Rico Dowdle, Rachaad White, And 4 More Must-Start Running Backs In Week 6
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Week 6 is here, and it's time to set our lineups. One of the most unpredictable positions this season has been the running backs. We have been bogged down by committees, hit hard with injuries, and now we have to deal with bye weeks. It's more important than ever to put the right running backs in your lineup. These are the running back starts for Week 6.
Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
Chuba Hubbard was inactive for Week 5 due to a calf injury, and it looks likely that he'll again be sidelined in Week 6. It's a soft-tissue injury, and a calf injury is a precursor to an Achilles, so it makes sense to rush him back after giving him that big contract this offseason. With Hubbard out, Dowdle got the start and handled a bell-cow workload. He made the most of his opportunity, shredding the Miami Dolphins' defense for a career day. He handled 23 carries for 206 yards and a touchdown, along with three receptions for 28 yards. Sure, you can say that he did it against the Dolphins, who have one of the worst defenses in the league. Well, this week he plays the Dallas Cowboys, who have the worst defense in the entire NFL.
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Bucky Irving out last week, there was some concern that Sean Tucker would split the backfield with White. That was not at all the case. White was given 14 carries and Tucker three. He only rushed for 41 yards, but he did score two TDs, so he's getting the goal line work. Also, he tacked on four receptions for 30 yards. We are plugging him in again this week against the San Francisco 49ers, who have been struggling against the run.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
The Commanders finally handed the backfield over to JCM, and they were rewarded for it. He was given 14 carries to Chris Rodriguez Jr's five, and rushed for 111 yards and two TDs, adding two receptions for 39 yards. It finally feels safe to plug him into our lineups. That's exactly what we'll be doing on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears.
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
It sounds like Warren will probably be back this week after missing Week 4, then having a bye week in Week 5. It's easy to forget just how good he was before suffering the injury. In three games, he handled 43 carries for 132 yards and caught 11 passes for 142 yards and a TD. Even against a tough Cleveland Browns' defense this week, he will have the PPR value to make him a must-start option.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
We weren't sure who the top back in Arizona would be last week, but it was clearly Carter. He out-carried Emari Demercado 18 - 3 and saw five targets to zero. Demercado could have earned more touches with a 70-plus-yard touchdown run, but he dropped the ball just before the goal line. We saw Adonai Mitchell do that in Week 4, and the Colts made him inactive in Week 5. Despite taking his three carries for 81 yards, it would be a shock if he got more work this week after that blunder.Carter should be a bell-cow option.
TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots
It feels like we do this every week, but with each passing week, the case gets stronger. In Week 5, Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled again, and Antonio Gibson tore his ACL after fumbling as well. In both college and the pros, Henderson has never lost a fumble. At what point do the Patriots put the more reliable and dynamic running back in the game more? The time is now.
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-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.
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