Start em or sit em? Fantasy football start or sit decisions can be excruciating. While it feels great to make the right call and cruise to fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when you have someone erupt while on your bench. You can use our Who Should I Start? tool to gauge advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings and analysis.
Let’s take a look at a few polarizing players and what fantasy football expert Derek Brown advises. And you can find all of DBro’s fantasy football outlook in this week’s fantasy football primer.
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Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Lineup Advice
Start’Em
Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAC)
Travis Etienne has been humming along as a solid RB2 who’s relying upon his early down production most weeks to make or break his fantasy day. His passing game usage has increased over the last two weeks, with 4.5 targets per game, but he’s still surpassed 20 receiving yards this season only once. Etienne ranks 17th in opportunity share, 18th in weighted opportunities, and seventh in red zone touches. Etienne will have a tough week against the Rams, who have held backs to the third-lowest explosive run rate and missed tackle rate and the fifth-fewest yards after contact per attempt. Etienne will need all the volume and touchdown equity he can get his hands on this week.
Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)
Kimani Vidal stepped up last week as the Chargers’ clear workhorse. Will it be this good every week for Vidal? No, he doesn’t get to play against the Dolphins weekly, but he is the clear leadback for this offense, right now. Vidal handled six of seven possible red zone rushing attempts, he played 67.2% of the snaps, had 18 of 24 running back carries, and had a 43.6% route share (10.5% target share). Last week, Vidal finished with 21 touches and 138 total yards as the RB9 for the week. Vidal has been good on a per-touch basis this season with a 13.6% explosive run rate and 3.41 yards after contact per attempt. Vidal could easily have another standout day in Week 7. Indy has allowed the 13th-highest explosive run rate, the sixth-highest yards before contact per attempt, the sixth-highest yards per carry to zone runs, and the fifth-highest success rate to zone runs (Vidal 59.1% zone).
Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)
Since Week 4, Kenneth Walker has averaged a 43% snap rate with 39 of the 72 running back carries, and had a 26.9% route share (4.6% target share). He has averaged 14 touches and 77.7 total yards, with only six of the 19 running back red zone carries. It’s been tough to watch him lap Zach Charbonnet in every efficiency metric conceivable, and Seattle still utilizes Charbonnet so much and as their goal-line back. Walker has finished as the RB27, RB26, and RB43 in weekly scoring in those games, as he has scored zero touchdowns. Walker ranks second in explosive run rate and fifth in missed tackles forced per attempt. Walker should have another efficient day on the ground this week. If he can get into the end zone, he could post RB2 numbers in Week 7. Houston has allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game and the 12th-lowest explosive run rate, but they have also managed the third-lowest stuff rate with the fourth-highest missed tackle rate, the 11th-highest yards after contact per attempt, and given up the second-highest success rate to zone runs (Walker 57.7% zone).
Rachaad White (RB – TB)
Todd Bowles has pretty much stated that Bucky Irving will miss Week 7, but we’ll need to wait until Saturday for him to be ruled out formally. I’m approaching the week as if Rachaad White will be the team’s bellcow back again. Over the last two games, White has played 79.6% of the snaps with 19 touches and 78.5 total yards per game. He has had 31 of 40 running back carries and a 63.5% route share with a 12.5% target share. White hasn’t been particularly efficient with his volume this season, with only a 13% missed tackle rate and 1.91 yards after contact per attempt, but he’s always lived in that area code of efficiency and relied upon the volume. Detroit isn’t a great matchup, but White should flirt with 15-20 touches with outstanding touchdown equity to possibly outkick the tough defensive matchup. The Lions have allowed the 11th-fewest rushing yards per game, the seventh-lowest explosive run rate, and the fourth-fewest yards after contact per attempt.
Cam Skattebo (RB – NYG)
I’m sorry, Tyrone Tracy Jr. stans, but this is Cam Skattebo’s backfield. Last week, Tracy Jr. returned and played only 29.9% of the snaps. Skattebo had a 71.6% snap rate, 19 of 26 running back carries, and a 48.5% route share (7.7% target share). Overall, Skattebo is the RB11 in fantasy points per game, and since becoming the Giants’ starting running back, he’s the RB12 in fantasy points per game. Since Week 4, he has averaged 23 touches and 101.4 total yards. Among 50 qualifying backs, Skattebo ranks sixth in missed tackles forced per attempt and ninth in yards after contact per attempt. Skattebo will get fed volume, but he’ll have an uphill climb this week. There is some hope, though. Denver has allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game, the eighth-lowest yards before contact per attempt, and the fourth-lowest explosive run rate, but they have also given up the 12th-highest missed tackle rate and the tenth-highest yards after contact per attempt. Skattebo should still produce volume RB2 stats this week.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WAS)
Bill looks to have taken over as Washington’s primary ball carrier and leader of the backfield. Last week, Bill played 66.7% of the snaps with Chris Rodriguez active, handling 17 of the 19 running back carries with a team-leading 40% route share (3.8% target share). Last week, Bill handled the team’s only red zone carry. Over the last two games, he has averaged 17 touches and 109 total yards. Among 50 qualifying backs, Bill ranks third in explosive run rate and seventh in yards after contact per attempt. Bill should have a nice day this week against a Dallas run defense that has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game, the fifth-highest explosive run rate, and the 13th-most yards after contact per attempt.
Jordan Mason (RB – MIN)
Since Week 3, Jordan Mason has been the RB16 in fantasy points per game, averaging 17 touches and 81.3 total yards. Among 50 qualifying backs, he ranks 14th in explosive run rate and tenth in missed tackle rate. Minny should lean on Mason this week. Philly has allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game, the 14th-highest yards after contact per attempt, the tenth-highest yards per carry to zone runs, and the 12th-highest success rate to zone runs (Mason 55.1% zone).
Sit’Em
Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)
Last week, Tony Pollard saw his lightest workload of the season with a 42.6% snapshare as he was the early down guy, and Tyjae Spears took over as the main passing down back. Pollard had only a 25% route share (5.3% target share). He did handle ten of 15 rushing attempts, though. Pollard finished with 12 touches and 47 total yards. Among 50 qualifying backs, Pollard ranks 14th in yards after contact per attempt. The Patriots are a horrible matchup for Pollard on the ground, giving up the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game, the sixth-lowest explosive run rate, and the eighth-lowest yards after contact per attempt. Sit Pollard.
Zonovan Knight (RB – ARI)
Last week, we got word about an hour before kickoff that Knight was going to take over the Arizona backfield as the team’s starter for Week 6. Knight finishes as the RB15 in weekly scoring with 12 touches and 54 total yards (one score). He handled three of the five running back red zone carries while playing 48.6% of the snaps with a 25.5% route share (4.5% target share). He could be the team’s lead back again this week. His per-touch numbers haven’t been great, with only a 7% missed tackle rate and 1.60 yards after contact per attempt. He’ll need a touchdown to pay off again this week as a flex play. Green Bay’s run defense remains elite, giving up the fewest rushing yards per game, the second-lowest explosive run rate, and the sixth-lowest yards after contact per attempt.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)
I don’t know what is going on with TreVeyon Henderson, but he hasn’t taken over the New England backfield, and he’s honestly not making it happen on the field when he has had opportunities. Last week, Henderson played a season-low 29.7% snap rate with ten touches and 36 total yards. He hasn’t done much with the opportunities he has gotten, and the Patriots seem reluctant to give him more work. Henderson has zero explosive runs, and among 50 qualifying backs, he ranks 46th in missed tackle rate and 47th in yards after contact per attempt. Maybe Tennessee’s putrid run defense helps him out this week, but it’s tough to consider him as anything but a low-end flex play. Tennessee has allowed the eighth-most rushing yards per game, the ninth-highest explosive run rate, and the fourth-highest yards before contact per attempt.
Nick Chubb (RB – HOU)
Just when we thought Woody Marks had taken over the Houston backfield, the Texans said, “Nope, I don’t think so.” In Week 5, in the first half (before the game got out of hand), Chubb played 51.5% of the snaps with eight of the 13 running back carries, and he had a 21.1% route share (5.9% target share). Chubb finished with 11 touches and 61 total yards while splitting the red zone carries with Marks. Chubbs’s per-touch metrics are still bad, with a 10% missed tackle rate and only 2.07 yards after contact per attempt. I don’t expect him to find much running room this week. Chubb is a touchdown-dependent flex this week. Seattle has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game and the lowest explosive run rate and yards after contact per attempt. Sit Chubb this week.
Woody Marks (RB – HOU)
Woody Marks got shoved back into the wrong side of a committee backfield before the bye. In the first half, before the game was out of hand, he played 45.5% of the snaps with only four of the 13 running back carries and a 36.8% route share (5.9% target share). Marks split the red zone work with Chubb, with each player getting two carries inside the 20-yard line. Marks has been the superior player on a per-touch basis with a 5.6% explosive run rate and 2.42 yards after contact per attempt. I don’t want to play Marks this week with a horrible matchup on the ground. Seattle has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game and the lowest explosive run rate and yards after contact per attempt.
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