3) De’Von Achane vs. New York Jets
Achane has been a top 16 back or better in every single week of this fantasy season. The entire Miami offense runs through him, and this weekend, they get a soft matchup against the Jets and their #25-ranked rush defense. He’s going to get the ball at least 20 times, and he’s going to put up plenty of fantasy points in the process. In any given week, he is a threat to be the overall RB1, and this year, he hasn’t done it yet. He came close a couple of weeks ago, but Jamhyr Gibbs edged him out. This might be the week it happens.
4) Jonathan Taylor vs. Jacksonville
JT had been a permanent fixture at the top of this list for most of this season, but lately things have been a bit tougher for the Colts and their star back. Teams have figured out that if you can slow down Taylor and put pressure on Daniel Jones, the Colts offense struggles. It seems pretty simple, so why did it take about 10 weeks for the league to wisen up? It has as much to do with who the Colts played in the first 10 games of the season as anything else. Those 10 games include two against Tennessee and games against the likes of Las Vegas, Arizona, Miami, and Atlanta. That’s not the whole story, as he also torched the Chargers and Broncos, who were both ranked as top 10 units when the two teams faced off. Taylor is still an elite player and will be a top 10 option every week. We just can’t expect three touchdowns in every game. The Jaguars are the top-ranked defense in the league against the run and rank 3rd DVOA against the running back position. It’s not an ideal matchup, but he’s still a stud, so you have to play him.
5) Josh Jacobs vs. Chicago
Jacobs returned to the Packers lineup after a one-game absence and picked right up where he left off with 17 carries for 83 yards. He failed to get into the end zone for the second straight start and for just the 3rd time all season. I expect him to get a full workload this week against a Bears defense that is ranked 28th against the run, and he should return to the end zone for the 12th time this season. There’s just something about Lambeau Field in December that says “run the ball” and I think that’s what the Packers will do all day on Sunday.
