of the Rams six games before seeing just 15 carries over the Rams’ last two games. We’ve seemingly waited all season for the Cam Akers breakout but there’s been no sign that one exists. And Malcolm Brown keeps defying everyone’s predictions, currently sitting second on the Rams in carries and leading Rams running backs in targets. Good luck navigating this one.

Next week: Rams at Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Ronald Jones II – 47 snaps (59%)
• Leonard Fournette – 29 snaps (36%)
• LeSean McCoy – Three snaps (4%)

In what could have been a really bad day for Ronald Jones, who fumbled on his first touch of the game, it turned into his best. He led the Tampa Bay backfield in snaps (47) and touches (24) – both by a wide margin – and the rushes (23) and yards (192) were both new career-highs.

Going forward, this should solidify Jones as the main ball carrier over Fournette who, outside of his 100-yard performance in Week Two, has failed to impress on the ground. On the flip side, Fournette does seem to be the preferred back in the passing game, seeing at least five targets in four of his eight games as a Buc.

Week 10: Buccaneers vs. Rams

Washington Football Team

• JD Mckissic – 62 snaps (70%)
• Antonio Gibson – 33 snaps (38%)
• Peyton Barber – 10 snaps (11%)

Before Washington’s bye week, Antonio Gibson seemed to be on the verge of a breakout. He saw a career-high 20 carries in Week Seven and recorded his first 100-yard game after outlasting all other attempts by Washington running backs to take his job.

Alas, it was not meant to be. In their first game off a bye, they turned to quarterback Alex Smith (thanks to an apparent season-ending injury to Kyle Allen) and the offense hasn’t looked the same since. In just three quarters in Week Nine, Smith attempted 32 passes while he attempted another 55 in his first full game in Week 10. It would be good news for Antonio Gibson if he were a bell cow, but Alex Smith has been infatuated with JD McKissic since his return. McKissic has seen a ridiculous 29 targets the last two weeks and hauled in 16 of them. To his credit, Gibson has still seen at least three targets in each game but nothing like McKissic.

Washington has a good chance to be in a more Antonio Gibson-friendly game script the next couple of weeks with matchups against the Bengals and Dallas. But it’s clear that any chance he has of being a bell cow this season are extremely low.

Next week: Washington vs. Bengals

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Michael Moore is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @DLF_Moore.