• Chase Brown will get elite utilization in his first sport with out Zack Moss: With Moss on the sidelines with what has turned out to be a long-term neck damage, Brown put up a career-high 157 scrimmage yards on 32 touches in Week 9.
• Joe Mixon is a ball hog: Since Week 7, Mixon has led the NFL with 74 dashing makes an attempt and has made up 56% of the Texans’ scrimmage touches, which is by far the best crew contact charge by any participant within the NFL throughout that span.
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Estimated studying time: 6 minutes
With so many working backs splitting their backfield in right now’s NFL, it’s extra vital than ever to determine which gamers are receiving essentially the most invaluable snaps and touches on their crew and who’s slowly shedding their workload to teammates who’re outproducing them.
Here are the highest working again takeaways over the primary 9 weeks of the 2024 season that would tremendously affect fantasy factors in Week 10 and past.
Bengals RB Chase Brown will get 32 touches in Week 9 with Zack Moss sidelined
With his backfield counterpart Zack Moss on the sidelines because of a neck damage final weekend, Chase Brown recorded a career-high 32 touches within the sport, consisting of 27 carries and 5 receptions.
It marked the primary time in his profession with greater than 15 carries, and he delivered—racking up 120 yards on the bottom together with 37 receiving yards and a landing. Brown performed almost 80% of the offensive snaps, and no different Bengals working again recorded a contact.
With Moss now positioned on IR, Brown is predicted to proceed as a workhorse again. The Bengals did purchase Khalil Herbert from the Bears earlier than the commerce deadline, however that transfer seems to be extra for depth, given the shortage of a viable backup if one thing had been to occur to Brown.
While Brown’s Week 9 efficiency was spectacular, it got here in opposition to the struggling Raiders protection. His upcoming schedule is tougher, with matchups in opposition to the Ravens, Chargers, and Steelers — all top-eight run defenses this season. However, his function within the passing sport ought to maintain him a protected fantasy begin, even in more durable matchups.
Upcoming matchups: at Ravens, at Chargers, bye, vs. Steelers
Titans RB Tony Pollard recorded a career-high 28 carries in Week 9
In Week 9 in opposition to the Patriots, Tony Pollard set a career-high with 28 carries, dashing for 128 yards and totaling 154 scrimmage yards — his most in a sport as a Titan and the second-most of his profession.
Pollard has now recorded season-high scrimmage yards in back-to-back video games, with 117 yards in Week 8. Recently, the Titans have leaned closely on Pollard, who has performed over 80% of offensive snaps in every of the final three weeks. However, there are causes to be cautious about his fantasy outlook.
Running again Tyjae Spears, sidelined since Week 6 with a hamstring damage, might return quickly, doubtlessly slicing into Pollard’s workload. Additionally, scoring alternatives have been scarce for Pollard, because the Titans’ offense not often places him able to seek out the tip zone.
He hasn’t scored a landing in three weeks and hasn’t had a carry contained in the five-yard line since Week 4. To make issues more durable, the Titans’ upcoming schedule consists of matchups in opposition to the Chargers, Texans, and Vikings—every a top-seven protection in limiting fantasy factors to working backs this season.
If you’ll be able to, commerce Tony Pollard in your fantasy leagues now.
Upcoming matchups: at Chargers, vs. Vikings, at Texans
Rico Dowdle performs 71% of Cowboys‘ offensive snaps with Ezekiel Elliott inactive
Elliott’s benching allowed Dowdle to show himself because the Cowboys’ best choice to steer their backfield for the remainder of the season. Playing a career-high 54 snaps in Week 9, Dowdle rushed for 75 yards on 12 carries and added 32 yards and a landing by way of the air. He’s now surpassed 100 scrimmage yards in two of his final three video games, scoring 19+ fantasy factors in each.
If the Cowboys’ teaching employees is seeking to the long run, they’ll seemingly maintain Elliott on the bench to provide Dowdle an prolonged look, particularly with the crew’s playoff hopes dwindling. Elliott, who isn’t a part of the crew’s long-term plans, has underperformed this season, averaging simply 3.1 yards per carry—rating 63rd out of 66 gamers with 40+ carries—in comparison with Dowdle’s 4.5 yards per carry.
Dowdle faces difficult matchups over the following two weeks in opposition to the Eagles and Texans, however his schedule opens up considerably from Weeks 12-15 with video games in opposition to the Commanders, Giants, Bengals and Panthers — 4 groups which have struggled to cease the run. Dowdle may very well be a late-season fantasy league-winner.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Eagles, vs. Texans, at Commanders
Joe Mixon‘s 56% crew contact charge since Week 7 leads all gamers within the NFL
In a stunning flip of occasions, the Texans have turn into a really heavy dashing offense this season with Joe Mixon thriving in his new offense. Mixon is averaging 21 carries and 23 touches per sport, each second most within the NFL to solely Kareem Hun … it’s like we rewound the clocks to 2017. Mixon’s work is barely ramping up because the season progresses. Over the final three weeks, Mixon leads the NFL with 74 dashing makes an attempt and 80 complete scrimmage touches. During that span, Mixon has made up 56% of the Texans scrimmage touches— no different participant has had greater than 49% of their crew’s touches since Week 7.
Despite lacking three video games with an ankle damage earlier this season, Mixon has the fifth most pink zone carries (28) within the NFL and has been the ball provider on every of the Texans‘ seven goal-line carries in 2024. It is protected to say that Mixon has been top-of-the-line picks in fantasy drafts this season as he has completed as a top-five fantasy working again in 4 of the six weeks he has performed in 2024. No working again has extra top-five fantasy finishes than Mixon this season.
Upcoming matchups: vs Lions, at Cowboys, vs. Titans