I want to sincerely apologize for last week. While I can’t reasonably be blamed for not knowing Cam Skattebo would essentially be punished, I still outlandishly made the call to start him and expected him to feast.
As for Emanuel Wilson, well, I swung and whiffed again. So if you took an L last week because you played Wilson by my word, well, I apologize for that too!
I stand before the mirror of self-reflection and gaze into the depths, eager to find insight into what went wrong. All I can see staring back at me is…
And just like that, we’re halfway through the regular season. Bye weeks are upon us. Injuries continue to pile up. This is the time fantasy wolves rise and separate from the rest of the league.
By the time the playoffs start, everyone gazes up at the top of the standings and knows who the league alpha is.
Nailing those start/sit questions is essential, especially for running backs!
Week 6 features a slew of RB starts that might require a little extra fortitude to submit. It’s paramount to appropriately gauge floors, upside, and exploitable matchups.
As always, remember this is just a game. There’s no need to target NFL players on social media for lackluster fantasy performances (ok, maybe sometimes).
Fire up The Wolf’s Week 7 Rankings and LET’S GO!
WEEK 7 RUNNING BACK START ‘EM
START OF THE WEEK: KYREN WILLIAMS VS. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Williams is coming off a stinker, scoring fewer than 10 fantasy points and looking outclassed by Blake Corum.
This could be the classic example of the squeaky wheel getting the grease, in a way.
Williams didn’t mince words when asked why the Rams struggled to sustain drives without him.
The Rams are a different team without him on the field, despite what Corum truthers will tell you.
The Raiders have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing backs, and, after peeking at their game log, four have gone for at least 17 points recently.
Williams will still get a heavy dose of volume and should be in line for a strong bounceback this week.
BRAELON ALLEN VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS
The absence of Breece Hall has been kind to Allen, leading some to maybe question if a change is needed.
Allen provides the Jets with an average expected points added (EPA) of -1.0. That’s not great. But when the magic number machine churns Hall’s data… yikes (-2.9 EPA).
Additionally, Allen is the more explosive runner (13.7 vs. 10.6%) and creates more after contact while being a more successful and efficient rusher.
As for the matchup at hand, Miami has yielded the third-most fantasy points and the eighth-most fantasy points per opportunity to the position.
Several backs have scored at least 15 fantasy points per game. Given Allen’s lack of competition for volume, he’s a strong RB2 if Hall (week-to-week) sits.
AARON JONES VS. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Over the past four games, Jones has had more than 90 touches and should still see a healthy dose of volume, even if Jordan Mason returns and is immediately thrust into the spotlight.
With Mason thrown in the mix this season, albeit just one game, you still got 10 PPR points from Jones on the back of 13 opportunities.
There’s no reason to believe Mason will come in and immediately take over the backfield from Jones. In Week 1, Mason had 15 carries to Jones’ 12.
With Mason out of the picture, Jones is averaging nearly 1,900 yards from scrimmage and 4 TDs.
The Colts defense has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs while surrendering a healthy 0.96 fantasy points per touch.
Start Jones confidently and reap the rewards of solid RB2 production.
Other RB starts: Woody Marks vs. NYG, Bucky Irving vs. CAR
WEEK 7 RUNNING BACK SIT ‘EM
SIT OF THE WEEK: CAM SKATTEBO VS. HOUSTON TEXANS
Does your fantasy league have a punishment if a player you start drops a zero?
He recorded zero touches on just six snaps in a smash matchup that saw Tyrone Tracy Jr. put up 17.5 fantasy points on eight touches.
It’s unclear how much of a role Skattebo will have moving forward.
With usage concerns heading into a difficult matchup with the Texans, can you really trust Skattebo?
The Texans’ defense (11th) is near the middle of the pack as far as fantasy points allowed to RBs, but allows the sixth-fewest points on the ground.
Skattebo had seen only 12 targets heading into Week 6’s pseudo-benching.
With reports surfacing now that the Giants are in the market for a RB, he represents too much risk to trot out there.
EMANUEL WILSON VS. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Wilson, you have filled in admirably, and now, it’s time to rest.
After a couple of solid games, Wilson’s touch share and share of offensive snaps took a nosedive.
Wilson saw only 15 touches in Week 6, down from 22 the previous week, while also playing only 31.8% of snaps after seeing nearly 60% the week prior.
The Kansas City Chiefs allow the ninth-fewest fantasy points to RBs and the fifth-fewest points on the ground.
With Zach Charbonnet logging full practices this week, perhaps it’s best to let this become the four-man backfield it’s destined to be and avoid it completely.
Other RB sits: Alvin Kamara vs. PIT, Tony Pollard vs CLE
