• Rhamondre Stevenson reclaims his backfield: Stevenson learned from his mid-season benching and has fumbled the ball zero times over the last three weeks after coughing the ball up four times from Weeks 1-4. Stevenson clearly regained the trust of his coaches, as he got 23 touches and played a season-high 80.3% of the team’s snaps in Week 8.
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. officially steals Devin Singletary’s job: The fourth-round rookie handled a career-high 20 carries on Monday Night Football against the Steelers, while Devin Singletary got just two carries and four total touches all game. Tracy showed off his skills, destroying Pittsburgh's defenders' souls and racking up 150 scrimmage yards.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With so many running backs splitting their backfield in today’s NFL, it is more important than ever to figure out which players are receiving the most valuable snaps and touches on their team and who is slowly losing their workload to teammates who are outproducing them.
Here are the top running back takeaways over the first five weeks of the 2024 season that could greatly impact fantasy points in Week 9 and beyond.
Rhamondre Stevenson scores twice for the Patriots while playing on 80% of snaps in Week 8
After losing his starting job mid-season due to fumbling issues, Rhamondre Stevenson has slowly earned his role back over the last few weeks while showing good ball security.
In Week 8, he played a season-high 80.3% of the Patriots' offensive snaps and carried the ball 20 times after playing just 39% of the team snaps and averaging 9.5 carries per game from Weeks 3-7.
Stevenson out-touched teammate Antonio Gibson 23-5, and he got both of his team's goal-line carries in Week 8, turning both into touchdowns.
Stevenson has a strong chance to deliver a big fantasy performance in games where the Patriots are expected to keep it close. In the four close games this season, Stevenson has averaged 22.5 touches and 20.3 fantasy points per game. However, in the three games where the Patriots were blown out, he averaged just 10.7 touches and 4.3 fantasy points.
The Patriots should be competitive in their next two matchups against the Titans and Bears, making Stevenson a top fantasy option for Weeks 9 and 10.
Upcoming matchups: at Titans, at Bears, vs. Rams
Raiders RB Alexander Mattison ranks second among running backs in total touches over the last four weeks
Shockingly, Alexander Mattison ranks second at the position in touches (81) since Week 5, behind only Packers running back Josh Jacobs (84).
Mattison has played at least 65% of the Raiders' offensive snaps in each of the last three weeks, with 19 or more touches in each game. Last week, he managed only 9.4 fantasy points on 19 touches due to a tough matchup against the Chiefs, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. However, his strong volume translated into 15+ points in each of the two games before Week 8.
Mattison serves as the Raiders’ primary pass-catching and goal-line back, ranking third in targets on the team over the past three weeks and handling eight of the Raiders' 10 goal-line carries this season. As long as he isn’t facing a dominant run defense like the Chiefs, Mattison should be considered a reliable RB2 in fantasy lineups.
Upcoming matchups: at Bengals, at Dolphins, vs. Broncos
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane scores 27 fantasy points in the first game with Tagovailoa back under center
With Tua Tagovailoa back on the field in Week 8, De’Von Achane was back to putting up big production.
The Dolphins back totaled 147 scrimmage yards and scored 27 fantasy points in Week 8 after averaging just 7.0 fantasy points per game from Week 3-7 with Tagovailoa sidelined.
Raheem Mostert stole both rushing touchdowns in Week 8, but Achane out-snapped him 16-10 and was the much more efficient rusher in the game: Achane averaged 9.7 yards per carry, while Mostert averaged just 2.1 yards per carry.
Achane should be considered an elite fantasy asset for as long as Tagovailoa stays healthy. In Tagovailoa’s three starts this season, Achane has averaged 20.7 touches, 137.3 scrimmage yards and 26.4 fantasy points per game. He’s seen at least seven targets and scored a touchdown in each of those games.
This weekend, he faces a favorable matchup against a Bills defense that has allowed the most receptions and receiving yards to running backs in 2024.
Upcoming matchups: at Bills, at Rams, vs. Raiders
Bears RB D’Andre Swift continues to put up 100 yards and a TD every week
The award for the NFL's most underrated running back should go to D’Andre Swift. He has put up at least 119 scrimmage yards and has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the Bears’ last four games. Since Week 4, Swift has averaged 21.3 touches, 133 scrimmage yards and 22.6 fantasy points per game — only Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon have averaged more fantasy points per game, and only Henry has averaged more scrimmage yards per game since Week 4.
Swift may not be slowing down anytime soon, as his playing time surpassed 70% for the first time this season in Week 8, logging 72.6% of the Bears' offensive snaps. Not only was his backfield teammate Khalil Herbert a healthy scratch for the first time in 2024, but Roschon Johnson was the only other Bears running back to record a touch, and he managed just two.
This is ideal timing for Swift’s snaps and usage to trend toward bell-cow status, as he’ll face the Cardinals and Patriots over the next two weeks—both of whom rank in the top six for most fantasy points allowed per game to opposing running backs in 2024.
Upcoming matchups: at Cardinals, vs Patriots, vs. Packers
Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. steals Devin Singletary’s job on national television
If it wasn’t clear that Tyrone Tracy Jr. had taken over as the Giants' primary ball carrier, Monday night solidified it. Despite Devin Singletary’s return from injury, Tracy out-touched him 22-4 in Week 8 and put on a show, leading the NFL with 150 scrimmage yards, averaging 7.3 yards per carry and bulldozing his way to a 45-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately, Tracy suffered a concussion late in the game, giving him a short week to clear concussion protocol, which makes him unlikely to suit up for Week 9’s favorable matchup against the Commanders. However, he should be back for the Giants' Week 10 contest against the Panthers, the top fantasy matchup for running backs this season. Tracy has the potential to be a fantasy league-winner down the stretch.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Commanders, at Panthers, bye, Buccaneers
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