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 Justin Jefferson. 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
Game script was not on Swift's side in last week's 30-16 loss to Baltimore, but he still managed to finish with 15 fantasy points, thanks to a touchdown and his involvement in the passing game. He has scored 15-plus in four straight, averaging 19.4 fantasy PPG in that span. The floor is double figures and the ceiling is high. We could see an upside game this week, as the Bengals have allowed the most rushing yards, third-most receiving yards and most fantasy PPG to RBs. They have yielded 12 touchdowns in eight games to backs. Swift is a must-play this week.
You all saw what Vidal did on Thursday Night Football: He turned 25 opportunities (23 carries + 2 targets) into 127 yards, scored a touchdown and finished as a top-10 RB on the week with 19.7 fantasy points. He has now topped 125 yards and 19 fantasy points in two of his three starts. I expect him to have another big week against the Titans, who have allowed the second-most rushing yards, most rushing touchdowns (by far) and third-most fantasy PPG to RBs. They are tied for fourth-most yards allowed before contact per carry. The second-year pro should have room to run, and the game script will surely be on his side in this one. Vidal is another must-play in Week 9.
Brown has started to right the ship over the last couple games. He eclipsed 100 yards rushing in Week 7 before exploding for 25.5 fantasy points last Sunday, scoring a rushing and receiving touchdown against the Jets. He gets a chance to continue his turnaround this week vs. the Bears, who have allowed the 11th-most fantasy PPG to RBs. I have written a lot this year about how the Bengals have struggled to prevent Brown from getting hit behind the line of scrimmage. Chicago allows the fourth-most yards before contact per attempt, so he should have some room to run. The Bears also allow explosive carries at the sixth-highest rate. Now, Brown's fantasy value does take a hit if Joe Flacco (shoulder) can't go. But given the favorable matchup, the running back is still in play as a flex option if Cincinnati has to turn back to Jake Browning at quarterback.
It has been an up-and-down fantasy season for Montgomery, who has scored single-digit points in three of his last four. He has taken a step back usage-wise, which has made him more touchdown reliant. This week feels like a get-right spot for him against the Vikings. Minnesota is a tough run defense on a per-touch basis. The issue for the Vikings is that they have trailed often. That is why teams have run the ball on 50 percent of plays against them, per Pro Football Focus. With game script likely on Detroit's side, expect the Lions to run a bunch. Monty is in play as a flex option this week.
Michael Carter was released and then re-signed to the practice squad. That leaves Knight as the lead back in a fantastic matchup against Dallas. The Cowboys have given up the second-most fantasy PPG to RBs. They have allowed explosive runs at the second-highest rate, while yielding yards before and after contact at above-average rates. They are fifth in rushing yards and second in receiving yards allowed to backs. They also struggle to keep RBs out of the end zone. Knight should see a ton of volume in a favorable matchup. He is in play as an RB2 or flex option this week.
Sadly, Cam Skattebo suffered a season-ending injury last weekend. We all hope he's back running over defenders again next year. In his place, Tracy steps up as the lead back. He was the clear top dog after the injury this past Sunday, finishing with 10 carries and three targets, compared to two carries and one target for Devin Singletary. We saw Tracy perform as a fantasy RB2 in this system just last season. He gets a great matchup this week against the Niners, who have allowed the fourth-most yards before contact per carry since the Nick Bosa injury. They've also given up the sixth-most receiving yards and most receiving TDs to RBs in that span. Tracy is in play as an RB2 or flex option.
Sit 'Em
If this were Fantasy Live, Dobbins would be more of a "beware." It's one of those situations where many of you may not be able to get away, but those who have another option can take it. The veteran back has run well this season, but the Broncos tend to keep him around 15 carries per game. He has just one target in four of his last five games and his season high in receiving yards is 10. You cannot rely on pass-game volume, so he needs long runs and touchdowns. The issue is that, in the last two weeks, he and rookie RJ Harvey have split both red-zone and goal-line opportunities in half. On top of that, Denver is set to face Houston, which allows the sixth-fewest rushing and third-fewest receiving yards to backs. The Texans also have allowed explosive runs at the sixth-lowest rate. They kept Christian McCaffrey under 10 fantasy points last week. Given the matchup and recent usage, those with options can get away from Dobbins.
As highlighted last week, Kamara is posting career lows in a majority of important categories, such as yards per attempt, rushing yards per game, yards per catch, receiving yards per game and yards per touch. He is posting his second-lowest success rate as both a runner and receiver. This is likely due to a combination of New Orleans' offense struggling to consistently move the ball and the 30-year-old back hitting the age cliff. Either way, it has led to him finishing outside the top 30 fantasy RBs in two straight weeks. He has been a top-25 fantasy RB once in the last six weeks. Plus, the Rams have allowed the second-fewest fantasy PPG -- and just one total touchdown -- to backs. I would get away from Kamara.
This split between Charbonnet and Walker has been awful for fantasy purposes. Charbonnet continues to play more snaps, while the two split carries and pass-game work. Charbonnet has seen all six goal-line carries in the games when the two have been active. He also has outscored Walker in five of six games played together. Walker has averaged just 9.5 fantasy PPG in those games, and he's been held to single digits in three straight. Charbonnet is extremely touchdown dependent, as he currently has the lowest yards-per-carry figure among qualified RBs at 2.8. The Commanders are a middle-of-the-pack RB matchup, but the usage just doesn't benefit either back in fantasy.
Last week was a step back for this rookie revelation, as the game script simply was not on his side. Limited to nine carries, Croskey-Merritt ran just 12 routes and saw only one target, which came in garbage time, while Jeremy McNichols was heavily utilized in the passing game. That is worrisome this week, as Seattle is allowing the fewest rushing yards per carry and per game, while yielding the fourth-fewest yards before contact per carry. The way to attack the Seahawks with RBs is through the air. You cannot bank on that with Bill, though. For that reason, he can hit the bench.
While Hubbard got more burn than Rico Dowdle in the last two weeks, that seems likely to change moving forward. In that span, Dowdle has more than double the yards on one fewer carry. And before that, Dowdle eclipsed 230 scrimmage yards in back-to-back weeks. Panthers coach Dave Canales openly admitted Dowdle deserves a bigger share of the load on Monday, so that back remains in play, but you can get away from Hubbard in a secondary role. Especially against the Packers, who allow the third-fewest rushing yards and fantasy points per game to RBs.
