With three weeks of action in the books, the fantasy football landscape is starting to take form. Roles are being established, trends are coming to fruition, and everybody still has the chance to win their respective league. It’s the best time of the fantasy football year, so let’s take a look at the Week 4 running back rankings.
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Fantasy Football Week 4 Running Back Rankings: What to Do With Chuba Hubbard
Tier 1: Week Winners
- Derrick Henry
- Alvin Kamara
- Austin Ekeler
- Joe Mixon
- Aaron Jones
- D’Andre Swift
Derrick Henry is starting to catch passes, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones are both battling injuries, and Tennessee is going up against an atrocious Jets team. He’s the RB1 by a comfortable margin. Alvin Kamara is the Saints offense, and the touchdowns started to come his way last week. Brandon Staley is using Austin Ekeler like a true three-down back and should be an elite fantasy option as long as he is on the field.
Joe Mixon has one of the highest snap shares in football and should have a favorable game script against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Aaron Jones has absorbed the Jamaal Williams role and is now owns a 70% snap share in one of the NFL’s best offenses. D’Andre Swift has already exceeded all expectations, and head coach Dan Campbell said he will earn a bigger role now that he’s back to full health.
This D'Andre Swift run was so fast I had to get it in slo-mo. My take; such a small crease like the block from hock and swift is through it. He’s literally one block (Kennedy it looks like could have made) from taking this one for 6. It’s coming. #onepride pic.twitter.com/ZZHkOcLpcl
— and I never slice. (@bushwood_c) September 28, 2021
Tier 2: Low-End RB1
- Nick Chubb
- Najee Harris
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Alexander Mattison*
- Jonathan Taylor
- Chris Carson
The Browns-Vikings matchup has a chance to turn into a shootout, so Nick Chubb should see plenty of touches and scoring opportunities. Najee Harris isn’t going to be too efficient on the ground, but his snap share is unparalleled and Ben Roethlisberger funnels passes to his running back since he cannot stretch the field anymore. Tony Pollard is going to be a thorn in Elliott’s side all year, but he’s still the top option in one of the NFL’s better offenses.
These fantasy football running back rankings assume that Dalvin Cook will not play in Week 4. If he does, then Alexander Mattison will not be my RB10 on the week. Jonathan Taylor is bound to find the endzone eventually, even though he is playing in a subpar offense. The Seahawks should bounce back after their ugly loss to the Vikings, which means Chris Carson should have a good week.
Chris Carson goes untouched for the 30-yard TD! #Seahawks
📺: #SEAvsMIN on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/Wei7VXaG5w— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2021
Tier 3: RB2
- Antonio Gibson
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- David Montgomery
- Miles Sanders
- Kareem Hunt
- Javonte Williams
- James Robinson
- Chuba Hubbard
- Myles Gaskin
- Sony Michel*
- Chase Edmonds
- Zack Moss
Antonio Gibson is a great player, but the high-volume passing work simply isn’t coming his way. Last week’s 73-yard touchdown was impressive, but it was one of just two targets on the day for him. Clyde Edwards-Helaire started his season against two great run defenses and proved that he can be very effective against non-elite competition. Look for that to continue in Week 4. David Montgomery owners better hope Andy Dalton comes back next week. Justin Fields could very well be the long-term answer under center, but he’s clearly not ready for the starting job now.
Hot take: I think Miles Sanders will get more than three carries in Week 4. Javonte Williams is clearly better than Melvin Gordon, and I think he’ll get the starting role sooner rather than later. James Robinson is the clear starter over Carlos Hyde, but Jacksonville’s terrible offense puts a cap on his ceiling. Mike Davis proved in 2020 that Carolina’s starting running back will carry fantasy value, and now it’s Chuba Hubbard’s turn to roll in the fantasy points.
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Sony Michel barely left the field in Week 3, and that usage should continue if Darrell Henderson can’t play. Once again, these fantasy football running back rankings assume Henderson won’t play. Chase Edmonds is the clear lead back in Arizona’s offense, although James Conner will steal red zone touches. The Bills hate running the ball, but Zack Moss will get most of the targets and red zone touches this offense produces.
Tier 4: Decent Flex Play
- Ty’Son Williams
- Damien Harris
- Nyheim Hines
- Cordarrelle Patterson
- Mike Davis
- Leonard Fournette
- Melvin Gordon
- Trey Sermon
- Tony Pollard
- Kenyan Drake
- Devin Singletary
- Jamaal Williams
Ty’Son Williams had a rough go in Week 3, but I’m predicting a bounce back. Despite the low touch total, he still played 50% of the snaps. Damien Harris didn’t receive any additional passing work with James White sidelined, and I don’t see that changing moving forward. Nyheim Hines probably can’t keep being THIS efficient with his touches, but his passing volume ensures some kind of fantasy relevance.
Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis have a relatively even opportunity share, but Patterson is making far more out of his opportunities than Davis. Giovani Bernard probably won’t play in Week 4, so Leonard Fournette should get the pass-catching role against the New England Patriots.
Even with all his other running backs injured, Kyle Shanahan did everything in his power to stop Trey Sermon from seeing the field. Sermon will get some touches, but he’s a long way from being an ideal start. It’s hard to keep up with the Los Angeles Chargers offense, which means plenty of targets for Kenyan Drake. If Dan Campbell is serious about D’Andre Swift getting a larger role, then that means Jamaal Williams isn’t going to do too much for fantasy this week.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
