We’re toward the end of the 2023 fantasy football season. Hopefully, fantasy players are still in the playoff mix and aren’t looking ahead to next year.
This week, fantasy players will have some difficult decisions, especially at the running back position. One of those decisions could be between starting Zack Moss or Josh Jacobs. Let’s dive into it.
Should You Start Zack Moss in Fantasy This Week?
Last year, the Indianapolis Colts acquired Moss in a simple deal at the trade deadline that many deemed insignificant. However, the former Utah star running back filled in excellently for Jonathan Taylor to end the 2022 season. Furthermore, he has been outstanding for fantasy players this year, with the superstar running back dealing with multiple injuries.
After missing the Week 1 matchup with a broken forearm injury, Moss averaged 22 rushing attempts for 93.3 yards and 16.4 half-point PPR fantasy points in the three games without Taylor, totaling 18.7 or more twice. He was even productive when the superstar returned from offseason ankle surgery.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Over the eight games Moss played with Taylor, the former Utah star averaged 49 rushing yards and 9.9 fantasy points per game. He had a meaningful role in all but two games during that run. However, Moss has become a borderline must-start running back with Taylor out of the lineup because of a thumb injury.
The veteran running back faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. They have surrendered 19.5 fantasy points per game to running backs this season, slightly above the league average. However, the Bengals have struggled to slow down running backs lately, giving up 110.8 rushing yards, 1.3 touchdowns, and 22.2 fantasy points per game to the position over the past four weeks.
Should You Start Josh Jacobs in Fantasy This Week?
Jacobs was outstanding last season in a contract year. The star running back didn’t get a long-term extension in the offseason, leading to him skipping most of training camp. Therefore, it’s understandable why he struggled over the first few weeks this season.
The former Alabama star averaged only 36 rushing yards and 8.3 half-point PPR fantasy points per game over the first three weeks, scoring 9.5 or fewer in every contest. However, Jacobs got rolling in Week 4. He had 139 scrimmage yards and 23.9 fantasy points against the Los Angeles Chargers.
He has scored double-digit fantasy points in 77.8% of his games since his slow three-week start. The Las Vegas Raiders had their bye in Week 13, yet Jacobs was outstanding in the team’s last game. The star running back had 110 rushing yards, a touchdown, and 20.5 fantasy points against the Kansas City Chiefs, setting a season-high in rushing yards per attempt (5.5).
Meanwhile, he faces the Minnesota Vikings in the team’s first game off the bye week. The Vikings have held running backs to only 15.6 fantasy points per game this season, the fifth-fewest in the NFL. They have given up less than 67 rushing yards to running backs in 83.3% of their games, including three straight.
According to the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say Moss is the player to start. He is projected to score 15.5 half-point PPR fantasy points. His projections include 105.6 rushing yards, 0.2 rushing touchdowns, and 4.1 receptions for 14.2 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Jacobs’ projection is for 14.2 fantasy points with 71.3 rushing yards, 0.5 touchdowns, and 3.2 receptions for 24 receiving yards this week.
I agree with the Start/Sit Optimizer. While both running backs have featured workloads for their team, Moss has the far superior fantasy-friendly matchup this week. Fantasy players should consider both running backs as top-20 options. However, Moss has more upside because of his matchup.
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!