On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Managers looking for a running back to add to their NFL DFS picks will be interested in Najee Harris, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, and their fantasy football potential. Are any worth adding to your lineups?
NFL DFS Picks | Should you trust Najee Harris, Darrel Williams, or Clyde Edwards-Helaire?
Harris has been a case study on the importance of volume for fantasy football running backs. The first-round rookie might not have been the most efficient player, but he’s been almost unchallenged in his mission to accumulate touches in the Steelers’ backfield.
Harris rushed 307 times for 1,200 yards and 7 touchdowns during the regular season. He was also targeted the third-most on the team and caught the second-most passes, finishing the season with 74 receptions for 467 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Edwards-Helaire has been the lead running back for the Chiefs. However, he’s only rushed 119 times for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns. Injuries limited him to playing in just 10 games during the regular season. Those injuries don’t look to be behind him either, as CEH has now been ruled out of Sunday’s game.
This opens up a huge opportunity for Williams, who has played important roles on the offense already this season. Williams has been the secondary RB for the Chiefs when both he and CEH have been healthy. Yet, he led the team in rushing attempts with 144 carries for 558 yards and 6 touchdowns. Williams has also caught 47 of 57 targets for 452 yards and 2 touchdowns. His involvement as a receiver out of the backfield helps him in points per reception (PPR) formats such as DraftKings.
NFL Showdown Picks | How to approach Harris, Williams, and Edwards-Helaire
Harris’ 381 touches during the regular season led the league. With Ben Roethlisberger’s decline, the Steelers want to run their offense through Harris. The concern is that the Steelers are built to win close games with a strong defense and a desire to run the ball. If the Chiefs are leading (as expected), Harris — valued at $6,600 on DraftKings — will likely have less of an impact. Still, he’s a three-down workhorse back used in all situations.
Williams is priced at $5,200 on DraftKings. With Edwards-Helaire ruled out, he becomes outstanding value as an NFL DFS pick. In last week’s victory over the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs opted to employ a committee, but that’s rarely been the case in the past. The previous week, Williams dominated the backfield with 17 of 25 touches, considerably more than backup Derrick Gore’s 4.
More good news for Williams is that the Steelers have struggled on the ground all season. They allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in DraftKings scoring during the regular season. Pittsburgh gave up 2,054 rushing yards in 2021, second only to the Texans.
Williams will slot into a workhorse role on a heavily favored team. He’s a clear value pick at running back. He will be a cheap option, who is likely to exceed his price tag and should be a popular choice as captain.