It was a weird week for running backs. The New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles didn’t have their starting backs for Week 3, but both should be back soon. Besides those guys, there weren’t really any big injuries in Week 3, so that means there is not a strong crop of pickups.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 7 running backs to target in Week 4
Karlos Williams looks like a young stud. He and six others are worth a pickup in some fantasy leagues.
On the other hand, some of the backup running backs have really shown up with big-time numbers. Here’s a look at some guys worth a look:
Karlos Williams, Buffalo Bills (owned in 24 percent of leagues)
He’s been the Bills’ best back and arguably the best offensive player. In Sunday’s big 41-14 win over the Miami Dolphins, Williams led the team in carries with 12 for a team-high 110 yards and one rushing score.
Meanwhile, LeSean McCoy hasn’t been productive. On Sunday he had just 16 rushing yards on 11 carries. McCoy likely would’ve had more carries and he did add a receiving touchdown, so it’s not like he fell apart.
McCoy was dealing with a hamstring and the Bills will likely sit him out for a week. Plus, the Bills will likely be in the top five for carries this season based on coach Rex Ryan and their awesome defense. Williams should be owned in all leagues.
Lance Dunbar, Dallas Cowboys (owned in 16 percent of leagues)
Quarterback Brandon Weeden found his guy. Dunbar caught all 10 of his team-high 10 targets for 100 yards. Interestingly, receiver Cole Beasley was the only receiver with a target with his four. Dunbar did only have one carry last week and he’s more of a receiver than anything.
Of course, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t exactly a tough defense and Dunbar did have just three catches in Week 2, he had eight in Week 1. The Cowboys have one of the easier schedules in football thanks to their weak division. In the next three games, they get the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, a bye and the New York Giants. Dunbar should be owned in all PPR leagues.
Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks (owned in 2 percent of leagues)
Coach Pete Carroll likes his rookie back. “He gores ‘em like a bull,” Carroll said on Monday during an interview on ESPN 710 in Seattle. Rawls only had two carries on the season before Sunday, but he managed 16 carries for 104 yards in an easy 26-0 win over the Chicago Bears.
Marshawn Lynch’s calf kept him to just five carries for 14 yards. Running back Fred Jackson also had just two carries for 13 yards. Lynch is downplaying the injury, but he did have a hamstring strain to go with the calf issue. The team will likely take it easy on him.
If you have Marshawn, you probably should be adding Rawls. He’s worth a look in 14-team leagues.
Chris Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (owned in 42 percent of leagues)
The Cardinals are cooking with gas right now. They put up 47 points in a win over the San Francisco 49ers. Chris Johnson was the star of the show with 22 carries for 110 yards and two scores. No other running back had more than seven carries or 25 rushing yards.
The Cards are 3-0 and look like they’ll be playing with a lot of leads. Also, there’s no rush to bring Andre Ellington along any faster. The Cardinals have two favorable games with the St. Louis Rams at home and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. CJ?K should be owned in all leagues until Ellington is officially back.
Dexter McCluster, Tennessee Titans (owned in five percent of leagues)
He might be the main option the backfield. McCluster led the backs in snaps with 36 while Antonio Andrews had 23 and Bishop Sankey had just 18. McCluster also got the start and he’s clearly the best pass catching option for them.
The problem is McCluster’s numbers were not good, posting just five carries for 7 yards and one catch for 35 yards. He might be trending down with Andrews trending up. If you’re in a PPR league, he’s worth owning in most leagues.
Antonio Andrews, Tennessee Titans (owned in 1 percent of leagues)
He had a touchdown in a loss to the Colts on Sunday. Andrews had an impressive run and bounced it to the outside. Andrews led the team with 12 carries for 49 rushing yards and that score. He looked fine in pass protection and he could be the next guy to get a chance. Clearly, the team doesn’t have faith in Sankey, who had just five carries for 10 yards.
Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions (owned in 1 percent of leagues)
The Lions are likely going to have to play from behind a lot, which means Riddick should get a ton of touches. He led backs in snaps in Week 2, but that number dropped in Week 3. Ameer Abdullah had 37 snaps while Riddick had just 16.
He’s more of a low-end Dunbar in the right matchup. Plus, Abdullah will likely get more work.
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SB Nation presents: The 5 most impressive teams in Week 3
