2022 Week #2 Market Preview - The Running Backs

by Michael Nazarek (RELEASED - 9/13/2022)

Editor's Note: Below you will find a portion of our 2022 Fantasy Football Weekly Newsletter Market feature for Week #2. If you'd like to read about all positions including our Free Agent Player Rankings, please click HERE to order our 2022 Weekly In-Season Fantasy Newsletters.

Let's see if you've heard this before... The first week of the 2022 NFL season was inconsistent. It's always that way. What have we learned? It's only ONE WEEK. Patience is the key to winning. Of course, if someone in your league wants to dump under-performing QB Tom Brady or RB Alvin Kamara in your lap at a bargain price, snatch him up now! Those owners are panicking for nothing and are well on their way to a losing season. Obviously, they are not reading this newsletter, so don't hesitate to take advantage! Now, let's get into this week's fantasy "Market"...

 

THE QUARTERBACKS

 

To view this section, click HERE to order our 2022 Weekly In-Season Fantasy Newsletters.

 

THE RUNNING BACKS

 

Special Note: If you did not read our Lead Story on picking up 49ers RB Jeff Wilson for fantasy, please click HERE to get the details from Monday afternoon.

 

-- Analyzing the Jets RBBC --

 

The New York Jets played a two-man RBBC in week #1. RB Michael Carter led the team as a runner, gaining 60 yards on 10 carries. Meanwhile, rookie RB Breece Hall gained only 23 yards on six carries. That said, Hall saw more work with the Jets' starters compared to the preseason. In addition, Hall saw a whopping 10 targets in the passing game with the team trying to play catch-up. He caught 6 of the 10 for 38 yards. That said, Carter received all of the goal-line and short-yardage work, which will be the biggest obstacle for Hall to overcome if Hall owners think he could become a RB2 for fantasy. Carter also saw most of the third-down work, but both players saw significant targets, as Carter saw 9 targets himself. Bottom Line: Carter is the starter, but Hall is used liberally, keeping Carter a RB3 for now, while Hall is a RB4 with RB3 upside in PPR leagues when the Jets play from behind. It's not ideal, but a RBBC is never ideal.

 

-- Dump Mike Davis; Grab Kenyan Drake --

 

There was a depth chart change in Baltimore in week #1. RB Mike Davis was expected by some to be the starter with RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) not playing. That was anything but the case, as Davis fell to third on the depth chart for a team that will soon have more healthy running backs. Recently signed RB Kenyan Drake was the starter, and he saw double-digit carries. More surprising was the fact that RB Justice Hill was his backup. Historically, Hill has been a third-down back, but Hill also saw more playing time than Davis on early downs. Davis saw just two carries for 11 yards. As a result, Davis is unplayable for fantasy right now, and could be released as soon as this week if the team deems Dobbins ready to play. If Dobbins sits, then Drake is the likely starter again, so Dobbins owners should pick up Drake for insurance, although Dobbins is very close to returning. Davis can be dumped from your fantasy roster. Remember, RB Gus Edwards (knee) is eligible to return to action in Week #5, so Drake or Hill might be inactive when he returns to action. In other words, this RBBC is definitely a fluid one.

 

-- Consider Tyler Allgeier If... --

 

Quick Note: Atlanta Falcons RB Damien Williams (ribs) left Sunday's game early with a ribs injury. He could miss a few weeks. If that happens, then rookie RB Tyler Allgeier will be active and play behind RB Cordarrelle Patterson, who saw all of he work after Williams went down. The Falcons do not want to overwork Patterson, and Allgeier showed a lot of promise this preseason, so stashing Allgeier (or holding him if you drafted him) is definitely a good idea.

 

-- Analyzing the Jaguars RBBC --

 

On Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars had both RB Travis Etienne and RB James Robinson available to play together for the first time. Shockingly, the two players saw an almost even split in snaps, which could lead to a lot of headaches for fantasy owners going forward. Etienne was a clear leader in snaps in the first half, 24-13. That said, Robinson still ran the football more in the half, but the Jaguars spent most of the half passing with Etienne on the field. A turning point could have been when Etienne fumbled the ball near the end of the first half. This may have been the reason why Robinson played more snaps in the second half, 21-12. Robinson appears to have a clear hold on the early-down work, and Etienne the passing down. Bottom Line: Both backs have value as a RB3 right now, but unless one emerges as a primary workhorse, neither have much upside in any one game.

 

-- Don't Worry About CMC, Kamara, Henry, & Other STUD RBs --

 

The list of underproducing STUD RBs was a fairly long one in week #1. This is not surprising, as many of these players never saw the field in preseason. Basically, week #1 is about working out the kinks and trying to get timing down. Fantasy owners need to be patient. Now is not the time to trade players like Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, Saints RB Alvin Kamara, and Titans RB Derrick Henry. They may have disappointed in week #1, but they can "go off" at any time (although Henry has a very tough matchup this week against the Bills). Bottom Line: Stick with your healthy STUD RBs and they will rebound most of the time in he very next game! No worries.

 

-- Analyzing Austin Ekeler's Game --

 

I'm sure fantasy owners of Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler are a bit puzzled by his use on Sunday. Well, there was talk of Ekeler seeing a slightly decreased role this season, but he ended up playing only about 50% of the team's offensive snaps on Sunday against the Raiders. He rushed 14 times for 36 yards, while his backups carried 11 times for 33 yards. Similarly, he caught four passes for 36 yards, but his backups ended up running more passing routes than him. This type of use will definitely hurt Ekeler's fantasy ceiling in terms of catches and rushing yards if the Chargers continue to use him this way. That said, Ekeler is still clearly the goal line back, so his chances to score won't see much of a decrease. In other words, now is not the time to panic and consider selling Ekeler. While that wouldn't be selling low, it would be selling a top 5 draft pick after just one mediocre game. That is something I would never do.

 

-- Don't Overvalue Isiah Pacheco; Consider Selling High --

 

Did you draft Kansas City Chiefs rookie RB Isiah Pacheco? Good for you! You have an interesting opportunity this week. You should consider selling high on him. Why? Well, the backup running back led the Chiefs in rushing attempts (12) and yards (62), and he scored the team's only rushing touchdown on Sunday. Sounds great, right? Well, unfortunately, much of that production came late in the game. Believe it or not, Pacheco played only four of 56 offensive snaps in the first three quarters. Kansas City had a 37-7 lead at this point, which lead to Pacheco playing significantly in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs were running out the clock, which allowed Pacheco to accumulate yards and score. Now, the Chiefs will have more 30+ point leads this season, but it's not sustainable to assume this will happen every week. Remember, starting RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a strong day in this game with two scores himself, so do not overvalue what Pacheco did. Smart fantasy owners will consider selling high on this game, since the final production by Pacheco is unlikely to be repeated without an injury to CEH very often.

 

-- Got Dameon Pierce? Get Rex Burkhead! --

 

This advice is another simple (and obvious) one to give. Houston Texans RB Rex Burkhead was both the lead rusher and receiving back for the team on Sunday, including playing the vast majority of snaps in some key situations. First, Burkhead played every snap in the two-minute drill. He also played on all but one third down. Rookie RB Dameon Pierce took one snap on a third-and-2, but Burkhead also played on multiple third-and-2s. Burkhead even dominated early-down snaps, with 17 compared to eight by Pierce outside of two-minute drills. He gained 40 yards via the run from 14 carries and 30 yards in the air on five passes. Pierce can be expected to take on more of the early-down work as the season progresses, but it seems unlikely he takes much of the passing-down work. Bottom Line: If you own Pierce, you better grab Burkhead off your waiver wire if he's available (as your first move). If he's not, then you really have no choice but to bench Pierce and look elsewhere for a fantasy starter, at least until thing change dramatically. Ah, the hype of a rookie RB in the summer! All is obviously not what it once seemed!

 

-- Grab Khalil Herbert or Jaylen Warren Now! --

 

Here are a few RBs to target off your league waiver wire. Chciago Bears RB Khalil Herbert led the team in rushing yards with 45 despite receiving roughly half the carries of RB David Montgomery. He also scored the team's only rushing touchdown. Herbert most notably handled both goal-line carries, which could be a sign of more touchdowns to come for Herbert. Now, Montgomery remains the clear starter, but if Herbert continues to outperform Montgomery as a runner, he could see more playing time as the season goes on. Monty owners better grab Herbert now if available! Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris (foot) is in far from a good position. First, he's injured and is not a lock to play. Secondly, Harris played on only 77% of the snaps during regulation on Sunday. He played more than 77% of snaps in 13 of 17 games last season. New primary backup RB Jaylen Warren took all of the other snaps in place of Harris, including all of the snaps in overtime after Harris left due to his injury. Warren is the clear waiver wire target both for the short term and potentially the long term if this injury lingers.

 

-- RB Potpourri --

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... Buffalo Bills RB Zack Moss saw 12 touches last Thursday night against he Rams. Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert saw 6 touches on Sunday against the Patriots. New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram saw 5 touches on Sunday against the Falcons. Washington Commanders RB J.D. McKissic saw 6 touches on Sunday against the Jaguars. Philadelphia Eagles RB Boston Scott scored on four carries on Sunday against the Lions. Cincinnati Bengals RB Samaje Perine saw 4 touches on Sunday against the Steelers. Tennessee Titans RB Dontrell Hilliard scored twice on just 5 touches on Sunday against the Giants. Arizona Cardinals RB Eno Benjamin saw 7 touches on Sunday against the Chiefs. Los Angeles Chargers RB Sony Michel saw 7 carries on Sunday against the Raiders. Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie RB Rachaad White saw 8 touches on Sunday night against the Cowboys.

 

THE WIDE RECEIVERS

 

To view this section, click HERE to order our 2022 Weekly In-Season Fantasy Newsletters.

 

THE TIGHT ENDS

 

To view this section, click HERE to order our 2022 Weekly In-Season Fantasy Newsletters.

 

The following is the initial in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2022 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

 

FREE AGENT PLAYER RANKINGS

 

Rank	Quarterbacks	Rank	Tight Ends
1	Order Now to View List	1	Order Now to View List
2		2
3		3
4		4
5		5
6		6
7		7
8		8
9		9
10		10
11		11
12		12
13		13
14
15
	* - Starting Due to Injury
Rank	Running Backs	Rank	Wide Recievers
1	Jeff Wilson, SF (will start)	1	Order Now to View List
2	James Robinson, JAX	2
3	Rex Burkhead, HOU	3
4	Jaylen Warren, PIT *	4
5	Khalil Herbert, CHI	5
6	Kenneth Gainwell, PHI	6
7	Kenyan Drake, BAL *	7
8	J.D. McKissic, WAS	8
9	Dontrell Hilliard, TEN	9
10	Zack Moss, BUF	10
11	Ty Montgomery, NE	11
12	Isiah Pacheco, KC	12
13	Tyler Allgeier, ATL	13
14	Alexander Mattison, MIN	14
15	Tyrion Davis-Price, SF	15
16	Eno Benjamin, ARZ	16
17	Mark Ingram, NO	17
18	Sony Michel, LAC	18
19	Raheem Mostert, MIA	19
20	Boston Scott, PHI	20
21	Rachaad White, TB	21
22	Samaje Perine, CIN	22
23	Joshua Kelley, LAC	23
24	Matt Breida, NYG	24
		25
	* - Could Start Due to Injury	26
			* - Could Start Due to Injury
Rank	Place Kickers	Rank	Team Defenses
1	Order Now to View List	1	Order Now to View List
2		2
3		3
4		4
5		5
6
7
8
9
10

 

End.

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