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Matt's running back (RB) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 9 of 2025. His RB lineups advice for Week 9 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
The big dogs came to eat last week as Jonathan Taylor, James Cook III, Saquon Barkley, and Breece Hall hit them fantasy streets up for 30-plus fantasy points apiece. Hall even had a better fantasy performance as a quarterback than Baker Mayfield.
All in all, 20 running backs finished with 10 or more fantasy points ahead of Monday Night Football's clash between the Commanders and the Chiefs, and with some prominent backs missing action this week, depth is becoming more and more important each week.
Here are your RotoBaller starts and sits at the running back position for Week 9 of the fantasy football season.
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Week 9 - Fantasy Football Booms
D'Andre Swift - RB, Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals
One of the more pleasant surprises this season has been D'Andre Swift. Many around the industry had doubts heading into the season as Ben Johnson, who was partially responsible for Swift departing from Detroit, was now in charge in Chicago. We are heading into Week 9, and Swift is the RB12 in fantasy, averaging 15.9 fantasy points per game.
Behind a much-improved Bear offensive line, Swift has averaged 4.65 yards per carry this season, with 2.91 yards coming before contact per attempt. With that blocking up front, it's no wonder that Swift has 10 or more fantasy points in six consecutive contests and 15-plus in each of his last four.
Look for that streak to continue as this week's opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, has been very generous to the running back position this season. In fact, no team has allowed more fantasy production to said position than the Bengals, who are allowing 33.3 fantasy points per game. In eight contests, the Bengals have allowed 5.08 yards per carry and 1,053 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. That's just the damage on the ground. In the receiving game, which Swift also excels in, Cincinnati has surrendered a league-high 42 receptions, 368 receiving yards, and another three touchdowns.
Kyle Monangai may be getting more involved in the offense each week, but Swift is continuing to become more efficient with his opportunities. Managers who may start to feel some heat on their internal clocks regarding trading Swift, try to ignore that feeling.
Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans
Last week, against the Minnesota Vikings, Kimani Vidal had himself a day. On 23 carries, Vidal churned out 117 yards and a touchdown, leading the way for a 19.7 point fantasy performance and a top 10 weekly finish.
Kimani Vidal adds 6️⃣ for the @Chargers!
MINvsLAC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/SFOfdtTTte— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2025
This season, Minnesota ranks 11th in fantasy points allowed, allowing 20.1 fantasy points per game, and that's factoring in Vidal's latest performance. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans find themselves at the opposite end of the fantasy spectrum, allowing 28.3 fantasy points per game, the second-most. This season, Tennessee has allowed 5.08 yards per rushing attempt, accounting for 955 yards on the ground and yielding 368 receiving yards to running backs, the third-most.
If Vidal gets 24 touches again this week, like he did last week, there's no reason he can't have another top-10 fantasy finish and earn even more work once Omarion Hampton returns. In games where Vidal has had at least 10 touches, the Chargers back is averaging 16.6 fantasy points and has averaged 100 yards of total offense per contest.
Bam Knight - RB, Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys
Since Week 5, only the Bengals and Falcons have allowed more fantasy production to opposing backs than the Dallas Cowboys' 29.3 fantasy points per game. Over the last four games, Dallas has allowed 548 rushing yards, while opposing backs have churned out 6.09 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns on the ground. Dallas has also conceded two additional touchdowns to backs in the receiving game and 163 yards on 17 receptions.
Last week, Dallas got gorged against the Broncos, but J.K. Dobbins averaged 7.4 yards per attempt on his way to 111 yards rushing, while RJ Harvey got in on the action, adding 46 more yards on the ground on his seven carries. After averaging just 7.9 fantasy points per game, Havey exploded with 24.1 fantasy points thanks to a pair of rushing scores and his touchdown reception.
Since Bam Knight took over this Cardinals backfield from the incompetent Michael Carter and the injured Trey Benson and James Conner, he has produced 102 yards on the ground. Knight has become more trusted each passing week, seeing his touches increase from five to 12 to 17 before the Cardinals' bye week. Since Week 5, Knight has 75% of the Cardinals' rushing attempts inside the five-yard line, ranking 15th among running backs, showing that he could do some damage in a plus matchup.
Week 9 - Fantasy Football Busts
Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason - RB, Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Last week marked the return of Aaron Jones, who stepped in and saw a 54% snap share in his first game back, while Jordan Mason saw his snap share and route share dwindle to 35% and 28%. Mason's route share was the lowest it's been all season.
The Chargers are a solid defense when looking at fantasy production, but they are one in which backs have had success this season, averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game. So Jones's 5.0 fantasy points and Mason's nonexistent 1.6 fantasy points were major letdowns for those who took the chance on Thursday Night Football. One of the worst feelings is starting players on Thursday and sitting on that stench of disappointment over the next four days.
Unless you like that small, you need to fade both Vikings backs this week against a Detroit Lions team that has allowed just 461 yards rushing (third-fewest), 172 yards receiving (eighth-fewest), and 17.0 fantasy points per game, the fourth-fewest.
Chuba Hubbard - RB, Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
Math doesn't have to be that hard. Over the last two weeks, Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle have been healthy and available. One back has had more success than the other. On 26 carries and 73 snaps, Hubbard has been responsible for 89 total yards of offense, while Dowdle, on 25 carries and 54 snaps, created 150 yards of total offense.
I get that the Panthers really like Hubbard, and he performed incredibly well last season. They did pay the man, but the numbers don't lie. Carolina's offense must run through the run game and Dowdle to its most productive form. You don't need to be a boxscore scout to see that Dowlde was the more efficient back last week, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt, opposed to Hubbard's 2.8 yards per carry.
#Panthers Week 8 RB Usage
- Chuba Hubbard: 59% snaps, 12 carries, 11 routes, 1 target (34 yds, TD)
- Rico Dowdle: 34% snaps, 8 carries, 9 routes, 0 targets (54 yds)Rico 6.8 YPC vs Chuba 2.8
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 26, 2025
However, this is another conversation for another day. The bottom line is that this week, against the Packers, is not a great matchup for either running back. Dowdle is a poor start based on snap share and volume, and Hubbard doesn't even qualify as a flex option as the Packers allow just 16.8 fantasy points per game, the third-fewest.
Ashton Jeanty - RB, Las Vegas Raiders vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Look, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense allows 91.1 rushing yards per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders may have the most dysfunctional offense in the league, ranking 27th in rushing (93.7) and passing yards (182.7) per game.
Coming into this contest, Ashton Jeanty ranks 17th in fantasy points per game (13.7), while his 445 rushing yards rank 18th thus far. Nothing about what Jeanty has accomplished this season exempts him from your fantasy benches. Unless you are injury-riddled or your hand is forced due to the bye week, there are likely more productive options available with better matchups.
In the Jaguars' last two games, they have held opposing backs to 182 total yards and posted a no-vacancy sign in their end zone, leading to the second-fewest fantasy points yielded since Week 6: 11.6. A struggling offense still searching for an identity against one of the more opportunistic defenses the NFL has to offer (14 takeaways) could lead to a negative game script for Jeanty once again.
I thought long and hard about including Cook and Bijan Robinson, who face the top two fantasy defenses against running backs, but who would listen anyway? You don't see players of that calibre, especially with Barkley, Quinshon Judkins, and Breece Hall off on their bye week.
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