Many fantasy football managers who were relying on Travis Etienne Jr, De’Von Achane, or Kenneth Walker III may have seen their dreams of a fantasy championship abruptly end last week. But for those of you who managed to advance to the championship round, consider it an early holiday gift!
Here are some of my start/sit options at the RB position for a pivotal Week 17 of NFL action.
Which RB Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
It has felt like an eternity since Aaron Jones found himself on the start ’em side of this article, but on Sunday against the Panthers, the talented back finally looked like the exceptional playmaker we’ve been watching over the last five years.
MORE: Positional Start/Sits — QB | WR | TE
Jones produced his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season in Week 16 with 127 yards on 21 carries against Carolina. The only thing that prevented him from having a monster fantasy day was getting vultured on a pair of one-yard rushing TDs by AJ Dillon and Jordan Love.
If the Packers’ offense continues to click against the Minnesota Vikings, then Jones is right back in the top-15 conversation at the RB position for Week 17.
Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Speaking of the Vikings, when word got out that Alexander Mattison was going to be active for Week 16, many fantasy managers likely decided to bench Ty Chandler because of the unknown workload split between these two backs.
Unfortunately, neither player did much of anything against the Lions on Sunday, with Chandler — eight carries for 17 yards and a score — having a slightly better day than Mattison, who finished with -1 yard on just two carries.
Expect a more efficient day at the office for Chandler against a Packers defense that has allowed four rushing scores over the last three games.
Which RB Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Something feels a bit amiss right now for Miami Dolphins rookie RB De’Von Achane. Fantasy managers haven’t seen very much of the dynamic playmaking ability we saw from him earlier this season since returning from injured reserve (IR).
Achane averaged an absurd 12.1 yards per carry while totaling 460 rushing yards and five scores on just 38 carries through the first week of the 2023 season. Since his return, however, back in Week 11, Achane has averaged a modest — but still effective — 4.3 ypc with 177 yards and two scores on 41 carries.
Achane’s number of carries working behind Raheem Mostert at this efficiency clip aren’t enough to make him an automatic start in your fantasy lineup. He falls more into the boom-or-bust RB2 category, which is a bad place to be when heading into a matchup against a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense in Week 17.
Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Just when fantasy managers were starting to consider Joe Mixon an RB1 play again, he posted a single-digit fantasy performance in PPR formats for the second time in the last five weeks in a big spot for fantasy managers.
Both of those fantasy duds came against the Steelers. The Bengals found themselves in a negative game script very quickly last week, but the performance was still disappointing nonetheless.
If Cincinnati’s offense gets off to a slow start again versus the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 17, it could be a long day at Arrowhead for Mixon.
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 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, some of which we’ve jotted down here to help provide some clarity on!
Should You Start De’Von Achane or Breece Hall?
Both of these players have big-play potential, but Breece Hall has proven to have a more reliable fantasy floor because of his pass-catching role and higher weekly fantasy floor than Achane because of his touches.
MORE: Early Fantasy Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks Week 17
Hall may be a risky play against a talented Cleveland Browns defense, but Achane simply hasn’t shown us the big-play ability that made him a fantasy star since returning from IR.
I would go with Hall over Achane in Week 17.
Should You Start Ty Chandler or Austin Ekeler?
Austin Ekeler fantasy managers were likely still disappointed by his overall production from Week 16, but at least he was utilized in a leading role. Chandler was the leading man in his backfield too, but was rather ineffective in his leading role.
The ceiling feels like it could be higher for Chandler while the Chargers’ offense continues to figure it out with Easton Stick under center. If Mattison gets more involved, though, it could lower Chandler’s ceiling.
In a big spot, I’d lean Ekeler by the smallest of margins.
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!