You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Christian McCaffrey. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings.
NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start 'Em
Joe Flacco has brought Brown and the Bengals receivers back to fantasy relevancy. Brown has averaged 16.4 fantasy PPG with Flacco as the starter, compared to fewer than 10 per game without him. Brown has been the fantasy RB8 since Week 7, when he recorded a season-high 108 rushing yards and was targeted 14 times by Flacco against the Steelers. In fact, he has averaged 15.5 fantasy PPG in his last two games against the division rival. Brown is in play with Flacco at the helm.
Warren is a safe RB2 most weeks. He gets the best matchup a running back could ask for this week. Against the Bengals in Week 7, Warren ran for 127 yards and had 19.8 fantasy points (both season-highs). Warren has received 77 percent of the Steelers' carries over the last four weeks, and the Bengals D has allowed the most fantasy points to RBs. Warren is a strong start.
I've been a fan of Henderson since the draft, and after including him in this list last week, the rookie turned 15 touches into 150 yards, two touchdowns and 28 fantasy points. Playing 83 percent of the snaps in that game, Henderson's 147 rushing yards were the most the Bucs have surrendered to a RB in a game this season. He also averaged more than 10 yards per carry on inside and outside runs, the first RB to do that in a game in 2025. He also reached the fifth-fastest speed by any ball-carrier on his 55-yard TD run in that game, per Next Gen Stats. Henderson is a home run hitter. With a short week, he faces a Jets defense that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy PPG to RBs in the last four weeks. The Patriots should dictate the game script as well.
It's been frustrating to watch Marks have success then see the carrot get pulled away from him the following week. He had a great outing last week, playing 78 percent of the snaps and handling 17 touches. Marks has averaged 13.5 touches per game in the last four contests and has posted at least 12 in four of his last six. The Titans have surrendered the most rushing TDs and fifth-most fantasy PPG to RBs this season. Marks had 119 yards, a pair of TDs and a season-high 27.9 fantasy points against Tennessee in Week 4.
After several tough weeks, White enters a get-right opportunity against the Bills, who have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards, most rushing TDs (tied) and seventh-most fantasy PPG to RBs. Buffalo also has allowed explosive runs at the fourth-highest rate. Since Bucky Irving went down, White has averaged 16 touches per game, which puts him in play as an RB2 with upside. Backup Sean Tucker, who has seen 11-plus touches in each of the last two games with four explosive runs, is a sneaky flex option with breakout potential. That said, keep an eye on the status of Bucky Irving, who has not played since September but did practice on Wednesday. If Irving returns from injury, that clouds the picture for White and Tucker.
Jones’ fantasy output has increased in each game since returning to action in Week 8. He has a whopping 22 percent explosive run in that span, and even more encouraging was that he received six targets from J.J. McCarthy last week. Jones faces a Bears defense that is giving up explosive runs at the seventh-highest rate and allowing the third-most yards before contact per carry to RBs. Jones has had more than 100 yards or scored a touchdown -- or both -- in each of his last five games against the Bears.
Sit 'Em
Dobbins has struggled of late, scoring single-digit fantasy points in four of his last five games, and now he's dealing with a foot injury. He hasn't topped 15 fantasy points since Week 5, which also marks the last time he scored a TD. He and RJ Harvey each have six red-zone opportunities in the last month, but Dobbins accounts for less than half of the red-zone carries when factoring in Bo Nix. The veteran back is averages just 1.4 targets per game and is extremely reliant on explosive runs and touchdowns. He now faces a Chiefs defense that has given up just four rushing TDs to RBs and allows explosive runs at a below-average rate. Kansas City has allowed one 100-yard rushing performance to a running back since the start of last season.
In the eight games both Walker and Charbonnet have been active, the former is averaging 9.2 fantasy PPG. He has one total TD in those games and has been outscored by Charbonnet in six of those contests. Walker hasn't scored double-digit fantasy points since Week 4, while Charbonnet is averaging a league-low 3.3 yards per carry this season. The rival Rams have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards, two total TDs and the fewest fantasy PPG to RBs this season. Sit them both.
The Titans have struggled mightily on offense, and Pollard has yet to reach 15 fantasy points in a game. He has been held to single digits in three of his last four games, a span that has seen his touches per game decrease to 11.8 after averaging 18 over the Titans' first five games. Tennessee faces the Texans, who rank in the bottom 10 in rushing yards, fantasy PPG and explosive run rate allowed to RBs. With Tyjae Spears ascending within the offense, get away from Pollard in this tough matchup.
There is some uncertainty in the Giants backfield with Tracy getting a majority of carries last week and Devin Singletary getting more the game prior. There are also questions with Mike Kafka taking over as interim head coach. Plus, the Packers have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy PPG to RBs this season. With the Giants starting Jameis Winston while Jaxson Dart is in concussion protocol, I'd avoid playing Tracy.
Mason has scored a total of 10.4 fantasy points across three games since Aaron Jones returned to the lineup, averaging seven touches (one target) per game. The lone Vikings touchdown by a RB in that span went to Jones. The Bears aren't a matchup to avoid, but given Mason's usage, he's closer to being on waivers than in starting lineups at this point in the season.
