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Matt's running back (RB) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 8 of 2026. His RB lineups advice for Week 8 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
Bucky Irving is proving that his recent fantasy football production is no fluke, and I’m buying into the role just as much as the results. After back-to-back explosive performances, Irving has established himself as a legitimate top-12 running back, and his consistent workload suggests there’s plenty more to come. Meanwhile, Jonathan Taylor managers need to pump the brakes heading into Week 8. The matchup against Jacksonville is brutal, and Seth McGowan's increasing involvement is becoming impossible to ignore.
Welcome to Week 8 running back starts and sits, where we’re separating sustainable production from performances that could be fool’s gold. Irving has handled 23 or more touches in three straight games, and with Atlanta struggling against opposing running backs, another big performance could be on the way. That kind of volume is exactly what fantasy managers should be chasing.
But not every big name deserves automatic trust. Taylor remains a talented back, but Jacksonville’s elite run defense and McGowan's growing workload create legitimate concerns. Let’s break down the running backs to start, the ones to approach with caution, and the matchups that could make or break your Week 8 fantasy football lineup.
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Week 8 - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Bucky Irving - RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons
In two of the last three contests, Irving has rewarded fantasy managers with at least 24 fantasy points and, as a result, propelled himself into the top-12 among fantasy running backs.
Bucky Irving with his SECOND touchdown of the day 🔥
TBvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/fz7kxCXD6Y— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
Against the Cowboys in Week 5, Irving had 165 rushing yards and found the end zone twice (once on the ground and once through the air). Then last week against the Panthers, Irving churned out 106 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns.
While Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker were somewhat involved, last week marked the third straight week Irving handled 23 or more touches. Before the Buccaneers pulled away from the Panthers, Irving had earned a 75% snap share, 57% rush share, and a 55% route share while also out-touching Tucker 3:1 on goal-line rushes.
Many were concerned that Tucker would cut into that goal-line work and Gainwell would own the passing situations, but that hasn’t been the case. With Irving's current role and opportunities, along with a favorable matchup against the Falcons on the horizon, Irving has another opportunity to reward managers with another 20-plus fantasy performance in Week 8.
Atlanta is considered a top-eight fantasy matchup for running backs, having allowed more than 25 fantasy points per game thus far. Last week, both Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black found the end zone against this Atlanta defense.
Rhamondre Stevenson- RB, New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
The matchup against the Dolphins is one of the better ones for running backs on the Week 8 slate, as Miami is allowing more than 30 points per game to the position so far this season. This defense was just torn apart by Braelon Allen, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry on his way to 104 rushing yards last week.
So why Rhamondre Stevenson over TreVeyon Henderson? It’s in the numbers. When both players are active, Henderson has topped 15 fantasy points only twice. Looking at the seven weeks of information we have, Henderson's 25% success rate is among the worst in the league and has likely been the main reason his rush share has been at or below 20% in each of the last three weeks.
RHAMONDRE STEVENSON‼️
📺 Prime Video https://t.co/heXDiTFnzW
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 23, 2026
Stevenson really hasn’t been much better, but that five-catch performance against the Bears last week, the one that led to 93 receiving yards, gives him the edge in a matchup that, on paper, should lead to plenty of fantasy production.
Braelon Allen and Breece Hall- RB, New York Jets vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Obviously, Allen would look a lot better here if Breece Hall didn’t play this week. If Hall misses another game, Allen becomes a must-start RB1 again. Since Week 5, Allen is the RB7 in fantasy, averaging 16.8 fantasy points per game.
In those three games, Allen has produced 298 rushing yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry while adding 56 receiving yards on eight receptions. With Hall potentially back, Allen will be relegated to a flex starter through the bye weeks, but he has proven his value and will certainly be more involved than he was before the injury.
Before Hall’s injury, the Pro Bowl running back averaged 14.2 fantasy points per game, so he wasn’t unproductive. The problem for Hall is that he goes from an RB2 with upside to a flex play as Allen has earned more touches going forward. Against the Raiders this week, both backs have plenty of meat on the bone.
Las Vegas is allowing more than 25 fantasy points per game this season and has been a top-five matchup for opposing backs. Last week, Blake Corum and Kyren Williams each not only produced 90-plus rushing yards, but both backs easily found their way to the end zone. Allen and Hall could replicate that performance if both are active in this one.
Week 8 - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Jonathan Taylor - RB, Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
For now, Taylor remains in Indianapolis, so he still has to endure one of the worst offenses in professional football. It doesn’t get any better this week as the Colts head to Jacksonville to face a Jaguars team that is surrendering a league-low 72.2 rushing yards per game.
From a fantasy football perspective, the Jaguars are allowing less than 15 fantasy points per game to opposing backs this season, the best mark in fantasy football. Jacksonville is coming off a bye and has had an extra week to prepare for Taylor.
Taylor has found some success against the Jaguars since last season, when he scored a pair of touchdowns in the two meetings, but the Jaguars limited the bruising back to less than 3.5 yards per carry. If Taylor doesn’t score, it could be a disappointing outing.
Taylor has been the lone bright spot for the Colts this season. Last week, Taylor turned 18 carries into 95 rushing yards and a touchdown. It is worth monitoring that while the production is still there, McGowan was more involved and has been getting more involved each week. Taylor saw just 64% of the backfield opportunities as McGowan produced an impressive 46 rushing yards on his 11 attempts.
J.K. Dobbins- RB, Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Denver Broncos backfield is a mess. Yes, J.K. Dobbins fell forward into the end zone, but Bo Nix led the team in rushing, followed by Jonah Coleman, who returned from injured reserve.
Dobbins had just six carries for 23 yards and two touchdowns, while Coleman earned nine rushing opportunities and turned them into 54 yards. R.J. Harvey was a non-factor in the run game this week, with three carries for six yards, but he scored a touchdown on one of his two receptions and added 54 receiving yards.
The rookie Jonah Coleman making something out of nothing
DENvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/wjeHrq6ZEi— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
Looking at the Broncos' running back usage: Coleman earned 50% of the snaps, Harvey got 25%, and Dobbins was third at 21%. I’m far from a genius, but that usage doesn't guarantee fantasy production moving forward, regardless of the matchup.
Speaking of matchups, this one against the Chiefs is not great. Sure, Emanuel Wilson broke a big run off late to inflate his total to 100 yards and a touchdown, but before that game, the Chiefs had been solid against opposing backs, allowing a modest 20.4 per contest. I’ll put my math intellect to work here and say a three-way split, and I’m being generous, of 20 fantasy points puts Dobbins' ceiling at 6.8 fantasy points without a touchdown.
Tony Pollard - RB, Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals
Last week's three-touchdown performance and the 36.5 fantasy points that came with it surprised everyone, Tony Pollard included. It was the first time this season that Pollard topped 14 fantasy points in a game, and considering he had been held to eight or fewer fantasy points in four of the previous six contests, no one saw that performance coming.
I would love to tell you Pollard is back. We hyped him a little this offseason, but this is the definition of an outlier performance. This week’s opponent doesn't look terrible on paper, as the Bengals rank in the middle of the pack in rushing yards allowed per game (116.3), but this group has been a difficult fantasy matchup.
Cincinnati has earned its status as a top-eight fantasy defense against running backs, limiting opposing backs to fewer than 19 fantasy points per game, including Derrick Henry, whom it held to 2.6 yards per carry on 17 attempts. Against the Bengals, Henry produced just 5.9 fantasy points.
We can all agree Pollard isn’t the same back Henry is, and the Titans offense is a tier or two below the Ravens. It doesn’t look good for Pollard this week.
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