Which running backs should you start in Week 16? | Ekeler’s Edge
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler and Yahoo Sports’ Fantasy Analyst Matt Harmon play a game of Fantasy Running Back This or That, looking to get your lineup set for this week’s playoff battle. One matchup consists of the Ravens J.K. Dobbins vs. the Cardinals James Conner. The other features the Chiefs Jerick McKinnon vs. the Saints Alvin Kamara. Catch fresh episodes of Ekeler’s Edge every Wednesday on Yahoo Sports and your favorite social media platforms. Listen to Ekeler’s Edge on the Yahoo Fantasy Football Forecast wherever you get podcasts.
Video Transcript
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MATT HARMON: Let's go to running backs. You might know a thing or two about this position, so you should be able to help us here.
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Debate number one, this or that-- JK Dobbins versus Atlanta. JK Dobbins has come back off injury and, shockingly, leads the NFL in rushing yards the last two weeks with 245 despite the fact that he's even publicly said, I don't look-- or I don't have my explosiveness all the way back. Well, he has exploded for rushing yards this past couple of weeks. Or do we play James Conner versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Conner-- Austin, he's played 91% of the team snaps since week 10. That's five games. That's crazy.
I mean, you're a running back, and you move off and on the field with Josh Kelley and Sony Michel at different points of the season too. 91% of snaps, that's a lot of snaps.
AUSTIN EKELER: That is a lot of snaps. That's a lot of snaps. And I feel like now, even especially with Kyler being out, they're going to lean on him even more. And so yeah, I like James Conner in this match-up just because of the volume. He's going to score a decent amount of points as long as he's on the field, which, guess what? He's going to be on the field. Who's their backup over there?
MATT HARMON: They cut Eno Benjamin in the middle of the year, and then they have Keaontay Ingram is their backup. He's a rookie. By the way, just in case James Conner gets hurt, you should be stashing Keaontay Ingram, although they might play their third-string quarterback this week. Kyler injured. Colt McCoy got a concussion last week. Trace McSorley-- Penn State's finest, Trace McSorley, might be out there. I don't know. I'm on the JK Dobbins side on this one. Falcons are a gettable match-up.
Dobbins has been hot. Lamar may or may not be back in week 16, but sort of similar thing there that they got some-- they got some problems in the wide receiver room there in Baltimore. They have pretty much all year long. They've been running the ball extremely well. I think this is a good match-up against Atlanta. Dobbins exploited a good match-up last week against the Browns, so I feel like he's the guy for me here.
This one is really interesting here, the second running back debate I have picked for us-- Jerick McKinnon versus the Seattle Seahawks, who got run all over by Christian McCaffrey, predictably, last week. Jerick McKinnon-- I don't know if you noticed, Austin-- he is the running back one in fantasy in back-to-back weeks, the highest-scoring running back in half-PPR fantasy the last two weeks. Pretty crazy stuff. Or-- again, this is sort of a name versus game one here-- Alvin Kamara at the Cleveland Browns. Kamara has not been at his best all year long, but he did have 91 yards last week. That was his most since week 6. And the Browns run defense is a mess right now. I think you guys had your best rushing performance this year against the Cleveland Browns.
AUSTIN EKELER: By far.
MATT HARMON: So do we go with big name, good match-up, or a guy who's been hot for a great offense in Jerick McKinnon?
AUSTIN EKELER: Ooh. Ooh, that's tough.
MATT HARMON: That's a tough one.
AUSTIN EKELER: That is tough because I think Kamara is going to come alive versus the Browns, but it's hard to go against the Chiefs and their explosive offense. And yeah, I've been watching McKinnon, man, these past couple of weeks. I always watch the highlights after every game, little YouTube highlights the NFL puts out.
MATT HARMON: He looks great.
AUSTIN EKELER: Yeah. He's looking like a stud out there, man, running hard, making plays happen. Mahomes is getting in the ball in creative ways. You saw the sideways hook that he took to the house. So he's looking explosive. So I think it's hard to go against that. I'm going to make them prove me wrong, and I'm to go with McKinnon for this one.
MATT HARMON: Yep. I'm going with McKinnon too. The match-up is good for both guys. But listen, if you're going to sit there and tell me you can get invested-- just take the names off the back of the jersey, McKinnon, Kamara, and the resumes and all that stuff. You're going to get invested in a guy who is involved in Patrick Mahomes' offense or Andy Dalton's offense? I think I'm going to go with the Mahomes offense.
And also, weirdly, David Johnson, who they just signed off the practice squad, the Saints, a couple of weeks ago, has run more routes than Alvin-- ran more routes and Alvin Kamara last game, which is, like-- Kamara is supposed to be the passing guy. I don't know. Very, very weird there. So I think we're both on the same page with this running back one.
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