Top five must-start RBs for fantasy football Week 6

All’s quiet on the fantasy front. Relatively speaking, at least. A little bit of collateral damage (Kendrick Bourne) from the Marvin Harrison trade, continued concerns for Lamar Jackson’s ankle, and (knock on wood) healthy first-and-second-round fantasy stars who won’t stop producing like JSN did last night on primetime. It’s like the seismic advent of football has altogether settled in after weeks of uncertain quaking. I’m neither saying its over nor that our current landscape is pleasant. I’m simply acknowledging that, indeed, it felt like a week when we had to do a bit less scrambling. Maybe we’ve got a hang for this season, now. Maybe the sport’s caught up to itself, healthwise, for at least the first half of the season. Or maybe the mustard gas is just beyond the treeline there, and I’m just silly for having appreciated a week when the managerial moves we made felt more strategic than they felt desperate.

Happy Fantasy Friday once more—squarely now in October, and it’s peak foliage season here in southern Maine. Horror movie marathons on the books. Raw cold moving in. Cottage pies in a cast iron skillet. I’m here with the Five Lists of Five: Week 6 edition. The maybe-we-can-be-cozy-and-not-at-all-sad-by-football-this-week edition.

For the (somehow) newly-ordained: Soundbite-length blurbs with advanced analysis on my favorite plays of the week. We begin now with my Top five must-start running backs for fantasy football Week 6. Here are my other offerings in this edition:

• Top five must-start WRs for fantasy football Week 6
• Top five FLEX plays for fantasy football Week 6
• Top five sleepers and upside plays for fantasy football Week 6
• Top five streamer plays for fantasy football Week 6

All data provided by Fantasy Points Data Suite 2.0, unless otherwise noted.

Fantasy football Week 6: Top five running backs to start

Chuba Hubbard, CAR, (at Eagles)

Coach Dave Canales should feed Hubbard on zone runs, where he has averaged 5.45 yards per carry this season. Philadelphia has allowed the 11th-most yards per carry against those concepts, giving Carolina a specific way to challenge a defense that usually denies runners much room before contact. Hubbard has been punishing the openings he gets: before the bye, he ripped Detroit for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

Fellow back Jonathon Brooks remains on injured reserve, and Hubbard claimed at least 75% of the backfield’s expected fantasy points in each of their first two games apart. That measures the opportunity value of his carries and targets, showing how heavily Carolina has leaned on him. I’m starting him above his RB13 consensus, expecting 15–19 carries and a couple of catches.

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Zack Baun are practicing fully, while Carolina guard Damien Lewis remains limited. Hubbard should have to fight harder for 80 rushing yards this week.

Bhayshul Tuten, JAC (vs. Texans [London])

Tuten has wrestled away 83% of Jacksonville’s backfield carries over the past two games, and his running explains the promotion. He has forced 0.23 missed tackles per carry this season, fifth among 31 backs with at least 50 attempts.

The Texans have allowed the third-fewest adjusted yards before contact per carry through five weeks. Walker Little takes over at left tackle against Houston’s edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, whose penetration can disrupt the run and hurry Trevor Lawrence. Coach Liam Coen can respond with receiving work already installed: Tuten leads the team with six designed targets this season, although fellow back LeQuint Allen still handles passing downs.

Tuten received 75% of Jacksonville’s carries inside the 10 over the past two games, with reserve Chris Rodriguez still competing for those valuable touches. I’m starting Tuten above his RB18 consensus for a workload approaching 20 carries, supplemented by a few catches. Houston can suppress his efficiency; those increasingly frequent chances near the end zone give him a genuine RB1 path.

Woody Marks, HOU (at Jaguars [London])

Across the pitch, now! Jacksonville has been dismantling opposing running games, allowing the fewest rushing yards per game to backs through five weeks. I’m ranking Marks above his RB19 consensus for the work David Montgomery’s groin injury has opened, especially the work C.J. Stroud can give him through the air. Montgomery is ruled out, and Marks handled every backfield touch after his departure last week while playing 56 of the remaining 57 snaps.

Houston should feature Marks on screens and checkdowns, moving the point of attack away from Jacksonville’s crowded rushing lanes. Marks ran routes on 75% of the Texans’ dropbacks in the full game and caught four passes for 23 yards. The Jaguars have allowed the fifth-most receiving yards per game to backs, an opening Marks has the role to pursue.

Tackle Trent Brown is practicing fully, but Jacksonville’s front still allows just 1.48 adjusted yards before contact per carry, second-fewest in the league. Marks should get more chances to finish drives with Montgomery absent. I’m projecting roughly 60 rushing yards and four catches for 30 more, enough for 13 PPR points without a touchdown.

Ashton Jeanty, LV (vs. Bills)

Jeanty’s receptions have rescued plenty of ugly rushing afternoons. He has caught at least three passes in every game this season while averaging six targets, third among 44 qualifying backs. Buffalo has allowed the fourth-most receiving yards per game to running backs through five weeks, giving Kirk Cousins a way to find Jeanty even when the Raiders cannot move defenders off the line.

Jeanty has compounded that poor blocking by hesitating. His meager 1.16 yards before contact per carry ranks 42nd among those backs, and Las Vegas has struggled to push piles. He practiced fully Wednesday and Thursday, encouraging progress after his foot limited last week’s workload. He also took 71% of the Raiders’ carries before the final blowout drive, a stronger indication of his continuing job than the full-game snap total.

Fellow back Dylan Laube’s pass protection still earns him passing-down work, so I’m projecting four to six Jeanty catches alongside 14–18 carries. That workload puts Jeanty in contention for an RB1 finish from his RB12 consensus, especially if he finally scores a rushing touchdown. Cousins has continued throwing to him through the injury; a healthier Jeanty gets to challenge Buffalo after the catch, too.

Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (vs. Jets)

New York has given backs room to get moving, allowing 2.29 adjusted yards before contact per carry through five weeks, 10th-most in the league. New England should send Stevenson downhill through the man/gap concepts they already favor; the Jets have allowed 4.40 yards per carry against those runs. That offers a promising way to build on his 13 carries in each of the last two games.

Stevenson also has caught three passes in each of his last three outings, supplying steady PPR help while the early-down carries are shared. TreVeyon Henderson has managed two limited practices with his ankle injury; I’m expecting 13–17 Stevenson carries with Henderson still in the rotation. An absence would raise Stevenson’s ceiling considerably. Reserve Corey Kiner’s late work with New England already leading 38–17 makes a blowout more likely to cost Stevenson carries.

If Will Campbell’s knee puts rookie Caleb Lomu at left tackle, the Jets can attack that inexperience and shorten Drake Maye’s drives. I’m starting Stevenson at his RB10 consensus, with a scoreless 80–100 scrimmage yards and three catches providing a useful baseline. He has finished drives with rushing touchdowns in consecutive games.

Note: TreVeyon Henderson just told reporters he’s been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, and was surprised he could practice at all this week. Stevenson should be getting the interior and brute-down work.