On paper, it looks like Rachaad White might be a bench candidate
due to a tough matchup with the Falcons. I’m here to tell you
that White is a must-start in Week 14 and moving forward. Regardless
of matchup, White has consistently produced. Since Week 7, his
weekly finishes (PPR) have been: RB12, RB10, RB1, RB11, RB13,
RB19, RB10. White is able to produce because he is involved in
all facets of the Tampa Bay offense. He catches passes, handles
the majority of rushes, and is used at the goal line. His bell
cow usage gives him the opportunity to succeed regardless of matchup
and he should be started every week.
Warren has significantly slowed down after being everyone’s favorite
breakout RB just a few weeks ago. However, even with two down
weeks, Warren is a great option on Thursday. Warren is among the
leaders for most metrics relating to explosive plays and elusiveness.
Aside from quality play, the primary reason is due to the health
of fellow RB Najee Harris. Harris has not practiced this week
and is currently questionable due to a knee injury. This gives
Warren the opportunity to handle an expanded workload for the
first time this season. Even if Harris is able to go, expect Warren
to see most of the touches.
Tennessee’s rookie running back Tyjae Spears should be on the
radar of managers in deeper leagues. Not only is starter Derrick
Henry dealing with a concussion (maybe), but the Titans have a
matchup that plays to Spears’ skill set. The Titans face the Dolphins
who have regularly (and quickly) put up big numbers. The Dolphins
led 31-7 at halftime against the Commanders last week and I would
not be shocked if the Titans face a similar fate. If the Dolphins
get out to an early lead, the Titans will likely turn to their
pass-catching back for the majority of this game.
The reasoning for benching Mostert nearly follows a similar logic
as the reasoning for starting Tyjae Spears. There’s a good chance
that Miami takes a large lead in this game. When Miami built a
lead in Week 13, they turned to Devon Achane instead of Raheem
Mostert. In the second half of last week’s game, Achane handled
14 carries to Mostert’s 2. Even if this isn’t a blowout, it’s
possible that Achane sees more touches. Mostert carries more risk
this week and he should be kept on the bench if possible until
the dust settles in the Miami backfield.
Early in the season, D’Andre Swift seemed to be one of
the steals of 2023 drafts. But in his last four games, Swift has
been held to single-digit fantasy points three times and Philadelphia’s
matchup with the Cowboys has disappointment written all over it.
Dallas already held Swift to 9.4 points in Week 9. Holding RBs
to modest fantasy performance is nothing new to Dallas, as they
allow the 3rd fewest fantasy points to running backs. This game
also profiles to be a high-scoring affair, centered around two
lethal passing attacks. With all of this stacked against Swift,
it will be difficult to start him in Week 14.
Hubbard has been scorching hot recently, finishing as an RB1
in two straight games thanks to scoring three touchdowns. Unfortunately
for Hubbard, the Saints have allowed just six rushing touchdowns
all season. In fact, the Saints have allowed just two running
backs to score more than 14.4 fantasy points. I don’t expect
Hubbard and a subpar Carolina offense to be the ones to flip the
script on this New Orleans-D this week. Start Hubbard at your
own risk.
