• Breece Hall’s playing time is trending up: Hall played over 87% of the Jets' snaps in Week 6, marking his highest rate of the season, while his backfield counterpart, Braelon Allen, was on the field for just 19% of the snaps. Once Hall begins to find the end zone consistently, his fantasy production is poised to explode.
• Is it time for the Buccaneers to make a switch in their backfield? With Rachaad White sidelined, Bucky Irving ignited the Buccaneers' offense during his first NFL start. Tampa's ground game amassed 277 yards in Week 6, a feat they hadn't achieved in a game since 2015.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With so many running backs splitting their backfield in today’s NFL, it is more important than ever to figure out which players are receiving the most valuable snaps and touches on their team and who is slowly losing their workload to teammates who are outproducing them.
Here are the top running back takeaways over the first five weeks of the 2024 season that could greatly impact fantasy points in Week 7 and beyond.
Jets RB Breece Hall takes back his workhorse role
Hall recorded season-highs in touches (23), scrimmage yards (169) and playing time (87.3% of snaps) in Week 6. Rookie Braelon Allen, who had been stealing work from Hall over the last few weeks, played just 19% of the Jets' offensive snaps and was out-touched by Hall 23-3 on Monday night.
Allen's usage and efficiency have declined after a strong start to his rookie season; he has just eight carries for 21 yards (2.6 yards per carry) over the past two weeks.
Hall has yet to make the impact fantasy managers were hoping for when they drafted him at the top of the first round this year. A large reason for that is that he has only two rushing touchdowns on the season, but his touchdown numbers should increase sooner rather than later. Not only has he received all of the Jets’ carries inside their opponent’s 5-yard line this season, but with the change at offensive playcaller and the addition of superstar WR Davante Adams, there should be a lot more scoring opportunities for Hall moving forward.
Upcoming matchups: at Steelers, at Patriots, vs. Texans
Buccaneers Backup RBs Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker Combine for 3 Touchdowns and Nearly 300 Yards Against the Saints
Last Sunday, with their starting running back sidelined, the Buccaneers rushed for 277 yards against the Saints—their highest total in a game since Week 11, 2015. While it could be just a coincidence that this performance occurred in Rachaad White’s absence, it’s likely not.
Week 6 marked the first start for rookie Bucky Irving, and he did not disappoint. Irving rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on 16 touches, while his backup, Sean Tucker, recorded 192 yards and two touchdowns on 17 touches. Whether Tucker is a legitimate contributor or merely a one-hit wonder remains to be seen, but it is clear that Irving is a much better lead back for the Buccaneers than Rachaad White.
Bucky Irving in 2024: 5.7 yards per carry, 1.7 yards before contact per carry, 4.0 yards after contact per carry, 0.31 missed tackles per carry, 15.5% stuff rate, nine explosive runs.
Rachaad White in 2024: 3.7 yards per carry, 0.4 yards before contact per carry, 3.3 yards after contact per carry, 0.22 missed tackles per carry, 37.3% stuff rate, four explosive runs.
Unfortunately, the Buccaneers face a challenging upcoming schedule against strong run defenses. Over the next three weeks, they will meet the Ravens and Chiefs, who are allowing the fewest and second-fewest rushing yards per carry to running backs, respectively, in 2024. However, the Buccaneers will need to score frequently in these matchups, and Irving leads the team with 13 red-zone carries and six goal-line carries this season.
Upcoming Matchups: vs. Ravens, vs. Falcons, at Chiefs.
Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins gets a career-high 25 carries in Week 6 with Gus Edwards on IR
J.K. Dobbins not only recorded a career-high 25 carries in Week 6 against the Broncos, but he also surpassed his previous high by eight carries. He played a season-high 73% of the Chargers' offensive snaps in Week 6, a significant increase from the 60% he logged over the first four games of the season. With Gus Edwards sidelined, Dobbins received four of the Chargers’ five red zone carries and the team's only goal-line carry, which he successfully converted into a touchdown. Kimani Vidal was the only other Chargers running back to get a touch in the game; however, he struggled as a rusher, managing just 11 yards on four carries, though he did make an impressive 38-yard receiving touchdown.
Coming off back-to-back major injuries, Dobbins has significantly outperformed expectations this season. He is averaging 2.6 yards before contact per attempt in 2024, the highest among running backs with 30 or more carries this season. The next two weeks should be crucial for Dobbins, as he will face the Cardinals in Week 7 and the Saints in Week 8. The Cardinals have allowed the second-most rushing yards per game to running backs this season, and the Saints just surrendered 277 rushing yards to the Buccaneers.
Upcoming Matchups: at Cardinals, vs. Saints, at Browns.
Tony Pollard on the Field for a Season-High 74% of Snaps in Titans’ First Game Following Bye Week
Coming out of the Titans’ Week 5 bye, Tony Pollard was on the field for 74% of the team’s offensive snaps last Sunday, a significant increase from the 63% he logged in Weeks 1-4. In Week 6, Pollard out-snapped backfield counterpart Tyjae Spears 43 to 12 and out-touched him 20 to 6. Pollard received 100% of the red zone snaps and participated in all but two of the team’s third-down plays last weekend.
As long as he continues to receive this volume, Pollard will be a solid RB2 fantasy option, especially in Week 7 against a Bills defense that has struggled to stop the run lately. However, his overall team situation greatly limits his fantasy upside.
The offensive line isn’t making it easy for Pollard, who is averaging 4.0 yards after contact per attempt this season—the highest among running backs with 50 or more carries. An astonishing 92.9% of Pollard’s total rushing yards this season have come after contact. Additionally, the Titans' offense rarely finds itself in goal-line situations; while Pollard has handled all of the Titans’ running back carries inside the 5-yard line this season, that amounts to just three carries through five games.
Upcoming Matchups: at Bills, at Lions, vs. Patriots.
Bills Rookie RB Ray Davis Gets 20 Carries in the Absence of James Cook
With starting running back James Cook unable to suit up for Monday Night Football, rookie Ray Davis seized the opportunity to shine. In Week 6, Davis recorded 23 touches, surpassing Cook's highest total in a game since Week 15 of last season. He handled 20 of the 24 carries for Bills running backs that night, including all six red zone carries, and added another 55 yards as a receiver—making him the only Bills running back to receive a target in the game.
Davis has run with purpose this season, forcing 15 missed tackles on just 46 carries in 2024. His 33% missed tackle rate ranks tied for fourth among the 50 players with 40 or more carries this season. If James Cook misses additional time due to his toe injury, Davis becomes a must-start option in fantasy.
Upcoming Matchups: vs. Titans, at Seahawks, vs. Dolphins.
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