Week 3 Running Backs + Tiers

Aaron Jones is dealing with a legitimate knee injury and did not practice on Wednesday, making his status for the upcoming game uncertain; he remains a start if active, but his availability is in question.

Mattek ranks Ashton Jeanty as the RB6 and a top-12 (potentially top-10) rest-of-season player. He is a high-priority acquisition target in both redraft and dynasty due to his heavy usage (21 rushes, 7 targets last week).

Mattek ranks Bijan Robinson as a top-tier running back who should be started every single week.

Mattek ranks Braelon Allen at RB18 and considers him a clear buy. The coaching staff has praised his improved reads and performance in the run game, noting he is excelling in his role.

Breece Hall is ranked as the RB14 for the week, benefiting from a favorable matchup against a Detroit Lions defense that is considered one of the five worst units in the NFL.

Bucky Irving's outlook has been tempered following comments from Zack Robinson regarding a 'hot hand' approach and concerns about Irving's physical profile (under 200 lbs). While he earned significant work in the Cleveland game due to his superiority over Kenneth Gainwell, he is now ranked behind Swift and Hall.

Mattek ranks Chase Brown as the RB11 for the week.

The Dolphins are looking to see if Chris Bell can scale up his snap count given the current injuries in the wide receiver room.

Mattek ranks Christian McCaffrey as the RB5, noting he is back to his usual form, though expressing slight concern about field conditions in the Ravens-Cowboys game.

Chuba Hubbard is ranked as the RB12 and should be viewed as a 'buy high' candidate. With no Jonathan Brooks in the lineup and a lack of serious competition for touches, he should be started in all leagues. The Panthers' offense is performing well, leading the NFL in pass rate over expectation, and Hubbard has the potential to be a 15-16 points per game player.

D'Andre Swift is ranked as the RB13, significantly higher than market consensus. Despite concerns about the backup quarterback situation, Swift is expected to maintain a floor of 14-15 touches with a monopoly on goal-line work and heavy involvement in the passing game.

Mattek has dropped Devon Achane to RB26, noting that even this ranking might be too high given the Dolphins' offensive struggles, a tough matchup against the Kansas City defense, and a miserable backfield split where CJ Donaldson and Alvin Kamara are siphoning touches.

If Aaron Jones is out, DeeJay Dallas would be a low-end start (ranked around RB33-34) in a tough matchup for a Vikings offense that rarely targets running backs.

In deeper formats, Demetric Felton could see 5-8 carries as a depth option in the Vikings backfield, serving a role similar to Keaton Mitchell.

Emanuel Wilson has moved into a role as a capable early-down rusher, which limits the upside of other depth options in the backfield. Mattek has moved him up to RB42, placing him ahead of MarShawn Lloyd.

George Holani has been relegated to a third-down back role and is considered ineffective at early-down work, making him not even borderline startable.

J.K. Dobbins is ranked at RB32 but is dealing with a hip injury, contributing to an uncertain Denver backfield situation where all three primary backs are currently injured.

Mattek ranks Jahmyr Gibbs as a top-tier running back who should be started every single week.

Mattek ranks Javonte Williams as the RB9, citing his high expected points per game and the fact that he never comes off the field, despite personal skepticism regarding his talent.

Mattek ranks Jaylen Warren at RB19 and names him a 'start of the week.' With Rico Dowdle likely out, Warren is expected to see a massive increase in usage and goal-line work, similar to the Tony Pollard/Ezekiel Elliott dynamic.

Jaylen Wright was moved down to RB25 following a slight shoulder injury sustained in the third quarter of last week's game, though reports suggest he will be okay.

Jeremiah Love is ranked at RB27 against San Francisco; while he is currently seeing under 50% of backfield opportunities, Jir Gibbs expects his usage to increase soon as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.

Jonah Coleman is dealing with an ankle injury as part of a Denver backfield where all three main running backs are currently injured, making the situation difficult to audit.

Despite a difficult matchup against the Texans, Mattek advises starting Jonathan Taylor because of his high volume, 27 PPR points per game, goal-line role, and increased passing game involvement.

Kendre Miller is ranked at 49, with Jir Gibbs expressing dismay at the current state of fantasy football depth that requires his consideration.

Mattek ranks Kenneth Walker III as a top-tier running back and highlights his matchup against Miami as insanely good.

Kyren Williams is ranked at RB20, not due to concerns about Blake Corum, but because of a difficult matchup against the Denver Broncos defense.

Malik Washington is expected to see a significant increase in usage due to the current state of the Dolphins' wide receiver depth chart.

MarShawn Lloyd is viewed as a player who struggles to break tackles and prefers to bounce runs outside, leading to a loss of confidence from the coaching staff after a fumble.

Najee Harris has historically been a durable presence for the Steelers, never missing a game, which has previously limited Jaylen Warren's ceiling.

Amarion Hampton is ranked as the RB16. Despite the Chargers' struggling offensive line and poor team performance, Hampton maintains a healthy workload (23 touches last week) and a monopoly on goal-line opportunities, though he is limited by a lack of passing game involvement.

Quinshon Judkins is ranked at RB30 due to the poor state of the Browns' offense and his recovery from a fractured fibula, an injury that historically robbed Tony Pollard of his explosiveness; consequently, there is little confidence in his fantasy outlook.

Rachaad White is ranked at RB31 and is the preferred start over Jaci Krosky Merritt for those forced to start a running back against the Seahawks.

Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to remain the third-down and long-distance back, losing early-down lead duties to Trevon Henderson; he is only a startable option if you are chasing a short-yardage touchdown.

Rico Dowdle is unlikely to play this week due to a toe injury; he has not practiced and was seen in a boot on Wednesday.

RJ Harvey is dealing with a hamstring injury as part of a Denver backfield where all three main running backs are currently injured.

Mattek ranks Saquon Barkley as the RB10, contingent on his availability following a stinger injury.

Mattek identifies Tank Bigsby as a clear start against the Bears if Saquon Barkley is unavailable, explicitly preferring him over Kenneth Gainwell.

Travis Etienne has been moved down to RB26 due to a difficult backfield split where he is losing work to CJ Donaldson and Alvin Kamara.

Trevon Henderson is ranked ahead of Rhamondre Stevenson due to his explosive playmaking ability and improved pass protection, with an expected shift toward him as the lead early-down back.

Woody Marks is in a 50-50 split with David Montgomery, playing all third downs and drawing more targets while showing impressive efficiency.