RADIO
The usual suspects found themselves back in the Top 10 for fantasy in Week 10. Jonathan Taylor and the new-look Indianapolis Colts under Jeff Saturday showed that they have plenty of football left to play this season and have no intentions of trying to tank. The Colts beat the Raiders 25-20 and Taylor looked like the JT of old. Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, and Josh Jacobs were all back in the Top 10 list and the Miami Dolphins running game with Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert looks borderline unstoppable.
Aaron Jones put up an impressive performance against one of the league's better defenses in the Dallas Cowboys and did so in spite of appearing on the injury report all week. Derrick Henry had a disappointing performance for the Titans against the Broncos, but they won anyway. While 2022 has definitely been a more Zero RB-friendly season than years past if you drafted some of the above running backs in the 1st Round of your league's fantasy draft you are still quite happy with the results.
Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 10 (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 10
Here are the top 10 running back from Week 10 of the NFL season in half-PPR scoring:
| Rank | Player | Team | Points |
| 1 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | 23.3 |
| 2 | Aaron Jones | GB | 22.6 |
| 3 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | 22.5 |
| T-4 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | 22.1 |
| T-4 | James Conner | ARI | 22.1 |
| 6 | Jeff Wilson Jr. | MIA | 21.3 |
| 7 | Tony Pollard | DAL | 20.3 |
| 8 | Josh Jacobs | LV | 19.6 |
| 9 | D'Onta Foreman | CAR | 19.0 |
| 10 | Raheem Mostert | MIA | 16.7 |
1. Jonathan Taylor
Many were frightened for Jonathan Taylor for the rest of the season after the Colts suddenly pulled the plug on the Matt Ryan experience for unheralded Sam Ehlinger and then fired head coach Frank Reich. Matters only got crazier in Indianapolis after owner Jim Irsay hired Jeff Saturday off the street to become Indy's next head coach. While Saturday was a heck of a player and a fan favorite of the Colts, he had never been a head coach at any major level or even an assistant in the NFL.
Taylor was also banged up and had been on the injury report which had many worried that the tank job was in. However, that didn't materialize as JT played on Sunday and went absolutely bonkers. JT rushed 22 times for 147 yards including a 66-yard scamper that he took all the way to the house. The Colts ended up winning 25-20 in Saturday's coaching debut and proved they will be a difficult opponent the rest of the way.
While he has disappointed for being the 1.01 in many drafts, it was nice to see the Jonathan Taylor of old on Sunday. He looked explosive and showed why he is one of the more difficult running backs to tackle in open space. With Nyheim Hines now out of the way in the Colts backfield, we should be viewing Taylor as a Top 3 RB each and every week that he plays. Jeff Saturday has made it clear that the Colts have no intentions of tanking and they will play hard for the rest of the season. Next week at Philadelphia is a tough matchup for Taylor but the Steelers in Week 12 looks inviting.
2. Aaron Jones
After many wondered if he would suit up this week, Jones delivered one of the most impressive performances of the season against a stout Dallas Cowboys defense. On Sunday afternoon, Jones rushed 24 times for 138 yards and a TD while catching 2 passes for 18 yards as the Packers rallied from behind to upset the Cowboys 31-28. While the Green Bay offense has been disappointing for much of the season, things really got clicking in this one.
Jones has all but taken over the Packers backfield and AJ Dillon should not be viewed as a threat to steal any touches away from Jones, who played 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps on Sunday. Coming up for Green Bay they face the Titans, Eagles, and Bears before heading into their bye in Week 14. Rookie wide receiver Christian Watson looked like the real deal on Sunday as he caught 3 touchdown passes in the game. This is big for Jones' fantasy value for the rest of the season because if the Packers can get more vertical and move the ball in the air it will help to open up the run game and create more red zone opportunities for Jones.
For now, Jones is in your lineup every week regardless of the opponent. We should be viewing him as a low-end RB1 / high-end RB2 for the rest of the season. If the Packers can stay in the flames after yesterday's impressive performance then Jones has a chance to be a Top 5-7 RB each and every week, we just need to see more.
3. Saquon Barkley
Another Sunday another incredibly impressive performance from Barkley. Saquon carried the rock 35 times for 152 yards and a TD while catching 1 pass for 8 yards in a 24-16 victory over the Houston Texans as the New York football Giants now sit at 7-2. Barkley has arguably been the most valuable draft pick for fantasy this season as he fell in many drafts and has been nothing short of spectacular. Yours truly was able to grab Barkley at the 2.09 in a 1QB veterans-only fantasy league.
While injuries have been an issue for Barkley in the past he has been injury-free all season and looked fresh coming off the team's Week 9 bye. Barkley has played over 80 percent of the Giants' offensive snaps in each of their last 4 games. Saquon is going to end up carrying the ball over 300 times on the season at this rate and should be viewed as the RB1 for the rest of the season as the only player with as much upside is none other than Christian McCaffrey.
The Giants have been in talks with Barkley about a contract extension, but nothing has materialized. Is there a chance he could receive the franchise tag after the season? Should Saquon go over 300 carries on the season it is a slight cause for concern for him heading into 2023, but he's such a dynamic playmaker and rare bell-cow type of running back that he will easily be a top 3 fantasy pick in the next year's drafts. Coming up for the Giants: Detroit, Dallas, and Washington.
T-4. Dalvin Cook
In what most people would consider the game of the year, the Minnesota Vikings pulled off an epic comeback and defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in an overtime thriller. Going into what was seen as a very difficult matchup for fantasy purposes, Dalvin rushed 14 times for 119 yards and a TD. He had a long of 81 that went to the house late in the 3rd quarter. Take that run away and he was just a paltry 13 for 38 yards. Cook also had 3 receptions for 27 yards, but he dropped what might have been the game-winning TD on fourth down that was nullified by an offsides penalty.
So far on the season, Cook has shown no signs of slowing down and is averaging an impressive 5.0 yards per carry. Dalvin has rushed 145 times for 727 yards and 6 TDs while catching 22 passes for 146 yards and a TD. He is a top 5 fantasy RB for the rest of the season and is in your lineup every week. The concerns of Alexander Mattison taking valuable snaps away from Cook simply haven't happened either. Over the last 4 games, Cook has played 83 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps.
Coming up Minnesota plays the Cowboys, Patriots, and Jets. At 8-1, they have the second-best record in the NFL with their only loss being to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. With Kevin O'Connell running the show in Minnesota the Vikings' offense has been even more impressive than in previous years and we should be excited for Cook and Justin Jefferson for the rest of the season. Cook is a must-start solid RB1 every week.
T-4. James Conner
A player we haven't seen much of lately after being sidelined with injuries, Conner made his way back into the top 10. After missing the Cardinals' last four games, Conner rushed 21 times for 69 yards but found the end zone twice on top of catching 3 passes for 17 yards. Arizona was victorious over the Los Angeles Rams 27-17 in a game where John Wolford and Colt McCoy were each their team's starting quarterback.
Conner also played 96 percent of the Cardinals' offensive snaps on Sunday and should be in your lineups as a solid RB2 with upside going forward. While Conner may struggle to rush for over 100 yards in a game, he is such a viable threat in the red zone and the Cards love to give him the rock inside the 5. He is also a better receiver than he gets credit for and has been viable for fantasy when healthy.
While Conner has struggled with staying healthy for much of his career, it was nice to see him out there on Sunday looking like his old self. Kyler Murray is expected back next week as well, which is a big boost to the Arizona offense. The bad news? They unfortunately, play the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 but do get the Chargers in Week 12 before heading into their bye in Week 13. If you have Conner you are starting him next week regardless.
6. Jeff Wilson Jr.
In his second week on his new team, Wilson didn't miss a beat. On Sunday against a struggling Browns defense, Jeff Wilson got loose rushing 17 times for 119 yards and a TD. He also added 2 receptions for 24 yards. Miami is 7-0 in games where Tua Tagovailoa has started and hasn't been injured. With two of the fastest wide receivers in the game on the outside, Miami's offense is borderline unstoppable with defenses having to pick to either stop the run or bring over extra help in the secondary to defend against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Next week the Dolphins head into a bye in Week 11, but things get even better for the Dolphins' running backs as they get the Houston Texans in Week 12. Wilson played 61 percent of the team's offensive snaps yesterday and has been making a good case to be the team's No. 1 running back. Should Miami's offense delve into a full-time split at RB then starting Wilson or Raheem Mostert would likely be matchup-dependent, but we should have no qualms about playing him against the Texans next week who are giving up the most fantasy points per game to running backs at 30.2 per game.
After the Texans in Week 12, Miami plays the 49ers and Chargers. Wilson is best viewed as a high-end RB2 with upside in all formats going forward as the only thing that could be detrimental to his fantasy value would be the Miami offense delving into a 50/50 split at running back. If that situation should arise, either Wilson Jr. or Mostert would need a touchdown to remain a viable option for that week, but both should be started coming off the bye in Week 12 against the Texans. Keep an eye on this Miami RB depth chart situation to see how it shakes out going forward.
7. Tony Pollard
One of the most frustrating things in fantasy football has been how differently we view Tony Pollard versus how the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones view him. On Sunday with Ezekiel Elliott sidelined for the second game in a row, Pollard was electric rushing 22 times for 115 yards and a TD. He also added 3 receptions for 13 yards. It was the second-straight game where Pollard finished as a Top 10 RB on the week and it's easy for all to see just how much more explosive he is than Elliott. Pollard also played 87 percent of the team's offensive snaps which was the highest of his career.
Ezekiel Elliott is expected to return soon and with his contract being so hefty it simply just isn't possible for the Cowboys to stop playing him. Elliott carries a $30 million dead cap hit if the Cowboys moved on from him at any point this season, as well as an $11.86 million dead cap hit if they move on from him in 2023. While it is easy for the rest of us to see that Pollard is the better running back in Dallas currently, we shouldn't expect him to see the lion's share of the carries once Elliott returns. Pollard is an unrestricted free agent in 2023, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of him next season.
Even with Elliott back in the lineup, we can still view Pollard as an RB2 high upside for the rest of the season who is matchup dependent on whether or not we will have him in our lineups. Coming up the Cowboys play the Vikings, Giants, and Colts over the next three weeks. If the Cowboys decided not to bring him back next season it's easy to see that plenty of other teams in the NFL may be interested in making him their feature running back.
8. Josh Jacobs
After cooling off in Weeks 8 and 9, Josh Jacobs was back to his old tricks on Sunday. Against the Indianapolis Colts, Jacobs rushed 21 times for 78 yards and a TD while catching 6 passes for 28 yards and scoring through the air as well. With Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller both on Injured Reserve, we should expect the Raiders' offense to flow through Jacobs and Davante Adams for the next 3 games. While the Raiders have been one of the bigger disappointments on the season with a 2-7 record, their offense has still provided plenty of value for fantasy purposes.
Like Pollard above, Jacobs is an unrestricted free agent after 2022 when the Raiders declined to pick up his fifth-year option. At just 24 years of age, Jacobs may receive the highest free-agent contract of all running backs in the offseason should he not be retained by the Raiders. Given that management may move on from Jacobs after the season we shouldn't have any qualms about the team shutting him down even with a 2-7 record as they have no commitment to him beyond 2022. One of the challenges for fantasy late in the season can be struggling teams who are likely out of playoff contention shutting down some of their best players to not run the risk of an injury. Since we don't yet know where Jacobs will play in 2023 we can expect Josh McDaniels to keep him in the lineup and try to finish the season strong.
Jacobs has morphed into a bell-cow type of running back on the season and played 79 percent of the team's offensive snaps yesterday. He is also seeing plenty of receiving work and has 31 receptions for 200 yards, which is a nice boost to his overall fantasy production. For the rest of the season, we should be viewing Jacobs as a solid RB1 in our lineups every week. Given the other injuries to players on the Raiders' offense, he may receive plenty of work over the next three weeks as well.
9. D'Onta Foreman
Easily one of the best feel-good stories of the season, Foreman starred at the University of Texas and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the 3rd Round of the 2017 NFL Draft and then tore his Achilles on a touchdown run in his rookie season. Since then it was a long road to recovery and the talented but injured running back found a home with the Tennesee Titans last season where he began to look like his old self filling in for Derrick Henry.
Foreman was signed by the Panthers this offseason and has taken on a larger role in the Carolina offense after Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. In his four starts since the trade, Foreman has gone over 100 yards rushing in three of the contests and has found the end zone 4 times. While he won't get to pad his stats against the Atlanta Falcons' defense anymore this season, it has been great seeing Foreman out there performing greatly after all the adversity he has faced.
For the rest of the season, Foreman should be viewed as a solid RB2 with upside as we await to see how much Chuba Hubbard will be involved once he recovers from injury. While the Panthers' offense will likely be anything but great the rest of the way, D'Onta looks like more than a capable starting running back in the NFL. Over the next three weeks, the Panthers play the Ravens, Broncos, and Seahawks.
10. Raheem Mostert
Not too many 31 year 0ld running backs look as spry and shifty as Mostert does. The wily veteran delivered another solid fantasy performance on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns (his former team) rushing 8 times for 65 yards and a TD as well as catching 4 passes for 22 yards. However, Mostert played just 28 percent of the team's snaps and appeared to take a backseat to Jeff Wilson Jr. Was this because Miami had the game largely in hand and decided to rest Mostert or does Mike McDaniel view Wilson as the team's lead running back?
The Miami offense has been borderline unstoppable so far this season and for the second week in a row, Mostert and Wilson both finished as Top 10 fantasy running backs. For the rest of the season, however, this is unsustainable (for both) and if the backfield is at a 50/50 split we will likely only be able to start both of them with confidence in good matchups. Luckily for Wilson Jr. and Mostert owners, the Dolphins get the Houston Texans in Week 12 after their Week 11 bye. The Texans are giving up the most fantasy points to running backs on the season at 30.2 points per game!
For the rest of the season, it does appear that Wilson has more juice than Mostert, but we still don't know how this backfield is going to shake out. Mostert and Wilson were both with McDaniel in San Francisco and now McDaniel is running close to the same offense that was run in the Bay Area. If you are rostering Mostert in fantasy it's going to be important to keep an eye on his weekly snap shares and to see if Wilson overtakes him, but for now, he is a must-start next week against the struggling Texans defense after the bye week.
Looking Forward
How did you do in Week 10? While we didn't see an epic performance with the likes of Joe Mixon, plenty of the top running backs on the season found their way back into the Top 10. As we head into another week of byes, Week 11 will include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a bye.
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 Eleven? If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter.
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