Our Blog


Week 13 Fantasy RB Breakdown: Will Saquon Barkley Bounce Back This Week?

The Week 13 NFL main slate kicks off on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m. ET. In this piece, I highlight the running backs who stand out in our large suite of analytical DFS Tools, most specifically our industry-leading FantasyLabs Models.

Top Running Backs in the FantasyLabs Models

There are eight running backs atop the individual Pro Models that Jonathan Bales, Peter Jennings (CSURAM88), Adam Levitan, Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Kevin McClelland (SportsGeek) and I have constructed.

  • Christian McCaffrey: $10,500 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
  • Leonard Fournette: $7,500 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
  • Saquon Barkley: $7,400 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
  • Miles Sanders: $5,400 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
  • Jonathan Williams: $5,300 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
  • Phillip Lindsay: $5,000 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
  • Jamaal Williams: $4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
  • Peyton Barber: $3,500 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel

Odds as of Wednesday afternoon and via PointsBet, where Action Network users can access an exclusive promotion to get a 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150)No strings attached. No rollover required.


Christian McCaffrey: Carolina Panthers (-10) vs. Washington Redskins, 40 Over/Under

For the fifth week in a row, Run CMC is priced at an all-time high. Even so, he’s still hard not to roster.

Last year, McCaffrey was great. Excluding the meaningless Week 17 in which he played just 10 snaps, he was a top-three fantasy back with 21.8 FanDuel points per game. He was a fantasy RB1 in 11 games.

This year, though, he has been unbelievable. He’s easily the No. 1 fantasy back with 27.5 FanDuel points per game. He’s been a strong source of value with his +9.88 Plus/Minus.

In the best way imaginable, McCaffrey’s production profile looks a lot like Darth Maul’s face (per RotoViz NFL Stat Explorer).

On a per-game basis, McCaffrey is No. 1 with both 23.8 expected fantasy points and 6.7 fantasy points over expectation (per RotoViz Screener). That’s incredible. McCaffrey doesn’t just have the volume. He also has the efficiency. He has everything.

He’s No. 1 with 27.5 opportunities (carries plus targets), 155.4 yards and 1.45 touchdowns per game.

In only one game this year has McCaffrey not been a fantasy RB1, and that was in Week 2 against the Bucs, who are No. 1 in rush defense DVOA and No. 2 in pass defense DVOA against running backs (per Pro Football Focus). He can be excused for not doing well against the Bucs. When he faced them again in Week 6, he put up 19.7 FanDuel points — which is amazingly his second-worst performance of the year.

If we remove his two games against the Bucs, McCaffrey has averaged 30.8 FanDuel points per game. Basically, whenever McCaffrey has played any team other than the one that is toughest on running backs, he’s been a top-five fantasy back every single week.

Of any starting back, McCaffrey is the league’s most north/south runner with his 3.32 efficiency rating (per Next Gen Stats) and the most dynamic receiver with 56.8 air yards and yards after the catch combined per game (per AirYards.com).

He’s been in the Millionaire Maker-winning lineup seemingly every other week.

McCaffrey is a big home favorite, and he has a reasonable matchup. The Redskins are No. 22 in PFF run defense grade, and just last week they let fifth-stringer Bo Scarbrough put up 98 yards on 18 carries. The Redskins were without top run-stuffing defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne (ankle) last week, and he’s uncertain for this weekend.

But the matchup doesn’t matter. Because of his three-down skill set and 94.1% snap rate, McCaffrey is always an option in both cash games and guaranteed prize pools. He leads all running backs in our Models with his median, ceiling and floor projections.

The official captain of Team Jam ‘Em In, McCaffrey is the No. 1 back in the SportsGeek and Freedman Models for FanDuel, where he has a position-high 15 Pro Trends. McCaffrey is also the top option in the SportsGeek Model for DraftKings.

McCaffrey is the unquestioned No. 1 running back in our Week 13 fantasy football rankings.


Leonard Fournette: Jacksonville Jaguars (-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48.5 O/U

Fournette ranks No. 2 in the league with 262 touches and No. 3 with 1,342 scrimmage yards, but he’s only the No. 7 fantasy back with 16.2 FanDuel points per game.

What’s going on?

Touchdowns — or a significant lack thereof. Fournette has just three touchdowns this year. Based on his usage and yardage, you’d expect him to have 6-12 touchdowns. But his luck looks like it’s starting to change. Just last week he had two goal-line scores, and he’s tied for No. 4 with 21 carries inside the opponent 10-yard line. He has 100% of the team’s rushing touchdowns and carries inside the five.

If the Jags get close to the end zone, Fournette has a good chance of scoring.

Fournette has had 15-plus touches in every game this year and is a full-blown game script-independent lead back. So much more than the early-down grinder people assumed he’d be when he entered the league, Fournette is a fully integrated part of the passing game. He’s actually tied for the team lead with 56 receptions.

And in his two games with quarterback Nick Foles since he returned from injury in Week 11, Fournette has had seven and 12 targets. His workload is elite.

But there are reasons to be pessimist about Fournette this week.

First, his matchup is horrible. The Bucs have held opposing backfields to just 14.2 FanDuel points per game — the second-lowest mark in the league. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea and William Gholston all have above-average PFF run defense grades, as do edge defenders Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett and Carl Nassib. In Lavonte David, the Bucs have one of the league’s best off-ball linebackers, especially in pass defense with his No. 1 PFF coverage grade.

It’s not by chance that the Bucs have allowed so little fantasy production to opposing backs. They present Fournette with a legitimately tough matchup.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: acksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette (27)

Plus, Fournette is on the wrong side of his career reverse splits.

  • Away (20 games): 18.0 FanDuel points, +5.17 Plus/Minus, 70% Consistency Rating
  • Home (13 games): 13.1 FanDuel points, -0.21 Plus/Minus, 53.8% Consistency Rating
  • Underdog (18 games): 18.3 FanDuel points, +6.20 Plus/Minus, 77.8% Consistency Rating
  • Favorite (17 games): 13.3 FanDuel points, -0.64 Plus/Minus, 47.1% Consistency Rating

Amazingly — and this truly is amazing — Fournette has been his stone-cold worst as a home favorite, averaging 12.8 FanDuel points per game with a -1.27 Plus/Minus and 44.4% Consistency Rating, which highlights just how reliant Fournette is on his receiving workload and how inefficient the Jags have been at lining up and running the ball when the defense expects a run. The Jags are No. 30 in PFF run-blocking grade.

NFL matchups matter much less than most people think, so Fournette still deserves consideration, especially in tournaments, but in five games this year, Fournette has been no better than a low-end fantasy RB2. To me, he’s probably too risky for cash games.

Still, it’s hard to ignore a guy getting 25.1 opportunities per game even if he isn’t scoring touchdowns. Fournette trails only Christian McCaffrey with his 89.3% opportunity share (per Player Profiler).

Fournette has a position-high +4.43 Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel, where he’s the No. 1 back in the Koerner and Raybon Models.


Saquon Barkley: New York Giants (+6.5) vs. Green Bay Packers, 45.5 O/U

This year has been a disappointment for Saquon. I don’t hold against him that he suffered an injury early in Week 3 and missed all of Weeks 4-6. NFL players get injured, especially running backs.

But even when we remove his injury-shorted Week 3 game from the sample, Barkley has suffered some significant year-over-year regression (per our FantasyLabs Trends Tool).

  • 2019 (seven games): 14.5 FanDuel points, -0.76 Plus/Minus, 42.9% Consistency Rating
  • 2018 (16 games): 21.3 FanDuel points, +6.44 Plus/Minus, 81.3% Consistency Rating

Last year, Barkley salary-based expectations more than any other starting running back. He was prolific. This year, Barkley investors have lost money.

If we look at his on-field stats, we can get a great sense of where his production has declined.

  • 2019 (seven games): 15.7 carries for 64.4 yards and 0.29 touchdowns rushing, 6.3 targets for 4.4 receptions, 33.1 yards and 0.14 touchdowns receiving
  • 2018 (16 games): 16.3 carries for 81.7 yards and 0.69 touchdowns rushing, 7.6 targets for 5.7 receptions, 45.1 yards and 0.25 touchdowns receiving

No surprise: He is getting a little less volume and is a little less efficient with it, but the big difference is that he’s scoring 0.51 fewer touchdowns per game. That’s what happens when a running back’s team scores 23.1 points per game in one season and just 19.7 the next.

With his locked-in three-down workload, Barkley still has a high floor each week, but his decline in scoring has significantly lowered his ceiling.

Last year, Barkley had 25-plus FanDuel points in five games. This year, he hasn’t hit that mark once. Last year, he was a fantasy RB1 in 75% of his games. This year: 42.9%% if you discount his partial Week 3.

But this week Barkley faces the Packers, who are No. 28 in rush defense DVOA and have allowed the fourth-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields with 25.8 per game. The six backs to face the Packers this year with salaries most similar to Saquon’s have averaged 17.5 FanDuel points per game with a +4.15 Plus/Minus and 100% Consistency Rating.

Saquon and Leonard Fournette have identical pricing on FanDuel and a $100 difference on DraftKings. For a lot of DFS players, one of the key decisions for the week will be Saquon or Fournette. In our Models, Fournette has the higher median and floor projections, but Saquon has the higher ceiling.

Barkley is the No. 1 back in the Levitan Model for FanDuel, where he trails only Christian McCaffrey with his eight Pro Trends.


Miles Sanders: Philadelphia Eagles (-9.5) at Miami Dolphins, 45 O/U

At a glance, it feels as if Sanders has had a disappointing rookie season. He entered the year as a top-three dynasty rookie, but he’s scored just two touchdowns this year and been unable to break out of a timeshare with Jordan Howard.

But Sanders is currently on pace for 1,125.8 scrimmage yards, and he’s averaging 12.3 opportunities per game. As far as letdowns go, that’s pretty good.

And this week has three factors going for him.

First, the Eagles are sizable favorites. With a run-heavy, backfield-leaning game script, Sanders could get 15-plus touches and possibly find the end zone.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders (26).

Also, Howard (shoulder) has missed the past two weeks with an injury and is uncertain for Week 13. In his absence, Sanders has started and averaged 11.5 carries, 4.5 targets and 2.5 receptions per game. If Howard is out again, Sanders seems likely to see similar usage, and there aren’t all that many backs in the slate who can be relied upon for that kind of volume.

Finally, that matchup is great. The Dolphins are No. 29 in rush defense DVOA and No. 32 in pass defense DVOA against running backs. They have allowed the fifth-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields with 25.2 per game.

Just last week they allowed 210 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

Lots of players contribute to the vastness of the Dolphins’ back-centric defensive ineptitude, but linebackers Jerome Baker and Sam Eguavoen seem especially to blame, as evidenced by their PFF grades.

  • Jerome Baker: 44.2 overall grade, 36.1 run defense, 56.9 coverage
  • Sam Eguavoen: 42.4 overall grade, 40.5 run defense, 53.3 coverage

Against such defenders, Sanders could have the best game of his young career and is the No. 1 back in the Bales and CSURAM88 Model for FanDuel.


Jonathan Williams: Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) vs. Tennessee Titans, 43.5 O/U

Almost every year, there’s a random antifragile Zero RB who emerges in the final weeks of the season and helps opportunistic investors win their season-long leagues. This year, that guy seems to be Williams, a fourth-year sixth-rounder who flashed as an undergraduate at Arkansas but till now has failed to catch on in the NFL.

He didn’t even see a carry till Week 10. And now he’s entering Week 13 with back-to-back 100-yard  games.

Starter Marlon Mack (hand) has already been ruled out, and last week, Williams played far ahead of Jordan Wilkins, who got just one snap. With Nyheim Hines nothing more than a supplementary option, Williams looks like the clear lead back as long as Mack is sidelined.

Over the past two weeks, he’s averaged 21.4 DraftKings points, 134 yards and 0.5 touchdows on 19.5 carries, two targets and two receptions per game.

He doesn’t have a great matchup against the Titans, who are No. 2 in PFF run grade. They are especially stout in the interior of their line thanks to defensive tackles DaQuon Jones, Jurrell Casey and Jeffery Simmons, all of whom have decidedly above-average PFF run defense grades, and off-ball linebacker Rashaan Evans is also strong against the run.

Given that Williams isn’t much of a pass-catching threat — in his best college campaign, he had just 11 receptions — he will be challenged to produce because of the Titans’ ground-oriented defensive stinginess.

Even so, I still like him as a discounted tournament option who offers roster flexibility. He’s a home favorite with three extra days of rest because he played last week on Thursday Night Football, and he’s a high-volume back on the team that ranks No. 4 with a 48.4% run play rate.

Williams is the No. 1 back in the Bales Model for DraftKings, where he has a respectable five Pro Trends and strong 88% Bargain Rating.


Phillip Lindsay: Denver Broncos (+2.5) vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 38.5 O/U

For the second straight week, Lindsay is at the top of the Levitan Model for DraftKings, and I’ll be honest: I don’t love it.

Broncos-Chargers has the slate’s lowest over/under, and I want to stay away from any offense “led” by quarterback Brandon Allen. But the total and quarterback situation will probably drive down Lindsay’s tournament ownership rate, and perhaps I’m being too pessimistic on Lindsay.

Since Week 9, the usage disparity between Lindsay and No. 2 back Royce Freeman has widened into a chasm. Last week, Lindsay approached his season-high mark with a 38.1% opportunity market share while Freeman hit a 2019 low with 9.5%. If the last four games are any indication, Lindsay has seized control of this backfield (per RotoViz Player Usage App).

Recent reports out of Denver are that the Broncos want to feature Lindsay in the backfield, so his recent uptick in usage is probably not a fluke.

And his talent is undeniable. Despite being an undrafted free agent with a small frame (5-foot-7, 184 pounds), the second-year back has averaged 5.1 yards per carry for his career, and with his elite speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash), Lindsay has the ability to rip off long runs.

Last year he led the Broncos with 1,278 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage, and this year he’s on pace for a comparable 1,290.2 yards and 7.27 touchdowns. I can’t cast too much shade at a guy with 13.4 carries and 3.4 targets per game, especially when six teams play on Thursday.

And he has a good matchup: The Chargers are No. 27 in rush defense DVOA and No. 28 in pass defense DVOA against running backs. Lindsay missed the divisional matchup with the Chargers last year in Week 17, but in his two games against them, he has absolutely crushed.

  • Fantasy production: 27.2 DraftKings points, +16.56 Plus/Minus, 100% Consistency Rating
  • Football production: 13 carries, 4.5 targets and four receptions for 126.5 yards and 1.5 touchdowns

I don’t trust Lindsay for cash games, but if you think you can go overweight on him in tournaments without overleveraging your portfolio of lineups, he definitely has upside.

If you do roster Lindsay, he’s probably best used on DraftKings, where he has five Pro Trends and a 61% Bargain Rating.


Jamaal Williams: Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at New York Giants, 45.5 O/U

Because of his timeshare with Aaron Jones, Williams has been hard to trust this year, but in each of the past two games, he has gotten more opportunities than Jones. In fact, over the past four games, the balance of usage in the Packers backfield has significantly shifted.

Each week in that span, Williams has seen his market share of opportunities increase, and Jones has seen his market share decrease.

It’s easy to look at the 11 carries and eight targets Williams got last week in a 37-8 loss and say that his usage was based almost entirely on game script. But that usage also fits within a larger pattern, and the backfield workload has been trending toward Williams for a while.

There are a few factors in Williams’ favor this week.

First, he’s cheap and contrarian. He provides roster flexibility, and he’s a viable leverage play on both Saquon Barkley and Jones.

Also, the Packers are favorites: If the game gets out of hand, Williams could see extra usage as the Packers employ a run-heavy game script.

Finally, Williams is a competent pass-catching back, and he’s actually No. 1 on the team with five receiving touchdowns. Is that fluke? Maybe. But Williams is No. 2 on the Packers with four targets inside the 10-yard line.

Thanks primarily to his receiving production, Williams has been at least a fantasy RB2 in six of his nine full games, and the Giants are No. 26 in pass defense DVOA against running backs. With his recently enhanced usage and advantageous receiving matchup, Williams has the under appreciated capacity for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Williams is the No. 1 back in the Koerner, Raybon and Freedman Models for DraftKings, where he has a position-high +2.87 Projected Plus/Minus.


Peyton Barber: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1) at Jacksonville Jaguars, 48.5 O/U

Ugh. If I never write about Barber again, I will be satisfied.

Since the Week 7 bye, Ronald Jones has averaged 11.2 carries and four targets per game, but he has failed to capitalize fully on his opportunities, so Barber is still hanging around as an option. Just last week he had 11 carries, and the week before that he scored a short receiving touchdown.

Like a thick fart, Barber refuses to dissipate.

If you start him in cash games, you must straight up hate money, but Barber is an intriguing tournament option for a couple of reasons. He’s cheap, and he provides great leverage on Leonard Fournette and RoJo. He has had sub-1% GPP ownership rates in for months (per our FantasyLabs Ownership Dashboard). He is almost certain to be unpopular this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25) tries to break free from Cleveland Browns linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. (51) in the second half at Raymond James Stadium.

Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25).

And he has a great matchup. The Jags have a funnel defense that ranks No. 13 against the pass but No. 32 against the run in DVOA. The Jags were on bye in Week 10, but over the past month, they have been humiliated by opposing running backs.

  • Week 9 (Carlos Hyde & Duke Johnson Jr.): 37.1 DraftKings points, 26-173-1 rushing, 5-68-0 receiving on five targets
  • Week 11 (Marlon Mack, Jonathan Williams & Nyheim Hines): 51.1 DraftKings points, 30-236-2 rushing, 4-55-0 receiving on five targets
  • Week 12 (Derrick Henry & Dion Lewis): 38.0 DraftKings points, 24-180-2 rushing, 2-40-0 receiving on three targets

I don’t have a lot of faith in Barber, but could he get 80 yards and a score against a team that just let Hyde rush for 160 yards and Hines score a touchdown? Yeah, that’s actually not hard to imagine.

As a speculative sprinkle for mass multi-entry tournaments, Barber is an option.

Barber is the No. 1 back in the CSURAM88 Model for DraftKings, where he has a robust 96% Bargain Rating.


Upside Running Backs for Guaranteed Prize Pools

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns ($7,800 DK, $8,200 FD): Even with the return of Kareem Hunt, Chubb gas averaged 22.7 carries and three targets over the past three weeks. Dating back to last season, Chubb has averaged 110.1 yards and 0.71 touchdowns from scrimmage in his 21 games as the team’s lead back. Two weeks ago against the Steelers, Chubb got 27 carries.

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans ($7,600 DK, $8,600 FD): Since becoming a locked-in lead back in Week 14 last year, Henry has averaged 19.8 FanDuel points as well as 118.7 yards and 1.27 touchdowns from scrimmage per game. He could have negative game script as an underdog, but the Titans will likely lean on the ground game as much as they can. In his two matchups against the Colts over the past 12 months, Henry has averaged 100 yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game.

Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets ($6,400 DK, $7,300 FD): Since his 2014 breakout, Bell is No. 1 among all backs with 25.9 opportunities per game. In his nine games against teams other than the Patriots, Bell has averaged 16.6 DraftKings points with a 77.8% Consistency Rating. For the season, he has a strong 82.9% snap rate. The Bengals are No. 25 in rush defense DVOA and No. 30 in pass defense DVOA against running backs.

Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders ($6,900 DK, $7,700 FD): The first back selected in the 2019 draft, Jacobs has lived up to the hype with 100.3 yards and 0.64 touchdowns from scrimmage per game. Despite having mediocre game script this year, the Raiders are committed to the run, ranking No. 7 with a 45.7% run rate. In Week 2, Jacobs had 99 yards on 12 carries against the Chiefs, who are No. 32 in PFF run defense grade.

Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers ($6,800 DK, $8,000 FD): Despite being the No. 4 fantasy back on the year with 20.5 DraftKings points per game, Jones has been an inconsistent producer. In seven games he’s had 15-plus DraftKings points, but in the other four, he’s had no more than nine. For Jones, almost everything comes down to whether he scores: In his seven games with a touchdown this year, he’s averaged 29.1 DraftKings points.

Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams ($6,500 DK, $7,400 FD): Whenever I think of Gurley, I automatically hear Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” in my head. The 2017-18 All-Pro version of Gurley is gone, and last week the Rams offense was totally exposed on Monday Night Football. But Gurley is still averaging 13.5 carries, 3.4 targets and 0.8 touchdowns per game. The Rams are favored, the Cardinals are No. 31 in pass defense DVOA against running backs and Gurley will likely have a low ownership rate. I will wash the dishes, while you go have a beer.

Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens ($6,000 DK, $7,500 FD): Ingram has just 13 carries and two targets per game since the Week 8 bye, and the 49ers have held opposing backfields to the third-fewest DraftKings points per game with 17.5. But Ingram is still the lead back in an offense with a militant league-high 54.6% run rate, and he’s No. 4 in the league with 13 carries inside the opponent five-yard line. He’s been a fantasy RB1 in five of 11 games this year.

Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns ($5,500 DK, $5,900 FD): In his three games with the Browns, Hunt has played a 55.1% snap rate and averaged 59.3 yards and 0.33 touchdowns on 6.7 targets, five receptions and six carries per game. With 19.5 DraftKings points per game for his career, Hunt easily has the upside to put up a tournament-winning performance. Two weeks ago against the Steelers, Hunt had eight targets and six carries.

Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5,100 DK, $6,200 FD): Since the Week 7 bye, RoJo has averaged 11.2 carries and four targets per game, but in that span he’s been incredibly inconsistent with at least 15 DraftKings points in three games and fewer than seven in the other two. But at least this week he has a great matchup against the Jags, who are No. 32 in rush defense DVOA and No. 24 in pass defense DVOA against running backs.

Damien Williams, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800 DK, $6,000 FD): Williams (ribs) exited Week 11 early with an injury, but he seems likely to be healthy coming out of the bye. Williams has been inconsistent throughout the season, but before his injury, Williams seemed to have seized control of the Chiefs backfield, playing 73% of the snaps in Weeks 9-10 and averaging 15.5 carries and 3.5 targets per game. If healthy, he could get lots of action as a double-digit home favorite.

LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800 DK, $5,800 FD): McCoy (concussion) suffered a head injury in Week 11, but he’s tentatively expected to play off the bye week. If Damien Williams (ribs) is unable to suit up, McCoy will likely function as the lead back. The Raiders are No. 23 in rush defense DVOA and No. 29 in pass defense DVOA against running backs.

Derrius Guice, Washington Redskins ($4,500 DK, $5,500 FD): Since returning from injury in Week 11, Guice has averaged 8.5 carries and two targets per game. That’s not a lot, but he’s been more explosive than the aged Adrian Peterson, and the Panthers are exploitable. They have a funnel defense that ranks No. 8 against the pass but No. 31 against the run, and they have allowed the third-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields with 26.2 per game.

Darrel Williams, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,400 DK, $5,400 FD): If Damien Williams (ribs) and LeSean McCoy (concussion) miss Week 13, Dar. Williams will likely be a chalk lock as the presumptive starter in a great matchup. In his three games this year with 10-plus opportunities, Darrel the Barrel has averaged 15.9 DraftKings points per game with a +9.17 Plus/Minus and 100% Consistency Rating.

Patrick Laird, Miami Dolphins ($3,200 DK, $4,900 FD): Laird got some serious yet jokingly self-aware hype across the industry last week, and then he had just three touches. I’m not at all dissuaded. In Week 12, he played a season-high 23 snaps, and starter Kalen Ballage has underwhelmed this year with 1.9 yards per carry and 2.7 yards per target. A total post-hype sleeper, Laird is cheaper and will be less popular than he was last week. An undrafted 24-year-old rookie with back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons and serious pass-catching prowess (96-610-5 receiving in two final college seasons), he might benefit from a pass-heavy game script as a big underdog.

Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles ($3,000 DK, $4,800 FD): Jordan Howard (shoulder) has missed the past two weeks and is uncertain for Week 13. In his place, the recently re-signed Ajayi got six carries last week. The Eagles tend to spread around the backfield work anyway, and Ajayi could get extra carries if the heavily favored Eagles get out to a big lead. In a #RevengeGame against his former team, Ajayi could go full Samson and in one final feat of strength, tear the temple down.

FantasyLabs Positional Breakdowns

For more in-depth NFL analysis, check out The Action Network. For updates, see our FantasyLabs News Feed.



Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.

Pictured above: New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26)
Photo credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Week 13 NFL main slate kicks off on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m. ET. In this piece, I highlight the running backs who stand out in our large suite of analytical DFS Tools, most specifically our industry-leading FantasyLabs Models.

Top Running Backs in the FantasyLabs Models

There are eight running backs atop the individual Pro Models that Jonathan Bales, Peter Jennings (CSURAM88), Adam Levitan, Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Kevin McClelland (SportsGeek) and I have constructed.

  • Christian McCaffrey: $10,500 DraftKings, $11,000 FanDuel
  • Leonard Fournette: $7,500 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
  • Saquon Barkley: $7,400 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
  • Miles Sanders: $5,400 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
  • Jonathan Williams: $5,300 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
  • Phillip Lindsay: $5,000 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
  • Jamaal Williams: $4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
  • Peyton Barber: $3,500 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel

Odds as of Wednesday afternoon and via PointsBet, where Action Network users can access an exclusive promotion to get a 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150)No strings attached. No rollover required.


Christian McCaffrey: Carolina Panthers (-10) vs. Washington Redskins, 40 Over/Under

For the fifth week in a row, Run CMC is priced at an all-time high. Even so, he’s still hard not to roster.

Last year, McCaffrey was great. Excluding the meaningless Week 17 in which he played just 10 snaps, he was a top-three fantasy back with 21.8 FanDuel points per game. He was a fantasy RB1 in 11 games.

This year, though, he has been unbelievable. He’s easily the No. 1 fantasy back with 27.5 FanDuel points per game. He’s been a strong source of value with his +9.88 Plus/Minus.

In the best way imaginable, McCaffrey’s production profile looks a lot like Darth Maul’s face (per RotoViz NFL Stat Explorer).

On a per-game basis, McCaffrey is No. 1 with both 23.8 expected fantasy points and 6.7 fantasy points over expectation (per RotoViz Screener). That’s incredible. McCaffrey doesn’t just have the volume. He also has the efficiency. He has everything.

He’s No. 1 with 27.5 opportunities (carries plus targets), 155.4 yards and 1.45 touchdowns per game.

In only one game this year has McCaffrey not been a fantasy RB1, and that was in Week 2 against the Bucs, who are No. 1 in rush defense DVOA and No. 2 in pass defense DVOA against running backs (per Pro Football Focus). He can be excused for not doing well against the Bucs. When he faced them again in Week 6, he put up 19.7 FanDuel points — which is amazingly his second-worst performance of the year.

If we remove his two games against the Bucs, McCaffrey has averaged 30.8 FanDuel points per game. Basically, whenever McCaffrey has played any team other than the one that is toughest on running backs, he’s been a top-five fantasy back every single week.

Of any starting back, McCaffrey is the league’s most north/south runner with his 3.32 efficiency rating (per Next Gen Stats) and the most dynamic receiver with 56.8 air yards and yards after the catch combined per game (per AirYards.com).

He’s been in the Millionaire Maker-winning lineup seemingly every other week.

McCaffrey is a big home favorite, and he has a reasonable matchup. The Redskins are No. 22 in PFF run defense grade, and just last week they let fifth-stringer Bo Scarbrough put up 98 yards on 18 carries. The Redskins were without top run-stuffing defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne (ankle) last week, and he’s uncertain for this weekend.

But the matchup doesn’t matter. Because of his three-down skill set and 94.1% snap rate, McCaffrey is always an option in both cash games and guaranteed prize pools. He leads all running backs in our Models with his median, ceiling and floor projections.

The official captain of Team Jam ‘Em In, McCaffrey is the No. 1 back in the SportsGeek and Freedman Models for FanDuel, where he has a position-high 15 Pro Trends. McCaffrey is also the top option in the SportsGeek Model for DraftKings.

McCaffrey is the unquestioned No. 1 running back in our Week 13 fantasy football rankings.


Leonard Fournette: Jacksonville Jaguars (-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48.5 O/U

Fournette ranks No. 2 in the league with 262 touches and No. 3 with 1,342 scrimmage yards, but he’s only the No. 7 fantasy back with 16.2 FanDuel points per game.

What’s going on?

Touchdowns — or a significant lack thereof. Fournette has just three touchdowns this year. Based on his usage and yardage, you’d expect him to have 6-12 touchdowns. But his luck looks like it’s starting to change. Just last week he had two goal-line scores, and he’s tied for No. 4 with 21 carries inside the opponent 10-yard line. He has 100% of the team’s rushing touchdowns and carries inside the five.

If the Jags get close to the end zone, Fournette has a good chance of scoring.

Fournette has had 15-plus touches in every game this year and is a full-blown game script-independent lead back. So much more than the early-down grinder people assumed he’d be when he entered the league, Fournette is a fully integrated part of the passing game. He’s actually tied for the team lead with 56 receptions.

And in his two games with quarterback Nick Foles since he returned from injury in Week 11, Fournette has had seven and 12 targets. His workload is elite.

But there are reasons to be pessimist about Fournette this week.

First, his matchup is horrible. The Bucs have held opposing backfields to just 14.2 FanDuel points per game — the second-lowest mark in the league. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea and William Gholston all have above-average PFF run defense grades, as do edge defenders Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett and Carl Nassib. In Lavonte David, the Bucs have one of the league’s best off-ball linebackers, especially in pass defense with his No. 1 PFF coverage grade.

It’s not by chance that the Bucs have allowed so little fantasy production to opposing backs. They present Fournette with a legitimately tough matchup.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: acksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette (27)

Plus, Fournette is on the wrong side of his career reverse splits.

  • Away (20 games): 18.0 FanDuel points, +5.17 Plus/Minus, 70% Consistency Rating
  • Home (13 games): 13.1 FanDuel points, -0.21 Plus/Minus, 53.8% Consistency Rating
  • Underdog (18 games): 18.3 FanDuel points, +6.20 Plus/Minus, 77.8% Consistency Rating
  • Favorite (17 games): 13.3 FanDuel points, -0.64 Plus/Minus, 47.1% Consistency Rating

Amazingly — and this truly is amazing — Fournette has been his stone-cold worst as a home favorite, averaging 12.8 FanDuel points per game with a -1.27 Plus/Minus and 44.4% Consistency Rating, which highlights just how reliant Fournette is on his receiving workload and how inefficient the Jags have been at lining up and running the ball when the defense expects a run. The Jags are No. 30 in PFF run-blocking grade.

NFL matchups matter much less than most people think, so Fournette still deserves consideration, especially in tournaments, but in five games this year, Fournette has been no better than a low-end fantasy RB2. To me, he’s probably too risky for cash games.

Still, it’s hard to ignore a guy getting 25.1 opportunities per game even if he isn’t scoring touchdowns. Fournette trails only Christian McCaffrey with his 89.3% opportunity share (per Player Profiler).

Fournette has a position-high +4.43 Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel, where he’s the No. 1 back in the Koerner and Raybon Models.


Saquon Barkley: New York Giants (+6.5) vs. Green Bay Packers, 45.5 O/U

This year has been a disappointment for Saquon. I don’t hold against him that he suffered an injury early in Week 3 and missed all of Weeks 4-6. NFL players get injured, especially running backs.

But even when we remove his injury-shorted Week 3 game from the sample, Barkley has suffered some significant year-over-year regression (per our FantasyLabs Trends Tool).

  • 2019 (seven games): 14.5 FanDuel points, -0.76 Plus/Minus, 42.9% Consistency Rating
  • 2018 (16 games): 21.3 FanDuel points, +6.44 Plus/Minus, 81.3% Consistency Rating

Last year, Barkley salary-based expectations more than any other starting running back. He was prolific. This year, Barkley investors have lost money.

If we look at his on-field stats, we can get a great sense of where his production has declined.

  • 2019 (seven games): 15.7 carries for 64.4 yards and 0.29 touchdowns rushing, 6.3 targets for 4.4 receptions, 33.1 yards and 0.14 touchdowns receiving
  • 2018 (16 games): 16.3 carries for 81.7 yards and 0.69 touchdowns rushing, 7.6 targets for 5.7 receptions, 45.1 yards and 0.25 touchdowns receiving

No surprise: He is getting a little less volume and is a little less efficient with it, but the big difference is that he’s scoring 0.51 fewer touchdowns per game. That’s what happens when a running back’s team scores 23.1 points per game in one season and just 19.7 the next.

With his locked-in three-down workload, Barkley still has a high floor each week, but his decline in scoring has significantly lowered his ceiling.

Last year, Barkley had 25-plus FanDuel points in five games. This year, he hasn’t hit that mark once. Last year, he was a fantasy RB1 in 75% of his games. This year: 42.9%% if you discount his partial Week 3.

But this week Barkley faces the Packers, who are No. 28 in rush defense DVOA and have allowed the fourth-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields with 25.8 per game. The six backs to face the Packers this year with salaries most similar to Saquon’s have averaged 17.5 FanDuel points per game with a +4.15 Plus/Minus and 100% Consistency Rating.

Saquon and Leonard Fournette have identical pricing on FanDuel and a $100 difference on DraftKings. For a lot of DFS players, one of the key decisions for the week will be Saquon or Fournette. In our Models, Fournette has the higher median and floor projections, but Saquon has the higher ceiling.

Barkley is the No. 1 back in the Levitan Model for FanDuel, where he trails only Christian McCaffrey with his eight Pro Trends.


Miles Sanders: Philadelphia Eagles (-9.5) at Miami Dolphins, 45 O/U

At a glance, it feels as if Sanders has had a disappointing rookie season. He entered the year as a top-three dynasty rookie, but he’s scored just two touchdowns this year and been unable to break out of a timeshare with Jordan Howard.

But Sanders is currently on pace for 1,125.8 scrimmage yards, and he’s averaging 12.3 opportunities per game. As far as letdowns go, that’s pretty good.

And this week has three factors going for him.

First, the Eagles are sizable favorites. With a run-heavy, backfield-leaning game script, Sanders could get 15-plus touches and possibly find the end zone.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders (26).

Also, Howard (shoulder) has missed the past two weeks with an injury and is uncertain for Week 13. In his absence, Sanders has started and averaged 11.5 carries, 4.5 targets and 2.5 receptions per game. If Howard is out again, Sanders seems likely to see similar usage, and there aren’t all that many backs in the slate who can be relied upon for that kind of volume.

Finally, that matchup is great. The Dolphins are No. 29 in rush defense DVOA and No. 32 in pass defense DVOA against running backs. They have allowed the fifth-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields with 25.2 per game.

Just last week they allowed 210 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage to Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

Lots of players contribute to the vastness of the Dolphins’ back-centric defensive ineptitude, but linebackers Jerome Baker and Sam Eguavoen seem especially to blame, as evidenced by their PFF grades.

  • Jerome Baker: 44.2 overall grade, 36.1 run defense, 56.9 coverage
  • Sam Eguavoen: 42.4 overall grade, 40.5 run defense, 53.3 coverage

Against such defenders, Sanders could have the best game of his young career and is the No. 1 back in the Bales and CSURAM88 Model for FanDuel.


Jonathan Williams: Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) vs. Tennessee Titans, 43.5 O/U

Almost every year, there’s a random antifragile Zero RB who emerges in the final weeks of the season and helps opportunistic investors win their season-long leagues. This year, that guy seems to be Williams, a fourth-year sixth-rounder who flashed as an undergraduate at Arkansas but till now has failed to catch on in the NFL.

He didn’t even see a carry till Week 10. And now he’s entering Week 13 with back-to-back 100-yard  games.

Starter Marlon Mack (hand) has already been ruled out, and last week, Williams played far ahead of Jordan Wilkins, who got just one snap. With Nyheim Hines nothing more than a supplementary option, Williams looks like the clear lead back as long as Mack is sidelined.

Over the past two weeks, he’s averaged 21.4 DraftKings points, 134 yards and 0.5 touchdows on 19.5 carries, two targets and two receptions per game.

He doesn’t have a great matchup against the Titans, who are No. 2 in PFF run grade. They are especially stout in the interior of their line thanks to defensive tackles DaQuon Jones, Jurrell Casey and Jeffery Simmons, all of whom have decidedly above-average PFF run defense grades, and off-ball linebacker Rashaan Evans is also strong against the run.

Given that Williams isn’t much of a pass-catching threat — in his best college campaign, he had just 11 receptions — he will be challenged to produce because of the Titans’ ground-oriented defensive stinginess.

Even so, I still like him as a discounted tournament option who offers roster flexibility. He’s a home favorite with three extra days of rest because he played last week on Thursday Night Football, and he’s a high-volume back on the team that ranks No. 4 with a 48.4% run play rate.

Williams is the No. 1 back in the Bales Model for DraftKings, where he has a respectable five Pro Trends and strong 88% Bargain Rating.


Phillip Lindsay: Denver Broncos (+2.5) vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 38.5 O/U

For the second straight week, Lindsay is at the top of the Levitan Model for DraftKings, and I’ll be honest: I don’t love it.

Broncos-Chargers has the slate’s lowest over/under, and I want to stay away from any offense “led” by quarterback Brandon Allen. But the total and quarterback situation will probably drive down Lindsay’s tournament ownership rate, and perhaps I’m being too pessimistic on Lindsay.

Since Week 9, the usage disparity between Lindsay and No. 2 back Royce Freeman has widened into a chasm. Last week, Lindsay approached his season-high mark with a 38.1% opportunity market share while Freeman hit a 2019 low with 9.5%. If the last four games are any indication, Lindsay has seized control of this backfield (per RotoViz Player Usage App).

Recent reports out of Denver are that the Broncos want to feature Lindsay in the backfield, so his recent uptick in usage is probably not a fluke.

And his talent is undeniable. Despite being an undrafted free agent with a small frame (5-foot-7, 184 pounds), the second-year back has averaged 5.1 yards per carry for his career, and with his elite speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash), Lindsay has the ability to rip off long runs.

Last year he led the Broncos with 1,278 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage, and this year he’s on pace for a comparable 1,290.2 yards and 7.27 touchdowns. I can’t cast too much shade at a guy with 13.4 carries and 3.4 targets per game, especially when six teams play on Thursday.

And he has a good matchup: The Chargers are No. 27 in rush defense DVOA and No. 28 in pass defense DVOA against running backs. Lindsay missed the divisional matchup with the Chargers last year in Week 17, but in his two games against them, he has absolutely crushed.

  • Fantasy production: 27.2 DraftKings points, +16.56 Plus/Minus, 100% Consistency Rating
  • Football production: 13 carries, 4.5 targets and four receptions for 126.5 yards and 1.5 touchdowns

I don’t trust Lindsay for cash games, but if you think you can go overweight on him in tournaments without overleveraging your portfolio of lineups, he definitely has upside.

If you do roster Lindsay, he’s probably best used on DraftKings, where he has five Pro Trends and a 61% Bargain Rating.


Jamaal Williams: Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at New York Giants, 45.5 O/U

Because of his timeshare with Aaron Jones, Williams has been hard to trust this year, but in each of the past two games, he has gotten more opportunities than Jones. In fact, over the past four games, the balance of usage in the Packers backfield has significantly shifted.

Each week in that span, Williams has seen his market share of opportunities increase, and Jones has seen his market share decrease.

It’s easy to look at the 11 carries and eight targets Williams got last week in a 37-8 loss and say that his usage was based almost entirely on game script. But that usage also fits within a larger pattern, and the backfield workload has been trending toward Williams for a while.

There are a few factors in Williams’ favor this week.

First, he’s cheap and contrarian. He provides roster flexibility, and he’s a viable leverage play on both Saquon Barkley and Jones.

Also, the Packers are favorites: If the game gets out of hand, Williams could see extra usage as the Packers employ a run-heavy game script.

Finally, Williams is a competent pass-catching back, and he’s actually No. 1 on the team with five receiving touchdowns. Is that fluke? Maybe. But Williams is No. 2 on the Packers with four targets inside the 10-yard line.

Thanks primarily to his receiving production, Williams has been at least a fantasy RB2 in six of his nine full games, and the Giants are No. 26 in pass defense DVOA against running backs. With his recently enhanced usage and advantageous receiving matchup, Williams has the under appreciated capacity for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Williams is the No. 1 back in the Koerner, Raybon and Freedman Models for DraftKings, where he has a position-high +2.87 Projected Plus/Minus.


Peyton Barber: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1) at Jacksonville Jaguars, 48.5 O/U

Ugh. If I never write about Barber again, I will be satisfied.

Since the Week 7 bye, Ronald Jones has averaged 11.2 carries and four targets per game, but he has failed to capitalize fully on his opportunities, so Barber is still hanging around as an option. Just last week he had 11 carries, and the week before that he scored a short receiving touchdown.

Like a thick fart, Barber refuses to dissipate.

If you start him in cash games, you must straight up hate money, but Barber is an intriguing tournament option for a couple of reasons. He’s cheap, and he provides great leverage on Leonard Fournette and RoJo. He has had sub-1% GPP ownership rates in for months (per our FantasyLabs Ownership Dashboard). He is almost certain to be unpopular this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25) tries to break free from Cleveland Browns linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. (51) in the second half at Raymond James Stadium.

Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25).

And he has a great matchup. The Jags have a funnel defense that ranks No. 13 against the pass but No. 32 against the run in DVOA. The Jags were on bye in Week 10, but over the past month, they have been humiliated by opposing running backs.

  • Week 9 (Carlos Hyde & Duke Johnson Jr.): 37.1 DraftKings points, 26-173-1 rushing, 5-68-0 receiving on five targets
  • Week 11 (Marlon Mack, Jonathan Williams & Nyheim Hines): 51.1 DraftKings points, 30-236-2 rushing, 4-55-0 receiving on five targets
  • Week 12 (Derrick Henry & Dion Lewis): 38.0 DraftKings points, 24-180-2 rushing, 2-40-0 receiving on three targets

I don’t have a lot of faith in Barber, but could he get 80 yards and a score against a team that just let Hyde rush for 160 yards and Hines score a touchdown? Yeah, that’s actually not hard to imagine.

As a speculative sprinkle for mass multi-entry tournaments, Barber is an option.

Barber is the No. 1 back in the CSURAM88 Model for DraftKings, where he has a robust 96% Bargain Rating.


Upside Running Backs for Guaranteed Prize Pools

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns ($7,800 DK, $8,200 FD): Even with the return of Kareem Hunt, Chubb gas averaged 22.7 carries and three targets over the past three weeks. Dating back to last season, Chubb has averaged 110.1 yards and 0.71 touchdowns from scrimmage in his 21 games as the team’s lead back. Two weeks ago against the Steelers, Chubb got 27 carries.

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans ($7,600 DK, $8,600 FD): Since becoming a locked-in lead back in Week 14 last year, Henry has averaged 19.8 FanDuel points as well as 118.7 yards and 1.27 touchdowns from scrimmage per game. He could have negative game script as an underdog, but the Titans will likely lean on the ground game as much as they can. In his two matchups against the Colts over the past 12 months, Henry has averaged 100 yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game.

Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets ($6,400 DK, $7,300 FD): Since his 2014 breakout, Bell is No. 1 among all backs with 25.9 opportunities per game. In his nine games against teams other than the Patriots, Bell has averaged 16.6 DraftKings points with a 77.8% Consistency Rating. For the season, he has a strong 82.9% snap rate. The Bengals are No. 25 in rush defense DVOA and No. 30 in pass defense DVOA against running backs.

Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders ($6,900 DK, $7,700 FD): The first back selected in the 2019 draft, Jacobs has lived up to the hype with 100.3 yards and 0.64 touchdowns from scrimmage per game. Despite having mediocre game script this year, the Raiders are committed to the run, ranking No. 7 with a 45.7% run rate. In Week 2, Jacobs had 99 yards on 12 carries against the Chiefs, who are No. 32 in PFF run defense grade.

Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers ($6,800 DK, $8,000 FD): Despite being the No. 4 fantasy back on the year with 20.5 DraftKings points per game, Jones has been an inconsistent producer. In seven games he’s had 15-plus DraftKings points, but in the other four, he’s had no more than nine. For Jones, almost everything comes down to whether he scores: In his seven games with a touchdown this year, he’s averaged 29.1 DraftKings points.

Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams ($6,500 DK, $7,400 FD): Whenever I think of Gurley, I automatically hear Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” in my head. The 2017-18 All-Pro version of Gurley is gone, and last week the Rams offense was totally exposed on Monday Night Football. But Gurley is still averaging 13.5 carries, 3.4 targets and 0.8 touchdowns per game. The Rams are favored, the Cardinals are No. 31 in pass defense DVOA against running backs and Gurley will likely have a low ownership rate. I will wash the dishes, while you go have a beer.

Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens ($6,000 DK, $7,500 FD): Ingram has just 13 carries and two targets per game since the Week 8 bye, and the 49ers have held opposing backfields to the third-fewest DraftKings points per game with 17.5. But Ingram is still the lead back in an offense with a militant league-high 54.6% run rate, and he’s No. 4 in the league with 13 carries inside the opponent five-yard line. He’s been a fantasy RB1 in five of 11 games this year.

Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns ($5,500 DK, $5,900 FD): In his three games with the Browns, Hunt has played a 55.1% snap rate and averaged 59.3 yards and 0.33 touchdowns on 6.7 targets, five receptions and six carries per game. With 19.5 DraftKings points per game for his career, Hunt easily has the upside to put up a tournament-winning performance. Two weeks ago against the Steelers, Hunt had eight targets and six carries.

Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5,100 DK, $6,200 FD): Since the Week 7 bye, RoJo has averaged 11.2 carries and four targets per game, but in that span he’s been incredibly inconsistent with at least 15 DraftKings points in three games and fewer than seven in the other two. But at least this week he has a great matchup against the Jags, who are No. 32 in rush defense DVOA and No. 24 in pass defense DVOA against running backs.

Damien Williams, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800 DK, $6,000 FD): Williams (ribs) exited Week 11 early with an injury, but he seems likely to be healthy coming out of the bye. Williams has been inconsistent throughout the season, but before his injury, Williams seemed to have seized control of the Chiefs backfield, playing 73% of the snaps in Weeks 9-10 and averaging 15.5 carries and 3.5 targets per game. If healthy, he could get lots of action as a double-digit home favorite.

LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800 DK, $5,800 FD): McCoy (concussion) suffered a head injury in Week 11, but he’s tentatively expected to play off the bye week. If Damien Williams (ribs) is unable to suit up, McCoy will likely function as the lead back. The Raiders are No. 23 in rush defense DVOA and No. 29 in pass defense DVOA against running backs.

Derrius Guice, Washington Redskins ($4,500 DK, $5,500 FD): Since returning from injury in Week 11, Guice has averaged 8.5 carries and two targets per game. That’s not a lot, but he’s been more explosive than the aged Adrian Peterson, and the Panthers are exploitable. They have a funnel defense that ranks No. 8 against the pass but No. 31 against the run, and they have allowed the third-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields with 26.2 per game.

Darrel Williams, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,400 DK, $5,400 FD): If Damien Williams (ribs) and LeSean McCoy (concussion) miss Week 13, Dar. Williams will likely be a chalk lock as the presumptive starter in a great matchup. In his three games this year with 10-plus opportunities, Darrel the Barrel has averaged 15.9 DraftKings points per game with a +9.17 Plus/Minus and 100% Consistency Rating.

Patrick Laird, Miami Dolphins ($3,200 DK, $4,900 FD): Laird got some serious yet jokingly self-aware hype across the industry last week, and then he had just three touches. I’m not at all dissuaded. In Week 12, he played a season-high 23 snaps, and starter Kalen Ballage has underwhelmed this year with 1.9 yards per carry and 2.7 yards per target. A total post-hype sleeper, Laird is cheaper and will be less popular than he was last week. An undrafted 24-year-old rookie with back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons and serious pass-catching prowess (96-610-5 receiving in two final college seasons), he might benefit from a pass-heavy game script as a big underdog.

Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles ($3,000 DK, $4,800 FD): Jordan Howard (shoulder) has missed the past two weeks and is uncertain for Week 13. In his place, the recently re-signed Ajayi got six carries last week. The Eagles tend to spread around the backfield work anyway, and Ajayi could get extra carries if the heavily favored Eagles get out to a big lead. In a #RevengeGame against his former team, Ajayi could go full Samson and in one final feat of strength, tear the temple down.

FantasyLabs Positional Breakdowns

For more in-depth NFL analysis, check out The Action Network. For updates, see our FantasyLabs News Feed.



Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.

Pictured above: New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26)
Photo credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

About the Author

Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. The only edge he has in anything is his knowledge of '90s music.