We are back for another running back start and sit article! Let’s recap Week 7 before diving into this Week’s article. Brian Robinson was one of our starts last week, but he looks to be seeding work to Chris Rodriquez, only getting one more carry than him in a close game vs. the Giants. This led to him finishing outside the top 24, even when he found the end zone. The same thing goes for Alexander Mattison, who saw two fewer carries than Cam Akers in a game where they led most of the way vs. the 49ers. It seems like it might be time to sell both players as they are moving into timeshares.
As you know by now, in this analysis, we have reviewed the adjusted line yards of the offensive line and defensive line to identify the top matchups for Week 8. Below you will see the matchup rank for each player. The matchup rank represents the rank of the defense based on our adjusted line yards metric.
To see the full analysis and where each offense, defense, and matchup ranks as a whole, go check out our new adjusted line yards metric here on Razzball.com.
If you want to see the original data, you can find it on FTN!
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Top Running Back Starts
- Player: Isiah Pacheco
- Opponent: Denver Broncos
- Matchup Rank: 4th
Isiah Pacheco is starting to land himself in the must-start category as he sits as the RB11 through Week 7. This includes a 15-point performance vs. the Broncos just a few weeks ago without scoring a TD. Even though the Broncos’ DST is showing signs of improvement, they still allowed over 100 rushing yards to the Packers last week. This makes Pacheco a locked-in start for most teams in Week 8.
- Player: Javonte Williams
- Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
- Matchup Rank: 5th
It has been a slow start to the season for Javonte Williams as he recovers from his ACL injury. In Week 7, Williams saw a season-high 15 carries vs. the Packers, rushing for 82 yards on the day. This is great news for his rest-of-season outlook as he continues to separate himself from the other running backs who only saw seven carriers last week. Now in Week 8, he faces a Chiefs DST that just allowed 21-120-1 to the Chargers on the ground.
- Player: Dameon Pierce
- Opponent: Carolina Panthers
- Matchup Rank: 2nd
Even with the emergence of C.J. Stroud, the Texans’ run game has been lackluster through Week 7. Last week the Texans backfield did look more like a timeshare as Devin Singletary only saw one less carry in the game. This should be sounding alarm bells in our heads after what happened last week. However, Pierce has a juicy matchup vs. the Panthers, so it is worth giving him one more shot as an RB2/flex as he continues to see a monster workload each week.
Top Running Back Sits
- Player: Brian Robinson
- Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
- Matchup Rank: 28th
The emergence of Chris Rodriquez is very concerning for Brian Robinson. As we discussed in the intro, Robinson saw just one more carry than Rodriquez in Week 7. Another issue is that this didn’t come at the expense of Antonio Gibson, who was still getting work last week. Now heading into Week 8, the Commanders will have to face an Eagles DST that just shut down the Dolphins’ rushing attack. This is why it is best to leave all Washington running backs on your benches this week.
- Player: Kareem Hunt
- Opponent: Seattle Seahawks
- Matchup Rank: 31st
The Browns lost another running back last week as Jerome Ford suffered a high ankle sprain vs. the Colts. This will move Kareem Hunt into the lead role heading into Week 8. The interesting thing was Hunt didn’t take over as the full-time starter after Ford’s injury, as he only saw two more carriers than Pierre Strong on the day. It seems like this will continue to be a timeshare, and now they will face a Seahawks DST that has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game this season.
Honorable mention Sit: Najee Harris vs. Jacksonville
If you have lineup questions or want more information on starts and sits, don’t forget to join us LIVE every Sunday for our Sunday Live Start and Sit Show on the Razzball Fantasy YouTube Channel!
For more from Bobby and his Razzball content, find him on Twitter @bobbylamarco.
Sources: Razzball.com, PFF.com, FantasyPros, FFToday, Pro Football Reference and Football Outsiders
