The NFL's 2020 regular season schedule has encountered change after change this year with Weeks 12 and 13 being no exceptions. Even though Week 12 is still going, fantasy football owners must begin looking ahead to Week 13. Both weeks are equally crucial for the eventual outcome of various seasons.
With fantasy football owners vying for position atop the standings, attempting to sneak into the postseason and trying to stay out of last place, each and every decision that is made from here on out could help make or break seasons in 2020. However, solidifying both running back spots will be absolutely pivotal as this position is arguably the most important for both actual NFL franchises and fantasy football owners with the ongoing campaign taking a toll on teams in a major way through 12 weeks.
Although there are plenty of terrific options at running backs, there are just as many alternatives to steer clear of in Week 13.
Running Backs to Start in Week 13
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has unfortunately been banged up more than a few times this season. Even with Cook once again encountering some injury trouble in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers, the veteran rusher is still expected to play in Week 13 against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Because the Jaguars are absolutely horrible in every facet of the game alongside the fact that the Vikings have to have every game for the rest of the season in order to make a serious run at the postseason, expect Minnesota to lean heavily on Cook in Week 13. With the team in must-win mode, Cook will be the key cog for the Vikings against the Jaguars, who can't seem to do anything right this season.
Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
The New York Jets are far and away the worst team in the NFL this season. As inept as it gets alongside the sideline and on the field, the Jets now need to keep losing in order to successfully secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the Las Vegas Raiders next up on the schedule for the Jets, the once surging AFC West franchise is looking to bounce back in a big way in Week 13 after suffering back-to-back defeats that may have effectively derailed the team's season. However, the Jets will be no match for Las Vegas as the Raiders will revert back to feeding running back Josh Jacobs, who should have a massive day against New York. He has a sprained ankle, but still has a very realistic chance of playing against a terrible opponent. With quarterback Derek Carr unable to find success against the Atlanta Falcons this past week, a heavy workload for Jacobs is an obvious path to victory for the Raiders against a much inferior opponent in the Jets.
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
There is just no stopping Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry right now while the veteran rusher might even be moving into position to become the frontrunner to become the league's MVP in 2020-21. Even with a formidable foe in the Cleveland Browns up next for Tennessee, the Titans are one of the few NFL teams that simply refuse to change a game plan or its identity depending on who the opponent is. There is no secret that the Titans love to run the football with Henry always serving as the key piece of the puzzle for head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Fresh off of a performance against the rival Indianapolis Colts that saw Henry tally three rushing touchdowns and more than 170 yards via the ground game, look for the Titans superstar running back to keep this train rolling in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns — especially as Tennessee continues its quest to lock up the AFC South in 2020-21.
Running Backs to Sit in Week 13
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers notably activated running back Austin Ekeler off injured reserve last week, though his return didn't help the team's chances of winning as the Buffalo Bills scored a double-digit victory. With the New England Patriots up next for the Chargers in Week 13, head coach Bill Belichick will no doubt have a plan to stop Ekeler and Los Angeles, a team that can't seem to get out of its own way this season. As Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn remains on the hot seat and the Patriots coming off of a win over the talented Arizona Cardinals, avoiding Ekeler in this situation will probably be for the best. Adding to the importance of this AFC clash for New England, Belichick's Patriots must keep winning if the heralded AFC East franchise wants to have any hope of reaching the postseason in 2020-21.
Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have slowed down on offense in a major way as the once prolific NFC West franchise is ice cold heading into Week 13. Because of a crowded NFC playoff picture and Arizona playing in the NFL's best division as the NFC West is absolutely stacked this season, the Cardinals need to get back on track in a hurry. However, the rival Los Angeles Rams are on deck for quarterback Kyler Murray and company as the Cardinals are not a team to trust at the moment. Not only that, but this once pass happy offense has been much more reliant on its rushing attack with running back Kenyan Drake seeing a solid workload increase over the course of the last several weeks. With Drake upping the ante for the Cardinals, backup running back Chase Edmonds has seen his role severely diminish. If head coach Kilff Kingsbury keeps riding the hot hand with Drake, staying away from Edmonds against the Rams will definitely be the right call.
Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have certainly improved this season, though the lowly AFC North franchise has unfortunately run into some serious injury trouble in 2020-21. With starting running back Joe Mixon initially going down, it was then rookie quarterback Joe Burrow that was lost for the season a few weeks back. With the Bengals slated to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 13, it will once again be veteran rusher Giovani Bernard taking the reins as the team's starting running back. Although the Dolphins have been a bit inconsistent on offense due to some shuffling around under center, Miami's defense has remained quite strong throughout the 2020-21 campaign. Because the Dolphins have a stout defense with the Dolphins still fighting for position at the back-end of the AFC playoff picture, it will probably be tough sledding for Bernard and the Bengals in Week 13. With a backup quarterback and a mediocre defense currently in place for the Bengals, there is just no way for fantasy football owners to lean on Bernard in this scenario.
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