Week 11 RB Start’em, Sit’em: Running Back Fantasy Football Strategy

Are you interested in getting the upper hand vs your friends this season in you fantasy football league. You can do it by checking out our fantasy football rankings and projections. Don’t forget about the defense either with our full defense fantasy football rankings. Our information is some of the best in the industry and we invite you to take a look for free.

If you are in doubt about some players in a tough spot this week, or players that haven’t produced yet this season, you have come to the perfect spot. We dive into a few names to start in borderline matchups, and also talk about players to fade. You can also check out our rankings area to see where players on your team rank and their projections heading into Week 11. Be sure to check out the rest of our weekly fantasy football content.

Start Em

Devin Singletary @ Miami

Devin Singletary had just 11 touches after his 23 touch game in Week 9. Frank Gore had just six touches, so it isn’t like he saw the workload. Instead, Cleveland controlled this game, and Josh Allen had to do more on his end to get them going. The positives is that Singletary saw 46 snaps, which is now three straight weeks with 40+. This is a great matchup for Singletary against the Dolphins who have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game to running backs. They also rank 31st in DVOA against the run.

Tevin Coleman Vs. Arizona

Tevin Coleman’s workload has been up and down of late, since coming back from injury he has seen 16, 20, 22, 13, 14, and 13 touches. As you can see things have slipped a bit of late, but that should change with Matt Breida missing time. Raheem Mostert is going to be the backup, but we should see Coleman get closer to 18-20 touches this week. Arizona ranks 19th against the run, and have allowed the 11th most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. After back to back dud games, I have faith in Coleman this week.

Brian Hill @ Carolina

Devonta Freeman is out the next few weeks, and Brian Hill took over for him against the Saints. He wasn’t efficient against a very tough run defense, but he did have 21 touches and found the end zone on a ten yard pass. He scored 14.1 fantasy points in PPR leagues against the Saints, and has an easier matchup this week. The Panthers have allowed the third most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, and rank dead last in DVOA against the run. Hill should see 18+ touches against this defense and is a great plug and play this week alongside being the top waiver wire pick up.

Austin Ekeler Vs. Kansas City

We saw Melvin Gordon break out against Oakland, and that led to Austin Ekeler seeing just eight touches. Some concern here, especially as the Chargers have another week where they take on a bad run defense. However, Ekeler still found the end zone, and this is still a defense I want to target. Opposing offenses are having success through the air and on the ground with their running backs. Both Chargers backs have standalone value this week against the 5th worst run defense. I also expect Ekeler to have more around the 12-15 mark for touches.

Sit Em

David Johnson @ San Francisco

I don’t love what is happening for David Johnson. A first round draft pick is headed towards a brutal stretch of the season as far as a fantasy schedule goes, but now Kenyan Drake is taking work away from him. After being heavy workhorse back, he played just 30 snaps last week to Drake’s 45. Johnson had just six touches to Drake’s 16 against Tampa Bay. Drake had a lot of success against the 49ers defense, who were spread out and beat by the run the last few weeks. Johnson doesn’t exactly fit the blazing speed profile that would be needed to achieve this. Given the iffy workload, and overall tough matchup against the 49ers defense, he is a tough start right now.

Sony Michel @ Philadelphia

Outside David Montgomery and Ezekiel Eliott there hasn’t been much production against the Eagles defense. They have allowed the eighth fewest fantasy points per game to opposing backs this season. They also rank 7th in DVOA against the run. Michel has averaged 16.8 touches per game this season, but has not been effective. He needs the touchdowns to have any sort of fantasy relevance, and that is a concern for me. I also look at the Eagles secondary and will just think New England attacks them there. Michel hasn’t gotten a ton of passing game work to make up for the lack of points, and has scored less than ten fantasy points in five of nine games this season.

Royce Freeman @ Minnesota

Royce Freeman has gotten enough work to be a guy you contemplate each week, and on the road against Minnesota isn’t an area to plug him in. Freeman is averaging 13.3 touches per game this season, which isn’t given he is in a timeshare with Phillip Lindsay, but it isn’t going to be enough against Minnesota in what will likely be a negative game script for the running backs. The Vikings rank 9th against the run, and have allowed the fifth fewest fantasy points to opposing backs this season.

Peyton Barber Vs. New Orleans

Despite Ronald Jones getting labeled as the starter, Peyton Barber still had decent work against the Cardinals. It isn’t something that I am banking on building for the rest of the year. He gets New Orleans this week, and I am not a big fan of either of the Bucs back, but Jones is still a start. New Orleans has allowed the third fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, and the Bucs should be trailing early and often in this one. The Saints rank 6th in DVOA against the run, and have been one of the top defenses over the last few weeks.