• Jahmyr Gibbs gets his shot to own a backfield: With David Montgomery on injured reserve, Gibbs' workload is about to explode. In his last game without Montgomery, Gibbs put up 189 yards on 31 touches.
• The Steelers are just not that into Najee Harris: Last weekend, Harris received just six carries and played only 33% of the team’s offensive snaps. That 33% snap count is the lowest of his career in a game where he wasn’t injured.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With so many split backfields in today’s NFL, it is more important than ever to figure out which players are receiving the most valuable snaps and touches and which teams utilize a workhorse back when injuries occur.
Here are the latest top running back takeaways that could majorly impact points in the fantasy playoffs.
Jahmyr Gibbs’ workload is about to explode with David Montgomery sidelined
With backfield counterpart David Montgomery sidelined by a knee injury in the second quarter, Jahmyr Gibbs played a season-high 75% of the Lions' offensive snaps in Week 15, a jump from his 52% snap share from Weeks 1-13. Despite the increased playing time, Gibbs managed only eight carries for 31 yards — a season low — but made up for it by scoring two touchdowns and recording a career-high 83 receiving yards on five catches. That’s the beauty of a versatile player like Gibbs: even when he struggles on the ground, he can still deliver through the air.
Unfortunately, Montgomery tore his MCL and will undergo season-ending knee surgery, setting up Gibbs for a significant workload the rest of the season. While backups Craig Reynolds and Sione Vaki will contribute, they won’t see anywhere near Montgomery’s volume. In Weeks 7 and 8 of 2023, when Gibbs played without Montgomery, he totaled 315 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 51 touches, scoring 27 or more fantasy points in both games.
Gibbs, who already has 11 rushing touchdowns this season, is now in line to handle most, if not all, of the goal-line work. He faces two favorable matchups in Weeks 16 and 17 against the Bears and 49ers, who have allowed the most and third-most rushing touchdowns to running backs in 2024, respectively.
Upcoming matchups: at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings
Packers' Josh Jacobs has turned into a workhorse, TD-scoring machine
Josh Jacobs had a solid workload from Weeks 1-9, averaging 19.7 touches per game. However, his usage has surged since the Packers’ Week 10 bye, averaging 23.8 touches and 24 fantasy points per game over their last five contests. Since Week 11, only Saquon Barkley has averaged more touches or fantasy points per game than Jacobs.
Jacobs has been a touchdown machine, racking up nine rushing touchdowns since Week 11 — four more than any other running back during that span. He has scored in five consecutive games, the longest streak of his career, surpassing his previous high of three games while with the Raiders.
That streak has a good chance to continue in Week 16 against a New Orleans Saints defense that has allowed the third-most rushing touchdowns to running backs in 2024.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Saints, at Vikings, vs. Bears
Najee Harris is slowly being faded out of the Steelers offense
This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers opted not to pick up Najee Harris' fifth-year option, and it appears they are gradually phasing him out of their offense and future plans. Harris' playing time has steadily declined, dropping to just 42% of snaps since Week 12 — a notable decrease from the 56% snap share he saw from Weeks 1-11. In Week 15, he tied his career-low with just six carries and played only 33% of the Steelers' offensive snaps, his lowest snap percentage over the last two seasons and the second-lowest of his career. The only game with fewer snaps was in Week 12 of 2022 when he exited early with an abdomen injury.
Harris hasn’t rushed for more than 75 yards in a game since Week 8 and has been nearly invisible in the passing game, seeing just one target over the past two games combined. Adding to his woes, the Steelers face a brutal schedule ahead. In Week 16, they play the Ravens, who have allowed the fewest yards per carry and the second-fewest rushing yards to running backs in 2024. In Week 17, they face the Chiefs, who have given up the fewest rushing yards and fantasy points to running backs this season.
Upcoming matchups: at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals
Jaguars' Travis Etienne is making a comeback
Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby have combined for over 125 scrimmage yards in back-to-back weeks, a feat they hadn’t achieved since Week 5. Etienne has posted double-digit fantasy points in consecutive weeks, something he hadn’t done since the start of the season (Weeks 1-3). In last Sunday’s game, Etienne recorded a season-high 14 carries and 18 touches, and he’s been far more efficient recently, averaging 4.7 yards per carry over the last two games compared to just 3.9 yards per carry from Weeks 1-13. Mac Jones has also leaned on Etienne as a safety valve, resulting in four receptions in each of the past two weeks.
Bigsby has also seen increased involvement, logging 29 carries over the past two games. However, he has struggled with efficiency, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. He has also been a non-factor in the passing game, with just one target during that span.
Both Etienne and Bigsby are viable fantasy options moving forward, especially given the Jaguars’ favorable upcoming matchups against the Raiders, Titans, and Colts. However, Etienne offers the higher upside and is the preferred Jaguars running back to start.
Upcoming matchups: at Raiders, vs. Titans, at Colts
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