Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances from Week 8

Running back rankings for half-PPR fantasy points scored in Week 8. Kyle reacts to the best fantasy football RB performances and projects them moving forward.

Week 8 delivered by far some of the best running back performances of the year. Five RBs went over 30.0 fantasy points in half-PPR formats and Alvin Kamara found the end zone three times, but it was actually the first time he had done so all season. The Chiefs and Chargers were on a Bye in Week 8 and Derrick Henry did what he usually does against the Houston Texans. Christian McCaffrey showed us why many drafted him as the 1.01 despite many fantasy managers opting for Jonathan Taylor instead.

Tony Pollard shined with Ezekiel Elliott sidelined and Jamaal Williams has become the ultimate touchdown vulture for fantasy purposes scoring again twice on Sunday. Travis Etienne Jr. is now the lead back in Jacksonville after James Robinson was traded and he surely didn't disappoint this week. With tomorrow being the NFL's trade deadline, could we see a player like Kareem Hunt end up getting moved?

Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 8 (excluding MNF) based on fantasy points scored in half-PPR formats. Make sure to bookmark our live fantasy football scoreboard so you can see all the live scoring and top fantasy football performances each week, during the games, and afterward as well.

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Top 10 Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 8

Here are the top 10 running back from Week 8 of the NFL season in half-PPR scoring:

1. Alvin Kamara

Despite being the subject of recent trade talks, Alvin Kamara put on a show Sunday afternoon as the Saints absolutely rolled the Las Vegas Raiders 24-0. It's been a difficult start to the season for the Saints who now sit at 3-5. They traded their 2023 First Round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles as a part of the Chris Olave trade, but the good news is they are only 1 game out in what is a very winnable AFC South division. Seems like it makes more sense for New Orleans to hunker down and try to salvage this thing versus moving on from Kamara, who is easily still one of the most talented backs in the league.

On Sunday, Kamara rushed 18 times for 62 yards and a TD while catching 9 passes for 96 yards and 2 TDs. Kamara is at his best when used as a receiver out of the backfield and his receiving numbers have been better with Andy Dalton than they have with Jameis Winston, who often prefers to get the ball deep downfield. While Dalton may limit the Saints' offense more than Winston could, having Dalton back there is easily the better option for Kamara's fantasy value.

While he has had a little bit of a slow start to the season, Kamara was inevitably due for some positive touchdown regression as he found the endzone three times on Sunday. While his fantasy numbers have been down, he feels like the kind of player who should be in your lineup every week regardless of matchup. I am still viewing Kamara as a solid RB1 with week-winning upside each and every week.

2. Christian McCaffrey

All summer long the debate raged as to who was the 1.01: Jonathan Taylor or CMC. Many drafters opted for Taylor with the belief he was the safer option due to CMC's previous injury history. Only CMC has been the one thriving while Taylor has been the one who's gotten hurt and missed games. On a strictly points-per-game basis in half-PPR formats, CMC is the RB2 at 18.1 PPG while Taylor is the RB27 at 10.6 PPG. It was a valuable lesson for us all to focus on the upside if everything else is equal being that no one can accurately predict injuries for the most part.

In just his second game since being traded to the 49ers, McCaffrey looks like a natural even in a new offense. He rushed 18 times for 94 yards and a TD, caught 8 passes for 55 yards and a TD, and threw a 34-yard touchdown pass for a TD, the first time a player had done it in a game since 2005 by LaDainian Tomlinson. CMC has been healthy for just about all of the 2022 season and has the ability to win you your week all by himself.

Outside of Barkley, there isn't any other player we could make the case as the RB1 except for CMC. He is completely game-script-proof and should continue to thrive in San Francisco as Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch and the 49ers are all-in on getting back to the Super Bowl this season. In a mostly downtrodden NFC, that may not be as difficult as some think provided that the Niners can get fully healthy come playoff time. CMC is in your lineup every week except for the 49ers' Week 9 bye. If you drafted him you should be excited for what's to come!

3. Derrick Henry

He is the King for a reason. After many were under the impression that he'd inevitably slow down this season, so far that hasn't happened. With A.J. Brown now in Philadelphia, Tennesee has had to rely on Derrick Henry more than ever. So far this season Henry has rushed 166 times for 755 yards and 7 TDs while catching 14 passes for 140 yards. He has shown no signs of slowing down and the Titans will inevitably need to ride him the rest of the way as they look to make another playoff push.

There is no better bet than Henry against the Texans' defense. On Sunday he completely dominated the game rushing 32 times for 219 yards and 2 TDs en route to a 17-10 win. He also caught 1 pass for 9 yards. In the last four weeks, Henry has been an absolute monster going over 100 yards rushing in each of the last 4 games with 5 rushing TDs. He also has 9 receptions over that span as well. Henry's career high in receptions in a season is 19 and he is already at 14 this season, which is a nice little bonus for his fantasy production.

After starting the season 0-2, credit to Mike Vrabel and the Titans for their current 5-game win streak as they are sitting atop the AFC South. While they will need to get Treylon Burks going at some point in this season in order to be dangerous, Henry is currently willing the Titans to victory. Next week's matchup at Kansas City will be a fun one and should help to give us a gauge on how game-script-dependent Henry really is for fantasy this year. Nonetheless, he is a top 3-5 RB start every week and in your lineup no matter what.

4. Tony Pollard

Pollard looked like a superstar in the making on Sunday as he ran all over the Chicago defense en route to a 49-29 victory. There has been a wave of optimism for Pollard amongst many in the fantasy community over the last two seasons and it appears those hopes were warranted. On Sunday, Pollard got absolutely loose rushing 14 times for 131 yards and 3 TDs while catching 1 pass for 16 yards. It's apparent to all that he is by far the most explosive running back on the Cowboys. The problem? Ezekiel Elliott.

I mentioned this in a previous article several weeks back. Always follow the money. Elliott is Owner Jerry Jones' personal favorite and is signed through 2026. When you look at his contract, the Cowboys would take an $11.8 million dead cap hit in 2023, $6 million in 2024, and just $1.7 million in 2025 according to Spotrac if Elliott were traded or released. This makes Elliott extremely difficult to move because of his contract.

In a perfect world, the Cowboys would be using Elliott as a short-yardage and situational running back while giving the bulk of the carries to Tony Pollard. It's not to say that Zeke is completely washed either because he isn't, it's just that at this stage of his career he lacks the same explosiveness that he had when he first came into the league, which is common with many running backs. Pollard is absolutely worth holding on to your fantasy roster and may even be considered startable as an RB2 coming off the Cowboys' bye in Week 9, but it's important that we are tempering our expectations when it comes to Pollard's usage going forward. Nonetheless what Pollard did yesterday was nothing short of awesome.

5. D'Onta Foreman

A player who was talented when first entering the league, Foreman was drafted in the 3rd Round by the Houston Texans in 2017 after playing his college ball at Texas where he had over 2,000 rushing yards in his junior season. During his rookie season with the Texans, Foreman tore his Achilles tendon on a touchdown run and missed the rest of the season. He would then miss just about all of the next two seasons and became nothing more than an afterthought. Foreman caught on with the Titans in 2020 and 2021 where he rushed for 661 yards in relief of Derrick Henry.

After signing with the Panthers this offseason, Foreman wasn't expected to do much with Christian McCaffrey on the roster. However, after CMC was traded to the 49ers things opened up greatly for Foreman. In the last two weeks, he has rushed for 118 yards in back-to-back weeks and had 3 touchdowns yesterday against the Atlanta Falcons. He played 68 percent of the team's offensive snaps with Chuba Hubbard sidelined for Week 8.

Arguably the most talented of the two backs on the roster, the only issue for Foreman going forward will be if he gets stuck in a 50/50 split with Hubbard. While the Panthers' offense struggled mightily under Matt Rhule they have been better since his dismissal. In the last two weeks, the Panthers have scored 21 and 34 points. They still have an elite playmaker in DJ Moore and should need to score plenty of points to stay in games. Foreman could be a solid RB2 for the second half of the season depending on his usage. He is one of the better feel-good stories of the 2022 season and it's nice to see someone coming back from such a devastating injury.

6. Travis Etienne Jr.

After James Robinson was traded to the New York Jets the stage was set for Etienne to be an RB1 for the rest of the season. On Sunday morning over in London against a solid Denver Broncos defense, Etienne rushed 24 times for 156 yards and a TD. He did have 3 receptions albeit for just 6 yards. So far this season, Etienne is averaging an astonishing 6.2 yards per carry on the ground! He's rushed 92 times for 571 yards and just 2 TDs. He also has 17 receptions on the year for 157 yards.

The Jaguars currently sit at a disappointing 2-6 record after losing their last five games. However, we can feel good about Etienne's fantasy value for the rest of the season as long as he remains healthy. In the last two weeks, Etienne has played 80 percent of the team's offensive snaps while in the six games prior that number sat at just 47 percent. Even if Etienne can just play 70 percent of the Jaguars' offensive snaps it will likely be great for his fantasy value the rest of the way.

The only real challenge for Etienne is going to be finding the endzone on a consistent basis as the Jaguars' offense has struggled at times this year to put up points on the board. Etienne is also more of an outside runner than an inside one and has trouble breaking tackles and pushing the pile forward inside the 5 yard-line. It is probably safe to view him as a low-end RB1 / high-end RB2 for the rest of the season. With Robinson out of the way, it's now wheels up for Etienne.

7. Dalvin Cook

Another week, another top-10 finish from Dalvin Cook. After sitting out Week 7 as the Vikings were on a bye, Cook returned to action against the Cardinals and rushed 20 times for 111 yards and a TD. He also added 5 receptions for 30 yards. Cook has been one of the most reliable RB options in fantasy since 2019 and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry so far this season on the 6-1 Minnesota Vikings.

There were some concerns early on in the season about Alexander Mattison potentially taking some meaningful snaps away from Cook, but so far that hasn't happened. In the last two games, Cook has played 87 and 76 percent of the team's offensive snaps. New head coach Kevin O'Connell has the Vikings' offense playing much better than in previous years under Mike Zimmer and the Vikings are looking like a potent contender so far in the NFC.

Next up Minnesota plays the Commanders, Bills, and Cowboys. The Bills and Cowboys defenses will be a solid test of where this team is really at. For the time being, Dalvin Cook is in your lineup every week and should be viewed as a solid RB1. While his receiving work has been down a little bit than in years past, he is just about as good of an option in fantasy as any other RBs right now.

8. Jamaal Williams

The ultimate vulture for fantasy purposes much to the chagrin of D'Andre Swift fantasy managers, Jamaal Williams was up to his old tricks again on Sunday rushing 10 times for 53 yards but found the endzone twice on top of hauling in 3 passes for 23 yards. So far this season Williams has 8 rushing touchdowns on just 102 carries! His fantasy value is tough to gauge at this time because we don't yet know how involved the Lions expect D'Andre Swift to be, but we should realize that it probably won't be as a pure workhorse due to how often he has been injured.

This season the Lions have largely been a perfect storm for fantasy purposes. Their offense has been one of the best in the league, but their defense has been bad, which requires them to keep scoring. As they currently sit at 1-6, are changes coming in Detroit? Management has done well cleaning up Matt Patricia's mess and the hope is that ownership understands these things take time. On Sunday, Swift carried the rock just 5 times for 6 yards but he did catch 5 passes for 27 yards and a TD.

It's probably safe to view Williams as a matchup-dependent RB2 for the rest of the season even with a healthy Swift back on the Lions. It's clear the Lions view Williams as the team's goal line back and want to get him involved in each weekly game plan. In the next three weeks, the Lions will face the Packers, Bears, and Giants. Given how poor the Packers run defense has been this year, Williams is probably in your lineup again next week.

9. Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre fever seems to have taken over at Foxboro in recent weeks in spite of Damien Harris suiting up after straining his hamstring. In weeks 7 and 8, Stevenson has played 77 and 63 percent of the team's offensive snaps. One of the most difficult parts of having in your lineups for fantasy purposes is that Bill Belichick often prefers to ride the hot hand and in the past has often changed up who his starting running back was depending on the matchup.

On Sunday against the Jets, Stevenson rushed 16 times for 71 yards while catching 7 passes for 72 yards. The nice thing about Stevenson is that he seems to have completely taken over the pass-catching role in this offense as he's seen 16 total targets over the last two weeks while catching 15 of them for 131 yards. Next up for the Patriots: Indianapolis, Bye Week, the Jets again.

Stevenson is best viewed as an RB2 with upside for the rest of the season, but it is encouraging that he is playing a lot more recently. Is it possible that Damien Harris could be traded before the league's trade deadline? It's not likely, but Harris is an unrestricted free agent after the season and Belichick might already be planning for the future by continuing to play Stevenson as much as he has.

10. Aaron Jones

Clearly, the best running back on the struggling Packers, Jones had a solid game on SNF against a solid Buffalo Bills defense in a 27-17 defeat. Jones rushed 20 times for 143 yards while catching 4 passes for 14 yards. Jones has taken back the Packers backfield in recent weeks as he has been playing roughly 68 percent of the team's offensive snaps. AJ Dillon has become borderline droppable in many fantasy formats for the rest of the season.

Jones has always been a solid running back in real life and for fantasy, but this season he is averaging his best on the ground at 5.9 yards per carry. The problem? He's only seen 98 rushing attempts. Jones has 30 receptions for 190 yards and 3 TDs so far this season and has become Aaron Rodgers go-to either in the flat or on check-downs.

While the Packers' offense has struggled mightily, they get the Lions, Cowboys, and Titans over the next three weeks. As their playoff hopes are beginning to dim, they had better get things going quickly and try to turn this season around. If they are going to do that Jones needs to be involved more than ever. He is a low-end RB1 / RB2 with upside for the rest of the season. On a PPG basis, Jones is the RB14 on the season at 14.2 per game. At this point, he is in your lineup every week as Dillon is more than just an afterthought.

Looking Forward

How did you fare in Week 8? It was nice to see a lot of the running backs drafted in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts make their way back into the weekly top 10 list. As we head into another week of byes, Week 9 is going to be an absolute nightmare in that regard. The Browns, Cowboys, Broncos, Giants, Steelers, and 49ers will all be on a bye next week.

A lot can change throughout the course of the season and it's important to stay up to date on all team injury reports and news so that you can use your waivers and FAAB priority wisely. Having running back depth can be crucial for your team over the full grind of a fantasy season and we should always be looking to find value at RB whenever possible.

Are there any running backs not on this list who you expect to bounce back in Week Nine? If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter.

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