Today is the trade deadline, and we’ve seen the following trades:

• Chase Edmonds to Denver
• Jeff Wilson Jr. to Miami
• Nyheim Hines to Buffalo

I will touch on each one below in the blurbs.

Arizona

• Starter: James Conner
• Handcuff: Eno Benjamin (Strong Hold)

Eno flopped on Sunday in Minnesota (47 scrimmage yards, 0 touchdowns) as the Cardinals couldn’t establish any type of ground game. He still played 71% of the snaps, but it looks like Conner is nearing a return. I’d be holding Benjamin because the Cardinals have committed to giving him the bulk of the work when Conner is out. Given the lengthy injury history there, it wouldn’t surprise me if Benjamin is back out there with the 1s before the end of the year.

Atlanta – Committee (Cordarelle Patterson looms)

• Tyler Allgeier (Hold in 12+ Team Leagues)
• Caleb Huntley (Drop)
• Avery Williams (Drop)

Both Allgeier and Huntley looked good Sunday (one week after I said to drop Huntley, no less), with Allgeier getting in the box. This was perhaps Allgeier’s most complete game so far so while the rushing stats (14/39) won’t jump off the page, he’s consistently seeing a 60% snap share. The question here is what happens when Cordarelle Patterson comes back. I’d bank on Allgeier being on the field for about 40% of the snaps with Huntley being a distant third in the rotation.

Baltimore – Committee

• Gus Edwards (Pickup)
• Kenyan Drake (Hold in 12+ Team Leagues)
• Justice Hill (Drop)

Drake had a solid night from a PPR perspective, catching four passes while scoring a touchdown and rushing for 62 yards. He led the backfield with a 58% snap share and got 5/6 snaps inside the ten. Gus Edwards was only used on 25% of snaps but led the Ravens with 11 carries for 65 yards. Edwards will be somewhat touchdown-dependent to get you there, but with bye weeks coming up, he will be a useful piece to have.

Buffalo

• Starter: Devin Singletary
• Handcuff: James Cook (Drop)
• Handcuff: Nyheim Hines (Wait and see)

Singletary was used liberally here with 16 touches, although he only had one reception. The usage here makes sense in the context of Buffalo getting up big in the 1st half, and then things got sloppy for them. James Cook did pop for a big 41-yard reception and added five carries for 35 yards. I was prepared to say Cook was a stronghold, but now with Nyheim Hines entering the backfield, I’d drop Cook. While I don’t see Hines as a major upgrade here, he will eat into what Cook was doing best. Bummer for Cook as a handcuff and Singletary also takes a bit of a hit.

Carolina – Committee

• D’Onta Foreman (Hold)
• Chuba Hubbard (Hold)

Hubbard missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury leaving the door open for Foreman to smash. He responded with 118 yards rushing and three touchdowns, finishing as the overall RB5 on the week. Foreman saw a 66% snap share and was the primary green zone back which led to his touchdown-scoring frenzy. The Panthers are frisky on offense with P.J. Walker running things, so Foreman’s prospects, at least in the short term, are very live. I would hold onto Hubbard for now, but Foreman is the back to have here.

Chicago

• Starter: David Montgomery
• Handcuff: Khalil Herbert (Hold in all formats)

Chicago rushed for 240 yards for the second straight week. Herbert continues to do more with less, turning a 30% snap share into 16 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. We can’t ignore Montgomery’s workload (18 touches, 68% snap share) but it’s hard to get excited about him right now. Herbert has now looked like the better back in two straight games and with Chicago skewing toward such a run-heavy approach, I wonder if we don’t see him on the field more. With Montgomery being a free agent this offseason, the Bears would be wise to see what this offense looks like with Herbert as the primary ball carrier.

Cincinnati

• Starter: Joe Mixon
• Handcuff: Samaje Perine (Hold if you roster Mixon)

It was a horrific night for Cincinnati, who couldn’t muster much of anything offensively. Mixon’s receiving volume is carrying him right now, and he is on pace for 72 receptions this season. If it weren’t for that, he would be a middling RB2 despite an elite snap share (72%) and a 15-touch floor. However, the Bengals have a lot of work to do here, as they looked clueless without Ja’Marr Chase.

Cleveland

• Starter: Nick Chubb
• Handcuff: Kareem Hunt (Hold in all formats)

Almost a 50/50 split here on Monday with the usual division of labor. Chubb continues to be one of the top running backs in the league, with 101 yards and two touchdowns. He has been a workhorse for Cleveland and is a big reason they are treading water at 3-5. Hunt worked in the passing game, securing a 4/30 receiving line to go with 42 yards rushing. 

Dallas

• Starter: Ezekiel Elliott
• Handcuff: Tony Pollard (Hold in all formats)

I can sum up Week 8 for Dallas like this: Tony Pollard is significantly better than Zeke Elliott. Elliott’s contract will ensure he continues to see 15 touches per game, but he is a touchdown-dependent plodder at this point. When compared to the electric factory that is Tony Pollard, he should not see more than 8-10 carries in a short-yardage role. Pollard scored three touchdowns and had 149 scrimmage yards. Give him the damn ball.

Denver – Committee

• Melvin Gordon III (Hold in 12+ Team Leagues)
• Latavius Murray (Hold in 12+ Team Leagues)
• Chase Edmonds (Hold? Pickup?)

Gordon once again led the Broncos in snaps (56%) and scored a touchdown to go along with 52 scrimmage yards. It won’t win you a fantasy week, but it won’t sink you, either. I don’t think you can drop Murray because 15+ touches and Red Zone carries are hard to come by, but without scoring, he’s paper thin as a play. Murray getting 14 carries while Mike Boone gets phased out completely is hilarious, but no one loves running backs who average 3.2 YPC as Nathaniel Hackett does. Now the Broncos bring in Chase Edmonds in a move that is less about Edmonds and more about signaling a rebuild of sorts. However, I don’t know if this trade makes things move too much. He should be nothing more than a 3rd Down back again.

Detroit

• Starter: D’Andre Swift
• Handcuff: Jamaal Williams (Hold in all formats)

Detroit eased Swift back into the fold with just a 52% snap share on Sunday. He only got 10 touches for 33 scrimmage yards, although he did score a touchdown. Hopefully, he will be back to his normal 15-touches this week. Williams will probably end the season with 15 touchdowns, as his green zone role makes him one of the best non-PPR options in fantasy. Detroit continues to be the Coors Field of fantasy.

Green Bay

• Starter: Aaron Jones
• Handcuff: A.J. Dillon (Hold in all formats)

Aaron Jones has taken the reigns here with 24 touches for 157 scrimmage yards. The Packers get Detroit this week, so in theory, he should smash. AJ Dillon had a scary moment in the second half with a potential knee injury but ended up back in the game. He didn’t play poorly, but he is no better than a Flex play due to volume concerns. With this week’s number of teams on a bye, you may need him, however. He is still a top-flight handcuff but temper expectations because the Packers are a mess.

Houston

• Starter: Dameon Pierce
• Handcuff: Rex Burkhead (Hold if you roster Pierce)

Dameon Pierce scored a garbage-time touchdown that salvaged an otherwise forgettable fantasy day. He finished with 15 carries for just 35 yards as the Texans were completely bottled up. Pierce will remain the offense’s focal point, but Houston has a formidable schedule coming up. I might be looking to sell here.

Indianapolis

• Starter: Jonathan Taylor (Buy)
• Handcuff: Deon Jackson (Hold if you roster Taylor)
• Handcuff: Nyheim Hines (Hold 12+ team PPR leagues only)

As Indianapolis sets on a new course with Sam Ehlinger, it would be wise to feature Taylor. The good news for him Sunday would be the 72% snap share and 16 carries, both of which are close to his normal usage. He did appear to tweak his ankle Sunday, which required a heavy tape job, but he finished the game. The Colts had the look of a team finding its way on Sunday, but hopefully, they take a page from Tennessee’s book and start giving Taylor 20-25 touches per game. It is their best chance to win.

Jacksonville

• Starter: Travis Etienne
• Handcuff: JaMycal Hasty

Etienne’s 156 yards and a touchdown should have made him better than the RB6 on the week, but scoring was bonkers. There aren’t a lot of takeaways here other than that Etienne is a PPR RB1 for the rest of the season. I picked up Hasty in a deep 12-team league but honestly, I hope I don’t need him. Etienne is so good and will be one of the most fun players in the league.

Kansas City

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Sell)
• Jerick McKinnon (Hold 12+ team PPR leagues only)
• Isaiah Pacheco (Hold)

The Chiefs were on a bye. We will see what happens in Week 9 with Isaiah Pacheco’s status as the starter. I’m not convinced any of these three get enough snaps to make a huge difference.

Las Vegas Raiders

• Starter: Josh Jacobs
• Handcuff: Zamir White (Hold if you roster Jacobs)

The Raiders didn’t cross the 50-yard line until their last drive of the game, so things didn’t go well in the bayou. The only thing here is that Ameer Abdullah got a 36% snap share and played on all the passing downs. That makes sense, as the Raiders were down the entire game, but that makes me feel better about White. They didn’t risk using him unnecessarily in a game where they were getting blown out. I’d consider it a positive sign for his role if Jacobs were to get knicked up.

Los Angeles Chargers

• Starter: Austin Ekeler
• Handcuff: Sony Michel (Not holding)
• Handcuff: Joshua Kelley (On IR)

The Chargers had their bye week, giving Ekeler a chance to care for his body. Hopefully, Kelley will be back sooner than later as well.

Los Angeles Rams

• Starter: Darrell Henderson, Jr.
• Handcuff: Ronnie Rivers (No)

Who is Ronnie Rivers? Glad you asked. The undrafted rookie out of Fresno State didn’t pop off the charts, but the running back position is mostly about the opportunity. All things considered Sunday, I think Rivers did OK, but he isn’t on my radar at all. If Cam Akers isn’t traded by tomorrow, he should be back in the mix, and maybe he will see some sort of renaissance. In the likely event that doesn’t happen, Henderson would be in line for most of the work, but I’m not sure there is a single usable piece here.

Miami

• Starter: Raheem Mostert
• Handcuff: Jeff Wilson (Hold)

This should have been a smash spot for Mostert, but the Dolphins demolished the Lions’ secondary. All of his peripherals are still fine, as the snap share (64%) was good, and he got 15 touches. I am going to chalk it up to variance and move on because Miami shipped out Chase Edmonds, which tells me they are fine and dandy with Mostert moving forward… Until they traded for Jeff Wilson. That move makes a lot of sense, given Mike McDaniel has him in San Francisco. This could be a committee beginning in Week 10.

Minnesota

• Starter: Dalvin Cook
• Handcuff: Alexander Mattison (Hold in all formats)

Some people will choose to focus on Mattison vulturing a touchdown on Sunday. Don’t be that person. While Mattison is awesome, Cook looked great and finished 141 scrimmage yards on 25 touches and a touchdown. He’s also getting going in the passing game with five receptions, so the arrow on Cook is pointing straight up. Mattison is a firm hold, especially if you have Cook. With Minnesota’s bye out of the way, you’ll want him on your roster.

New England – Committee

• Rhamondre Stevenson
• Damien Harris

Stevenson’s snap share dropped to 61%, but I am encouraged by a couple of things. First, he had 16 carries to 11 for Damien Harris and outproduced him there. Second, his passing game involvement is elite right now. He finished with a 7/72 receiving line on eight targets and is now the 2nd-most targeted player in New England’s offense. There is some fragility here (it’s the Patriots, of course) because Harris could retain a short-yardage role, but if Stevenson is used like this consistently, he is a borderline RB1.

New Orleans

• Starter: Alvin Kamara
• Handcuff: Mark Ingram (Hold if you roster Kamara)

I said last week that Kamara’s workload was fine; he just needed to find the end zone. Well, he found it three times on Sunday on his way to the overall RB1 finish in Week 8. Kamara’s usage for New Orleans right now is absurd, and we are back to seeing him get 8-10 targets a game. This is the best version of Kamara, as his work as a receiver is what separates him from other backs. We will see what happens if Michael Thomas manages to come back, but Andy Dalton being named starter is really good for him.

New York Giants

• Starter: Saquon Barkley
• Handcuff: Matt Breida (Hold in 12+ team leagues only)

Saquon’s modest day was a function of the Giants being generally inept on offense. He saw an 82% snap share and 23 touches, so there is nothing to be concerned with here except to see how he can get swallowed up by Daniel Jones and his occasional regression. I’d be leaning into Breida pretty hard if I had Barkley, and with each passing week, it is probably more important to have him rostered.

New York Jets

• James Robinson (Hold)
• Michael Carter (Pickup this week)
• Ty Johnson (Not yet)

This was a hodgepodge on Sunday, with Carter getting 55% of the snaps, but that was to be expected with James Robinson being added mid-week. This wasn’t the trade I was hoping to see (Jeff Wilson or Antonio Gibson would have been more fun), and I am going to hold off in trying too hard to decipher how this ends up. I do think Carter’s pass game involvement will remain and his Week 8 box score (61 scrimmage yards, 11 touches, 7 targets) isn’t too far off from what we will see there. As for Robinson, we should get more clarity on his role this week, but I’d expect him to be more involved.

Philadelphia

• Starter: Miles Sanders
• Handcuff: Kenneth Gainwell (Hold if you roster Sanders)
• Handcuff: Boston Scott (Drop)

Philadelphia shredded Pittsburgh through the air, so there wasn’t much meat left on the bone for Sanders and Co. on the ground. Sanders still turned in a decent day with 78 yards rushing and a touchdown on just nine carries. The Eagles are rolling right now, and this offense is looking like the class of NFC. With a Charmin-soft schedule coming up, Sanders is an RB2 with unlimited upside if they get going.

Pittsburgh

• Starter: Najee Harris (Sell)
• Handcuff: Jaylen Warren (Hold in 12+ team PPR leagues)

Harris exploded for 32 yards on eight carries, averaging a robust (for him) 4.0 YPC on Sunday. No one in the league is better at putting a juke move on a defender that doesn’t exist than Najee Harris. He pitter-patters around too much when he needs to put his foot on the ground and go. There is no objective measure by which Harris should be getting snaps over Jaylen Warren. The Steelers can’t move on from Harris but hopefully, you can because things are as bad in Pittsburgh as they’ve been in 20 years.

San Francisco

• Starter: Christian McCaffery
• Handcuff: Tyrion Davis-Price

When the 49ers traded for McCaffery, they had this in mind. He scored touchdowns three different ways (passing, rushing, receiving) and tallied 149 scrimmage yards on 26 touches. He was in for 81% of the snaps, a number that I doubt Shanahan reduces much down the stretch. He won’t smash to this extent every week, but he is returning to his overall RB1 ways. With Eli Mitchell due back soon, despite the Jeff Wilson trade, TDP gets some life as a handcuff, but it will be short-lived.

Seattle

• Starter: Kenneth Walker
• Handcuff: DeeJay Dallas (Hold if you roster Walker)

This game was played at a snail’s pace, so neither Walker nor Saquon Barkley popped off for much. Walker saw elite usage with a 76% snap share, 18 carries for 51 yards, and a touchdown. He continues to be firmly in the RB1/RB2 conversation, and Seattle has some juicy matchups coming up, so enjoy what is coming if you have Walker.

Tampa Bay

• Starter: Leonard Fournette
• Handcuff: Raachad White (Hold in all formats)

Fournette scored a rushing touchdown which salvaged his night. He did play 76% of the snaps and 7/9 inside the 10-yard line, so the snap share is healthy. The problem is that this offense looks terrible, and if Fournette doesn’t get in the box, he’s barely usable. As for White, I still hold him and wouldn’t drop him unless I was desperate for someone to step in during a bye-week-filler.

Tennessee

• Starter: Derrick Henry
• Handcuff: Dontrell Hilliard (Hold if you roster Henry)

A couple of wild stats from Sunday: The Titans won despite Malik Willis completing just five passes. Also, Derrick Henry amassed 33 touches – for 228 yards and two scores – on just a 57% snap share. Dontrell Hilliard got into the act with 95 scrimmage yards as well. The Titans ran for 314 yards as a team and currently sit atop the AFC South. Any concerns about Henry are officially dead and in the ground. We are in for Tractorcito Szn down the stretch. If you have Henry, get Hilliard – he is great insurance.

Washington – Committee

• Brian Robinson (Sell)
• Antonio Gibson
• J.D. McKissic

Last week, I listed Robinson as someone I would be looking to move. I will double down on that this week after he played just 25% of the snaps despite the game staying close throughout. Maybe this is a thing, but Antonio Gibson got the start and has somewhat quietly been getting increased touches over the last two weeks. He had a 7/58/1 receiving line on a 36% snap share Sunday, scoring over 20 PPR points. I am leery here because it’s Washington and who really knows what they’re doing, but it is worth monitoring. If you believe it continues, trading for Gibson would make some sense.

Handcuff Rankings

1. Tony Pollard (DAL) – Best running back in Dallas.
2. Khalil Herbert (CHI) – Best running back in Chicago.
3. Alexander Mattison (MIN)
4. Jamaal Williams (DET) – Swift might be more injured than we thought.
5. A.J. Dillon (GB)
6. Raachad White (TB)
7. Kareem Hunt (CLE) – Will he be a Brown by Wednesday?
8. Eno Benjamin (ARZ) – Darrel Williams cut into his work a bit. Conner should be back this week.
9. Jaylen Warren (PIT) – Best running back in Pittsburgh.
10. James Cook (BUF) – Can’t resist putting him in the top-10.
11. Jeffrey Wilson (SF) – McCaffery insurance. For now.
12. Samaje Perine (CIN)
13. Dontrell Hilliard (TEN)
14. DeeJay Dallas (SEA)
15. Zamir White (LV)

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Jason Kamlowsky is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @JasonKamlowsky.