With Najee Harris done of the year Hampton figures to dominate touches
moving forward. He hardly came off the field last week, playing
89% of the snaps, looking both powerful and shifty on his 17 touches.
With the offensive line struggles he, like Woody Marks, make great
outlet receivers. Hampton has 11 receptions over his last two games,
and figures to be a big part of the run-heavy gameplan as the offensive
line adjusts to several moving parts.
The rookie from USC busted out in Week 4, going for 119 total yards
and two touchdowns in a win against the Titans. Playing a season
high 56% of the snaps, Marks is a solid runner, but offers much
more in the passing game than Nick Chubb. He’s an ideal outlet for
C.J. Stroud as he runs for his life with one of the worst O-lines
in the league. With continued redzone work and consistent passing
game presence, Marks belongs in starting lineups.
It’s been a slow start for the electric rookie as he is
mired in a three-headed RBBC. He did display his ability to run
between the tackles on a tough six-yard run for his first career
touchdown last week, and his 32 rushing yards on seven carries
was his most this season. His 13 receptions are also tied for
12th in the NFL among runners. Buffalo has been gashed on the
ground to the tune of 6.0 yards-per-carry, and the Pats are going
to need big plays from their backs to hang with the Bills on the
road. Bet on him popping a big one on his 12+ touches.
Despite giving up 34 points last week to the Lions, the Cleveland
defense held tight, giving up less than 300 total yards. They continue
to make running the ball against them an absolute chore, and Mason
and the run game didn’t look great last week against the Steelers.
Mason also lost an alarming amount of passing game work to rookie
Zavier Scott. Mason is a touchdown dependent option this week in
jolly ole’ England.
Commanders RBs vs LAC
This backfield is a weekly minefield. A three-headed monster of
limited talent, Chris
Rodriguez Jr., Jacory
Croskey-Merritt, and Jeremy
McNichols lack defined roles or much of a hierarchy. Since Ekeler
has gone down it’s been a nearly identical snap share between the
three, and it’s impossible to predict who will touch the ball in
high leverage situations. It’s hard to see any of the three truly
separating themselves from the pack, and outside of desperate measures,
this is a situation to avoid.
Pollard has straddled the RB2/3 line for most of the season.
Playing on an abysmal offense, led by a struggling rookie quarterback
has limited his scoring chances and his efficiency has suffered.
He’s been propped up by a league leading 90% snap share,
but that could come to an end this week as Tajae Spears looks
to return from IR. If the Titans turn to Spears for a spark, Pollard
drops from the starting fringes.
