Week 6 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Running Backs: Will Chase Edmonds continue his hot streak?

Need more help managing your fantasy football team? You have come to the right place. Check out the fantasy football section to get weekly updated information on rankings, projections, and more. Don’t forget to take a look under the NFL section for matchup previews and more articles to keep you informed this season. In this article, I will be going over who to start and sit for the running back position in week six of fantasy football.

Start ‘Em

David Montgomery has always been seen as a risky RB2 that really should be an RB1. However, he is consistently held back by the number of touches he gets on the Bears’ pass-heavy offense. This season, he averages 12.6 carries per game which is near 20th in the NFL, but he manages to average 13.4 fantasy points per game which rank 18th in the league. However, He is a must-start next week against the Carolina Panthers defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season. Moreover, the Panthers are top five in least allowed fantasy points against opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers. Therefore, if Montgomery gets the appropriate amount of touches that he should against this weak Panther run defense, then Montgomery should line up for a great week of fantasy football. He is a high-end RB2 with RB1 potential next week.

Leonard Fournette has been held back in the past two weeks due to injury. Last week, Fournette surprised owners with a late activation for the Buccaneers’ Thursday night game, but he did not receive one touch the entire game. He has averaged 11.6 fantasy points in the games he has played in and gets a healthy amount of touches to be considered a solid flex option in fantasy. Next week, Fournette faces off against the Green Bay defense which has allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season. He will be an important piece in the Buccaneers offense in trying to take down the undefeated Packers. He is better valued as a flex option in week six but could be a must-start for tougher fantasy leagues at an RB2.

Myles Gaskin continuously remains a consistent fantasy running back this season averaging 13.7 points per game. He ranks 16th in total fantasy points and also 16th in carries amongst all NFL running backs. Last week, Gaskin scored 20.1 fantasy points against a tough San Francisco 49ers’ defense, which was his highest point total all year. His carries and touches in the passing game have made him a very valuable fantasy running back this season, and next week the Dolphins face the Jets, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. He is a strong RB2 with possible RB1 upside going into week six.

Adrian Peterson has been a little slow in the past two weeks against the Saints and the Cardinals, who both have decent rush defenses. Either way, Peterson is still seeing a lot of carries as the lead back on the Detroit Lions offense and they intend to keep it that way for the explosive back. While is averaging a lowly 63.4 yards per game this season he is still taking on 15.4 carries on average this season which is very valuable for fantasy. He is bound to have a solid week next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to running backs this season. Not to mention, the Lions are bound to keep this game close and run the ball as much as they pass it, assuming they will not be getting blown out by the 1-4 Jaguars.

Chase Edmonds has been a hot streak of fantasy football while backing up a struggling Kenyan Drake. He only averages 4.5 carries per game, but he gets a healthy amount of passing targets out of the backfield. In the past two weeks, he has gotten six targets in each game which is third-most of his team in both weeks. In the past two weeks, Edmonds has averaged close to 17.5 fantasy points per game. Next week the Cardinals play against the Cowboys, who are without Dak Prescott and will allow the Cardinal offense to remain on the field for a healthy amount of the game. Chase Edmonds is a high-end flex play for week six.

Sit ‘Em

Melvin Gordon has been undoubtedly great this season for fantasy football averaging 16.4 points per game in the Broncos’ backfield and ranking 20th amongst fantasy running backs. However, next week the Broncos face against the New England Patriots, who have one of the best defenses in the league this season and have allowed the fifth least amount of fantasy points to opposing running backs. Not to mention, Melvin Gordon was charged with a DUI earlier this week, making his appearance shaky for this weekend and still undecided. He would only be worth the start as a flex spot this weekend assuming that he can play, but better off on the bench.

Jerick McKinnon has been phenomenal in the absence of Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman. In the first four weeks of the season, he has averaged 16.63 fantasy points in the 49ers backfield. Last week, however, he only put up 2.5 points in a blowout against Miami that held them to scoring 17 points on offense. Also, the return of Raheem Mostert will certainly hurt his fantasy value as a consistent starter, assuming he will start to cool off from his incredible start. Next week the 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams, who have one of the best defenses in the league led by Aaron Donald and has only allowed 23.66 average fantasy points to opposing running backs. McKinnon is a flex option at best but better off on the bench until we see how he plays with competition in the backfield.

Darrell Henderson and the Los Angeles Rams have rushed the ball as a team more than any team this season. Henderson himself has been a phenomenal running back this season averaging 13.2 points at running back. But, he certainly has been hot and cold this season with two games under five points and three games over 19 points. The competitive backfield of the Rams has always been unappealing, and their matchup next week against the 49ers is not exactly ideal. I would have him ride the bench next week or put him at flex to see how the Rams play against the 49ers in the run game.