• Buccaneers rookie RB Bucky Irving is becoming a weekly top-12 option: Over his last two games, Irving has finished as the RB7 and RB3 in fantasy points. He’s steadily taking over the Buccaneers’ backfield and is poised for even more success with two fantastic matchups on the horizon.
• Panthers Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks is healthy … but does that matter? Despite Brooks declaring himself fully healthy and head coach Dave Canales stating there would be no limitations or snap count, Brooks played just five snaps in his NFL debut in Week 12. Meanwhile, Chuba Hubbard maintains a firm grip on Carolina’s backfield, and the team’s upcoming schedule doesn’t offer much optimism.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With so many running backs splitting their backfield in today’s NFL, it is more important than ever to figure out which players are receiving the most valuable snaps and touches on their team and who is slowly losing their workload to teammates who are outproducing them.
Here are the top running back takeaways over the first 12 weeks of the 2024 season that could greatly impact fantasy points in Week 13 and beyond.
Buccaneers Bucky Irving gets a career-high 18 touches in Week 12, and all three running backs score a rushing touchdown
Coming off the Bucs' bye week, rookie Bucky Irving out-snapped Rachaad White for the first time in a game where both were active. Irving has now led the Buccaneers’ backfield in touches in three of the last four weeks — and in the one game he didn’t, he still tied for the team lead with 16 touches.
In Week 12, Irving set career highs with 18 touches, 151 scrimmage yards, and a touchdown. Beyond being a more productive and efficient rusher than White, Irving is starting to cut into White’s role in the passing game. Irving saw six targets for 64 yards (both career highs), while White managed just one target for 10 yards in the same game.
The Buccaneers’ backfield is set up for success over the next two weeks, with matchups against two of the league’s worst run defenses — the Panthers and Raiders. While Rachaad White remains a viable fantasy option due to the soft matchups, Bucky Irving is emerging as a top-12 option.
Upcoming matchups: at Panthers, vs. Raiders, at Chargers
Cowboys Rico Dowdle ties his career-high with 22 touches in Week 12
It may have taken half a season, but the Cowboys have finally realized that leaning on Rico Dowdle in the backfield over Ezekiel Elliott is the more effective approach. In Week 12, Dowdle handled 22 touches and a career-high 68% of the team’s rushing attempts, averaging over 4.5 yards per carry on 19 attempts. He has now seen at least 15 touches in three of the Cowboys’ last four games.
Meanwhile, Elliott’s role continues to diminish. He was on the field for just 13 snaps in Week 12 and has logged only four carries over the past two weeks combined.
Dowdle is poised for some big fantasy performances in the near future, with matchups against the Giants and Panthers — two defenses that have struggled mightily against the run — in two of the next three weeks.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Giants, vs. Bengals, at Panthers
Panthers Rookie RB Jonathan Brooks gets two carries in his NFL debut
In the days leading up to Jonathan Brooks’ NFL debut, Panthers head coach Dave Canales declared that Brooks “will not be on a pitch count.” That statement turned out to be far from true. Brooks saw just two carries while playing only five snaps in Week 12.
Going into the game, it was clear that Chuba Hubbard would remain the Panthers’ lead back, even with Brooks returning, but there was some expectation that the rookie would be more involved. How Carolina decides to utilize their second-round pick moving forward remains to be seen.
Unfortunately, the next two games don’t present an ideal opportunity for Brooks to carve out a bigger role. The Panthers face the Buccaneers and Eagles — two high-powered offenses capable of building big leads early, which would limit Carolina’s chances to lean on the ground game.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Buccaneers, at Eagles, vs. Cowboys
Ameer Abdullah played 89% of the Raiders‘ snaps because of the backfield injuries in Week 12
With both Alexander Mattison and Zamir White inactive, Ameer Abdullah played a season-high 88.5% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps in Week 12 — a rate topped only by Jonathan Taylor, Tony Pollard and Kyren Williams.
Despite the heavy snap count, Abdullah saw limited work on the ground, managing just eight carries for 28 rushing yards. However, his receiving ability makes him an intriguing fantasy option if his teammates remain sidelined.
Abdullah has now caught a touchdown in back-to-back games and set a season high in Week 12 with five receptions for 37 yards on six targets.
While the Raiders face the Chiefs’ elite rush defense this weekend, Abdullah’s value lies in his receiving role. Given Kansas City’s ability to build an early lead, Abdullah could see significant usage as a pass-catcher, making him a solid flex play in PPR formats.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Chiefs, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Falcons
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