We’re six weeks into the 2022 NFL season, and if your fantasy squad is thin at running back … sorry, you’re in trouble. Between bye weeks, injuries and the dreaded running-back-by-committees, there are very few options to add any value to the position.
Week 6 was an opportunity for fantasy managers to make some waves. With Cardinals running backs James Conner and Darrel Williams both out Sunday against the Seahawks, raise your hand if you scooped up Eno Benjamin and thought he would have a solid outing (yup, you and me both). Benjamin finished as the RB20. He got 15 carries but only produced 37 yards, adding three receptions for 28 yards. The Cardinals have a quick turnaround, hosting New Orleans on Thursday night, so there’s no guarantee that Conner and Williams will be back in time. But Benjamin did nothing to instill confidence that he’s much more than a third-string running back.
So where can we look to find new blood at the position? With the news that Cam Akers is likely on his way out in Los Angeles, fantasy managers got excited about the prospects for Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. The results? Henderson had 12 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown. He added two receptions for nine yards, finishing as the RB15 for the week. Meh.
The Falcons are still trying to figure out a plan at running back with Cordarrelle Patterson out for at least another two weeks. A positive game script against the 49ers Sunday allowed both Caleb Huntley and Tyler Allgeier to get double-digit carries, though neither was overly impressive. Huntley had 16 carries for 59 yards; Allgeier had 15 carries for 51 yards. More troubling: While Patterson’s greatest value is as a receiver out of the backfield, Huntley and Allgeier had a combined zero targets.
