• Jamir Gibbs gets a chance to take over the defender: WITH David Montgomery On the injured reserve side, Gibbs’ workload is about to explode. In his final game without Montgomery, Gibbs totaled 189 yards on 31 touches.
• The Steelers just aren’t happy. Najee Harris: Harris received just six carries last weekend and played just 33% of the team’s offensive snaps. That 33% rate is the lowest of his career in a game in which he was not injured.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With so many split defenses in today’s NFL, it’s more important than ever to figure out which players are getting the most valuable snaps and touches, and which teams are the workhorse when injuries occur.
Here are the latest insights from the top running backs who could make a big difference in fantasy playoff scores.
Jamir Gibbs‘the load is about to explode David Montgomery relegated to the background
With fellow outfielder David Montgomery sidelined with a knee injury in the second quarter, Jameer Gibbs played a season-high 75% of the Lions’ offensive snaps in Week 15, a jump from his 52% in Weeks 1- 13. Despite the increased playing time, Gibbs managed only eight carries for 31 yards—a season low—but made up for it by scoring two touchdowns and recording a career-high 83 yards on five receptions. That’s the beauty of a versatile player like Gibbs: even when he struggles on the ground, he can still succeed in the air.
Unfortunately, Montgomery tore his MCL and will undergo season-ending knee surgery, leaving Gibbs with a significant workload for the rest of the season. While backups Craig Reynolds and Siona Waka will contribute, they won’t see Montgomery’s volume. In Weeks 7 and 8 of 2023, when Gibbs played without Montgomery, he totaled 315 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 51 touches, scoring 27 or more fantasy points in both games.
Gibbs, who has already accounted for 11 rushing touchdowns this season, is now ready to take on most, if not all, of the goal line work. He’ll have two favorable matchups in Weeks 16 and 17 against the Bears and 49ers, who allowed the most and third-most rushing touchdowns among running backs in 2024, respectively.
Upcoming matches: in BearsV 49ersagainst. Vikings
The Packers’ Josh Jacobs has become a workhorse and scoring machine.
Josh Jacobs had a heavy workload from Weeks 1 to 9, averaging 19.7 touches per game. However, his usage has skyrocketed since the Packers’ Week 10, with him averaging 23.8 touches and 24 fantasy points per game in his last five contests. Since Week 11, only Saquon Barkley has averaged more touches or fantasy points per game than Jacobs.
Jacobs has been a touchdown machine, with nine rushing touchdowns since Week 11, four more than any other running back during that period. He scored in five straight games, the longest streak of his career, surpassing his previous record of three games with the Raiders.
That streak has a good chance of continuing in Week 16 against a New Orleans Saints defense that has allowed the third-most rushing touchdowns to running backs in 2024.
Upcoming matches: vs. SaintsV Vikingsagainst. Bears
Najee Harris gradually disappears from Steelers crime
The Pittsburgh Steelers decided not to draft fifth-year tight end Najee Harris this offseason, and they appear to be phasing him out of their offense and future plans. Harris’ playing time has steadily declined, dropping to 42% of snaps since Week 12, a noticeable decline from the 56% of snaps he saw in Weeks 1-11. In Week 15, he tied his career high with just six carries and played only 33% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps, his lowest snap percentage of the past two seasons and the second-lowest of his career. The only game with fewer snaps was in Week 12 of 2022, when he went down early with an abdominal injury.
Harris hasn’t rushed for more than 75 yards in a game since Week 8 and has been largely invisible in the passing game, seeing just one target in his last two games combined. To add to his woes, the Steelers face a tough schedule. In Week 16, they take on the Ravens, who have allowed the fewest yards per carry and have the second-most rushing yards among 2024 running backs. In Week 17, they will face the Chiefs, who have given up the fewest fantasy yards and points. running backs this season.
Upcoming matches: in Crowsagainst. Managersagainst. Bengals
Jaguars player Travis Etienne returns to the team
Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby have combined for over 125 yards in back-to-back weeks, a feat they haven’t accomplished since Week 5. Etienne scored double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back weeks, something he hasn’t done since. beginning of the season (1-3 weeks). Etienne recorded a season-high 14 carries and 18 touches in last Sunday’s game, and he’s been much more efficient as of late, averaging 4.7 yards per carry in the last two games compared to just 3.9 yards per carry in weeks 1-13. Mac Jones has also relied on Etienne as a safety valve, resulting in four receptions over the last two weeks.
Bigsby has also seen an increase in engagement, with 29 carries over the last two games. However, he has trouble being efficient, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. He also wasn’t a factor in the passing game, scoring just one goal during that period.
Both Etienne and Bigsby are viable fantasy options moving forward, especially given the Jaguars’ favorable upcoming matchups against the Raiders, Titans and Colts. However, Etienne offers more upside and is the Jaguars’ preferred return starter.
Upcoming matches: in Raidersagainst. TitansV Colts
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