The eighth week of the NFL is now behind us and we can begin to look forward to Week 9. This past week, there were a few running backs who stood out among the rest in fantasy football, and that makes for some interesting start 'em sit 'em decisions.
Among them, Aaron Jones showed that he can be a dynamic running back that can help plenty of people win their leagues this year. Also, Tevin Coleman has taken the reins as the running back to own on the San Francisco 49ers.
Both of those guys are must-starts in the upcoming week but who else will join them? All of the picks in this article are based on PPR (points per reception scoring) and can be used in season-long and DFS (daily fantasy sports) leagues.
With that in mind, here are the start 'em sit 'em running backs fantasy football in Week 9.
RBs to Start in Week 9
Raiders' Josh Jacobs (vs. Lions): Josh Jacobs has quickly become a focal point of the Oakland Raiders offense in his rookie season. The first-year starter has gotten 15 or more touches in all but two games for the Raiders.
The volume is there and his matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 9 makes him an intriguing option. The Lions defense has surrendered 11 total touchdowns to RBs (tied for second-most in the NFL).
Titans' Derrick Henry (vs. Panthers): Derrick Henry has had his struggles in recent weeks for the Tennessee Titans. The bruising back has scored fewer than eight points in two out of his past three games. However, those two games came against two stout run defenses in the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This week, Henry will get the pleasure of facing a Carolina Panthers defense that is susceptible to the run. The Panthers have allowed 100 rushing yards in six of their seven games and just gave up five rushing touchdowns to the 49ers in Week 8.
Eagles' Jordan Howard (vs. Bears): Jordan Howard will get a chance to face his former team in the Chicago Bears in Week 9. The former Bears running back has steadily become the Philadelphia Eagles' workhorse back this year.
Aside from the revenge narrative, Howard will face a Chicago defense that has struggled to stop the run since Akiem Hicks was placed on injured reserve. Over the past two weeks, Latavius Murray, Austin Ekeler, and Melvin Gordon have combined for 53.6 fantasy points against the Bears.
Other RBs to Start: Bills' Devin Singletary (vs. Redskins), Chargers' Austin Ekeler (vs. Packers), Packers' Jamaal Williams (vs. Chargers)
RBs to Sit in Week 9
Cardinals' Kenyan Drake (vs. 49ers): The Arizona Cardinals acquired Kenyan Drake amid their injury woes at the running back position. Drake saw his usage with the Miami Dolphins deteriorate with the Miami Dolphins but now he'll likely handle the majority of the workload on Thursday night.
Some people are clamoring over Drake because of his expected usage. At the same time, he'll be facing a stout 49ers run defense in his first game in red. The 49ers have allowed just one touchdown to RBs in 2019 (second-best in the NFL).
Any Kansas City Chiefs RB (vs. Vikings): The Kansas City Chiefs have a dynamic offense but none of the running backs have consistently shown that they are ‘the guy' to have in fantasy. Technically speaking, LeSean McCoy is the starter but both Darrell Williams and Damien Williams also see some time in the backfield.
As long as Patrick Mahomes remains sidelined, none of the running backs are relevant in fantasy. It also doesn't help that the Chiefs will face a Minnesota Vikings defense that is allowing just 18.6 fantasy points per game to RBs (fifth-fewest in the NFL).
Bears' David Montgomery (vs. Eagles): Matt Nagy finally decided to deploy a heavy dosage of David Montgomery in Week 8. As a result, the Chicago Bears' rookie rusher finished with 135 yards and a touchdown versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
Unfortunately, next up on the schedule is the Eagles' stingy run defense. The Eagles will likely stack the box and make Mitchell Trubisky beat them in Week 9. Additionally, Philadelphia has given up just 20.1 fantasy points per game to RBs (sixth-fewest in the NFL).
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