A healthy Jahymr Gibbs leads a trio of backup running backs that could leave their Week 8 projections in the dust.
Gus Edwards (RB) Baltimore Ravens
Are the Ravens finally getting comfortable with OC Todd Monken’s system? Baltimore’s offense looked almost unstoppable against the Lions last week, scoring 38 points with 503 yards of offense, both season-highs.
That’s great news for Edwards. While Ravens running backs are always in danger of losing goal line carries to quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore’s de facto lead back looked spry against Detroit with 14 carries, one touchdown, an 80-yard catch and 21.4 fantasy points.
Edwards and teammate Justice Hill have shared backfield duties since the team lost J.K. Dobbins to a torn Achilles in Week 1, but Edwards has 45 more carries than Hill this year.
Facing a Cardinals defense giving up 130.7 rush yards per game and the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, Edwards should go over his projected 9.61 fantasy points against Arizona.
D’Onta Foreman (RB) Chicago Bears
After starting the season as a healthy scratch for Chicago’s first four games, Foreman led all NFL running backs with 33 fantasy points last week. With Khalil Herbert on IR and rookie Roschon Johnson just coming out of concussion protocol, Foreman went off against the Raiders with 89 yards rushing, 31 yards receiving on five targets and three touchdowns.
Foreman averaged 4.5 yards per carry with the Panthers last year and had five games of 100 yards or more. This week he gets a Chargers defense giving up the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs.
As long as he continues to see targets, Foreman should go over his 8.90 projected fantasy points.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB) Detroit Lions
Detroit’s first-round rookie running back did everything he could in a 38-6 loss to Baltimore last week. Gibbs averaged 6.2 yards per carry for 68 yards and a touchdown with nine catches for 58 yards. His 27.6 fantasy points were third-most among running backs in Week 7.
After missing the previous two games with a hamstring problem, Gibbs returned to the lineup as veteran David Montgomery sat with a rib injury. The veteran is expected to miss another week, which means Gibbs should easily surpass 17.05 fantasy points against a Raiders team giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs.