*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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We’ve passed the last bye weeks of the season, so Week 13 will bring a full slate of games in the NFL. With plenty of options to wade through, let’s dive right in and highlight a few running backs that stand out with favorable matchups, and a couple to avoid. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Kareem Hunt vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,900
DraftKings = $7,800
With all of the prolific passing numbers put up by the Chiefs and Rams in Week 11, Hunt didn’t get a lot of work on the ground. He did make the most of his opportunities, carrying the ball 14 times for 70 yards. His involvement in the passing game wasn’t great, either, but he did turn his four targets into three receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. With that score, Hunt already has 14 total touchdowns.
There are few running backs with as high of a floor as Hunt. Not only does the Chiefs offense put him in a lot of great positions to score touchdowns, but he is averaging 109.3 total yards per game. The Raiders have allowed the most rushing yards per game (151.4) in the league, so expect Hunt to have another excellent performance Sunday. The only cause for concern with him is if the Chiefs jump out to a big lead and rest Hunt in the fourth quarter. However, if they do score a lot early, it could be in large part because of Hunt’s efforts.
Christian McCaffrey vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $8,800
Draft Kings = $8,800
McCaffrey couldn’t have looked any more dominant than he did last week against the Seahawks. They had no answer for him on the ground, allowing him to rack up 125 yards and a touchdown on just 17 carries. Things were equally as impressive for McCaffrey in the passing game, catching all 11 of his targets for 112 yards and another touchdown. If you rostered him in DFS or season-long, you likely came away as a winner.
It’s highly unlikely that McCaffrey matches that performance this week, but this is a matchup for him to exploit against the Bucs. They’ve allowed 14 rushing touchdowns this year and four more scores through the air to opposing running backs. When these two teams met in Week 9, McCaffrey finished with 79 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and 78 receiving yards on five receptions.
Aaron Jones vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – Lambeau Field
FanDuel = $7,600
DraftKings = $6,700
The Packers are slumping right now, but it certainly isn’t due to the play of Jones. He was effective again in Week 12 against the Vikings, rushing 17 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. While his 21 receiving yards weren’t great, it was important that he received five targets. With his role starting to expand as we head down the stretch, Jones has received at least five targets in three straight games.
The talent level seemed pretty obvious with Jones, but it took a while for the Packers coaching staff to give him the lead role. That time is finally here with Jones being on the field for at least 74 percent of their offensive snaps in each of the last three games. There’s no reason to believe that will change this week, setting him up for possibly a career day against a Cardinals team that has allowed the most rushing touchdowns (16) and third-most rushing yards per game (144.8).
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
Phillip Lindsay vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $7,000
DraftKings = $5,400
Don’t look now, but the Broncos have won back-to-back games against two tough teams in the Chargers and Steelers. Their passing attack has been awful this year, but Lindsay has established himself as a weapon on the ground. Despite receiving just 14 carries in Week 12, Lindsay ran for 110 yards and a touchdown. That’s particularly impressive considering the Steelers are allowing only 4.2 yards-per-carry for the season, overall.
Next up for Lindsay and the Broncos is a matchup against a Bengals team that just lost their starting quarterback for the year and might still be without their best wide receiver in A.J. Green (toe). Their struggles likely won’t be limited to their offense, though, since they have allowed an average of 37.8 points over their last five games. They particularly struggle in the running game, allowing 147.5 rushing yards per game to go along with 14 touchdowns.
Gus Edwards vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $4,800
If you play in season-long fantasy, a player like Edwards coming out of nowhere to play well can help propel you into the playoffs if you were lucky enough to snap him up off waivers. He was heavily involved again Sunday versus the Raiders, carrying the ball 23 times for 118 yards. His usage in the passing game has been non-existent, but it’s hard to argue against his success with 233 rushing yards over two games since assuming the lead running back role.
The key to Edwards’ success might be Lamar Jackson remaining as the Ravens quarterback. With Jackson’s own ability to rush the ball, the duo creates a nightmare for opposing defenses. Initial reports indicate Joe Flacco (hip) isn’t ready to return, so it’s hard to see Edwards’ role fading with Jackson still running the offense. The Falcons allow the third-most yards-per-carry (5.1), making Edwards a potential steal in DFS, especially at his price on DraftKings.
Lamar Miller vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – NRG Stadium
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $4,600
Miller burst out for a 97-yard touchdown run in Week 12 against the Titans, helping propel him to 162 rushing yards for the game, overall. He only received 12 carries, but it marked the third time in his last five games that Miller rushed for at least 100 yards. It’s no coincidence that he ran for a touchdown in each of those contests, which accounted for all three of his rushing touchdowns this season.
Miller is peaking at the right time for Texans, which has helped them reel off eight straight wins after starting out 0-3. Alfred Blue does cut into his carries, but Miller has been on the field for at least 62 percent of the Texans offensive snaps in five of his last six games. During that stretch, Blue didn’t log more than 48 percent of their snaps in any contest. The Browns have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game (131.8) to go along with 15 rushing touchdowns, making Miller a great target in tournament play.
Jalen Richard vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $4,300
Looking at Richard’s line from Week 12 doesn’t exactly install a whole lot of confidence in playing him for Week 13 in DFS. He only had one carry for one yard and caught two of four targets for an additional 15 yards. The Raiders were down big early, but Richard still couldn’t get much going in the passing attack with the Raiders having to throw a lot in an attempt to catch up.
If you want to roll with Richard, make sure you do so with the understanding that he won’t provide much in terms of rushing yards. He did post 61 yards on the ground in Week 11 against the Cardinals, but that’s more than half of his total for the entire year. His main source of value is in the passing game with a career-high 53 receptions on 63 targets. The Raiders should have to throw a lot in an attempt to keep up with the Chiefs high-powered offense, meaning Richard might be more involved then their primary rusher, Dough Martin, who only has 17 targets all year.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Tevin Coleman vs. Baltimore Ravens
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
FanDuel = $6,200
DraftKings = $4,500
Coleman was completely shut down on the ground by the Saints last week with only six yards on eight carries. His three catches for 17 yards weren’t great, either, but he somewhat salvaged his line with a receiving touchdown. The Saints have arguably the best rushing defense in the league, so it’s not a surprise that Coleman struggled. Things won’t get much easier for him in Week 13 against the Ravens, who allow the third-fewest rushing yards per game (92.1).
Peyton Barber vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $5,800
DraftKings = $3,700
Barber has reached the end zone in both of his last two games while racking up 153 yards on the ground. The Bucs have struggled to run the ball most of the season, but that didn’t stop them from giving Barber 18 carries in both of those contests. This isn’t shaping up to be a matchup to exploit, though, against a Panthers team that is allowing just 4.1 yards-per-carry. When these two teams met earlier in the year, Barber had only 31 yards on 11 carries.
