Fantasy football managers who will be without Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, or Alvin Kamara due to bye weeks are going to have to make some tough lineup decisions on who to start or sit at the RB position.
Here are some of my start/sit options at the RB position for Week 11 of NFL action.
Which RBs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
Fantasy football managers who enjoyed De’Von Achane’s historic production during a three-game stretch earlier this season have likely been eagerly awaiting his potential return to the fantasy lineup in Week 11.
While we don’t have a guarantee at this moment that Achane will be activated for Miami’s Week 11 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, all reports point towards that being a strong possibility.
If Achane is active, he needs to be in your starting lineup. The Raiders give up an average of 22.2 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, and the Dolphins offense could be subject to a favorable, run-heavy game script if they get out in front against Las Vegas rookie QB Aidan O’Connell.
While many fantasy managers are likely skeptical about Achane’s hot start — he averaged an absurd 12.11 yards per carry through his first 38 rushing attempts of his career — few RBs will give you the type of fantasy ceiling Achane offers your lineup in Week 11.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Speaking of elite-level upside rookie running backs, the return of the Lions’ David Montgomery did very little to derail the recent fantasy breakout production of rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 10. Gibbs’ 14 carries with Montgomery in the lineup was a season-high, and a very encouraging development for Gibbs came in the form of a pair of one-yard rushing scores.
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Gibbs saw more carries than Montgomery for the first time all year in a game where they were both active, and he still managed to log five targets in the passing game as well. If this type of usage pattern holds for Gibbs, he is certainly in the low-end RB1 conversation in this potent Detroit offense.
Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
Commanders running back Brian Robinson continues to find the end zone despite his volume in the rushing game trending in the wrong direction. Against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Robinson produced a career-high 119 receiving yards on six receptions, which included a 51-yard catch and rushing score.
Unfortunately, he saw fewer than 10 carries for the third time in the last six games, which makes his fantasy floor a bit difficult to trust. However, that floor should be raised when the Commanders face off against a New York Giants offense that will have to rely on rookie QB Tommy DeVito to sustain drives, which could manufacture a picture-perfect game script for Robinson to see plenty of work on the ground.
Which RBs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
Heading into the Buffalo Bills’ Week 10 Monday Night Football matchup against the Broncos, James Cook’s usage has been heading in the wrong direction, with just six carries for 20 yards against the Bengals last week. The recent addition of veteran RB Leonard Fournette could also negatively impact Cook’s weekly usage if his role ends up being bigger than we expect.
Ultimately, Cook has been effective but not spectacular in his expanded role in this Bills backfield in 2023. Cook’s fantasy ceiling doesn’t feel all that high against a New York Jets defense that held him to 46 yards in the season opener.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
A short week likely prevented a return to the field for Bears starting RB Khalil Herbert in Week 10, but perhaps you should hold off on putting him back into your starting lineup this Sunday when he faces off against the Lions.
Detroit’s defense is only allowing an average of 14.6 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs this season, which is problematic for a running back seeing his first game action in over a month.
Trending Searches for RB Start/Sit
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter in up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some down to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start De’Von Achane or Aaron Jones?
The signs of life from the Green Bay Packers offense are certainly encouraging for fantasy managers who have been holding out hope that Aaron Jones returns to his Week 1 form, but those aren’t great enough to convince me the Packers offense has been permanently fixed.
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Jones has still been limited in practice due to his lingering hamstring injury, which is reflected by his poor efficiency as a runner over the last four games. I’ll take Achane’s explosiveness in a plus matchup against the Raiders over Jones and the potential that game script doesn’t favor the Packers’ running game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Should You Start Brian Robinson Jr. or Najee Harris?
After a start to the season slow enough to prompt many fantasy managers to actually drop Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris, the Alabama product has rushed for 69+ yards and a score in two straight games. Quietly, Harris has posted four straight 10+ point fantasy performances in PPR formats and has started to earn the trust of fantasy managers back.
Unfortunately, the Steelers’ matchup against the Browns isn’t ideal, which makes him a very risky play while he still splits work with Jaylen Warren. I’m rolling with Robinson against the Giants.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!