I’m back again to guide you through your running back start/sit questions and help you win the championship. Week 4 of the NFL Season is already here. Last week was chaotic and sad because of the injuries that occurred. It’s been a brutal year for running back injuries. We continued to miss multiple running backs and saw players like James Conner get banged up. This year will be a roller coaster like usual, filled with many highs and some lows. I’ll be here to help you navigate your lineups every week as you look towards winning that elusive championship.
Enjoy the NFL season, and remember it is only around for 18 weekends. Watch as much as you can and soak it all in. It goes by fast, and you don’t want to miss out on the best parts.
Also, enjoy the chaos, as this fantasy football season is unlike anything we have ever experienced. It’s a scary sight looking out at the many running back committees. However, I’ll do my best to advise you on your running back start/sit needs. Look below at my running back start/sit for Week 3.
I’ll be helping the Nerd Herd out this season with some running back Start/Sit for that week of fantasy football. Analysis and reasoning will be provided for every player that I mentioned. I’m here to help you win your fantasy football week and, ultimately, the championship. You might remember me from last year as I covered the start/sit for running backs. This year, I’m again covering the running back start/sit.
Be sure to follow our other start/sit articles and authors; they contain great advice to help you each week.
Changing the Call (QB): Mike Hicks
The Cutback (RB): Jake Oliver
Slant Pattern (WR): Tristan Cook
12 Formation (TE): Steven Pintado
Flex on ‘Em (FLEX): Evan Brown
IDP Start/Sit (IDP): Jon Glosser
There is one thing I want to note. For this article and every running back start/sit article I write, I won’t include players like Christian McCaffrey or Austin Ekeler. These are apparent starts so long as they aren’t on bye or injured. If you don’t start them, well, you’re a Taco. I’ll be focusing on players who are a bit harder to decide whether to start or what to expect from them. All scoring in this article series will be PPR. All stats/RB# number finishes come from FantasyPros. So, let’s make this a great season as we watch over 200+ games of NFL football. It’s back! Good luck with this dynasty fantasy football season.
Start: D’Andre Swift, Eagles, RB13
Swift has, so far, outpaced anyone’s expectations for how he would do in this Eagles offense. I don’t think anyone could’ve foreseen him being the RB13 after Week 3. Considering he had just one touch in Week One, his 308 rushing yards have largely come in just two weeks. He’s second in the NFL in rushing yards and is set up for a good matchup this week against the Commanders. He’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry and already has five carries of 20 or more yards. The Commanders are giving up 16.3 points per game to opposing running backs. However, they’ve yet to face an offensive line like the Eagles. I’d expect some wide-open holes even against the tough defensive line of the Commanders.
Start: Alvin Kamara, Saints, RB19
Kamara is back from his suspension. He isn’t coming off an injury. He will be 100% entering this week’s game with no limitations. Add in the fact that Jameis Winston is likely starting, and Kamara is a must-start. The Saints will lean on him to help aid Winston and the offense. Expect a lot of rushes and dump-off passes. It also helps that New Orleans is going against the Buccaneers. The same team that was just gashed all game long by the Eagles. While Kamara might not be an RB1 his first week back, he should be a high-end RB2. Plus, you know he has something to prove after being forced to sit out three weeks.
Honorable Mention: Najee Harris, Steelers, RB25
Sit: Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders, RB21
Yes, while unexpectedly, Robinson Jr. is the RB8 in fantasy. However, that doesn’t mean he will be anywhere near that this week. The Commanders are facing the Eagles. The Eagles are likely to win and to jump out to a healthy score early on. This will force the Commanders to play catch-up. Every time the Commanders are behind, Robinson barely gets the ball. Look at last week when they were down multiple scores to the Bills. He saw just 10 touches and didn’t even get a target. Expect that to happen once again this week against the Eagles. Plus, the Eagles have one of the best rush defenses in the NFL, second-best, to be exact.
Sit: Rachaad White, Buccaneers, RB26
White is the RB20 entering this week. I can’t say that I expected him to outscore Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, or many others to this point in the season. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s a safe start. Especially this week when he faces the tough Saints defense. White might be the undisputed RB1 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an 80% snap share, but you can safely bench him against the Saints. The Saints are giving up just the 25th most fantasy points to running backs. Combine that with the fact that White is averaging just 3.1 yards on the ground, and you have a running back set up to be a low-end RB3 in Week 4.
Honorable Mention: James Conner RB22, Isiah Pacheco RB24
Good luck this week with your running back start/sit dilemmas!
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As always, May the Force be with You…
