Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances from Week 3

Running back rankings for half-PPR fantasy points scored in Week 3. Kyle reacts to the best fantasy football RB performances and projects them moving forward.

Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season featured two handcuff running backs finishing at the top and was a much better performance points-wise from the top 10 backs compared to Week 2. Derrick Henry made an appearance after two weeks off and the usual suspects we have come to expect so far: Nick Chubb, James Robinson, and Cordarelle Patterson were at it again. While fantasy managers have to be slightly concerned for Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey, both are still in the top 7 so far.

Is it time to panic about Austin Ekeler, Najee Harris, Dalvin Cook, and Alvin Kamara? While Cook has looked good on the field, he recently separated his shoulder and could miss time. So far fantasy managers who drafted some of the above running backs early in drafts can't be happy. It also appears from an early injury report that D'Andre Swift may miss some time as well. Thus far James Robinson is the only running back who has finished in the Top 10 three weeks in a row.

Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 3 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 3

Here were the top 10 running back from Week 3 of the NFL season in half-PPR scoring:

1. Khalil Herbert

After David Montgomery went down early with injuries to his right knee and ankle in the first quarter of the Bears' contest against the Houston Texas on Sunday and never returned, the door was opened for sophomore running back Khalil Herbert. After only having 4 carries last week to Montgomery's 15, it had appeared that Monty had reasserted himself as the lead back prior to going down.

What changes greatly now is how Herbert absolutely lit it up in Week 3 showing flashes of brilliance after rushing 20 times for 157 yards and 2 TDs. Herbert also caught both of his targets for 12 yards. However, it was against a Texans defense that isn't very good right now, but it was an impressive performance nonetheless.

If Montgomery is out for an extended period of time, Herbert would become a must-start as a high-upside RB2 in just about all formats. However, if Montgomery is back it could result in a completely split backfield and an absolute nightmare scenario for Monty and Herbert fantasy managers. Not to mention this Bears offense is on a historically bad pace for 2022 averaging just 265 yards of offense per game, which is dead last in the NFL. Quarterback Justin Fields hasn't looked good either. While the Week 4 matchup against the Giants is a favorable one, going forward the Bears offense likely won't be great for fantasy purposes.

Even though Chicago is 2-1 they have two of their wins against teams with a combined 1-4-1 record. I wouldn't expect much going forward, but from a pure draft value perspective, Herbert is a great value for where he was taken. If you can package him with a player to make a major upgrade on your team, don't hesitate to do it now.

2. Jamaal Williams

An unheralded handcuff this offseason, many had forgotten about Williams until he dazzled all of America's hearts with some epic performances on this season of Hard Knocks. So far this season Williams has been productive on the field and has become an absolute thorn in the side of all D'Andre Swift managers where he has swooped down like a vulture every time the Lions get in the red zone. Through 3 weeks, Williams has played 33, 34, and 45 percent of the offensive snaps for Detroit.

While he has only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, Williams has seen just about all of the red zone work and Sunday was no exception after he rushed 20 times for 87 yards and 2 TDs. Williams also had 2 receptions for 20 yards. If Swift is out for several weeks, Williams would become a must-start, especially in a juicy Week 4 matchup with Seattle.

Williams is a good receiver out of the backfield and has been underrated for his whole career. While he isn't yet a must-start with Swift in the lineup, he is a player worth rostering due to having a clear-cut role on a good Lions offense as well as starting value in case Swift does miss time. You likely won't get much for Williams via trade currently, so he is mostly a hold. If he is still available on your league's waivers he should be prioritized as well as worth spending a good chunk of your FAAB on this week.

3. Derrick Henry

No stranger to a top 3 weekly finish, Henry shined on Sunday in Tennessee's 24-22 victory over the Raiders. So far his start to the season hasn't been exciting and the Titans' offense was recently dealt a big blow as starting left tackle Taylor Lewan was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

On Sunday, Henry rushed 20 times for 85 yards and a TD. Where he surprised us all is where he caught 5 passes for 58 yards, which is not something we've come to expect from him over his career. Could this be a sign of things to come? So far in his career, Henry has 13, 11, 15, 18, 19, and 18 receptions in 6 total seasons. He's been able to remain dominant for fantasy without being a pass catcher due to his heavy rush volume and efficiency in the red zone.

Now at age 28 and coming off a brutal foot injury, many were hesitant to draft Henry in the 1st round of fantasy drafts. However, there isn't much competition from anyone else in the Titans backfield talent-wise and the team is in clear win-now mode with head coach Mike Vrabel allegedly on the hot seat. This Titans offense is missing AJ Brown in a big way and has only averaged 17 points per game so far this season. There isn't much you can do if you are rostering Henry right now other than riding him out. The Titans have the Colts, Commanders, and a bye week coming up.

4. Cordarelle Patterson

NFL historians are going to look back on this era of football and wonder why the heck it took eight seasons for someone to figure out how to use Cordarelle Patterson. The swiss-army knife himself, Patterson diced and danced through the Seahawks on Sunday racking up 141 yards on the ground and a TD on 17 carries. He also caught 1 pass for 12 yards.

Sunday's win was an encouraging sign for the Falcons' offense after losing two close games to the Saints and Rams to begin the season. Right now the Falcons are 14th in yards per game, 9th in scoring, 5th in rushing, and 26th in passing. So far out of the gates, these are encouraging signs for an Atlanta team that many had projected to only win 4-5 games at the most this season. Head Coach Arthur Smith's job has reportedly been in jeopardy and he may need to continue playing Marcus Mariota for the rest of the season in order to keep it.

The Falcons' making a switch to the rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder is an unknown variable that could help or hurt Patterson's fantasy value and given him well the season is going for C-Patt we should want Mariota to remain the starter for the time being. While it isn't likely that the 31-year-old Patterson will perform like this each week, he is a dynamic runner and has been a fantastic value in fantasy so far. If you took him in your draft you've got to be absolutely thrilled right now. Given C-Patt's strong pass-catching abilities he is more game-script proof than the majority of running backs in the league.

5. Devin Singletary

One of Shawn Siegele's favorite Zero RB targets: Singletary had a solid Week 3 for the Bills fantasy-wise. He only rushes 9 times for 13 yards but had a fantastic day through the air catching 9 of his 11 targets for 78 yards and a TD. While the consistent usage amongst the Bills' trio of running backs: Singletary, Zack Moss, and James Cook is a concern, the high-powered Bills' offense will mostly be a good unit for fantasy every week. While they were halted to just 19 points in a loss to the Dolphins, Buffalo was ransacked with injuries in the days leading up to the game.

It will be difficult to expect the kind of weekly consistency from Singletary in fantasy. He is likely more valuable in deeper formats that start 3WR and have multiple flexes where fantasy managers likely went heavy WR early on and followed up with RBs like Singletary later in the draft. So far this season Singletary has 23 rushes for 80 yards and 13 receptions for 94 yards and a TD. He appears to be well entrenched as the team's starting RB having played 59, 54, and 73 percent of the offensive snaps at RB so far this season.

Right now, Singletary is best viewed as a low-end RB2/ high-end RB 3 in most formats. He has fantasy value being that he is on the Bills, but the question remains how much Buffalo will continue to run the football. After yesterday's tough loss in Miami, the hope is that the Bills can get back to their high-powered ways and get healthy for another tough matchup with the Ravens in Baltimore this week.

6. James Robinson

Without a doubt the feel-good story of the 2022 season so far, James Robinson has been putting on an absolute clinic for fantasy purposes as he has finished in the Top 10 of RBs in each of the first 3 weeks of the season! Is it possible that the Jaguars weren't as forthcoming as they should have been about Robinson's December Achilles tear? Is it possible that the injury wasn't as severe as some believed? We have never seen a running back like this so recently moved from tearing his Achilles come back and play right away like he never missed a beat. It also may suggest that with how advanced sports medical science is becoming that the same rules of five years ago related to injury recovery times no longer applies.

On Sunday, Robinson rushed 17 times for 100 yards and a TD and caught all 3 of his receptions for 16 yards. He has undoubtedly made life very difficult for Travis Etienne managers who drafted Etienne way ahead of Robinson in fantasy drafts all summer. This was until Robinson decided to do his own remake of The Six Million Dollar Man starring Lee Majors and used machine parts to bionically regrow his foot in a matter of months. I mean, that's the only thing that even seems to make sense right now, doesn't it?

Robinson currently ranks as the RB2 on the entire season for fantasy and due to the Jaguars' improved offense is starting to look like an RB1 for the rest of the season as long as his health remains the way it is. While the Jaguars definitely want Etienne involved in the Sunday game plan, he isn't anywhere near the same inside runner that Robinson is and looks to be more of a situational pass catcher. So far this season, Robinson has played 49, 63, and 58 percent of the offensive snaps.

If you are rostering Robinson he needs to be starting every week until further notice and has all the appearances of a league-winning RB right now for where he was drafted.

7. Rhamondre Stevenson

Finally! We should have all known that we were better off trusting sushi from a rural gas station than we were trusting Bill Belichick when it comes to running backs for fantasy. Nonetheless, Stevenson had himself a day on Sunday rushing 12 times for 73 yards and a TD. He also caught 4 of his 5 targets for 28 yards.

Stevenson was a player many fantasy managers were excited about all summer, but it is looking more and more like Damien Harris is going to be heavily involved in this offense each week. So far on the season, Rhamondre has played 25, 62, and 62 percent of the offensive snaps. However, the rest of the Patriots' offense is looking far from great as quarterback Mac Jones has struggled as the Patriots rank just 25th in scoring.

Rhamondre is a solid depth piece and spot-start on your teams for the season, but he is difficult to play each week with confidence as long as Damien Harris remains looms in the backfield. Both are solid backs who run hard and make plays on Sundays, but they aren't on the same level as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt right now that each of them can be started with confidence every Sunday. Stevenson will undoubtedly have a few more weeks in the Top 10 this season, but predicting it will prove difficult. He is a fantastic hold or buy-low in dynasty leagues as it is not expected that Harris will be back with the Patriots next season.

8. Nick Chubb

What more can be said about Nick Chubb other than that he runs with an incredible blend of speed and power? He is one of the few backs who can remain patient behind his offensive line and then immediately cut, find the hole, and explode upfield in a hurry. If he wasn't on the Cleveland Browns sharing a backfield with Kareem Hunt, he would likely be regarded as highly as Derrick Henry was the last few seasons as the rushing king of the NFL. On Thursday Night Football, Chubb had another monster game rushing 23 times for 113 yards and a TD.

The Browns have another great matchup with the Falcons in Week 4, but after that, the schedule starts to get murky as the Browns will play the Chargers, Patriots, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Bills, and Bucs with only a bye in between. With incumbent quarterback Deshaun Watson still on suspension until Week 13, it is going to be difficult for the Browns to win many of those games until spot-starter Jacoby Brissett can continue to raise his game even though he has looked solid in the first 3 weeks of the season.

Due to the reality that Kareem Hunt is more of the pass-catcher and third-down back on the Browns, is it possible to see Nick Chubb game-scripted out of more of these contests? While certainly, it doesn't seem wise to write Chubb off when he is running behind arguably the league's best offensive line on a team that is relying heavily on him, the Browns haven't exactly played anyone through the first 3 weeks of the season in the Panthers, Jets, and Steelers who were without star TJ Watt.

In a league where you are rostering Chubb, it could be possible to package him up with another player and try to upgrade to Jonathan Taylor, as the current manager in your league may be worried about Taylor so far. Chubb is a phenomenal talent but has never been heavily featured as a pass-catcher and it's something to keep an eye on as the Browns may struggle to move the ball in the coming weeks.

9. Dameon Pierce

A player whose stock had a meteoric rise just prior to the start of the season, Pierce has been inconsistent through the first 3 weeks of the season, but so has his team's usage of him. On Sunday against the Bears, Pierce rushed 20 times for 80 yards and a TD. He also caught both of his 2 targets for 21 yards.

One concern for Pierce's fantasy value for the rest of the season is the reality that the Texans offense just isn't very good right now and he has largely been sharing the backfield with Rex Burkhead. Until one of those two things changes, it is going to be difficult for him to be great for fantasy when we can't say for certain that he will score touchdowns consistently or catch passes consistently.

So far Pierce has played in 29, 62, and 59 percent of the Texans' offensive snaps. While he has looked spry on the ground, it is just difficult to predict him to be consistently good for fantasy right now. He is a trade candidate if you are a contender in dynasty and mostly a depth piece with potential upside in redraft leagues.

10. Chase Edmonds

The Miami Dolphins backfield has become incredibly muddied and very difficult to predict so far this season. The good news is they are 3-0 under new head coach Mike McDaniel and shaping up to be a much-improved unit for fantasy purposes. However, the usage between Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds has been very split so far this season.

In Week 3 against a good Buffalo defense, Edmonds rushed just 6 times for 21 yards but found the endzone twice. He also added 1 reception for 6 yards. While it wasn't pretty, he got the job done on the stat sheet and for your fantasy lineups. So far this season, Edmonds has played 63, 51, and 44 percent of the offensive snaps as Mostert has played 42, 55, and 56 percent. What's concerning is how Edmonds' usage has been going down while Mostert's has been going up.

Right now, Edmonds should be viewed as a high-upside RB3 in fantasy until we know more about the Dolphins' offense. Mostert has dealt with injury issues in the past and him missing any time at all would be a huge boost for Edmonds' fantasy value. Right now Edmonds is a hold until we know more about this Miami backfield.

Looking Forward

How did you fare in Week 3? So far it is looking like a great year for Zero RB drafters, especially in best-ball or tournament formats. The best advice I can give on running backs is that their value in fantasy comes more from usage than it does from overall talent whereas with wide receivers we should always be focusing on talent above all else outside of bad quarterback play.

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.

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 Four? If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter.

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