Week 13 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.
Settle in, partner. It’s time to saddle up for the RB Roundup. Yeehaw.
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Stud of the week: David Montgomery (CHI) 25.1 fantasy points
Monty was featured in last week’s RB Roundup as a potential RB1 for the rest of the season, and boy did he live up to that billing in this one. Montgomery was the highest-scoring back of the week behind another big performance.
.@MontgomerDavid 🚚 IT IN!
📺: FOX#DETvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/zUxWfG65lT
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 6, 2020
Bust of the week: Miles Sanders (PHI) 3.1 fantasy points
Hard to believe, but this was Sanders’ lowest fantasy point total of his career… and it came against one of the league’s worst run defenses. Philly’s offense has been a mess as of late, but Sanders could get a boost in value with Jalen Hurts named the starter for the Eagles’ Week 14 clash with New Orleans. He’s tough to trust as a flex play right now.
Breakout of the week: Cam Akers (LAR) 15.9 fantasy points
Akers rumbled for career highs in carries and total yards while finding the end zone for the third straight game. More on him to come later…
Surprise of the Week: Ty Johnson (NYJ) 18.7 fantasy points
Frank Gore was forced out of the Jets’ Week 13 loss on the first series of the game, leaving Johnson to dominate carries and roll to career highs across the board with a 22/104/1 rushing line. If Gore is out for Week 14, volume would keep Johnson in the flex conversation for that matchup.
99 yards and a TD for Ty.
📺 #LVvsNYJ on CBS pic.twitter.com/MFDlKZKfaT
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 6, 2020
Cam Akers is the Back for Me
Akers missed some time early in the season and failed to score through his first five games. Now, he’s found the end zone in three straight. In Week 13, Akers played 63% of snaps and logged 21 carries – both season highs. In the Rams’ Week 13 victory over Arizona, Akers amassed 22 total touches, 94 total yards, and a touchdown in what can only be described as a breakout.
Cam Akers carries a defender in the end zone 😮
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/U7B3sXr5SE
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 6, 2020
While Akers was breaking out, Malcolm Brown played just 16% of snaps, and Darrell Henderson played only 22% of snaps. This appears to be the changing of the guard, as Akers looks primed to remain the lead back for the Rams’ final games of the season.
In the fantasy playoffs, Akers gets the Patriots, Jets, and Seahawks for what is hardly a murderer’s row of opposing defenses. The kid has the talent to do great things in the NFL, and if he can maintain his hold on the backfield as we expect him to, he could be a league-winner.
Taylor-Made for the Fantasy Playoffs?
Following Taylor’s three-game string of disappointing performances from Weeks 8-10, the fantasy community at large had written his obituary. But – to use a Mark Twain quote I’m fond of in this article – “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Taylor watched his snap percentages and production dwindle in that stretch, but he’s rebounded in a big way across his last two games.
JT ➡️ TD#ProBowlVote x @JayT23
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/Ees5XwGhKb
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 6, 2020
He missed Week 12 while on the reserve/COVID list but dominated in Weeks 11 and 13. In those two contests, Taylor has logged 42 total touches for 249 total yards and a touchdown, and he should be back in the good graces of fantasy managers. Taylor faces two teams ranked in the top-5 of points allowed to running backs over the next two weeks, and he has the makings of a true zero-to-hero fantasy story. His playoff schedule: Raiders, Texans, Steelers.
Do you have the Gall, Man?
Since taking over the Giants’ backfield, Gallman has been a tremendous value for fantasy managers. Across his last six games, he’s racked up 105 total touches for 479 total yards and scored six times. This past week, he led the Giants to a surprising win over the Seahawks in Seattle with 135 rushing yards, including this 60-yard burst:
.@waynegallman turns on the jets and goes 60 yards! #TogetherBlue
📺: #NYGvsSEA on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/5w0t6mAzQq pic.twitter.com/gEtjacJ9u0— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2020
Gallman faces Arizona, Cleveland, and Baltimore in the fantasy playoffs, and while those aren’t the best matchups for opposing backs, his volume and production can’t be ignored. Gallman is a rock-solid RB2 with upside for the most important games of the fantasy season.
Quick Hitters
- After scoring four times across his last two games, Adrian Peterson is in a prime position to produce in Week 14 against Green Bay if D’Andre Swift is out or limited.
- Nick Chubb has racked up at least 100 scrimmage yards in six of eight games, including four in a row.
- Alfred Morris scored twice in Week 13 and even gave us that famous baseball bat touchdown celebration that we were so accustomed to seeing in Washington.
Colt McCoy → Alfred Morris (yes, you read that right)
Watch live: https://t.co/cLanMzBpPN pic.twitter.com/omm0Ee5llX
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 6, 2020
- Alvin Kamara bounced back Sunday thanks to 88 rushing yards and a score, but his declining usage in the passing game should really alarm fantasy managers. In three games with Taysom Hill as the starter, Kamara has grabbed just three receptions for seven yards on six targets. He’s still a must-start, but he’s not the locked-in top-5 option he was with Brees under center.
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Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.
