Cam Skattebo, Quinshon Judkins, And 6 More Must-Start Fantasy Running Backs In Week 4
In this story:
The past two weeks have completely shifted the running back landscape in fantasy football. Injuries have begun to pile up, and we have to start making the tough decisions. These are the running backs that need to be in your lineup this week. These are your running back starts for Week 4.
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
Hampton hasn't been overly impressive so far in his young career, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry for a total of 142 yards and one touchdown through three games. However, this is going to be the week that he breaks out and never looks back. Everything is set up perfectly for him. With Najee Harris now out for the season after suffering an Achilles injury in Week 3, and a Week 4 matchup against a horrific New York Giants defense, the rookie running back is set to explode and have his coming-out party this weekend.
JK Dobbins, Denver Broncos
Dobbins is going to have a massive game on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals' defense is among the worst in the league and is coming off a game in which they were trampled by Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason. The loss of Joe Burrow in Cincy has led to game scripts shifting from favorable for their opponents' passing game to favorable for their opponents' rushing attack. Dobbins has averaged 15.7 opportunities per game so far this season, and that is more than enough for him to be worth starting against that defense.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Benson has been impressive so far this season, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. With James Conner now out for the season with an ankle injury, the backfield presumably belongs to Benson. We'd expect him to see double-digit Carries and upwards of five targets this week and most weeks. The matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is average, but they could be without their big defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who is dealing with an elbow injury on a short week. He should now be viewed as a weekly start until further notice.
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
Judkins went into the game last week in just the second game of his career and was the first running back this season to even look decent against the Green Bay Packers' rush defense. He didn't just look decent either; he looked great. The Browns handed him the ball 18 times and rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 5.2 yards per carry. The rookie looks as good as advertised so far.
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Warren has seen both his carries and targets increase each game this season. He has seen his carries go from 11 to 14 to 18, and his targets go from two to four to six. For anyone who was skeptical about his role at the start of the season, there is no longer any reason to be concerned. There is no doubt who the RB1 in Pittsburgh is. Through three games, he now has 274 yards from scrimmage.
D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Swift hasn't looked great, and you can almost feel that game coming when he begins to get scaled back. He's averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and, outside of one 41-yard reception, hasn't been productive as a pass-catcher. However, that week won't be this week against the Las Vegas Raiders. This week, he's going to be a volume-based start against a defense that he should be able to have a strong day against. After three games, his 54 opportunities make him tough to bench.
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson can't stop fumbling, and the Pats have a great matchup against the Carolina Panthers this week. At some point, the team has to turn to the rookie. They simply can't trust their veterans, who literally dropped the ball last week in a game they should have won against the Steelers. This would be the perfect game for them to get Henderson going.
Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy Jr went out with a shoulder injury last week and left the backfield to Skattebo, who ran hard and looked good in the passing game. Tracy will be out again this week, and we are rolling with the rookie despite a tough matchup against the Chargers. His 6.0 yards per carry were great last week, but it's his six receptions on eight targets that make us comfortable plugging him into our lineup.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:
-0e06b43c57ceb063781f337e307e72d4.png "Mark Morales-Smith")
Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites, including Sports Illustrated, FullTime Fantasy, FantasySP, and more.
Follow CoolCutter21