Fantasy Football Week 9 Workload Watch
Committees might be the most annoying part of fantasy football. While we've grown to accept them as part of the game that will never go away, seeing top backs lose significant touches to lesser players can be very frustrating.
However, sometimes the fantasy gods throw us a bone, or in the case of Week 8, multiple bones. Last week was one of the best of the season for fantasy production, and it resulted in multiple backfields producing solid-to-strong fantasy output from more than one player.
Jordan Howard came back to life with his busiest performance of the season in a game that also saw Tarik Cohen score a 70-yard touchdown. Howard may not get 20-plus carries a game, but last week showed he could still be useful for fantasy even with Cohen playing a prominent role.
The absence of Royce Freeman put Phillip Lindsay in the RB1 conversation for Week 8. He came through with 20.2 fantasy points on a day when Devontae Booker also had a significant enough workload to finish as a top-25 fantasy back.
Even though it wasn't a huge game for either player, both Doug Martin and Jalen Richard finishing inside the top 30 running backs has to be considered a victory for those who grabbed either player off the waiver wire after Marshawn Lynch landed on injured reserve.
To learn more about what’s going on in the backfields of the Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, check out the Week 9 B.S. Meter. The Workload Watch covers eight other running back situations that have the most fantasy implications.
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Chicago Bears
1 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Jordan Howard: 57.6% snaps, 22 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD, 0 targets
Tarik Cohen: 57.6% snaps, 5 carries, 40 yards, 0 TD, 3 targets, 1 reception, 70 yards, 1 TD
The difference between adjusting expectations and overreacting to a player failing to live up to expectations is what separates the best fantasy players from the ones who let emotion overtake rational thinking.
Howard carried the Chicago Bears offense for the last two years with very little help around him, but his role hasn't been as important this season with additional talent and a head coach in Matt Nagy who isn't afraid to get everyone involved. Of course, that means Howard isn't as important to the success of the team on a weekly basis, so his fantasy ceiling isn't as high as it was the last two years.
However, that doesn't mean Howard should have been completely shifted off the fantasy radar, and he proved that in Week 8. The Bears were able to control the New York Jets in a 24-10 victory, which allowed Howard to have only his second 20-carry game of the season en route to 14.1 fantasy points.
Cohen had a quiet game in terms of touches, but he showed that one play could make up for that on his 70-yard touchdown. After eight weeks, he's the No. 12 fantasy RB, which puts him right on the RB1/RB2 border. If you treat Cohen as an RB2, you'll never be let down because he still has RB1 upside.
Denver Broncos
2 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Phillip Lindsay: 56.2% snaps, 18 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD, 3 targets, 3 receptions, 17 yards, 0 TD
Devontae Booker: 43.8% snaps, 9 carries, 78 yards, 0 TD, 4 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards, 0 TD
Royce Freeman: Inactive
With Freeman sidelined by an ankle injury, Lindsay had a clear path to his biggest workload of the season when he faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8.
He got just that, topping his previous high of 15 carries in Week 1 with his second-best rushing output of the season. Lindsay now has three games with at least 90 rushing yards on the year and his first occurrence of back-to-back games with a score. He's the No. 15 fantasy running back for the season, so you can continue to treat him as a reliable RB2 with RB1 upside as long as Freeman isn't in the mix.
The encouraging part of Lindsay's performance was that it came in a game that saw Booker get 13 touches. Considering the Chiefs are such a high-powered offense, Booker had value as a deep sleeper to contribute as a receiver, which he did. The bonus was a productive day on the ground. Before Week 8, Booker had just 13 carries for 51 yards, so his success on the ground was unexpected.
The arrow is pointing up on Lindsay; he's been able to handle everything the Broncos have thrown at him as a rookie with consistent success. His ceiling will be lowered just a bit once Freeman returns to action, but he won't be losing his status as one of the safest RB2s in fantasy football.
Detroit Lions
3 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Kerryon Johnson: 81.4% snaps, 8 carries, 22 yards, 0 TD, 12 targets, 6 receptions, 69 yards, 0 TD
LeGarrette Blount: 11.9% snaps, 3 carries, 3 yards, 0 TD, 1 target, 1 reception, 23 yards, 0 TD
Ameer Abdullah: 6.8% snaps, 0 carries, 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards, 0 TD
Theo Riddick: Inactive
One of Johnson's worst rushing performances of the season provided us with some optimism that was confirmed at the trade deadline.
Because the Detroit Lions played from behind for much of the 28-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, it was hard to establish a ground game, especially when they fell behind 21-7 at the half. That would explain why Johnson and Blount combined for just 11 carries. It would also explain why Blount was barely on the field. Despite an uncharacteristically long reception, Blount has never been a reliable contributor in the passing game.
With the score completely in favor of the Seahawks, it didn't look like Johnson would have many chances to build on his 19-carry, 158-yard performance in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins. Luckily, the Lions were smart enough to involve Johnson as a receiver with Theo Riddick sidelined by a knee injury. Johnson had 15 receptions for 89 yards on 18 targets coming into this matchup and never had more than 23 receiving yards in a game.
When the Lions needed Johnson to contribute more as a receiver than as a runner, he answered the call. The more opportunities he gets, the more chances he gets to show just how talented and reliable he can be for the Lions and fantasy teams. It would be fair to say that Johnson's reliability did factor into the team's decision to trade Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles.
From a fantasy perspective, the majority of Johnson's value comes from his carries, but as Week 8 proved, he doesn't have to disappear if the team is playing from behind. When a running back is immune from game flow, it makes it that much easier to start him without a second thought. He's a top-20 RB on the season—and rising.
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Indianapolis Colts
4 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Marlon Mack: 62.8% snaps, 25 carries, 132 yards, 2 TDs, 4 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards, 0 TD
Nyheim Hines: 35.9% snaps, 11 carries, 78 yards, 0 TD, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 7 yards, 0 TD
Jordan Wilkins: 3.8% snaps, 2 carries, 14 yards, 0 TD, 0 targets
Much like Phillip Lindsay, Mack seemed to be line for a big game in Week 8 because of a great matchup and a lack of competition for touches. Lindsay came through even with Devontae Booker getting more touches than expected, and Mack came through despite Hines playing a prominent role in the ground game.
Mack's rushing attempts have increased in each game, and so has his fantasy output. His return to action in Week 6 resulted in 12 carries for 89 yards against the New York Jets. He followed that up with 19 carries for 126 yards and a score in a win over the Buffalo Bills. The matchup with the Oakland Raiders was a juicy one, and Mack was able to take full advantage with his best performance of the year.
Not only has Mack been able to handle the hefty workload on the ground, but he's also getting a little extra work through the air. In the last three games, he has five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. It's not a huge role, but it shows he can contribute as a receiver if needed, and that's an extra boost to his fantasy value.
Because Mack has been so busy, Hines went from fantasy fill-in to afterthought until the Colts featured him in the two-minute offense at the end of the first half against the Raiders. Hines has tallied double-digit carries in just one other game, which saw him get 15 rushes for 45 yards in Week 5 when Mack was still working his way back from injury. Hines would need to have a more consistent role before we can start trusting him for a potential flex spot.
Even though Mack has had a pretty beatable schedule over the last three weeks, he should continue to get plenty of volume after the Week 9 bye to remain in the high-RB2 tier for the rest of the season. The Colts wouldn't have won back-to-back games without him, so his role will be a vital one in the second half of the year.
Jacksonville Jaguars
5 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Carlos Hyde: 43.8% snaps, 6 carries, 11 yards, 0 TD, 2 targets, 0 receptions
T.J. Yeldon: 57.8% snaps, 2 carries, 7 yards, 0 TD, 9 targets, 7 receptions, 83 yards, 0 TD
Leonard Fournette: Inactive
Hyde's debut wasn't anything like what we saw from him in Cleveland, but it didn't help that the Philadelphia Eagles led from halftime on, with the lead jumping to 17-6 less than halfway through the third quarter. Of course, Yeldon didn't get much going on the ground, either, yet he was able to save his fantasy production with a busy role in the passing game.
As a member of the Browns, Hyde had just two games where he played less than 50 percent of the snaps, although those both came in his final two weeks with the team. The Jaguars didn't have a huge deficit to overcome, but they basically abandoned any attempt to get the rushing attack going, so Hyde was rendered useless. It's hard to judge his effectiveness in his first game with the team on jus six carries.
Hyde's presence resulted in Yeldon having his lowest carry total of the season, and it marked only the third time this year he failed to register double-digit carries. Of course, Hyde was acquired to boost the team's rushing numbers, so Yeldon was expected to take a backseat in that role. Luckily, he had his best receiving performance of the year, including a season-high 83 yards.
If the Jaguars finally get Leonard Fournette back following the Week 9 bye, the split in carries between him and Hyde may depend on how much the team wants to push Fournette knowing that he's had multiple setbacks with his hamstring injury. Yeldon may end up being the most consistent fantasy option since he's clearly the team's feature pass-catching back. This could be a fluid situation for the rest of 2018.
New Orleans Saints
6 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Alvin Kamara: 71.7% snaps, 13 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD, 8 targets, 7 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD
Mark Ingram: 43.4% snaps, 13 carries, 63 yards, 0 TD, 3 targets, 3 receptions, 29 yards, 0 TD
Taysom Hill: 34.0% snaps, 3 carries, -2 yards, 0 TD, 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
In three games since Ingram returned from suspension, Kamara has remained the more productive fantasy option, although both players are out of the RB1 tier. That has to be a disappointment considering both operated in the top tier in 2017. Over the last month (three games), Kamara is RB17 (49 fantasy points, 16.3 FPG) while Ingram is RB27 (39.7 fantasy points, 13.2 FPG).
Since Ingram's return, Kamara has 36 attempts for 133 yards and two scores, while Ingram has 41 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Kamara has the lead as a receiver with 12 receptions for 57 yards and a score on 14 targets. Ingram has seven receptions for 59 yards on eight targets without a touchdown.
Instead of Ingram providing a major boost, he's taking enough away from Kamara to lower his ceiling while also falling short of being anything more than a solid RB3/flex option. Hill's presence certainly isn't helping, even if he's only accounted for 123 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Neither Kamara nor Ingram is doing enough as a receiver to make up for Hill's inclusion in the offense.
Hopefully, this is a situation that will continue to evolve in a positive way for those looking at Kamara to bounce back into RB1 territory and Ingram to at least find his way into the RB2 conversation. Unfortunately, the Saints may not change much as long as they keep winning.
Oakland Raiders
7 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Doug Martin: 56.0% snaps, 13 carries, 72 yards, 0 TD, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards, 0 TD
Jalen Richard: 44.0% snaps, 2 carries, 14 yards, 0 TD, 8 targets, 8 receptions, 50 yards, 0 TD
Martin's chances of providing at least some replacement fantasy value for Marshawn Lynch will always be tied to game flow. If the Oakland Raiders are competitive, Martin should be in the mix for 12 to 15 carries, if not more. But as a one-win team, it's hard to bank on him to give you that on a weekly basis.
The Raiders hung with the Colts in Week 8, so Martin stayed involved, and to his credit, he looked pretty good. He came into the game with 27 carries for 99 yards, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him average 5.5 yards per carry. Adding a couple of receptions was a nice bonus, and even if it wasn't a big role, the Raiders were at least willing to throw him the ball.
Richard has just one game with more than two carries on the season, and that continued in Week 1, so there's no reason to expect a big uptick in carries even with Lynch out of the picture. Of course, Richard does his best work as a receiver, and that's exactly what happened against the Colts. For the fourth time this season, he registered at least seven targets and at least 50 receiving yards. He now leads the team with 39 receptions and is second in targets to Jared Cook (48 to 45).
Richard is still the safer option because the team has just one victory and should need him quite often as a hurry-up back. This week's matchup with the one-win San Francisco 49ers is a positive one for Martin because the game shouldn't get out of hand, which means another 12 to 15 carries should be coming in a competitive matchup. Expectations for both players shouldn't rise above the RB3/flex tier.
Philadelphia Eagles
8 of 8
Week 8 Workload Distribution
Corey Clement: 21.0% snaps, 4 carries, 6 yards, 0 TD, 1 target, 1 reception, -1 yard, 0 TD
Wendell Smallwood: 50.0% snaps, 8 carries, 24 yards, 0 TD, 3 targets, 2 receptions, 42 yards, 1 TD
Josh Adams: 29.0% snaps, 9 carries, 61 yards, 0 TD, 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards, 0 TD
Darren Sproles: Inactive
Just when you thought this Philadelphia Eagles backfield couldn't get more annoying, Adams became the fourth different running back to lead the team in rushing. That came in a game that saw none of the Eagles get double-digit carries, which means this is a three-headed monster with no one dominating the touches.
To be fair, the Eagles were smart to stick with Adams because he ran well and was the only one of the three to provide real production on the ground. Of course, Adams had just 11 carries for 46 yards on the season before his best game of the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars, so it was hard to see this coming. Plus, being the best running back of this group meant nothing for fantasy, with Adams scoring just 7.7 points.
Smallwood's receiving touchdown was his second of the season, and he now leads this backfield in all receiving categories with 22 targets, 15 receptions, 143 yards and two scores. That makes him the top fantasy back in Philadelphia with 9.1 fantasy points per game, which is a fringe flex option at best.
Clement isn't far behind at 9.0 fantasy points per game, but he's heading in the wrong direction. He has just 12 carries for 12 yards and three receptions for 15 yards on three targets in the last two games. Clement still seems like the Eagles' best all-around back, but he's not doing enough to command consistent touches, and the team doesn't seem to have a problem winning with him in this minimal role.
When you add in the acquisition of Golden Tate, it adds yet another talented player to take targets away from this backfield. There's no real rhyme or reason to who leads the way each week and it's not like the top back in each game does anything notable for fantasy. Barring an injury or a change from the team's philosophy in how they handle these backs, you're better off avoiding all three of them. It's a guessing game you can't win.
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