RB Rankings
- I’m uneasy playing Alex Collins, or really anyone in this Seattle offense, as long as Russell Wilson is out. Have you seen Geno Smith play quarterback? Collins was banged up last week and only played 39% of the snaps on Monday night, and now has a short week to get ready for Sunday. Sure they play the Jaguars, but who is the better team here with Trevor Lawrence leading Jacksonville? I’m going to need glowing injury reports to feel confident in Collins.
- James Conner is my RB22 even coming off of his lowest snap share of the season, and you can feel comfortable starting him against the Packers on Thursday. Conner ranks 7th in the NFL with 20 red zone carries and fifth with eight carries inside the five. The Packers have been good at limiting opposing running backs in their PPR scoring, but this defense does rank 30th in DVOA against the run, as they have simply taken advantage of poor rushing opponents. With Arizona favored by 6, Conner should be able to reach the end zone once again in Week 8.
- Myles Gaskin gets a nice boost with Malcolm Brown hitting the IR, as Brown had eaten into this backfield with 28% of the snaps on the season. Gaskin’s two worst games of the year, Weeks 4 and 6, saw Brown receive 67% and 36% of the snaps respectively, which were two of Brown’s three highest snap shares of the season. With Brown out of the way early last week, Gaskin saw 63% of the snaps to Salvon Ahmed‘s 30%. Miami will likely bring someone up from the practice squad, but Gaskin should be able to lead the way in snaps for the next several weeks, and he already ranks 3rd among all running backs in targets for the year. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster lately, but Gaskin has a path to RB2 status going forward.
- From my Sit/Start writeup this week, If Saquon Barkley plays, Devontae Booker is a sit, as he is a volume-based play in fantasy leagues. But if Barkley misses the game, I have Booker as my RB25 against a Chiefs defense that has allowed the tenth-most PPR points to opposing running backs. Booker played 82% of the snaps last week and has ranged between 72% and 88% of the snaps in the last three weeks, putting him in elite territory. Of course, the talent is lacking, as Booker is 47th among all running backs in yards created per attempt and 41st in breakaway rate. Booker shockingly ranks second in juke rate at 55.7%, so he can make people miss and fight for positive yardage, but he just lacks the big play athleticism that Barkley has. Booker has ranged between RB15 and 24 over the past three weeks, and that feels about right again this week.
Green=Strong Starter, Yellow=Solid Starter, Red=Look for Better Options
Week 8 RB Rankings