Shot Caller’s Report: Week 11 Running Backs

Take a helmet

Austin Ekeler @ PHI (Thurs)

Ekeler has quietly had a strong first season with the Commanders. He has filled in admirably for an injured Brian Robinson Jr. with an average of just over nine standard points per match. His 5.2 yards-per-carry is his best since 2018, and the Commander offensive line continues to boast an impressive win rate. Even with Robinson likely coming back from a hamstring injury, Ekeler maintains FLEX value at a minimum in a game with an over/under of 48.5 pts.

Nick Chubb @ NO

The fact that Nick Chubb can even run again is amazing, so it’s no surprise that he’s gotten off to a slow start since his return in Week 7. He’s struggled to make any long runs, and his current average of 2, 7 yards per below his career marks. On a positive note, he has wrested control of this backfield from his less talented teammates, and the extra rest from the bye week and a date with the league’s 2nd worst rush defense should help improve those numbers.

Audric Estime vs ATL

Estime saw a workhorse-like 82% of the carries in the Denver backfield last week, taking his 14 carries for 53 yards. Sure, those numbers don’t jump off the page, but considering it was against the league’s best run defense, I can give him a pass. What interests me are the chances he got and the fresh legs he brings to a languishing backfield. With Nix making the passing game respectable, Estime should continue to get chances to take over this backfield against a mediocre Atlanta run defense.

Grab some pine wood

Tony Pollard v MIN

Pollard has been broken up the last few weeks and with the healthy return of Tajae Spears, Pollard recorded a season low 54% snap percentage. He’s been a decent fantasy asset, but he certainly can’t afford to be in a 50-50 timeshare. If this game gets messed up, Spears will likely soak up more of the garbage time photos as well.

Tank Bigsby / Travis Etienne @ DET

This Jaguars offense was already the most disappointing in the NFL, but the loss of Trevor Lawrence has now diminished any value they might have had. Etienne looked fit and fresh for the first time all season last week, but the timeshare with Bigsby isn’t going away, even if nagging injuries have slowed his roll the past few weeks. The battle is brutal and it is unlikely that any of these guys can be trusted for the rest of the year.

Rico Dowdle vs HOU (Mon)

The Dallas running game was already dangling by a thread, and the loss of Prescott is going to add to that. Dowdle has been a touchdown or bust possibility all season, and maybe with bye weeks he will work his way into lineups, but he certainly isn’t someone to rely on, especially since he has yet to score on the ground.

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide receivers