Tag: running back

Fantasy Football: 12 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Christian McCaffrey is hurt again, making Isaac Guerendo a must-add on the fantasy football waiver wire. These are the top RBs to target.

Here we go again.

Christian McCaffrey suffered a knee injury on Sunday Night Football in Week 13 and the San Francisco 49ers announced Monday that he has a PCL injury. McCaffrey will now go on injured reserve and he’s expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

That would have left Jordan Mason as the next man up in San Francisco, but he has a high ankle sprain that will also land him on injured reserve. Mason will now miss at least the next four games.

Following the injuries to both McCaffrey and Mason, Isaac Guerendo is a top priority must-add on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Elsewhere on the fantasy front, Russell Wilson (43.1%) is gaining steam at quarterback, Adam Thielen (27.3%) is relevant at wide receiver again, and Will Dissly (32.9%) has a good tight end matchup against KC this week.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 12 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 14.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Isaac Guerendo (1.3%): With McCaffrey and Mason both sidelined, it should be the Guerendo show down the stretch in San Francisco.

2. RB Chris Rodriguez (0.2%): The Commanders placed Austin Ekeler on injured reserve with a concussion, leaving Brian Robinson as their top RB. Robinson is not alone in the backfield, however, as Rodriguez had a big day on Sunday with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown. If Washington continues splitting RB touches, Rodriguez could be a gem off the waiver wire.

3. RB Kimani Vidal (10.7%): J.K. Dobbins (knee) was ruled out and then placed on injured reserve, which means he’ll miss at least the next four games. Gus Edwards seems to be the new RB1 for the Chargers, but Vidal was right behind him in carries on Sunday (six to four). He’s a sleeper.

4. RB Alexander Mattison (47.0%): Mattison and Zamir White were both sidelined on Sunday, leaving Ameer Abdullah and Sincere McCormick (0.1%) as the Raiders’ top RBs in Week 13. Mattison is worth picking up for once he returns. If Mattison and White remain sidelined, McCormick will be worth a look in deep leagues.

5. RB Tank Bigsby (32.5%): Coming out of the bye week, Travis Etienne led the Jaguars’ backfield with 13 carries for 46 yards, but Bigsby also got seven carries plus one target. Up next is a Titans defense that allows 120.1 rushing yards per game.

6-12. Handcuff running backs: Jonathon Brooks (47.6%), Tyler Allgeier (41.5%), Zach Charbonnet (50.9%), Blake Corum (14.2%), Ray Davis (11.4%), Trey Benson (24.1%) and Braelon Allen (22.0%).

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco praises veteran’s leadership during injury recovery: ‘He’s been awesome’

Kansas City #Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco praises Kareem Hunt’s leadership during injury recovery: ‘He’s been awesome’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs debuted the backfield tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt during Friday’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The rushers only had 14 carries between them, but each saw action on the day.

Pacheco returned to the field after being placed on injured reserve earlier in the season with a leg injury. During his postgame press conference, he shared his thoughts on Hunt’s leadership while out of the lineup.

“Yes, hats off to him (Kareem Hunt) stepping up; it’s been a tough run. He’s been awesome leading the room,” said Pacheco. “Everyone’s been following the leaders. Most importantly for me, just pinpoint details in the meeting room for when I had the opportunity to get out and show my ability. Focus on the details: the chips, the check-downs, just the little things that would make my game a little bit better today.”

Pacheco led the team’s rushing attack in Week 13 with seven rushes for 44 yards to help propel the Chiefs to their 11th victory this season. He had an impressive 34-yard rush to quickly move the Chiefs downfield to the Raiders’ 14-yard line, marking the club’s longest rush.

Najee Harris was a man possessed in Steelers’ Week 13 victory

Najee Harris led all skill position players in Week 13 with 129 total yards and a TD, showcasing elite form in a standout performance.

Fans of the hard-nosed, Pittsburgh-style running game, rejoice! Najee Harris turned back the clock to his rookie season as he showcased his elite receiving skills, run-after-the-catch ability, downhill physical running, and elusiveness all at once in Week 13. Harris not only led all running backs in the Steelers-Bengals matchup in rushing, but he also accumulated more total yards than any skill position player from either team: 129 total yards and 1 TD.

In a game featuring elite, talented receivers and running backs such as Steelers WR George Pickens, Bengals WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown, it was Harris who shined the brightest.

Harris is currently in a contract year with Pittsburgh, after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option, and he appears determined to make a statement with a career resurgence in 2024. Ideally, the Steelers would love to keep Harris in the Black and Gold forever, as fans of the Steel City would undoubtedly appreciate—especially if his elite Week 13 performance becomes the new norm in Pittsburgh.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid comments on straying from the run game vs. Raiders: ‘We were struggling’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid comments on straying from the run game vs. the Las Vegas #Raiders: ‘We were struggling’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs relies heavily on the passing game in their 19-17 victory on Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders. During his postgame press conference, head coach Andy Reid explained his decision to limit running plays.

“We weren’t doing too good with it. I felt – the way they were playing, they were bringing an extra guy. I felt like we were better off with a short passing game, which was working; we were going up and down the field,” said Reid. “We just weren’t doing very good in the red zone – we were struggling with the runs early, so that was a decision I made.”

Isiah Pacheco returned to the field after being placed on injured reserve earlier in the season with a leg injury. He had his first opportunity to team with Kareem Hunt in the backfield, as the two combined for only 14 carries on the day.

“Yeah, that was great. I thought that was a positive,” said Reid. “It was good to get (Isiah) Pacheco some reps in there. I thought he did a nice job when we had an opportunity to run.”

Pacheco broke free in the third quarter for a 34-yard rush to move the Chiefs quickly downfield to the Las Vegas 14-yard line, marking the club’s longest rush of the 2024 season.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco reflects on rehab process leading to return: ‘It was challenging’

Kansas City #Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco reflects on rehab process leading to return: ‘It was challenging’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially in the postseason after clinching their spot with the Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The game featured the return of several players, including running back Isiah Pacheco.

The former seventh-round draft pick returned to the lineup on Friday after being injured since Week 2. He spoke about his long rehab process with reporters after the game in preparation for the highly anticipated return at Arrowhead Stadium.

“It was challenging. You’ve got days you come in and don’t want to work. You could go as hard as you can and get distractions.” said Pacheco. “You’ve got guys that are healthy running in and out of the facility, but you, as a player, you’ve got to focus on what you’ve got to come in there and do. For me, that was to get better day in and day out and eliminate distractions. I wanted to go out to the hot tub and the cold tub and do those extra things, but during the moment, I had to focus on what I had planned and then, on my own time, do the extra stuff.”

Pacheco finished his first game back on the field with seven carries for 44 yards, including a 34-yard run. The Chiefs limited Pacheco’s workload as he gets his timing back and is still tinkering with his usage alongside Kareem Hunt.

Sean Payton mad at himself for not using Marvin Mims at RB sooner

“I’m mad at myself that we didn’t begin looking at this earlier,” Sean Payton said of giving Marvin Mims snaps at running back.

After barely using wide receiver Marvin Mims on offense earlier this season, the Denver Broncos found a creative way to get him more snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.

Broncos coach Sean Payton installed several plays that feature Mims lining up as a running back, and those plays have had success over the last three games.

Earlier this week, Payton was asked about the new role for Mims.

“I think as a coach, I’m mad at myself that we didn’t begin looking at this earlier,” Payton said Wednesday. “He does such a good job running when you watch him return punts that that vision can carry over to certain runs in your offense and then certain things in the passing game. That third down-and-8 where he kind of leaked out of the backfield, they dropped the coverage, it was hard for them to find… It’s hard to figure out what direction he’s going. It’s allowed us to expand some packages with him.”

Mims has 17 touches (nine catches and eight carries) for 125 yards and a touchdown over the last three weeks, plus five punt returns for 107 yards on special teams. He’s been a dynamic player for Denver, and it’s hard for defenses to matchup against him.

“I think the challenge sometimes [is] we have to know: What do we expect to get when we put him in there?” Payton said. “It’s not him being in there. [It’s] who he’s in there with. If he’s in there with three other receivers and a tight end, you might say it’s ‘01’ [because] there’s no running backs in there. If he’s in there with a fullback… So we do give a lot of thought to what we think we’ll get defensibly based on the other people that are in there with him.”

Mims will continue playing in his hybrid role when the Broncos host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Jeremy McNichols headlines this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

Happy Thanksgiving Week, football fans.

There are three games on deck this Thursday (Bears-Lions, Giants-Cowboys, Dolphins-Packers), plus a Black Friday game (Raiders-Chiefs).

With four games set to be played before Sunday even arrives, it will be important to set your fantasy football lineups early this week.

Drake Maye (21.7%) is a streaming option at quarterback, Devaughn Vele (1.7%) is emerging as a wide receiver sleeper and Taysom Hill (53%) remains a notable tight end in fantasy.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 10 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 13.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Jeremy McNichols (1.2%): Brian Robinson suffered an ankle injury on Sunday and Austin Ekeler left the game with a concussion. McNichols is left as the next man up for the Commanders.

2. RB Ameer Abdullah (19.3%): Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) were held out on Sunday and Abdullah led Raiders running backs with 14 touches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

3. RB Jaleel McLaughlin (15.9%): The Broncos’ backfield will be hard to predict on a week-to-week basis, but McLaughlin led the team with 44 rushing yards on Sunday.

4. RB Tank Bigsby (33.4%): Coming off a bye, Bigsby should be rostered in more leagues in case the Jaguars lean on him down the stretch.

5. RB Roschon Johnson (17.3%): He has six touchdowns with the Bears this season and while chasing TDs is not ideal, Johnson appears to be one of Chicago’s top options at the goal line.

6-10. Handcuff running backs: Tyler Allgeier (41.6%), Braelon Allen (16.1%), Trey Benson (28.3%), Blake Corum (14.2%) and Ray Davis (12%).

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Phillip Lindsay has an interesting take on Sean Payton’s Broncos

Phillip Lindsay fired off a strange tweet about Sean Payton and Vance Joseph during the Broncos’ game against the Raiders.

The Denver Broncos are 7-5 and currently on pace to make the NFL playoffs. Consequently, coach Sean Payton is getting shouts as a Coach of the Year candidate, but not everybody’s buying into the hype.

Former Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay fired off an interesting take on Twitter/X that seemingly suggested defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, not Payton, should get credit for the team’s success in 2024.

“Like I said we don’t talk about VJ and that Defense enough!!” Lindsay tweeted on Sunday. “Success runs through the Denver Broncos defense Sean tried to make it about HIM!! He got bailed out thank you Defense.”

It’s a curious take from Lindsay because (a) Joseph and the defense have been praised this season and (b) Payton hired Joseph and stuck with him through last season’s initial struggles. It doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario — Payton and Joseph have both helped the Broncos have success.

Lindsay walked back his take a little bit by later tweeting, “I don’t hate Sean but I don’t have to agree on all his decisions.” He also said the coach is doing a “great job” in a follow-up tweet on Monday.

It seems that Lindsay’s beef with Payton relates to the coach’s utilization of the running backs and some timeout and game management on Sunday.

Payton explained during his Monday conference call with reporters that the Raiders set up their defense to take away Denver’s rushing attack.

“Yesterday was going to be a tough day for any of the backs,” Payton said. “It was just a heavy blitz, heavy run-front plan by the Raiders. So quickly we had to adjust.”

Lindsay, 30, played for the Broncos from 2018-2020. He now works for 104.3 The Fan.

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Broncos finding creative ways to get Marvin Mims involved

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims said of getting snaps at running back.

Last year, Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims made the Pro Bowl as a returner, but he seldom touched the ball on offense.

That has changed this season as the Broncos are giving Mims more touches on offense, sometimes in unique ways.

“We’re finding new ways to get ‘Mimsy’ involved, and he’s making some big plays,” Denver coach Sean Payton said after Week 11. 

Payton has been giving Mims some snaps at running back, and the receiver has made the most of them. Over the last two weeks, Mims has rushed six times for 21 yards while adding six receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Mims said of his unique role. “You know, I always joke every week with the running backs that I need to gain some weight, but we’ll see how that happens. It’s a lot of fun, just giving the defense different looks. You can tell sometimes they don’t know what to do when I’m back there in a running back position. Also punt returner, that’s a huge plus for our offense and special teams, so it’s been a lot of fun.”

Mims (5-11, 182 pounds) won’t be moved to running back full time, but the Broncos will continue to find creative ways to put the ball in his hands.

“I told him, ‘You’re still meeting with the receivers,'” Payton said. “He’s just has some elements, some natural running skills that you see in the return game. There are some challenges when he enters the game for instance with a tight end, and another tight end and two other receivers. You might say ‘02.’ Three receivers, two tight ends and we might be.

“There are some things that you have to make sure you know what you’re trying to do personnel-wise, so you’re not surprised. I think naturally there are some things he does running with the football, and obviously as a receiver. It’s just trying to find ways to highlight the things that he does well.”

Up next for Mims and Co. is a road game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Former Steelers All-Pro WR teases return to Pittsburgh on social media

Antonio Brown teased on social media that he still hopes to rejoin the Steelers in 2024, and even offered to play for free.

The Antonio Brown-Pittsburgh redemption story continues! While fans of the Steel City were ecstatic to welcome back the former All-Pro WR and fellow member of the Killer B’s trio, former Steelers All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell, no one could have predicted that Brown still yearns to play for the Black and Gold in 2024.

It appears Brown wasn’t satisfied with simply representing the Black and Gold as a spectator during his Week 7 return to Pittsburgh. Brown stated on social media that his offer to finish out the 2024 season as a member of the Steelers roster still stands.

No one can deny the threat that a Russell Wilson-led Steelers offense would pose with A.B., George Pickens, and Mike Williams tearing through opposing secondaries.

Should General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin take a chance on the 36-year-old wide receiver? His untimely and shocking exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their Week 17 game of the 2021 season was the last time his talents graced an NFL field, but he has recently done his best to turn over a new leaf.

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