The fantasy football season is beginning to come down the home stretch, as there are only a few more weeks until playoffs get underway. As a result, each game becomes more and more important as playoff races get tighter with fewer games on the schedule. Per usual, making the right lineup choices could be the difference between winning and losing games, with the running back position being arguably the toughest spot of the bunch.
Now more than ever, there are tons of viable running back options who you can start on a weekly basis. While there are your typical bell-cow backs that you can lean on as your top running back, there are also many teams that have multiple running backs that can be used thanks to a split workload. That has made the running back position an area for high-risk, high-reward players for much of the 2023 season.
With some key players such as Alvin Kamara, Bijan Robinson, and Jonathan Taylor all on byes this week, fantasy owners may be forced to scramble to figure out who should replace them. There's no need to fear, though, because we have you covered with our start 'em sit 'em running backs list for Week 11. So without further ado, let's get into the starters for the week.
Running backs to start in Week 11
Jahmyr Gibbs/David Montgomery, Detroit Lions (vs. Chicago Bears)
The Detroit Lions running back situation has been confusing all season long, with David Montgomery beginning the season getting more work than Jahmyr Gibbs. Injuries to Montgomery have opened the door for Gibbs, and he's quickly proven to be the fantasy football starlet that owners thought they were drafting. In Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, both guys were on the field and had massive fantasy performances, proving that they can work as a tandem.
Playing into a running back split is always dangerous, but the Lions have another favorable matchup on their hands against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. The Bears have a solid run defense, but Detroit will almost certainly be playing with a lead for most of the afternoon, meaning more volume for both Gibbs and Montgomery. This may not be the case every week, but you can start both Gibbs and Montgomery without a second thought for this week's action.
Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams (vs. Seattle Seahawks)
This will likely be the final week in which Darrell Henderson Jr. holds down the fort at running back with Kyren Williams on the injured reserve, but he should be able to put together a strong outing against a porous Seattle Seahawks run defense. Henderson has racked up at least ten carries in all three of his starts, and he's made contributions in the passing game for the Rams as well, which is great for folks in PPR leagues. You won't be able to rely on Henderson for much of anything once Williams comes back in Week 12, but he is a solid starting option for one final week against the Seahawks, and it would be a good idea to take advantage of that while you can.
James Conner, Arizona Cardinals (@ Houston Texans)
James Conner made a rather unspectacular return from the injured reserve himself in Week 11, as he put up just 7.3 fantasy points on the day. The good news was that all those points were from rushing yards, and Conner generally had a solid day on the ground, putting up 73 yards on 16 carries. With Kyler Murray back under center, that only makes Conner a more valuable fantasy football option, as he should have more touchdown scoring opportunities than he did earlier in the season. The Cardinals have an interesting matchup with the Houston Texans, whose run defense isn't all that good, and while the Cardinals may be playing from behind in this one, Conner should be able to find his way into the end zone in Week 11.
For our discussion on the best fantasy football breakout and sleeper candidates, listen below:
Running backs to sit in Week 11
De'Von Achane/Raheem Moster, Miami Dolphins (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)
After listing a duo you should feel comfortable starting, it only felt natural to select a different duo that may be best to avoid this week. The Miami Dolphins are set to get breakout star running back De'Von Achane back from the injured reserve, putting him and Raheem Mostert in a bit of an interesting timeshare at running back. While you could comfortably play both of these guys earlier in the year, you should probably not play either of them in Week 11.
For starters, we don't know what either Achane or Mostert's workloads will look like against the Las Vegas Raiders. It was fine to play Achane and Mostert when they both were scoring multiple touchdowns a game, but that's not going to happen every week (although it could happen against a pretty bad Raiders run defense). Mostert has been cooling off a bit even before Achane's return, and Achane may be limited in his return to the field. Best to sit these guys out and see how they perform in Week 11 before determining their future usage for your squad.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (@ Detroit Lions)
Another running back who should be coming off of injured reserve in Week 11 is Khalil Herbert, although he's much less of a certainty to play than Achane seems to be. Herbert has had an odd season when he's been on the field, as he's traded weeks being the top running back with being a guy who looks like a backup. The Bears didn't really figure much out during Herbert's absence, as D'Onta Foreman vastly outproduced Roschon Johnson, with the problem being that Chicago wants to give Herbert and Johnson snaps over Foreman. It's a strange situation in Chicago, and Herbert should be stashed on the bench this week even if he is healthy enough to play.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
Isiah Pacheco is one of the more frustrating fantasy football running backs because his usage seems to change every single week. In one game, Pacheco looks like an all-purpose dual-threat running back who is one of the Kansas City Chiefs top playmakers, and then in the next, he gets completely ostracized from the offense for no good reason. Pacheco turned in two duds before the Chiefs bye week, and now draws a very tough matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11. Pacheco is a very risky play in Week 11, and if you have any other options to play over him, it would probably be wise to do so for this week at least.
Follow Us
Subscribe