Week 10 Fantasy Football Running Back Usage Report: Time to Panic About Chase Brown? Is Audric Estime Legit?
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Week 10 Running Back Usage Report: Chase Brown, Zach Charbonnet, and More!
As we process the Week 9 data and lock in our lineups for Week 10, backfield workloads continue to experience major shifts. Injuries, unexpected volume spikes, and matchups are forcing fantasy managers to make difficult personnel decisions as the second half of the season heats up.
Whether you're scrambling to replace injured starters on short notice or trying to capitalize on a breakout performance, understanding true snap and touch distribution is the ultimate key to fantasy success. After looking at this week's target report, let's dive into five interesting running back situations from Week 9 and see how you should evaluate these trends to optimize your fantasy football roster moving forward.
Week 9 Fantasy Football Usage Recap
RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
Week 9 Usage: 16 carries (led the backfield over Jadarian Price)
Zach Charbonnet is finally asserting control over the Seattle ground game, out-touching Price and commanding the primary workload. While Price is still mixed in enough to slightly suppress his overall explosive ceiling, Charbonnet's locked-in touch volume makes him a reliable weekly asset.
The Verdict: RB2 / Solid Starter. The backfield is leaning his way, making him a trustworthy piece in most lineups.
RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 9 Usage: 9 carries vs. Samaje Perine's 11 carries
Seeing Chase Brown fall behind Perine in total rushing workload is definitely concerning. While Brown has maintained a role in passing situations, losing ground on early-downs caps his weekly ceiling.
The Verdict: Don't outright drop him yet, but panic is warranted if you're relying on him as an every-week starter. Treat him as a volatile FLEX option until we see if Cincinnati commits back to him.
RB Devin Singletary, New York Giants
Week 9 Usage: 21 carries for 31 yards
Devin Singletary got the Week 9 backfield volume out of sheer necessity, but the production simply didn't follow. With Cameron Skattebo working his way back toward a return from his hamstring injury, Singletary’s window of guaranteed touches is slamming shut.
The Verdict: Safe to Drop. Once Skattebo is back up to speed, Singletary can safely be returned to the waiver wire in most formats.
RB Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints
Week 9 Usage: 15 carries, took over lead-back duties (and scored a goal-line touchdown) following the departure of Kendre Miller
Audric Estime stepped into a prominent role last week and immediately commanded high-value touches, including multiple red-zone looks. However, Travis Etienne Jr. is nearing a return from injured reserve, which threatens to turn this into a muddy committee very soon.
The Verdict: Short-Term Flex / Sell High. Enjoy the production while it lasts this week, but temper expectations for when Etienne returns.
RB Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay Packers
Week 9 Usage: 14 carries, 68 yards, 1 touchdown
With Josh Jacobs sidelined, Johnson stepped up with a promising 14-carry workload in Week 9. The catch is that Marshawn Lloyd will also likely be involved for the next 2-3 weeks that Jacobs is out, creating a frustrating timeshare that limits both backs' weekly consistency.
The Verdict: Frustrating RB3 / FLEX Stash. He'll see a volume boost while Jacobs is out, but expect a headache trying to predict who scores the most fantasy points between him and Lloyd week-to-week.
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Once a top-ranked fantasy gamer on ESPN, Nick Raducanu has been playing fantasy sports for over 25 years. His written fantasy coverage includes stops at Rotoworld, Rotowire, and The New York Times.