Bye weeks are on bye, and that's a relief after a six-team bye beatdown in Week 7. We still have lots of impactful injuries for Week 8, including Jerome Ford, David Montgomery, Kyren Williams, Miles Sanders and James Conner.
Jamey Eisenberg has his Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for Week 8 at running back here. His Waiver Wire column can also direct you to the best options that may be available in your leagues. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' running back preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 8 numbers to know and more. Plus check out Heath's Week 8 premium projections over at SportsLine.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
RBs to Start
Projections powered by
Sportsline
I liked Foreman in Week 7 against the Raiders, but I didn't expect him to score three total touchdowns and finish with 33.0 PPR points. What I liked the most was 19 total touches, including three catches on five targets. It appears like Tyson Bagent will lean on Foreman in the passing game, although we'll see if Roschon Johnson (concussion) is able to play this week. But Foreman should remain the lead running back for the Bears no matter what happens with Johnson against the Chargers, who have allowed a running back to score at least 13.0 PPR points in all six games this season. Foreman is worth starting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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The best thing for Stevenson the past two weeks has been his involvement in the passing game with 11 catches for 75 yards on 12 targets against the Raiders and Bills, and I hope that continues all season. He faced the Dolphins in Week 2 at home and had 15 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 10 yards on three targets. Miami has allowed a running back to score a touchdown in three of the past four games, and hopefully Stevenson can find the end zone instead of Ezekiel Elliott. But the main thing I like about Stevenson this week is the Patriots will likely be chasing points, meaning Stevenson should get a healthy amount of receptions.
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Henderson came off the street to reunite with the Rams in Week 7 after Kyren Williams (ankle) was placed on injured reserve, and Henderson had 18 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 5 yards on two targets against the Steelers. He's going to split touches with Royce Freeman again in Week 8 at Dallas, but Henderson played 57 percent of the snaps and should get the majority of touches again. It's not an easy matchup against the Cowboys, who have allowed just four running backs this season to score at least 12.6 PPR points. But the Rams have now had a running back score at least 13.6 PPR points in five of seven games this season, and Henderson is worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
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It's risky to trust Edwards because the Ravens could always surprise us and make this a Justice Hill game. But Edwards has played more snaps than Hill in the past two games against the Titans and Lions, and he's coming off a great outing against Detroit with 14 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 80 yards on one target. You can't count on work in the passing game for Edwards (he has four catches on the season), but he should run well against the Cardinals in Week 8. Arizona has allowed a running back to gain at least 81 rushing yards in five games in a row, with four 100-yard outings and four rushing touchdowns allowed over that span. Edwards is worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and Hill can be considered a sleeper.
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The last time we saw Pierce he had his worst game of the season in Week 6 against the Saints with 13 carries for 34 yards and no targets. He shared playing time with Devin Singletary, who actually played more snaps (34-21). There's a lot of risk involved with trusting Pierce, who has struggled all season with just two games above 9.2 PPR points and only one touchdown. But I'm hopeful that Pierce can take advantage of this matchup against Carolina coming off the bye. There have been seven running backs with at least 12.4 PPR points against the Panthers this season, and Carolina leads all teams with 13 total touchdowns allowed to running backs. I'm going to start Pierce as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and I like Singletary as a sleeper.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Sportsline
Hunt will hopefully be OK despite being on the injury report Wednesday with a thigh issue, but it's likely the same scenario as Week 7 when he missed practice and still played at Indianapolis. Hunt is expected to start in Week 8 at Seattle with Jerome Ford (ankle) hurt, and I would use Hunt as a low-end No. 2 running back in all leagues. He's actually scored at least 15.1 PPR points in each of his past two games against the 49ers and Colts, and the Browns have had a running back score at least 16.1 PPR points in five of six games this season. Seattle has also allowed a running back to score at least 11.5 PPR points in five of six games this year.
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White is coming off a solid game in Week 7 against Atlanta with 15.9 PPR points, which is his second-best outing of the year. He only had 13 carries for 34 yards, but he had season highs in targets (six), receptions (six) and receiving yards (65), which will hopefully continue all season. This week, he's facing a Bills defense that has fallen apart of late against running backs. De'Von Achane, Travis Etienne, Saquon Barkley and Rhamondre Stevenson have all scored at least 13.8 PPR points against Buffalo in the past four weeks. And the Bills have allowed at least four receptions to a running back in three games in a row. I like White as a high-end flex on Thursday night.
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The Jaguars run defense has been solid this season, but they have struggled with pass-catching running backs and lead the NFL with 51 receptions allowed to the position. Alvin Kamara crushed Jacksonville for 12 catches on 14 targets in Week 7, but five running backs this season (Kamara, Zack Moss, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson and Deon Jackson) have already caught at least five passes against the Jaguars. Enter Warren, who has at least three catches in five of six games this season. Given the matchup and his role in the passing game, I'd lean on Warren as a high-end flex in PPR in Week 8.
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RBs to Sit
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Sportsline
Robinson scored a touchdown at the Eagles in Week 4, but he only managed 14 carries for 45 yards and two catches for 6 yards on two targets. He's scored a touchdown in three of his past four games, which has saved his Fantasy production, but he's combined for just 106 rushing yards and 59 receiving yards over that span. We'll see if he can score another touchdown against the Eagles in Week 8, but he's now sharing touches with Antonio Gibson and Chris Rodriguez Jr., which is clearly a problem. And Philadelphia just shut down Raheem Mostert in Week 7, holding him to nine carries for 45 yards and one catch for 6 yards on three targets.
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Sanders will return to action in Week 8 against Houston after the bye, and he missed Week 6 at Miami with an injured shoulder. Prior to sitting out, Sanders had gone two games in a row with awful production against Minnesota and Detroit, combining for 7.4 PPR points in those outings. Chuba Hubbard will continue to share touches with Sanders, and I like Hubbard as the better Fantasy option against the Texans. But none of the Panthers running backs should be considered as anything more than a flex option at best, and Sanders will be tough to trust moving forward until we see a more consistent level of production.
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Moss did more than I expected in Week 7 against Cleveland with 18 carries for 57 yards and one catch for 5 yards on two targets, but I feared that Jonathan Taylor would start to take over the Colts backfield. It was a 50-50 split in playing time, but Taylor looked like himself again with 18 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 45 yards on four targets. Taylor is now worth trusting again in all leagues as a must-start Fantasy quarterback, but Moss is just a flex at best. And given the opponent, I would try to sit Moss if you can since Taylor might start taking on more work. The Saints are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Travis Etienne in Week 7 is the lone running back to score against New Orleans this year.
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Harris had his best game of the season in Week 7 at the Rams with 15.8 PPR points because he finally scored his first touchdown. He also had 14 carries for 53 yards and three catches for 15 yards on three targets, and his work in the passing game was a season-best. But I expect Jaylen Warren to still do more as a receiver this week, and Harris should struggle on the ground against Jacksonville. The Jaguars have allowed just two rushing touchdowns to a running back all season, and Harris will likely struggle if he's not involved in the passing game against this Jacksonville defense.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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I liked Williams against the Packers in Week 7, and he had his best game of the season with 12.6 PPR points. He also had a season-high 18 touches as the Broncos had a rare 19-17 win. In Week 6 at Kansas City, Williams only had 10 carries for 52 yards, and I expect him to struggle again in the rematch at home. Williams has yet to score a touchdown this year, and he's still sharing touches with Jaleel McLaughlin and Samaje Perine. The Chiefs have only allowed three total touchdowns to running backs this season, and only three running backs have scored more than 9.9 PPR points against Kansas City in seven games. Williams is a flex option at best in Week 8.
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