Fantasy Football: Recapping running back touches for key backfield splits from Week 14

We’re heading into Week 15 of the fantasy football playoffs, which means every decision will be scrutinized. You’ll want to know which running back you can trust the most heading into the postseason — and there are still plenty of question marks over the critical backfield committee.

We’ll break down some of the disagreements from Week 14 and how to handle future roster decisions.

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tampa bay buccaneers

This is Bucky Irving’s second week back in the lineup, and it’s still his backfield. But not that fast! Rachaad White’s touches against the Saints increased from 5 last week to 12 this week. It feels like the hot-hand approach is still there as Irving picks up the pace (although he looked great again this week). Irving had 17 touches and two receptions for a total of 81 yards and one touchdown.

Like White, Sean Tucker went from being overlooked in Week 14 to having seven touches in the game plan (two last week). He had 29 yards and a score through the goal line. It was also a negative script for the Buccaneers, who held the ball only 39 of 30 pass attempts and trailed by multiple points in the second half. The passing game is shaky under Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay clearly leans well against the run. This week, that became a reality for all three defenders.

Now, how do we deal with this problem?

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Irvin remained an RB2 and quality starter throughout the fantasy playoffs, with remaining games including games against the Falcons, Panthers, and Dolphins. White and Tucker should still be on the roster in deeper formats in case anything happens to Irving. Tucker can score touchdowns in the red zone, but it’s hard to believe he (and White) are anything more than dangerous flex options.

seattle seahawks

We haven’t talked about the Seahawks in a while, so we’re going to talk about the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III is coming off perhaps one of the most frustrating fantasy seasons ever. We didn’t really see a glimmer of hope until Week 11, when Walker touched the ball 19 times for over 100 yards and a touchdown. He hasn’t touched the ball less than 10 times in a game all season, and yet, we got another dud in Week 14 with 3.3 fantasy points.

Walker argued that the play was terrible for linebackers. The score was tied at 6-6, but Seattle scored two points in the second half to lead 20-6. Atlanta had a few turnovers, and the Seahawks didn’t need to exploit Walker (and Zach Charbonette) much in the second half. Walker still leads Seattle RBs with 11 touches, but Chubb had nine and looked better Sunday. We’ve seen this happen before.

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If you have a better option than Walker at RB, you may want to go this route in the fantasy playoffs. Otherwise, Walker is really just a TD-reliant FLEX, and if he can break down a play or two, then his floor is okay.

miami dolphins

The Dolphins won their fourth straight game and are in contention for an AFC playoff spot. This is relevant to fantasy because it means we’ll continue to see massive trades for De’Von Achane as long as he’s healthy. The Dolphins’ leading cornerback exited the second quarter with a rib injury and did not return. After the game, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Archaon avoided a broken bone and would be back if the game was tight.

Archaon finished with seven carries for 92 yards and a touchdown, plus a 13-yard catch, so he was still able to score 17 points for his head coach despite missing most of the game. Jaylen Wright took over for Achane and rushed 24 times for 107 yards and a TD. It appears Archaon has avoided a serious injury, so unless something changes, he will continue to be one of the best players in the fantasy playoffs. However, Achane manager should add Wright this week just in case. Other managers should consider Wright a nice addition as well.

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pittsburg steelers

In another mind-bending game script, you might have thought the Steelers would have rushed for more than 34 yards in their 27-22 victory in December. That wasn’t the case in Baltimore on Sunday. Pittsburgh’s running game was almost non-existent, with Jaylen Warren carrying just 13 yards on eight carries and Kenneth Gainwell rushing for 15 yards (one touchdown) on four carries. Warren also had three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown, while Gainwell caught six of seven targets. Obviously, the Ravens did a good job of stopping the offense and allowing Aaron Rodgers to beat them (which he did).

The Steelers run a lot of passing offense through their two backs, largely due to a lack of quality receiving options behind DK Metcalf. Warren had at least two receptions in all but one game all season. He also scored in three consecutive games. But the thing is, this is a simple blueprint for beating this offense.

The Steelers will face the Lions and Browns on the road in Weeks 16 and 17. It wasn’t the best matchup on the field for Warren and Ganwell. At least against the Lions, the offense should be pushed and forced to throw, so PPR bumps will help. Warren had a very safe floor the rest of the way. Gainwell should still be on the roster and isn’t a bad FLEX. The caveat, though, is that this schedule could put Warren’s head coaches in a difficult position in the playoffs.

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Tennessee Titans

This was Week 2, the last time RB Tony Pollard had 20-plus carries for the Titans. It feels like we gave up on Pollard a few weeks ago, so of course he would be fantasizing in such a monumental place.

The veteran back had a stellar performance Sunday with 25 carries, 161 yards and two scores against a stout Browns defense. Cleveland enters Week 14 ranking 10th in rushing yards per game this season. Pollard didn’t care, and likely hurt a lot of head coaches who dumped him, finishing with 28.1 points — an overall RB2 rating as the afternoon window progressed.

This week most of us thought Taj Spears might take over the backfield. That’s the beauty (and pain) of fantasy – you never know what the coach is going to do each week.

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Spears finished with 10 touches for 47 yards – he actually led all Tennessee players in receiving yards in the game. The offense was all Pollard. As if the Titans saw a path to victory, Pollard’s figure appeared in the sky like a Batman sign; just give Pollard the ball. So, he’s back in the RB2/3 discussion, and not a bad FLEX. But the lack of a passing role hurts, and who knows if Tennessee will continue to provide him with significant playing time. Spears should still be on the roster, but don’t expect him to be reliable in the fantasy playoffs. The Titans’ schedule over the next three weeks is not an easy one (@SF, vs. KC, vs. NO).