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With Week 15 of the NFL season kicking off on Thursday, it is good time to start looking at your fantasy football lineup. In Week 14, we saw Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Leonard Fournette all have great performances.
We also saw some under-the-radar guys make some plays and put themselves in the convo to be either starting or picked up off waivers. Below we’ll be taking a look at a few running backs that you should start in Week 15 and others that you might want to stay from.
Running Back Starts
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has a favorable matchup for the second consecutive week in fantasy football. This week, the Chiefs will be facing the Los Angeles Chargers, who are giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs this season (22.9). The Chargers’ defense have also struggled against the run, allowing 140.7 rushing yards per game.
Edwards-Helaire did not do much on the ground against the Raiders, but still managed to produce 37 yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns helped him out his fantasy value and puts him in RB2 range to kick off Week 15.
D’Onta Foreman, Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Foreman could be due for another big game on Sunday when the Tennessee Titans play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The Steelers’ defense got mauled by Vikings star RB Dalvin Cook, who had 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The 25-year-old Foreman will try build off his performance last week, where he had 47 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars. The former University of Texas standout is rostered in 58.4% of ESPN fantasy football leagues and is the clear-cut No. 1 RB in Tennessee.
Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
The decision to start Sony Michel on Sunday, hinges on if Darrell Henderson Jr. is activated off of the COVID-19/reserve list. For all intents and purposes, we’re going stick with Michel, who had a nice game on Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
The 26-year-old running back had 79 yards on 20 carries. In Week 13 against the Jaguars, he recorded a season-high 121 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. The Seahawks’ defense is giving up 119.4 rushing yards per game on the road this season and 22.8 fantasy points per game to running backs.
Running Back Sits
Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The veteran running back had a tremendous game last week against the lowly Detroit Lions at Mile High. Gordon recorded 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns, giving him five TDs in his last five games. The former Chargers’ running back is sharing snaps with rookie Javonte Williams, who has been ridiculous over the last few weeks.
However, one of these running backs will likely struggle against the Bengals, who’ve only allowed 76.7 rushing yards per game in their last three games. Furthermore, Cincinnati has only given up a league-best 81.3 rushing yards per game on the road.
Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns
Even though the Raiders’ running backs have a solid matchup on paper against the Browns’ defense, it is hard to trust Josh Jacobs. Last week against the Chiefs, he had nine carries for 24 yards, along with five receptions for 46 yards. Jacobs’ production in the Raiders’ passing game, salvaged what was a pedestrian performance. Las Vegas’ offense is a mess right now and it might not get better on a short week.
AJ Dillion, Green Bay Packers vs. Baltimore Ravens
This might be an unpopular sit option, especially with the way Dillon has run the ball this season and in the last five games. However, the Ravens’ defense, which has had its share of ups and downs, has stood tall against the run.
The Ravens are only giving up 75 rushing yards per game in their last three games and 82.2 yards per game at home this season (second in the NFL). Their last three opponents were the Cleveland Browns (twice) and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams have good RBs and were held in check. This season, the Ravens only had five games where they let up more than 100 yards.