Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Running Backs

Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football analyst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.

Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.

As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – @JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.

Start ’Em

Chuba Hubbard @ GB (Projected FPTS – 17.2): Prior to Hubbard’s 33-yard performance last week against the Buccaneers, he had scored 14 or more fantasy points in every game, and he’s averaging 18 points per game. He is someone who should remain in the starting lineup with a favorable matchup this week against the Packers. Green Bay has allowed the second-most touchdowns, the third-most fantasy points and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. The Packers’ defense has allowed five RBs to score 13-plus points, and three have reached 17-plus. Expect Hubbard and the Panthers to bounce back.

Bhayshul Tuten vs. IND (Projected FPTS – 15.3): Tuten is in line for a big game in Week Eight against the Colts, who’ve allowed Derrick Henry, Kenneth Walker III and Jaylen Warren to each score 23 or more fantasy points. Tuten is coming off the most impressive performance of his career, scoring 24.7 fantasy points against the Texans. He is in line to finish in the low-to-mid RB1 range this week.

Chase Brown vs. TEN (Projected FPTS – 15.4): It’s no secret that Brown has been a massive disappointment this season. However, I’m optimistic that this will be the week we finally see him put up high-end RB1 production. The Titans’ run defense hasn’t been solid recently, allowing 34.1 fantasy points to Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson combined and 21.1 fantasy points to Jonathan Taylor. The unit has given up 4.9 yards per carry and a 14.7 percent explosive run rate since Week Five. Brown’s yards per carry, yards after contact per carry and success rate have all been down this season, but one thing that hasn’t dropped is his workload, with at least 15 touches in every game. Be confident that this week will be a resurgence for Brown.

Honorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs vs. CAR; Blake Corum vs. LAC; Bucky Irving vs. ATL; Ollie Gordon II vs. NE; Jordan Mason vs. DET; Jonah Coleman vs. KC; Rachaad White vs. PHI; Rhamondre Stevenson @ MIA.

Sit ’Em

Omarion Hampton @ LAR (Projected FPTS – 8.6): Hampton is someone I wouldn’t feel comfortable starting, even as a flex. Arguably the biggest bust in fantasy this season, Hampton has scored fewer than eight points in three of his four games and is averaging around 2.4 yards per carry over his last two games. It doesn’t help his value that fellow backs Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell have taken away snaps, opportunities and touches. The Rams’ defense was recently worked over by James Cook and Ashton Jeanty in its last two games, but Hampton doesn’t possess Cook’s rushing capability or Jeanty’s receiving juice. Avoid Hampton entirely.

J.K. Dobbins vs. KC (Projected FPTS – 7.8): Dobbins has scored a rushing touchdown in three straight games, which is great. Unfortunately, he averaged just 49.5 scrimmage yards per game prior to last week, and his snaps and carries are likely to be cut thanks to rookie Jonah Coleman, who led the Broncos’ backfield last week in carries, snaps and rushing yards. Dobbins saw only six carries for 23 yards on Sunday. If things go as expected, Dobbins will be touchdown-dependent moving forward, as he’s likely to drop to the RB3 behind Coleman and RJ Harvey. This week Dobbins takes on the Chiefs, who’ve allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (73.7), the second-lowest red-zone touchdown rate (26.7 percent) and the eighth-fewest points per game to running backs. This is a brutal matchup for Dobbins and, honestly, the entire Denver RB room.

Tony Pollard @ CIN (Projected FPTS – 13.5): Pollard made me look like a clown last week, scoring three touchdowns and racking up more than 36 fantasy points against the Browns. Nonetheless, I think people should temper their expectations with him. For one, Tyjae Spears did not dress last week. Second, Pollard has been held to single digits in four of his six games this season. This week he has a tougher matchup against the Bengals, who’ve allowed the second-fewest touchdowns, the third-fewest points and EPA per game, and the sixth-fewest yards to opposing running backs. Don’t chase the points.

Lowlights: Quinshon Judkins @ PIT; Emanuel Wilson vs. CHI; TreVeyon Henderson @ MIA; Aaron Jones Sr. vs. DET; RJ Harvey vs. KC; Tyler Allgeier @ DAL; Rico Dowdle vs. CLE.