Backfield Report: Audric Estime enters Week 11 as Denver’s top back

Week 11 Byes: ARI, CAR, NYG, TB

Arizona Cardinals

• James Conner (Week 10: 32 snaps, 17 opportunities, 15 routes, 5 targets)

• Trey Benson (Week 10: 14 snaps, 12 opportunities, 4 routes, 2 targets)

• Emari Demercado (Week 10: 7 snaps, 3 opportunities, 2 routes, 0 targets)

• Deejay Dallas (Week 10: 4 snaps, 3 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: James Conner rushed 12 times for 33 yards and a touchdown while adding another five catches for 80 yards. The veteran back was out-rushed by Trey Benson, who saw 10 carries — his most since Week 2, while also rushing for a season-high 62 yards. Benson has earned nine or more opportunities in each of his last two games and has totaled 142 yards (6.8 YPT) over that span. He appears firmly entrenched as the Cardinals’ RB2 as the team now heads into its Week 11 bye.

Atlanta Falcons

• Bijan Robinson (Week 10: 57 snaps, 24 opportunities, 28 routes, 4 targets)

• Tyler Allgeier (Week 10: 17 snaps, 11 opportunities, 3 routes, 0 targets)

• Avery Williams (Week 10: 0 snaps, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Bijan Robinson handled 20 of the Falcons’s 32 rush attempts in Week 10’s loss to the Saints. Much to the disappointment of Mr. Denny Carter, the Falcons RB1 ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns on those carries and caught three passes for another 28 yards. Robinson set a season-high in rushing yards in the loss and has eclipsed 100 total yards from scrimmage in five straight games. Tyler Allgeier ran 11 times for 59 yards in a solid effort but continues to provide little value as a fantasy asset. Allgeier has finished as an RB3 or worse in all but one game this season. He’s most valuable as a high-upside handcuff to Robinson and should not be started in any lineups in Week 11 against the Broncos.

Baltimore Ravens

• Derrick Henry (Week 10: 35 snaps, 17 opportunities, 11 routes, 1 target)

• Justice Hill (Week 10: 22 snaps, 4 opportunities, 12 routes, 2 targets)

• Keaton Mitchell (Week 10: 1 snaps, 0 opportunities, 1 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Week 10 marked Keaton Mitchell’s return from a devastating knee injury that ended his rookie campaign late last season. The explosive second-year back only earned one snap in Thursday’s win over the Bengals, but head coach John Harbaugh hinted at an increased workload for Mitchell going forward while also uttering the phrase “three-headed monster.” It sounds encouraging, but let’s be real; the Ravens have barely been able to incorporate a split backfield, given the way Derrick Henry has been playing. Justice Hill is averaging just 6.4 opportunities per game and has three games in which he earned four opportunities or fewer. Mitchell will undoubtedly be worked into the mix, but it’s hard to imagine him seeing anything meaningful for fantasy production. Derrick Henry ran for 16-68-1 in last week’s win and will dominate in touches in a pivotal Week 11 matchup against the Steelers.

Buffalo Bills

• James Cook (Week 10: 39 snaps, 22 opportunities, 18 routes, 3 targets)

• Ty Johnson (Week 10: 22 snaps, 3 opportunities, 16 routes, 3 targets)

• Ray Davis (Week 10: 9 snaps, 3 opportunities, 5 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: It was James Cook’s world in the Bills’ Week 10 win over the Colts. Cook totaled 22 opportunities in the win — tying his second-highest total of the season, and ran for 19-80-1 while catching just one pass for five yards. Cook has earned 20-plus opportunities in three of his last six games and ranks 18th amongst all running backs in total opportunities. Still one of the most efficient backs in the league, his 30.4 fantasy points over expected ranks sixth amongst RBs, as he’s once again flirting with a top-10 FPOE season. Ray Davis was a non-factor in this one, while Ty Johnson continued to see a high rate of snaps and a low rate of opportunities. Cook is the only fantasy-viable option for the Bills in Week 11 against the Chiefs.

Carolina Panthers

• Chuba Hubbard (Week 10: 52 snaps, 34 opportunities, 18 routes, 6 targets)

• Miles Sanders (Week 10: 6 snaps, 2 opportunities, 4 routes, 0 targets)

• Raheem Blackshear (Week 10: 1 snap, 0 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: Fresh off signing a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension, Chuba Hubbard saw a career-high 34 opportunities in Week 10’s loss to the Giants. The fourth-year back suffered an injury scare late in the fourth quarter after having his knee bent in an unnatural position. He returned to finish the game and will presumably be good to go for Week 12 after the team gets some time off in Week 11. Hubbard wrecked the Giants to the tune of 153 rushing yards and punched in one touchdown, but he will have to compete with rookie Jonathon Brooks for touches in his next game. The threat of Brooks returning has been looming large over the last several weeks, but the Panthers have no choice but to activate Brooks or rule him out for the season before Week 12. Even when Brooks does return, Hubbard’s new contract suggests he’ll see plenty of work going forward. Fantasy managers should continue to start him in Week 12’s game against the Chiefs.

Chicago Bears

• D’Andre Swift (Week 10: 40 snaps, 17 opportunities, 14 routes, 1 target)

• Roschon Johnson (Week 10: 19 snaps, 2 opportunities, 11 routes, 1 target)

• Travis Homer (Week 10: 0 snaps, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: In what ended up being Shane Waldron’s final game as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, D’Andre Swift led the backfield with 17 opportunities while racking up 65 scoreless yards from scrimmage. The Bears’ offense has been atrocious since their bye week, totaling just 27 points in their last three games while going 0-3 over that span. It’s hard to imagine this backfield seeing a major shift with Thomas Brown now taking over as offensive coordinator. The Bears gave Swift a three-year, $24 million contract this offseason and had a four-game stretch where he surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone. Roschon Johnson has been locked into his short-yardage/touchdown vulture role, which could also remain, but that’s made him wholly unreliable in fantasy. Until we see how things shape up in the coming week, we should assume Swift will continue to see 15-plus opportunities a game and fire him up for Week 11 against the Packers.

Cincinnati Bengals

• Chase Brown (Week 10: 66 snaps, 24 opportunities, 44 routes, 11 targets)

• Khalil Herbert (Week 10: 2 snaps, 0 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

• Trayveon Williams (Week 10: 1 snap, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: In two games without Zack Moss (neck), Chase Brown has handled all 56 of the Bengals’ running back opportunities and has posted back-to-back RB1 weeks as a result. Khalil Herbert, who was acquired from the Bears at the trade deadline, played on just two snaps against the Ravens and fumbled his only rush attempt on the exchange with Joe Burrow — although the fumble was credited to Burrow. Earlier this week, the Bengals hosted running backs Leonard Fournette and Gary Brightwell for workouts and signed Brightwell to the practice squad soon after. They don’t appear overly interested in funneling touches to Herbert, but we should expect a second back to emerge for the Bengals at some point. That said, this is very much Brown’s backfield, and he should be in for a high-volume day in Week 11 against the Chargers.

Dallas Cowboys

• Rico Dowdle (Week 10: 30 snaps, 15 opportunities, 12 routes, 3 targets)

• Ezekiel Elliott (Week 10: 12 snaps, 6 opportunities, 3 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: The Cowboys had one of the worst offensive performances in recent memory in Week 10’s loss to the Eagles. Cooper Rush posted a 0.7 ADOT on his completed passes, per PFF, while the Cowboys as a team averaged a pathetic 2.6 yards per play. Rico Dowdle was decent on the ground, racking up 53 scoreless yards on 12 carries, while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 22 yards on six carries and lost a fumble near the goal line. Things are going to be rough for the Cowboys’ offense going forward. Dowdle is the only back of note here, but even he shouldn’t be viewed as more than a desperation RB3/FLEX play. With four teams on bye this week, there could be an argument to start Dowdle in some lineups against the Texans.

Denver Broncos

• Audric Estime (Week 10: 25 snaps, 14 opportunities, 3 routes, 0 targets)

• Javonte Williams (Week 10: 17 snaps, 3 opportunities, 8 routes, 2 targets)

• Jaleel McLaughlin (Week 10: 5 snaps, 2 opportunities, 2 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: The Broncos finally ordered the code red on Javonte Williams. After weeks of averaging less than 4.0 YPC as the Broncos lead back, Williams was relegated to strictly backup duty in the Broncos’ Week 10 loss to the Chiefs. Rookie Audric Estime led the backfield with 14 opportunities while rushing for 53 scoreless yards on 14 carries. It wasn’t an efficient day for Estime, but the volume will have made him one of the top waiver wire adds of the week by the time this article is published on Wednesday. Fantasy managers looking to hitch their wagons to Estime moving forward should do so with caution. As a team, the Broncos rushing attack as the 12th-best stuff rate (41.9 percent) on the season and is ranked 15th in YBCO/ATT (1.56), per FantasyPoints.com. Pro Football Focus ranks them as the ninth-worst run-blocking team, so it’s fair to say their struggles can’t be solely pinned on Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin, but we should probably temper expectations for Estime. The rookie fifth-rounder turned in a sub-par performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his closest comp in the RotoViz Box Score Scout — one of my favorite tools when comparing prospects — is former Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon. Volume is king in fantasy, and Estime should see plenty of looks in Week 11 against the Falcons. That said, the jury is still very much out on him, and his weekly fantasy ceiling could be somewhat low if he’s not earning targets in the passing game.

Detroit Lions

• Jahmyr Gibbs (Week 10: 39 snaps, 21 opportunities, 16 routes, 2 targets)

• David Montgomery (Week 10: 23 snaps, 14 opportunities, 9 routes, 2 targets)

Notes: The Lions needed every second of Week 10’s game against the Texans to squeak out a win. Jared Goff’s five interceptions kept the offense in catch-up mode all day, which may have played somewhat of a role in Jahmyr Gibbs earning seven more opportunities than David Montgomery. Montgomery managed just 32 yards on 12 carries in Sunday’s win but did find the end zone to salvage an underwhelming day on the ground. His lone pass also went for a 24-yard gain, much to the pleasure of his fantasy managers. Gibbs led the backfield in rushing (19-71-0) and added two receptions for 37 more yards, but neither back offered much fantasy upside this week. They’ll look to bounce back in Week 11 against the Jaguars, where both backs should be considered viable fantasy options.

Houston Texans

• Joe Mixon (Week 10: 49 snaps, 29 opportunities, 11 routes, 4 targets)

• Dare Ogunbowale (Week 10: 15 snaps, 1 opportunity, 9 routes, 0 targets)

• J.J. Taylor (Week 10: 1 snaps, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: The Joe Mixon show keeps rolling. Houston’s RB1 totaled 29 opportunities in Sunday’s loss to the Texans but didn’t offer much production. Mixon ran for just 46 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries but did right the ship a bit with his 44 yards on two catches. Even at his worst, Mixon’s 17.0 PPR was enough for him to finish as the RB9 in PPR leagues last week. Mixon should have much better success in Week 11 against a Cowboys defense that’s among the worst in the league against opposing running backs.

Indianapolis Colts

• Jonathan Taylor (Week 10: 51 snaps, 25 opportunities, 19 routes, 4 targets)

• Tyler Goodson (Week 10: 8 snaps, 3 opportunities, 8 routes, 3 targets)

• Trey Sermon (Week 10: 2 snaps, 0 opportunities, 2 routes, 1 target)

Notes: On the surface, it’s easy to conclude that Jonathan Taylor turned in one of his best games of the season against the Bills. The numbers certainly bear that out. While he didn’t find the end zone, Taylor did rush for a season-high 114 yards (5.4 YPC), although it’s worth noting that 80 of his yards were as a result of two carries. If not for those breakaway runs, Taylor’s day would have looked a lot different. While Taylor didn’t find the end zone in Sunday’s win, Tyler Goodson did. Goodson caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco early in the second quarter and could be worth a stash as the potential RB2 behind Taylor should Taylor ever miss time. Things don’t get easier in Week 11 when the Colts travel to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Travis Etienne (Week 10: 29 snaps, 12 opportunities, 7 routes, 1 target)

• Tank Bigsby (Week 10: 11 snaps, 2 opportunities, 6 routes, 0 targets)

• D’Ernest Johnson (Week 10: 3 snaps, 0 opportunities, 2 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: In their first game without Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars’ offense managed just seven points in the 12-7 loss to the Viking. It was their worst offensive performance of the season, as they totaled a season-low 143 total yards while picking up 87 yards through the air and 56 yards on the ground. It should come as no surprise to know that Travis Etienne, who handled 12 of their 14 backfield opportunities, also struggled mightily in this one. Etienne totaled just 43 yards from scrimmage on the day and did not find the end zone. Tank Bigsby saw just two opportunities and has seen just 10 opportunities in his last two games since Etienne returned from injury. Both backs will be hard to trust in Week 11 against the Lions, but Etienne can be used where needed as the unquestioned RB1 for the Jaguars.

Kansas City Chiefs

• Kareem Hunt (Week 10: 43 snaps, 23 opportunities, 22 routes, 9 targets)

• Samaje Perine (Week 10: 15 snaps, 2 opportunities, 11 routes, 2 targets)

• Carson Steele (Week 10: 12 snaps, 2 opportunities, 5 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Kareem Hunt struggled on the ground against a stout Broncos defense in Week 10, rushing for 35 yards on 14 carries. He made up for things in the passing game, catching 7-of-9 targets while leading all Chiefs players with 65 receiving yards. Things get a bit easier for Hunt in Week 11 as the Chiefs renew their rivalry with the Bills in what could be a preview of the AFC Championship game. Assuming Isiah Pacheco, who was designated for return earlier this week, doesn’t play this weekend, Hunt will be a volume-based RB2.

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Los Angeles Chargers

• J.K. Dobbins (Week 10: 38 snaps, 18 opportunities, 15 routes, 3 targets)

• Gus Edwards (Week 10: 14 snaps, 10 opportunities, 2 routes, 0 targets)

• Hassan Haskins (Week 10: 5 snaps, 2 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: In his first game back from injured reserve, Gus Edwards took 10 carries for 55 yards. It was his most rush attempts since Week 2, and his 55 yards were enough to lead the Chargers’ backfield. The veteran running back is averaging just 3.5 YPC this season and has offered no fantasy upside as a touchdown-dependent back who has yet to find the end zone in five games. He’s a viable fantasy option in Week 11 for the most desperate of fantasy managers, but he should be avoided where possible. J.K. Dobbins, on the other hand, totaled 50 yards on 15 carries (3.3 YPC) while also catching three passes for five yards. Dobbins managed only 3.1 yards per touch in Sunday’s win over the Titans and has now averaged below 4.0 YPT in six of his nine games played. Dobbins’ volume continues to keep him in the fantasy conversation, but this is not a good backfield as far as efficiency is concerned.

Los Angeles Rams

• Kyren Williams (Week 10: 64 snaps, 21 opportunities, 35 routes, 6 targets)

• Blake Corum (Week 10: 4 snaps, 3 opportunities, 2 routes, 1 target)

Notes: Kyren Williams’ high-volume day against the Dolphins did little to help fantasy managers in Week 10. Williams totaled 82 scoreless yards on the day while also hauling in five receptions, but it’s safe to say he left his fantasy managers wanting more. Williams continues to be an odd case of fantasy success. The third-year back is currently the RB7 in fantasy points per game but is among the league’s worst in nearly every efficiency metric. I posted about it on my BlueSky account earlier. Fortunately for Williams and his fantasy managers, everything comes down to volume. Head coach Sean McVay is seemingly unwilling to give Blake Corum any more work than he’s seeing right now, meaning Williams will remain entrenched as a top fantasy option for the foreseeable future.

Miami Dolphins

• De’Von Achane (Week 10: 39 snaps, 17 opportunities, 20 routes, 5 targets)

• Jaylen Wright (Week 10: 8 snaps, 5 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

• Raheem Mostert (Week 10: 7 snaps, 3 opportunities, 6 routes, 3 targets)

Notes: De’Von Achane carried the load for the Dolphins in Week 10’s win over the Rams. The second-year back managed only 52 total yards from scrimmage, but he nearly stood alone in rush attempts. Interestingly, Raheem Mostert did not earn a carry in this one. It was the first time since Week 4 of the 2018 season that Mostert didn’t earn a carry in a game. Rookie Jaylen Wright managed only three yards on his five rush attempts, as the Rams did their part to bottle up Miami’s ground game for most of the night. Achane is the only back we can trust with any kind of confidence in Week 11 against the Raiders, although I’d expect Mostert should see his workload rebound closer to what we saw in the previous two weeks when he was averaging 11.5 touches/gm.

Minnesota Vikings

• Aaron Jones (Week 10: 44 snaps, 20 opportunities, 19 routes, 3 targets)

• Cam Akers (Week 10: 24 snaps, 14 opportunities, 9 routes, 1 target)

• Ty Chandler (Week 10: 12 snaps, 4 opportunities, 5 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Aaron Jones left Week 10’s game against the Jaguars with a rib injury, but the veteran running back will reportedly be good to go for Week 11’s game against the Titans. In last week’s win over the Jaguars, Jones ran for 88 yards on 17 carries, while Cam Akers operated as his backup to the tune of 38 yards on 13 carries. Akers continues to be the clearcut back behind Jones, while Ty Chandler is suddenly a forgotten man in the Vikings’ offense. Assuming he’s active, Jones should have plenty of upside against the Titans. Fantasy managers shouldn’t be eyeing Akers in any format.

New England Patriots

• Rhamondre Stevenson (Week 10: 44 snaps, 21 opportunities, 14 routes, 1 target)

• JaMycal Hasty (Week 10: 11 snaps, 7 opportunities, 5 routes, 1 target)

• Antonio Gibson (Week 10: 6 snaps, 5 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: It was another inefficient day on the ground for Rhamondre Stevenson, who posted a 20-74-0 line in Week 10’s win over the Bears. He caught only one pass for three yards. Despite his inefficiencies, he continues to be the only back worth rostering in New England’s offense, as he boasts a 33 percent opportunity share on the season and has handled 69 of the team’s 101 running back opportunities since Week 7. Stevenson and the Patriots get a Rams defense that’s allowed the fifth-fewest points per game to running backs since Week 5.

New Orleans Saints

• Alvin Kamara (Week 10: 42 snaps, 23 opportunities, 16 routes, 6 targets)

• Jordan Mims (Week 10: 8 snaps, 4 opportunities, 2 routes, 2 targets)

Notes: Alvin Kamara did the things we’d expect him to do in Week 10 against the Falcons. Per usual, Kamara dominated the Saints’ backfield touches, and went for 109 yards from scrimmage while catching five passes. The biggest threat to Kamara’s rush attempts is Taysom Hill, who ran for 14 yards on four carries in Sunday’s loss. Kamara gets a tough Week 11 against the Browns but will have plenty of chances to rack up points for his fantasy managers.

New York Giants

• Tyrone Tracy (Week 10: 58 snaps, 20 opportunities, 21 routes, 2 targets)

• Devin Singletary (Week 10: 18 snaps, 9 opportunities, 4 routes, 1 target)

• Eric Gray (Week 10: 1 snap, 0 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: Tyrone Tracy did what every fantasy manager needed him to do in Week 10 against the Panthers. The rookie ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, with his lone score coming on a 32-yard run early in the second quarter. Don’t look now, but through the first 10 weeks of the season, Tracy leads all rookies in rushing yards with 545 yards and continues to earn a bell cow back workload for the Giants. Devin Singletary (8-40-0) is nothing more than a decent handcuff at this time. The Giants now head into their bye week and will return in Week 12 to face the Buccaneers.

New York Jets

• Breece Hall (Week 10: 45 snaps, 14 opportunities, 25 routes, 4 targets)

• Braelon Allen (Week 10: 13 snaps, 8 opportunities, 6 routes, 1 target)

• Isaiah Davis (Week 10: 1 snap, 0 opportunities, 1 route, 1 target)

Notes: The Jets’ offense is in shambles, and the team is currently sitting on a 3-7 record. Breece Hall totaled 83 scoreless yards in the Week 10 loss to the Cardinals and has not found the end zone in his last three games. The good news for Hall and his fantasy managers is that he’s still averaging 16.0 touches/gm over that span, and he’s also averaging a solid 5.4 yards per touch. Hall needs to get back to scoring if fantasy managers hope to enjoy the success he had through the first seven weeks of the season when he posted five RB1 finishes. We’ll see what happens in Week 11, as things should soften up for him a bit against the Colts. Rookie Braelon Allen continues to be the player to stash behind Hall, but he has no stand-alone value at this time.

Philadelphia Eagles

• Saquon Barkley (Week 10: 32 snaps, 15 opportunities, 8 routes, 1 target)

• Kenneth Gainwell (Week 10: 22 snaps, 8 opportunities, 6 routes, 1 target)

• Will Shipley (Week 10: 11 snaps, 9 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: The Eagles ran roughshod over the Cowboys in Week 10, obliterating them on both sides of the ball in the 34-6 victory. Despite the impressive outing by the Birds, Saquon Barkley and his fantasy managers were unable to enjoy what was an otherwise dominating performance. Barkley was solid on the day, running 14 times for 66 yards, but he was unable to find the end zone after Jalen Hurts vultured yet another one-yard touchdown from him at the goal line. Hurts’ one-yard touchdowns continue to be the bane of Barkley’s existence, but fantasy managers have little choice but to start him every week and hope that the touchdowns eventually follow. Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley combined for 17 opportunities in Sunday’s win, but it should be noted that 11 of those opportunities came in the fourth quarter with the game well in-hand. Barkley and the Eagles have a big Thursday night matchup against the Commanders on tap this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Najee Harris (Week 10: 34 snaps, 21 opportunities, 7 routes, 0 targets)

• Jaylen Warren (Week 10: 34 snaps, 16 opportunities, 13 routes, 2 targets)

• Cordarrelle Patterson (Week 10: 9 snaps, 3 opportunities, 4 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: Jaylen Warren’s workload has steadily increased over his last four games since returning from injury. The 16 opportunities he saw in Week 10’s win over the Commanders set a new season high, as did his rushing yards (66) and his receiving yards (29). Warren looked like the best back in Pittsburgh’s offense last week, but we know that hasn’t meant much to coaches in the past. We wouldn’t expect that to matter to Arthur Smith, either. Najee Harris plodded his way to 21-53-1 in Sunday’s win but will continue to remain in his RB1 role as long as he is healthy. The good news for Warren and his fantasy managers is that he should have some usage as an RB3 play in Week 11 against the Ravens. It’s not a great matchup, but with four teams on bye, he’s worth a dart throw where needed.

San Francisco 49ers

• Christian McCaffrey (Week 10: 53 snaps, 20 opportunities, 28 routes, 7 targets)

• Jordan Mason (Week 10: 4 snaps, 1 opportunity, 1 route, 0 targets)

• Isaac Guerendo (Week 10: 3 snaps, 1 opportunity, 2 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: It only took one week for a healthy Christian McCaffrey to re-claim his spot atop the 49ers’ depth chart. That was always expected to be the case, but any concerns fantasy managers had of the 49ers easing him back into play can be laid to rest after the veteran running back handled 20 of the team’s 22 running back opportunities while totaling 107 scoreless yards from scrimmage. Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo have been relegated back to handcuff status as the power shifts entirely back to McCaffrey for the foreseeable future. It goes without saying that he profiles as a solid RB1 in Week 11 against the Seahawks.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Rachaad White (Week 10: 34 snaps, 17 opportunities, 17 routes, 7 targets)

• Bucky Irving (Week 10: 28 snaps, 16 opportunities, 11 routes, 3 targets)

• Sean Tucker (Week 10: 0 snaps, 0 opportunities, 0 routes, 0 targets)

Notes: I mentioned last week that any idea of the Buccaneers running a “three-headed monster” backfield appeared unlikely based on recent trends. In Week 10’s loss to the 49ers, the team only further confirmed my suspicions, as Sean Tucker failed to see the field while Rachaad White and Bucky Irving saw a near 50-50 split of the backfield snaps and touches. Irving led the way on the ground with 13-73-1, while White caught a team-high six passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. Tucker has some value as a stash in the event either back should suffer an injury, but it will be the White/Irving show when the Buccaneers return from their bye in Week 12 to face the Giants.

Tennessee Titans

• Tony Pollard (Week 10: 27 snaps, 13 opportunities, 14 routes, 4 targets)

• Tyjae Spears (Week 10: 24 snaps, 10 opportunities, 14 routes, 3 targets)

Notes: Tyjae Spears returned in Week 10 from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the previous three weeks. In his return to the field, Spears saw his most opportunities since Week 4 and hit double-digit opportunities for just the second time in the six games he’s played in this season. The shift to more of a 50-50 split was foreshadowed by head coach Brian Callahan earlier in the week when he said he “would love” to reduce Pollard’s workload going forward. During the first five weeks of the season, when both Pollard and Spears were healthy, Pollard averaged 19.0 opportunities/gm to Spears’ 9.8. There’s a good chance Spears will be a bit more fantasy-viable going forward. We’ll see what happens in Week 11 when the Titans take on the Vikings.

Washington Commanders

• Austin Ekeler (Week 10: 40 snaps, 14 opportunities, 21 routes, 1 target)

• Jeremy McNichols (Week 10: 19 snaps, 4 opportunities, 6 routes, 0 targets)

• Chris Rodriguez (Week 10: 4 snaps, 2 opportunities, 1 route, 0 targets)

Notes: Brian Robinson Jr. missed his second-straight game with a hamstring injury, paving the way for Austin Ekeler to once again lead the Commanders’ backfield. The veteran running back handled 14 of the team’s 20 running back opportunities, and ran for 13-44-2 to turn out a solid fantasy performance. Ekeler finished as the overall RB6 on the week, and now has two fantasy finishes as a top-24 back this season. With the Commanders set to play on a short week on Thursday against the Eagles, there’s a chance Robinson misses a third game so he can have extra time to heal before Week 12’s game against the Cowboys. If Robinson is out, Ekeler will profile as a mid-RB2 for Week 11. If Robinson plays, his fantasy stock will drop closer to that of an RB3. Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez have seen a combined 26 opportunities over the last two weeks, but neither can be counted on for fantasy unless both Robinson and Ekeler were to miss time.

NOTE: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, RotoViz.com, ProFootballReference.com, NextGenStats.NFL.com, 4For4.com, FantasyPoints.com and RBSDM.com. All scoring is based on full-PPR leagues.