Backfield Report: Chase Brown tightens grip on Bengals’ backfield ahead of Week 8

Week 8 Byes: None

Arizona Cardinals

• James Conner (Week 7: 47 snaps, 22 opportunities, 20 routes, 3 targets)
• Emari Demercado (Week 7: 5 snaps, 1 opportunity, 1 route, 0 targets)
• Trey Benson (Week 7: 4 snaps, opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: After last week’s abnormal usage, James Conner was back to playing his typical bell cow role in Week 7 against the Chargers. The veteran running back handled all but one of the team’s running back opportunities and racked up 152 yards from scrimmage on the day. Conner didn’t find the end zone in the 17-15 win, but it was the kind of usage fantasy managers hoped to see after Week 6’s game script saw him play behind Emari Demercado. Conner should see plenty of opportunities in Week 8’s game against the Dolphins, while Trey Benson remains the most interesting stash in this backfield.

Atlanta Falcons

• Bijan Robinson (Week 7: 49 snaps, 26 opportunities, 19 routes, 5 targets)
• Tyler Allgeier (Week 7: 16 snaps, 6 opportunities, 8 routes, 1 target)
• Jase McClellan (Week 7: 6 snaps, 5 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: After running for 18-105-1 in Week 6’s win over the Panthers, Tyler Allgeier was back to being a clearcut backup in Week 7. In Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, Allgeier saw just six opportunities to Bijan Robinson’s 22 but was effective with the work given to him. Allgeier totaled 45 yards from scrimmage on his six looks, but Robinson managed to churn out 21-103-1 on the ground while adding another three catches for 40 yards. Allgeier’s Week 6 blowup came in an 18-point win over a Panthers defense that’s amongst the worst in the league. Allgeier has seen double-digit opportunities in just three of his seven games this season and probably shouldn’t be relied on as anything more than a touchdown-dependent flex play as long as Robinson is healthy. Allgeier has just one top-24 finish on his resumé this season in PPR leagues.

Baltimore Ravens

• Derrick Henry (Week 7: 31 snaps, 16 opportunities, 7 routes, 1 target)
• Justice Hill (Week 7: 24 snaps, 8 opportunities, 9 routes, 3 targets)

Notes: When Derrick Henry isn’t scoring on the ground, he’s apparently scoring through the air. The veteran running back found the end zone on a 13-yard receiving touchdown in a game where he ran for 169 yards on 15 carries. He broke off an 81-yard run that didn’t go for a touchdown and is now tied with Saquon Barkley for three runs of 50 or more yards this season. Henry is now on pace for 2,120 rushing yards, which would break the single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson (2,105) in 1984, although Dickerson set the record in 16 games as opposed to the 17 teams now play today. Not completely forgotten, Justice Hill did total 48 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers, but we know what to expect here. Fantasy managers chasing Hill’s random outburst have often been burnt the following week. There’s no reason to gamble on him in Week 8 against the Brown.

Buffalo Bills

• James Cook (Week 7: 29 snaps, 12 opportunities, 13 routes, 0 targets)
• Ray Davis (Week 7: 12 snaps, 6 opportunities, 7 routes, 1 target)
• Ty Johnson (Week 7: 12 snaps, 1 opportunity, 10 routes, 1 target)

Notes: After missing Week 6 with a toe injury, James Cook was back leading the Bills’ backfield in Week 8. Cook saw twice as many opportunities as breakout rookie Ray Davis but was weirdly light on targets. In fact, he saw none. It was the first time Cook went without a target since Week 16 of last season and only the seventh time in his three-year career. In large, Cook disappointed in Sunday’s win over the Titans. He managed just 32 rushing yards on 12 carries but did find the end zone on an 11-yard run in the second quarter. Davis, who saw only six opportunities, found pay dirt on a 16-yard run late in the fourth quarter and totaled 47 total yards on his six opportunities. Cook should continue to lead the Bills in overall volume and weekly receiving work, while Davis remains more of a stash than a weekly starter.

Carolina Panthers

• Chuba Hubbard (Week 7: 36 snaps, 17 opportunities, 14 routes, 0 targets)
• Miles Sanders (Week 7: 11 snaps, 5 opportunities, 7 routes, 2 targets)

Notes: Chuba Hubbard’s days as a premiere bell cow continue to be numbered, with rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) expected to return in another week or so. Hubbard punched in a short score in the fourth quarter to salvage an otherwise disappointing outing against the Commanders. He failed to record a target but ran 17 times for 52 yards and a touchdown in a game that was already out of hand by halftime. Given the ultra-negative game script the Panthers were facing, it’s surprising Hubbard couldn’t muster even one target in the defeat. Miles Sanders saw five opportunities, and totaled 34 yards from scrimmage — which sounds respectable until you realize 26 of those yards came on a single play on the opening drive. Sanders is rumored to be available for a trade to a team interested in a deal for the vet. A trade may be his only shot at fantasy upside, as he figures to be the Panthers’ RB3 once Brooks returns.

Cincinnati Bengals

• Chase Brown (Week 7: 31 snaps, 17 opportunities, 9 routes, 2 targets)
• Zack Moss (Week 7: 26 snaps, 9 opportunities, 10 routes, 3 targets)

Notes: A third-quarter fumble by Zack Moss in Week 6’s win over the Giants may have been enough to banish him to the shadow realm. Moss didn’t see another opportunity in that game and had just nine opportunities to Chase Brown’s 17 in Week 7’s win over the Browns. This is notable because, over the first five weeks of the season, Moss had seen a 27 percent opportunity share to Brown’s 19 percent. Over the last two weeks, Brown has had a 33 percent opportunity share to Moss’ 17 percent. Moss did catch three passes for 33 yards in the win but also ran for seven forgettable yards on six carries. Brown didn’t care much better on the ground, running for 15-44-0 (2.9 YPC), but it seems clear that he’s the Bengals’ preferred back as of right now. The Bengals get another tough matchup in Week 8 against the Eagles, but we should continue to treat Brown as the starter until further notice. Moss has a small amount of upside in PPR leagues, but there are likely better options available.

Cleveland Browns

• Nick Chubb (Week 7: 27 snaps, 14 opportunities, 8 routes, 3 targets)
• Pierre Strong (Week 7: 39 snaps, 5 opportunities, 29 routes, 2 targets)
• D’Onta Foreman (Week 7: 10 snaps, 2 opportunities, 3 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: In his return from a devastating knee injury suffered in Week 2 of last season, Nick Chubb led the Browns’ backfield with 14 opportunities. It was an impressive workload for the veteran back, even if he only ran 11 times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Expecting Chubb to loo, like the past version of himself, is unfair. His age, combined with the nature of his injury, has the deck stacked against him. However, the workload we saw in Week 7 will create some fantasy upside, and we shouldn’t expect him to average 2.0 YPC every week. That said, Chubb might be better suited for fantasy benches in Week 8 against a Ravens defense that’s tops in the league at stopping the run. Jerome Ford (hamstring) missed last week’s game but also stands to eat into Chubb’s workload once he returns. Pierre Strong and D’Onta Foreman are both afterthoughts in this offense, and it wouldn’t be surprising if one became expendable once Ford is healthy.

Denver Broncos

• Javonte Williams (Week 7: 37 snaps, 17 opportunities, 12 routes, 3 targets)
• Jaleel McLaughlin (Week 7: 15 snaps, 4 opportunities, 6 routes, 0 targets)
• Audric Estime (Week 7: 5 snaps, 5 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Javonte Williams is back? It’s a phrase best used in the form of a question because anybody confidently stating so after his 14-88-2 performance against the Saints is willfully ignoring the 59-213-0 (3.6 YPC) line he tallied through the first six weeks of the season. On Thursday night against the Saints, Williams did what every team had done in the previous two weeks against their run defense — shove the ball down their throats. In Week 5, the Saints allowed 139 yards and one touchdown on the ground to the Chiefs. The Buccaneers ran for 277 yards and three touchdowns as a team in Week 6. And in Week 7, Williams’ 88 rushing yards were only a fraction of the 225 rushing yards the Broncos totaled on the day, as Bo Nix ran for 75 yards on 10 carries and Jaleel McLaughlin went for 4-35-0. Heck, Even Audric Estime ran for 29 yards on five carries. Entering the week, the Broncos were one of the worst rushing teams in the league, ranking 23rd in stuff rate (45.5 percent), 18th in YCO/ATT (2.15), and 26th in YBCO/ATT (1.23). Conversely, the Saints’ defense ranked 32nd in stuff rate and 31st in YBCO/ATT. Fortunately for Williams and company, they get another juicy matchup in Week 8 against the Panthers. Williams’ expected volume will make him worthy of an RB2 start, but if you’re looking for signs that he’s “back,” let’s see how he fares against a defense that’s closer to league average.

Detroit Lions

• Jahmyr Gibbs (Week 7: 33 snaps, 19 opportunities, 16 routes, 4 targets)
• David Montgomery (Week 7: 20 snaps, 13 opportunities, 5 routes, 4 targets)
• Craig Reynolds (Week 7: 2 snaps, 0 routes, 0 opportunities, 0 targets)

Notes: David Montgomery played part of Week 7 through a knee injury he suffered in the first quarter. Head coach Dan Campbell has since said that there are “no issues” with Montgomery’s knee, signaling that he should be good to go for Week 8 against the Titans. Montgomery ran for 9-31-0 in this one and caught three passes for 39 yards, but it was Gibbs (15-116-2) who had the more dominant day on the ground and through the air (4-44-0). It was a good day for Gibbs, who had his best rushing outing of the season and has now scored in four of his six games this season. We can expect the 50-50 touch share to continue for the Lions in Week 8, in a game that should be ripe for fantasy scoring for both backs.

Green Bay Packers

• Josh Jacobs (Week 7: 40 snaps, 17 opportunities, 22 routes, 5 targets)
• Emanuel Wilson (Week 7: 9 snaps, 5 opportunities, 3 routes, 0 targets)
• Chris Brooks (Week 7: 7 snaps, 0 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: Josh Jacobs remains the only back of note in Green Bay. In Week 7’s win over the Texans, the veteran running back secured the first receiving touchdown of his career — that’s not a typo — on an eight-yard pass from Jordan Love. Jacobs, who has now caught 213 passes in his career, finally has a receiving score to show for his efforts. He continues to be a league-average back at best but remains a weekly fantasy start, thanks in part to the 19.9 opportunities per game he is averaging. Jacobs and the Packers get the Jaguars in Week 8.

Houston Texans

• Joe Mixon (Week 7: 40 snaps, 28 opportunities, 12 routes, 3 targets)
• Dare Ogunbowale (Week 7: 12 snaps, 2 opportunities, 5 routes, 1 target)
• Dameon Pierce (Week 7: 6 snaps, 2 opportunities, 4 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: The Texans continue to squeeze every last ounce of production out of Joe Mixon. The veteran running back totaled 28 opportunities in Week 7’s loss to the Packers and racked up 124 yards from scrimmage to go along with two touchdowns. Outside of a Week 2 performance against the Bears in which he left with an ankle injury, Mixon has totaled 26.8, 27.2, and 26.4 fantasy points in PPR leagues. His overall RB4 finish in Week 7 was his worst finish of those three games. Mixon hasn’t been particularly impressive when it comes to creating after contact. Amongst 42 running backs with 50 or more rush attempts, his 3.10 YCO/ATT ranks 22nd per PFF, and he’s forced a missed tackle on just 11.7 percent of his carries. It’s Mixon’s backfield, and everyone else is just living in it.

Indianapolis Colts

• Trey Sermon (Week 7: 32 snaps, 9 opportunities, 8 routes, 1 target)
• Tyler Goodson (Week 7: 29 snaps, 14 opportunities, 6 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Tyler Goodson saw five more opportunities than Trey Sermon in the Colts’ Week 7 win over the Dolphins. He ran 14 times for 51 yards and also scored his first career touchdown in the victory. Sermon ran for 8-36-0 and caught another pass for 13 yards, but Goodson was weirdly uninvolved in the passing game despite catching seven combined passes the previous two weeks. The Colts get the Texans in Week 8, with the big question being whether or not Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will return. Taylor, who was not placed on injured reserve, has missed three games due to the injury, but head coach Shane Steichen said on Monday that he was “optimistic” that Taylor would at least get on the practice field this week. If Taylor is able to play in Week 8 against the Texans, both Sermon and Goodson would be rendered obsolete. However, if he can play, it seems that last week’s shift to Goodson would make him the more ideal back as far as fantasy is concerned. It’s a wait-and-see situation, but Goodson is well worth a hold in leagues where you can afford to do so.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Tank Bigsby (Week 7 39 snaps, 27 opportunities, 6 routes, 1 target)
• D’Ernest Johnson (Week 7: 20 snaps, 12 opportunities, 9 routes, 3 targets)

Notes: I wrote in last week’s Backfield Report that Tank Bigsby looked like a game-script-dependent back after he saw just seven opportunities in a Week 7 blowout loss to the Bears. I continue to hold that opinion after the Jaguars defeated the Patriots 32-16 in Week 7 in a game where Bigsby ran 26 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns. It was the kind of day fantasy managers had hoped for when they slotted Bigsby in as a starter after it was announced Travis Etienne (hamstring) would be inactive for the week. Etienne is dealing with injuries to his hamstring and shoulder, which continues to make Bigsby a player worth rostering, even if you’re not starting him every week. Bigsby would be a boom-or-bust play in Week 8 against the Jaguars if Etienne cannot go.

Kansas City Chiefs

• Kareem Hunt (Week 7: 42 snaps, 24 opportunities, 10 routes, 2 targets)
• Samaje Perine (Week 7: 15 snaps, 3 opportunities, 9 routes, 1 target)
• Carson Steele (Week 7: 12 snaps, 6 opportunities, 2 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Much like Joe Mixon, the Chiefs are busy squeezing every last touch out of 29-year-old Kareem Hunt. Since playing his first game for the Chiefs in Week 4, Hunt has earned a 37 percent opportunity share and has seen the second-most rush attempts (63) of any back in the league. His 249 rush yards over that span rank 12th amongst all running backs. Hunt’s 70 opportunities since Week 4 are more than double the 26 opportunities Samaje Perine and Carson Steele have seen combined. It was evident early on that the Chiefs were ready to commit to Hunt as their bell cow back as long as Isiah Pacheco was out. Hunt gets a great matchup against the Raiders in Week 8.

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Las Vegas Raiders

• Alexander Mattison (Week 7: 53 snaps, 26 opportunities, 19 routes, 3 targets)
• Ameer Abdullah (Week 7: 12 snaps, 0 opportunities, 6 routes, 0 targets)
• Zamir White (Week 7: 10 snaps, 4 opportunities, 4 routes, 1 target)

Notes: I hate writing about this backfield. Zamir White has completely lost his job to Alexander Mattison and you can barely argue he’s playing ahead of Ameer Abdullah. Mattison at least had a semi-productive day against the Rams, totaling 123 scoreless yards from scrimmage on 26 touches while upping his YPC on the season to 3.6. Mattison also boosted his yards per touch total to 4.8, which is now good for 31st in the league amongst qualified backs. Mattison is averaging 21.3 opportunities per game over his last three games and 14.3 fantasy points per game. He’ll be a volatile, volume-based RB2 in Week 8 against the Chiefs.

Los Angeles Chargers

• J.K. Dobbins (Week 7: 43 snaps, 17 opportunities, 19 routes, 3 targets)
• Kimani Vidal (Week 7: 18 snaps, 4 opportunities, 13 routes, 1 target)
• Hassan Haskins (Week 7: 3 snaps, 2 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: In two games without Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins has earned 44 opportunities compared to the rest of the backfield’s 14. On a per-touch basis, Dobbins is averaging just 3.8 YPT, but a Week 6 touchdown against the Broncos did help him to a solid fantasy day. Unfortunately for Dobbins and his fantasy managers, that touchdown didn’t come in Week 7, as he ran for 40 scoreless yards on 14 carries while catching three passes for 26 yards. He still played well ahead of rookie Kimani Vidal, which is a good sign for Week 8’s matchup against the Saints, but Dobbins will need to show some signs of life against one of the worst run defenses in the league if he’s to continue as the undisputed bell cow in this backfield. After running for 266 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games of the season, Dobbins has managed just 212 yards and one touchdown on 68 carries since then. He’s faced tough fronts in the Steelers, Chiefs, and Broncos over that span, but last week’s flop against the Cardinals is a strike against the Chargers’ RB1. He’s a must-start in Week 8, where we’d expect to see some solid fantasy production.

Los Angeles Rams

• Kyren Williams (Week 7: 47 snaps, 21 opportunities, 10 routes, 0 targets)
• Blake Corum (Week 7: 5 snaps, 3 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)
• Ronnie Rivers (Week 7: 0 snaps, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Kyren Williams ran 21 times for 76 yards and two scores against the Raiders and didn’t see a target in the passing game. In fact, the Rams didn’t target any of their running backs in the 20-15 win. Fantasy managers will be pleased to know that Williams continues to be one of the most used running backs in all of football, while rookie Blake Corum appears to have surpassed Ronnie Rivers on the team’s depth chart. That’s hardly an endorsement for Corum as a fantasy asset, however. In his last two games, Corum has played just eight snaps to Rivers’ zero and has received just nine opportunities. Corum is a stash and nothing more.

Miami Dolphins

• De’Von Achane (Week 7: 39 snaps, 18 opportunities, 20 routes, 3 targets)
• Raheem Mostert (Week 7: 23 snaps, 11 opportunities, 8 routes, 0 targets)
• Jaylen Wright (Week 7: 6 snaps, 5 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: In their first game together since Week 1, De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert split the Dolphins’ backfield touches, with Achane edging out Mostert 18 to 11. Achane also saw the only three running back targets on the day and ran more than double the routes Mostert did. The Dolphins’ offense continues to struggle with Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) sidelined, but both Achane (15-77-0) and Mostert (11-50-0) did manage solid days on the ground. There’s a chance Tagovailoa returns for Week 8 against the Cardinals, which will raise the fantasy ceilings of all skill position players in Miami’s flailing offense. Achane should make for a high-end RB2 in Week 8, while Mostert should be viewed as more of an RB3.

Minnesota Vikings

• Aaron Jones (Week 7: 40 snaps, 17 opportunities, 15 routes, 3 targets)
• Ty Chandler (Week 7: 6 snaps, 2 opportunities, 6 routes, 0 targets)
• Cam Akers (Week 7: 0 snaps, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: A hamstring injury suffered in Week 5 didn’t slow Aaron Jones, as his Week 6 bye proved to be more than enough recovery time for Week 7’s matchup against the Lions. Jones continued his productive season in Sunday’s loss to the Lions, running for 14-93-1 while adding three catches for 23 additional yards. He has now surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage in four of the six games he’s played this season and ranks 15th amongst all running backs in opportunities while also ranking as the RB11 in fantasy points per game. Ty Chandler and the recently reacquired Cam Akers have no stand-alone value at this time, as Jones finds himself in a potential smash matchup in Week 8 against the Rams.

New England Patriots

• Rhamondre Stevenson (Week 7: 28 snaps, 10 opportunities, 16 routes, 3 targets)
• JaMycal Hasty (Week 7: 18 snaps, 7 opportunities, 13 routes, 5 targets)
• Antonio Gibson (Week 7: 8 snaps, 4 opportunities, 4 routes, 1 target)

Notes: The Patriots’ 32-16 loss to the Jaguars was a bad look for the team but may have been worse for Antonio Gibson. After serving as the Patriots’ RB1 in Week 6, with Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) injured, Gibson played on just eight snaps in Week 7, while JaMycal Hasty stepped into his role and enjoyed a productive day. Hasty lost two yards on his only two rush attempts but caught all five of his targets for 49 yards and a score, looking shifty as ever on a 16-yard receiving touchdown. It’s possible the Patriots were just riding the hot hand after Hasty’s first quarter touchdown, but Antonio Gibson is firmly on notice heading into Week 8’s game against the Jets. In his return from injury, Rhamondre Stevenson ran for just 18 yards on seven carries and caught two passes for seven yards. It should go without saying that it wasn’t the return he or his fantasy managers hoped for.

New Orleans Saints

• Alvin Kamara (Week 7: 38 snaps, 14 opportunities, 29 routes, 7 targets)
• Kendre Miller (Week 7: 20 snaps, 9 opportunities, 8 routes, 3 targets)
• Jamaal Williams (Week 7: 10 snaps, 3 opportunities, 4 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Alvin Kamara didn’t see the high-volume day we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in Week 7’s loss to the Broncos, although it’s worth pointing out that 14 opportunities are still fine. It’s also worth pointing out that Kamara saw only three opportunities in the fourth quarter, while seven of Kendre Miller’s nine opportunities came in that same quarter. It was the classic “this game is out of reach” pivot. Kamara and the Saints get another challenging matchup against the Chargers in Week 8, but despite his lack of efficiency on the ground, Kamara can still PPR scam his way to a top-24 finish in any given week. Miller makes for an interesting stash in deeper leagues, but don’t let Week 7’s volume fool you.

New York Giants

• Tyrone Tracy (Week 7: 37 snaps, 9 opportunities, 25 routes, 3 targets)
• Devin Singletary (Week 7: 12 snaps, 6 opportunities, 6 routes, 1 target)
• Eric Gray (Week 7: 5 snaps, 2 opportunities, 4 routes, 1 target)

Notes: If you think a running back committee is bad, imagine what an RBBC in an offense that ranks 30th in points per game (14.1) and 28th in yards per game (290.7) must look like. If you don’t want to imagine something so horrible, just look at the Giants’ Week 7 box score against the Eagles. Rookie Tyrone Tracy led the backfield with nine opportunities in the 28-3 loss but managed just 23 rushing yards and three catches for nine more yards. Devin Singletary, who returned from a two-game absence due to a groin injury, ran for 5-18-0 while catching one pass for three yards. It was a horrible outing all around, but head coach Brian Daboll said before Week 7 that we can expect Tracy to play more after his strong outings in Week 5 and Week 6. I wouldn’t expect things to look much better for this backfield in Week 8 on the road in Pittsburgh.

New York Jets

• Breece Hall (Week 7: 45 snaps, 21 opportunities, 27 routes, 9 targets)
• Braelon Allen (Week 7: 5 snaps, 3 opportunities, 2 routes, 1 target)
• Isaiah Davis (Week 7: 1 snap, 1 opportunity, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: The Jets have now played two games without Nathaniel Hackett as their play-caller. During that brief stretch, Breece Hall has seen 45 opportunities to Braelon Allen’s eight while out-snapping him 96 to 16. Allen, by all accounts, is a breather back who has fully given way to Hall as the unquestioned RB1 after the two were seeing a bit more of a split in Weeks 1-5. Hall turned in his best fantasy outing of the season in Sunday night’s loss, churning out 26.1 PPR points while running for 12-38-1 on the ground. Fortunately, his six catches for 103 yards on nine targets were more than enough to carry his fantasy managers on the week. Hall has seen 15 targets over the last two weeks and is averaging an impressive 155.0 yards from scrimmage in those games. Look for him to continue his strong production in Week 8 against a Patriots defense that was run through in Week 7 by the Jaguars.

Philadelphia Eagles

• Saquon Barkley (Week 7: 33 snaps, 19 opportunities, 10 routes, 2 targets)
• Kenneth Gainwell (Week 7: 24 snaps, 14 opportunities, 7 routes, 1 target)
• Will Shipley (Week 7: 9 snaps, 8 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Saquon Barkley’s revenge game against the Giants went about as well as one could have expected. The former Giant racked up 176 rushing yards and a touchdown against his former team while breaking off runs of 55, 38, and 41 yards in the victory. That he only scored once is the only “disappointing” thing about his outing. That, and the fact he could have rushed for over 200 yards if not for the team benching him for most of the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. Kenneth Gainwell saw his busiest day of the season in this one, running 13 times for 56 yards. He had just eight rush attempts on the season entering the day. We shouldn’t expect this kind of weekly production from Gainwell, but it’s worth remembering that he’s the clearcut RB2 behind Barkley. Barkley should find plenty of room to run in Week 8 against the Bengals.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Najee Harris (Week 7: 33 snaps, 21 opportunities, 7 routes, 1 target)
• Jaylen Warren (Week 7: 33 snaps, 15 opportunities, 18 routes, 3 targets)

Notes: Najee Harris once again operated as the Steelers’ RB1 against the Jets and ran for 102 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. He did not see a target in the passing game. Jaylen Warren, who has been underutilized for much of the season, saw his busiest week of the 2024 campaign, running 12 times for 44 yards while catching two passes for 15 yards. With Justin Fields riding the pine, the Steelers saw a handful of rush attempts open up, as Fields was averaging 9.2 carries per game in the six games he started. As long as Russell Wilson is under center, we can likely expect busier days for Warren, similar to what we saw in 2023. Last season, Warren averaged 13.1 opportunities per game and saw 74 targets. It’s interesting to note that his Week 7 usage looked similar to what we saw last season, right down to the passing game. Najee Harris saw just 37 targets in 2023 and had five games in which he went without a target. Week 7’s contest against the Jets marked his fewest targets in a game this season.

Seattle Seahawks

• Kenneth Walker (Week 7: 26 snaps, 16 opportunities, 7 routes, 2 targets)
• Zach Charbonnet (Week 7: 31 snaps, 9 opportunities, 11 routes, 1 target)

Notes: Even in a game where Charbonnet played on 31 snaps, you have to respect the coaching staff’s ability to keep him in single digits as far as opportunities are concerned. Charbonnet saw three of his opportunities come in the fourth quarter, putting him right on par for what is a typical day for him with Kenneth Walker in the lineup. Walker ran 14 times for 69 yards and a touchdown and also went for 2-24-1 through the air, turning in another high-end fantasy day. The third-year back has quietly been one of the best fantasy running backs in all of football. He’s currently the RB2 in fantasy points per game (22.3) and has finished as an RB1 or better in four of the five games he appeared in this season. Walker will continue to be the go-to-guy in Week 8 against the Bills, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs in their last five games.

San Francisco 49ers

• Jordan Mason (Week 7: 48 snaps, 16 opportunities, 23 routes, 2 targets)
• Isaac Guerendo (Week 7: 5 snaps, 2 opportunities, 3 routes, 1 target)

Notes: A Week 6 shoulder injury didn’t stop Jordan Mason from playing in Week 7 against the Chiefs. What did stop him was the Chiefs’ defense, which held Mason to just 58 scoreless yards on the ground. In a game that featured two of the league’s most high-powered offenses in recent years, injuries — including a brutal one to Brandon Aiyuk (knee) — slowed the 49ers for much of the afternoon and limited them to just 5.5 yards per play. It was anything but an environment built for fantasy success. Fortunately for Mason and his fantasy managers, rookie Isaac Guerendo was a non-factor as well, playing on just five snaps while receiving only one rush attempt. Mason should again play in his typical high-volume role in Week 8 against a Cowboys defense that’s been amongst the league’s worst at stopping the run.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Rachaad White (Week 7: 37 snaps, 16 opportunities, 21 routes, 6 targets)
• Bucky Irving (Week 7: 28 snaps, 12 opportunities, 18 routes, 3 targets)
• Sean Tucker (Week 7: 15 snaps, 7 opportunities, 8 routes, 2 targets)

Notes: True to his word, Todd Bowles took a three-man running back committee into Week 7’s game against the Ravens, but it was Rachaad White who continued to lead the team in total opportunities. White led the Bucs’ backfield in rush attempts (10) and targets (6), while also leading them in yards from scrimmage 111 and two touchdowns. Irving was stifled on the ground (9-23-1) and caught three passes for 54 yards, while Tucker averaged 5.8 YPC on his five carries but did nothing of note in the passing game. It was an impressive rushing performance for the team as a whole against one of the league’s best run-stopping units, but fantasy managers should be encouraged by the work White saw in the passing game. The injuries to Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) could also open White up to more targets in the future. Irving can continue to be counted on as a deep FLEX play, while Tucker is more of a stash that can be used in the even that either White or Irving misses time. The Bucs get the Falcons in Week 8.

Tennessee Titans

• Tony Pollard (Week 7: 59 snaps, 22 opportunities, 26 routes, 6 targets)
• Julius Chestnut (Week 7: 8 snaps, 4 opportunities, 1 route, 1 target)

Notes: Just as we expected, Tony Pollard dominated both snaps and touches in his first game with Tyjae Spears (hamstring) sidelined. If Pollard’s fantasy day were as dominant as his opportunity share, fantasy managers would have been giddy with excitement. Instead, he totaled 65 scoreless yards on 18 touches in the 34-10 loss to the Bills. The Titans get a Lions defense in Week 8 that’s ranked 19th in yards per carry. There’s also a good chance Spears will miss at least one more game with his injury. Pollard remains a solid volume play, but weeks like we just saw will always be in the cards for Pollard, who hasn’t proven nearly as efficient over the last two years (4.3 YPT) as he did from 2019 to 2022 when he was averaging 5.7 YPT. Even if Spears does return, Pollard was seeing a 36 percent opportunity share through the first six weeks of the season to Spears’ 17 percent. Spears’ return should have a minimal impact on Pollard’s usage.

Washington Commanders

• Brian Robinson (Week 7: 26 snaps, 12 opportunities, 4 routes, 0 targets)
• Austin Ekeler (Week 7: 23 snaps, 6 opportunities, 14 routes, 2 targets)
• Jeremy McNichols (Week 7: 17 snaps, 7 opportunities, 4 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: It’s hard to know what we should take away from this backfield performance in a game the Commanders won 40-7. They also held a commanding 17-0 lead with just over 11 minutes to go in the second quarter, thanks in part to an eight-yard touchdown run by Brian Robinson. Robinson played through a knee injury that kept him out of Week 6’s game against the Ravens and ended his day with 12 carries for 71 yards and a lone touchdown. He ran the ball just four times in the entire second half and didn’t play a snap in the fourth quarter. Austin Ekeler, who was lightly used early in the game, also sat in the fourth quarter, while McNichols. The Commanders dominated this game from start to finish and played all but the first series without Jayden Daniels (ribs). Marcus Mariota threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns and has a good chance of starting Week 8 against the Bears if Daniels can’t play. Robinson is still the unquestioned RB1 in this backfield, while Ekeler remains difficult to trust outside of PPR leagues. He has just one top-24 fantasy finish on the season and is averaging just 8.2 touches/gm.

NOTE: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, RotoViz.com, ProFootballReference.com, NextGenStats.NFL.com, 4For4.com, FantasyPoints.com and RBSDM.com. All scoring is based on full-PPR leagues.