Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 11: Running backs

Welcome to Week 11 of the fantasy football season. The playoffs are right around the corner and the bye weeks are almost over, so it’s time for owners to lock in their top starters and ride them the rest of the way. However, we still have four bye teams that need to be accounted for.

This week’s bye-week teams are the Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and San Diego Chargers. Fantasy owners will have to make do without Melvin Gordon, Devonta Freeman, or Matt Forte, leaving some important holes to fill in starting lineups. We’ll aim to help you out with these top recommended starters at RB, along with some players you should be avoiding.

LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots (@ San Francisco 49ers)

Blount’s previous career high in touchdowns was seven, which came in 2013. Through nine games, he already has 12 rushing scores, leading the league. Blount has been money in the red zone this season and he now gets the 49ers’ godawful run defense. Fire him up as a confident RB2 in all league formats.

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@ Kansas City Chiefs)

Martin finally made his return from a hamstring injury last week. He got 17 touches, but saw mostly limited action as the Bucs milked a big second-half lead over the Chicago Bears. Dirk Koetter isn’t shy about giving his RBs massive workloads and Martin should get plenty of opportunities to eat now that he’s healthy. The Chiefs are a beatable matchup with their 27th-ranked run defense.

Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders (vs. Houston Texans)

Murray enjoyed a bye week after carving up the Denver Broncos in Week 9. There’s always the worry that he’ll lose touches to Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, but Murray has established himself as the clear leader of this committee. He’ll be an upside RB2/flex play in Mexico City against the Texans, who are giving up 120.7 rushing yards per game.

Terrance West/Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens (@ Dallas Cowboys)

The Ravens’ offense is a mess and one of the biggest culprits is the backfield. West hasn’t found the end zone since Week 6 and put up just 96 yards on 44 carries in the past three games. Dixon has been slightly more productive with 80 total yards on 11 touches against the Cleveland Browns, but he doesn’t see enough carries to be a viable flex play. Neither man is worth using against the Cowboys’ third-ranked run defense.

Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears (@ New York Giants)

Although Howard had another strong game (15 carries, 100 yards) following his Week 9 outburst, he lost a fumble and missed most of the game with an Achilles injury. Howard should be healthy enough to go, but the Bears’ offense just took a huge hit with Alshon Jeffery’s four-game PED suspension. The rookie will likely face stacked boxes from the Giants and their seventh-ranked run defense, making him a shaky fantasy option. Look for higher upside from your RB2/flex spot this week.

Ryan Mathews, Philadelphia Eagles (@ Seattle Seahawks)

Mathews finally escaped Doug Pederson’s dog house last week, setting season highs with 109 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries against the Atlanta Falcons. However, he’s not totally out of the woods yet -- Wendell Smallwood saw 13 carries of his own, and Darren Sproles played more snaps (31) than Mathews (26). It’s possible that Mathews will continue being a lead back, but a committee role against the Seahawks’ defense on the road is a recipe for fantasy disappointment.