← FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
Week 13 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings & Tiers: Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts (Ep. 1868)
00:30:07
Loading summary
Transcript64 lines
- [00:00]
Pat Fitzmaurice
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
iHeart Advertiser
Guaranteed Human Black Friday at Abercrombie is here with 25 to 50% off everything. And iHeart listeners are getting an extra 15% off with code iHEARTAF. It's a sale you've been waiting for. Made even better with an exclusive stackable code shop Abercrombie in the app online and in stores. 25 to 50% off everything valid in stores and online November 24 to December 1, 2025 in US and Canada. Excludes clearance and gift cards online. Price reflects discount. Use code IHEARTAF to get an additional 15% off everything in stores and online. Check out November 24 to December 1, 2025 in US and Canada. Excludes clearance and gift cards. See details online.
- [00:38]
Chris Welsh
Hello friends and welcome into Fantasy Pros the Fantasy Football Podcast. This is the Week 13 running back ranks episode. The Thanksgiving Day week, the Black Friday, whatever it is just Sunday. It's just week 13. It's pre playoffs. The playoffs are almost here. We gotta win. Every question I see is this is a must win. So this is a must watch show. We've got Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice, I'm Chris Welsh and we're going to be breaking down all of the week 13 running backs. Fitzy, however will you sort out the mess when injuries are bringing players back couple that are going to be out, there's some potential waiver wire running backs that might have some functioning here. And on top of it, Fitz, there are like three different days of games between Thursday, Friday and Sunday, so and Monday, so there are four. So it is no easy task navigating the running back ranks this week.
- [01:31]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Fantasy managers have to keep their head on a swivel this week and keep checking, you know, the fantasy pros news desk for the latest updates because there are going to be like you might want to play Bucky Irving but you might not be a hundred percent sure he's coming back now. We think he's coming back. He's been practicing for a couple of weeks. It seems like this is going to be the week back but you don't want to get the rug pulled out from under you and you know, maybe your best, your next best option was playing on Thursday and you bypassed that. So try to stay on top of things as best you can, I guess.
- [02:04]
Chris Welsh
Is the advice and we will try to help. We're going to talk about Bucky Irving, Erickson. How are we still holding up? Erickson and I are in Sitgate here making it through for this week. Are you ready for running backs.
- [02:17]
Andrew Erickson
Let's do it.
- [02:17]
Chris Welsh
All right. Let's do it. Nothing else. All right. If you guys want to follow along fantasybros.com rankings you can follow along all week long up until kickoff as the rankings will continuously change. But if you want, you know, knowing that there might be a little bit of difference in what we talk about when we're doing this versus where you're@ fantasyprose.com rankings to follow it all. Big board time for the running backs. Week 13 Top 12 Jameer Gibbs comes in at number one, followed by Christian McCaffrey who by the way has got Cleveland the worst. A one star matchup and he's number two this week. Jonathan Taylor, Devon Ain Chan, Bijan Robinson and Derrick Henry. That is your top six, seven through 12. James Cook, Chase Brown, Saquon Barkley, Treveon Henderson, Kyron Williams and Ashton Genty. So what questions can we possibly pop up when we are getting into this wide or this running back one range? You know, are there really questions to be had? How about Saquon Barkley in the overall production? Bad week last week. Fumble city. Great matchup. This week is a four star matchup according to fantasy pros. He's got the Bears. He comes in at number nine. You guys are close in proximity to the rankings. Fitzy, you got him at 9. Erickson, you got him at 10. Fitzy, why don't you talk to us about Saquon Barkley because I feel like he has been teetering into this range where it's like maybe he's not a must start anymore. This ma. If this were the Browns, by the way, if he had the Christian McCaffrey matchup, kind of think Saquon would be outside the top 12 and maybe even teetering into the 15, so people might consider benching him. The matchup is really hard to not play him though.
- [03:48]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Yeah, in guillotine leagues maybe you could think about not starting him when it's down to just a few teams left and everyone's team is an all star team. So I want to rank Barkley higher than low end running back one against a Bears defense that was missing all of its starting linebackers last week. All of them, and gave up 227 yards from Scrooge to the Pittsburgh running back combo of Jalen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. But man, the Eagles running game is just not working and having Lane Johnson hurt doesn't help at all. Saquon is averaging 3.7 yards per carry this season, just 2.8 yards per carry over his last three games that did include some tough matchups against the packers and Lions. But last week, Saquon had 10 carries for 22 yards against the Cowboys, whose run defense is better since the Quinn and Williams deal. But come on. So yeah, it just, it hasn't been great for Barkley. At least they're getting him a little bit involved as a pass catcher. But I just don't know if there's top five upside here.
- [04:54]
Chris Welsh
Erickson. There's a little bit. I mean, you're kind of the anti Barkley guy here, but there's, there's that little narrative you can paint if you would like that, you know, you come off of this really bad game, inefficient fumble that you want to come out against a team that gave up that amount of yards and you want to bury them with Saquon. You want Saquon to make a statement coming off of that. That's a narrative that you can paint. Unfortunately, it really hasn't been something we've seen a lot out of Saquon. So you've got them at 10, you got them in the same range. What is your, what's your vibe around Saquon for this week?
- [05:23]
Andrew Erickson
He's a volume play, right? Gets a lot of carries. That's kind of it. And that's why I have him as a low end RB1. He's had good matchups before and he hasn't delivered top five type of upside because that's just not him this year. Like last year was a really special season for Saquon Barkley and this is just a reminder that it's really hard to repeat these super special seasons year to year, especially when you're coming off the amount of volume that Barkley had last season. So look, you're starting him still top 10 running back and matchup is divine against the Bears, but is he going to win you your week? I think the sample size of this year says no. He's going to be solid, maybe 15, 20 points. Good, good effort. But not the same guys last year as a rusher running back ones.
- [06:03]
Chris Welsh
When we're talking about these, these are kind of vibe checks, you know, because they are RB1. So it's like what is the general consensus around the other one we'll talk about is Trayvon Henderson. So Ramondra came back. The fear was instilled in some of us and it was kind of all for not we saw volume. I think it was 21 touches overall for Trayvon looked good. Ramon Dre got some, you know, snap Usage. I think it was like half of what Trayvon did and he was out there. This matchup this week is phenomenal against the Giants. The Giants are a team that you want to play against. Your running back just had volume when the other guy came back. All systems seem to be really positive in a go though to me there's like a little Mike Vrabel on my shoulder that's just like Ramondre, you know, like it's going to happen. Like I feel like it can go out there, but it was kind of killed for this past week. So you guys both have him Travion better than the RB10 ECR. Erickson, why don't we start with you? What's your overall? It's the vibe check again around Trayvon for this week.
- [07:03]
Andrew Erickson
So Trayvon got compared to a certain running back that just played the New York Giants coming out of Ohio State. His name is Jameer Gibbs and he's still running for more yards against the New York Giants. Who's got more juice, Saquon Barkley or Trayvon Henderson? Yeah, Travy Henderson. That's why I'm starting him over Saquon.
- [07:19]
Chris Welsh
I love it. Fitzy, what do you think? Travion Henderson? Are you the same? Are you going to start Travion over Barkley?
- [07:25]
Pat Fitzmaurice
I have hemmed and hawed about this. They're next to each other in my rankings right now. I've got Barkley ranked higher because I if we know that maybe even just one of the Bears missing linebackers is coming back this week, that'll be enough for me to push Barkley below Travion Henderson. The only thing is that I think Ramon Ray Stevenson could eat into Henderson's workload more than anyone is going to eat into Barkley's workload. And now we didn't really see Henderson take a big bite out of it last week, but maybe it was just kind of a ramp up game for Stevenson. I don't want to freak out the Trayvon Henderson investors. There's no way we're going back to the old arrangement where it's like Ramond Ray playing ahead of Travion Henderson. But it's possible he could be a stone in your shoe if you have Trayvon Henderson, the stone in the shoes.
- [08:15]
Chris Welsh
A perfect example that that is exactly what Raman Dre is for sure. All right, those are like again a couple vibe check on the RB1. So let's go to RB2s where there are some bigger questions. The big board is 13 through 24. Starts with Josh Jacobs Trayvon or Travis et en Rico Dowdle, Breece Hall, Javante Williams, Jalen Warren. At 19 is RJ Harve, Bucky Irving, Quinch on Jutkins, Kareem Hunt, Ken Walker and Woody Marks. About Travis Etienne there was so much discussion of like Tootin versus ETN and non contact jerseys and who's practicing all week long and then it ended up being a lot of Travis ET and some of that may have been to Tutin's health as well, especially on the snap counts. He comes in as ECR14. He has the best matchup grade. It is a five star matchup rating according to fantasy pros. No one else in this range has that and Fitzyou've got him at 12. Erickson you've got him at 16. So you guys a little bit on opposite ends between RB1 and RB2. So Fitzy why don't you kick off the positive front here. You've got him as a starter. So what do you think about ETN this week?
- [09:21]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Well you mentioned how good the matchup is. He gets the Titans who are giving up the I think sixth most fantasy points per game to running backs. ETN has just been really good for the entire month of November. He's RB6 in half point PPR fantasy points per game for the month. I think the concern with ETN earlier this year was that his value was too touchdown dependent and ETN has scored four touchdowns in November. But Travis ETN is also averaging 20.5 touches and 95.3 scrimmage yards per game this month. So we're getting the volume we love the matchup and you know, even though there was a little bit of a Bay Shaltin uprising a couple weeks ago, I think we have seen now that Travis Etienne is the lead running back in Jacksonville.
- [10:08]
Chris Welsh
Erickson, are you no longer toot toot in the horn and are you on the Travis ETIEN train?
- [10:14]
Andrew Erickson
Not entirely getting off the the Tutin tugboat horn because last week was really weird, right? Both guys were dealing with injuries. One guy's in the non contact in Jersey, the other guy's not. Who's healthy, who's not. So I kind of felt like I was a little bit bamboozled where you know, Tutin was taking over the backfield two weeks ago and then they go right back to ETN. So are we so like 100 confident? Nope. It's gonna be ETN no matter what. Like I'm just pressing pause a little bit there. They like to use both backs. They like to use Toot Especially around the goal line. So, look, I think that ETN's got 915, so you're still starting him confidently. I do get some reservations with this Jaguars team playing on the road in a divisional game. Talking about, like, who's gonna lay an egg this week? The Jacksonville. Would anyone be surprised if they go to Tennessee and Trevor Lawrence craps the bed? Like, that's kind of like where I'm like, okay, let's not get over our skis here. Because no team plays more volatile than the Jaguars week to week. Like, I never bet on their games because I don't know what team's gonna show up. So just the optics of going on the road against a Titans team that's played better. Cam War has been playing much better over the last couple weeks. So that's the only reason I'm not as high as ecr, but still a very strong start. But it would not surprise me if Tutin get another weak remove from the ankle injury if he does get a little bit more run.
- [11:32]
Chris Welsh
This is one that I was a little surprised about. It's the RJ Harvey ranking. He comes in as the 19th running back on ECR and both of you are lower than consensus on him. So that one kind of took me back. Washington, this is a solid matchup. Obviously, like, the passing side of the game is a real big benefit, but this team is. They're going to run the ball. Fitzy at 21, Erickson at 22. Erickson, why don't you kick it off? Why not so high on RJ Harvey this week?
- [12:00]
Andrew Erickson
It's not that I'm not high. I mean, still haven't ranked as a top 24 running back. Just a matter of. Okay, how are the Broncos going to attack this commander's defense? We know that you can throw really easily on the commanders. Harvey is the starter with J.K. dobbins out, and we saw him have pretty encouraging usage, 61% of the snaps in the first gameplay without JK Dobbins. But we know that Sean McVeigh, or excuse me, Sean Payton, likes to use multiple backs even in that game. Jillian McLaughlin scored a rushing touchdown. Now, they didn't play that many snaps, him and Tyler Bidet. So I do believe that it's going to be Harvey as the main guy. So it's really just I just like a couple other guys a little bit more than him. Maybe Rico Dowdle is a player that I could potentially move down a little bit more behind RJ Harvey because he's kind of fallen off pretty substantially. Over the last couple games they're using Chuba Hubbard a little bit more which I don't like in the Panthers offense is just I think taking a step back a little bit so maybe I can move him up a little bit there. But still only one game sample size of Harvey kind of being the guy and it was you know, underwhelming in a tougher matchup.
- [13:03]
Chris Welsh
Fitzy same thing. I definitely underwhelming I agree but you know kind of the dog in town and it's just a bad overall defense. I do think the being able to attack them in the passing game is like a pretty solid narrative, but I think there's also going to be be involved in the receiving game. So why do you hate RJ Harvey even though you're one spot higher than Erickson? Why do you hate him?
- [13:25]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Yeah so when we last saw the Broncos before their Week 12 by Harvey did have a season high 61% Snapchat against the Chiefs didn't really work out. He had 11 carries for 30 yards, three catches for 20 yards. Just sort of a tough matchup and now much better matchup against the Commanders. They're along the fourth most fantasy points per game to running backs. Commanders have given up the fifth most rushing yards, the 11th most receiving yards to running backs. But Erickson sort of said it. Sean Payton is a he's not a one running back kind of guy. So 61% for a Snapchat is probably the ceiling or close to it for RJ Harvey. We will see Julian McLaughlin. We will see Tyler Bidet. Maybe they do let Bo Nix try to get right in this matchup against the worst pass defense in the league and go with a throw Heavy approach.
- [14:16]
Fantasy Pros Announcer
When it comes to managing your money, you've got to think like a fantasy gm. It's all about making smart moves. That's where the Klarna card comes in. It's like that perfect waiver wire pickup for your everyday finances. You can pay in full now or plan ahead to pay later so you stay flexible and always in control of your budget. It's your debit card upgraded, no credit impact to apply, no annual fees and it works anywhere. Visa is accepted. Think of it as a game winning play for your everyday finances. Sign up for the Klarna card by downloading the Klarna app or learn more@klarna.com US Klarna card and take control of your purchases your way Klarna Card Pay later Plans issued by Webbank Deposits in your balance account are held at Webbank member FDIC anywhere VISA is accepted, certain merchant product good and service restrictions apply. Some merchants do not accept virtual cards, physical card only included with a paid Klarna membership plan.
- [15:12]
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lilly, A medicine company.
- [15:51]
Fishing Booker Advertiser
Let me tell you about the easiest catch you'll ever make. Fishingbooker.com I'm talking about top rated fishing guides across the world ready to put you on the fish of your dreams. No more guessing if you've picked the right captain. FishingBooker has verified reviews, seamless booking and 247 support. Honestly, the hardest part will be deciding which guide to choose. Whether it's the thrill of reeling in a monster fish, the proud smile on your kid's face after their first catch, or the peace of watching the sun rise over the water, Fishing Booker makes it all happen These aren't just daydreams, they're your weekend plans. And here's the kicker. Fishing Booker's loyalty program hooks you up with sweet discounts after every trip. How's that for a perfect catch? Visit fishingbooker.com and book your trip today.
- [16:34]
Chris Welsh
All right, let's go to our injured running back section of the RV2. So let's start with Bucky Irving who comes in with an ECR of 21. You guys are both ranking him higher. So this is I assume, just the assumption that he is healthy. I'm guessing there's a little bit of like a not. I don't want to call it a three headed monster, but the knowledge that like Bucky Irving is not going to be unleashed here because you guys do have him ranked higher than ECR, but it's respectively like high teens. Fitzy at 18, Erickson at 17. So Fitzy, why don't you just kick us off here with your thoughts on Bucky Irving's ability to play this week and what you think the volume is going to be as a, you know, late teens ranked running back.
- [17:14]
Pat Fitzmaurice
I think he's a terrific player. I want to be above consensus on him. The Cardinals are a pretty good matchup. Buccaneers have a very good offensive line. I know the quarterback situation maybe with Teddy Bridgewater diminishes the touchdown outlook a little bit. But it also might mean that the Buccaneers run the offense through their running backs more than they normally would. So it's possible this is a ramp up week for Bucky Irving and he's capped at 10 to 12 touches. In which case maybe a mid range RB2 ranking is a little aggressive for him. But I mean like it's not on the merits. Bucky Irving is just way better than Rashad White and I know a lot of people are falling head over heels for Sean Tucker. Buck Bucky Irving's way better than Sean Tucker too. So if he's healthy enough to carry the load, he's going to carry a heavy load unless they want to be really conservative with him. But I don't know if the Buccaneers really have the luxury of being conservative since they're fighting for their playoff lives.
- [18:16]
Chris Welsh
Erickson, same question on Bucky. I'd assume the snap should be a little bit smaller, but the percentage of the snaps that he's out there, like he should touch the ball, don't be. I would imagine you wouldn't even be surprised if he got like 15, 16 touches in this game, even if the snap count is low. And that probably has to be built in a little bit to like the range of how you have him ranked.
- [18:36]
Andrew Erickson
I think the upside is just too great to try to leave him on your bench. Would anybody be surprised? Against the Arizona Cardinals, Walter Nolan just got hurt again. He's a top five running back if he gets the work. So I'm not going to pretend I have a crystal ball and I know exactly how the Buccaneers are going to deploy Bucky Irving. But what I do know based on what Todd Moles has talked about is they're going to ride the hot hand. So if Bucky Irving plays, starts cooking, that boy's gonna eat. Like I feel very confident. So he is a swing for the fences type of play. Again, playing anybody off an injury is always going to carry a significant risk. You get the Ricky Pierce all thing where you play. Oh literally does nothing. So that's something that you need to evaluate on your own roster and you say can I stomach. Oh my God. It was a ramp up period and they didn't. They gave him the Chris Godwin treatment and he was a total bust. But on the flip side of the coin, he can be a top five running back this week. And considering You've made it this far without using Bucky Irving. You may have some other options. I think it. I think it's hard pressed to find a better upside option this week than Bucky Irving on your roster. You want to start Bucky Irving or Justin Jefferson?
- [19:41]
Chris Welsh
I mean, I know what you're saying, but, like, when you say it immediately, I want to say Justin Jefferson, but you don't.
- [19:48]
Andrew Erickson
Because one guy has a top five ceiling and one guy does it.
- [19:50]
Chris Welsh
I know, I know, I know. I'm just saying, like, my instant reaction was like, well, Jefferson. But to your point, Jefferson with the backup quarterback. I know. It is Bucky. It is Bucky. But I wanted to say Jefferson, chase that ceiling. All right. The other one, Quinton Judkins, got banged up in this last game. We saw a bit of Sampson. He's ECR 21. It's a favorable matchup against the 49ers, but I think there's a injury tag that has maybe his rank being a little bit timid. And you guys are on opposite ends here a bit. Fitzy, you're like, one spot lower than consensus. Erickson, you're quite a few spots higher than consensus. So, Erickson, why don't you kick off your positive take on Quinshon Judkins.
- [20:31]
Andrew Erickson
I still think it's a pretty good matchup against the 49ers. I still don't think that their defense is this super formidable unit because of all the injuries that they've had. Now, that being said, he is banged up. Dylan Sampson got more involved, and he got some positive coach speak, per the coach speak index. After the game they were talking about, yeah, we really like Dylan Sampson. Like, we want to get him more involved. So that's always a concern, especially if they run into a situation where if the 49ers are playing in a positive game script. Is Judkins on the field catching passes? Probably not. So I think that he does come with a bit of a scarier floor. But, I mean, this guy is everything they want to do in the red zone. Like, that's direct snaps to Judkins. It's.
- [21:08]
Pat Fitzmaurice
We're not throwing the ball.
- [21:09]
Andrew Erickson
We're just giving the ball to Judkins. He scored two rushing touchdowns last week, so I'm trying to capture that. But I do admit, like, seeing him in my chair, it's like, Dowdle Jalen, Warren, Harvey marks. Like, I feel like I could probably shift him around a little bit, probably bring him down a little bit closer to where the ECR is. Like, Harvey versus Judkins. Like when I look at it again it's like maybe I would actually want Harvey over Judkins because Harvey has more of a three down skill set regardless of the game script. Where Judkins again? I was lower on Judkins last week and I was wrong because he ended up scoring two rushing touchdowns. But you know, maybe this isn't as favorable as a spot. Although the Browns are at home so I don't know. Like what do you think? I mean you're lower on Judkins fit. So why, why is that?
- [21:50]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Well, it's hard to rank the guys who are so touchdown dependent like last year, remember trying to rank Nick Westbrook Akina when he was scoring a touchdown every week on like two targets and just like how can I keep burying this guy in the rankings when he is getting into the end zone every week. Obviously Judkins a better usage outlook than Nick Westbrook Akini had last year but still Judkins has been really touchdown dependent. He had two last week. He has seven touchdowns in 10 games this season but he's kind of scored them in bunches. He had that three touchdown game against the Dolphins and the bad weather in Cleveland like a month ago and then two against the Raiders last week. So. But since week six, Quinshawn Judkins is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and has caught five passes for eight yards. That's the downside we're looking at here and we know the Browns are not really a very potent offense.
- [22:44]
Chris Welsh
All right, running back threes or the 25 through 36 is coming up. But first, dominate your fantasy football league with Fantasy Pros Premium. The playoffs are almost here and guess what? You can get available free six months when you deposit and place your first wager on our partner sportsbooks. That is the Fantasy Pros Premium product when you do so and it can carry you through the playoffs. This is the easiest way to get full access to our fantasy tools all season long and into the off season when you're getting into drafts and everything. So go to fantasypros.com premium to get started today. Our running backs 25 through 36. It starts with Aaron Jones, DeAndre Swift, Tyrone Tracy, Kenny Gainwell, Kymani Vidal, David Montgomery at 30, Kyle Manag at 31, Devin Neal, Bashel Tutin, Zach Charbonnet, Chris Rodriguez and Sean tucker. How about DeAndre Swift? How about DeAndre Swift versus Manangai? Manangai keeps getting those rushing touchdowns Swift kind of taken out of the game script. He is ECR 26 Fitzy you've got him at 26. Erickson, you have buried him at 33. Fitzy, why don't you take the positive run and I'd love to get your take on him versus Kyle Menangai. FYI, this is a bad matchup against Philly added into all of this.
- [23:57]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Yeah, it is a bad matchup for sure. So I've got Swift running back 26 and Manangai running back 33. It's getting hard to get a read on the Bears backfield. One week it seems like Swift is the guy. The next week it seems like it's a split backfield with Swift and Manangai sort of sharing the work. Swift has been a little banged up but it was still pretty alarming for Swift stakeholders that Manangai out snapped Swift 35 to 29 last week and the Bears went over the Steelers. That was pretty close throughout so you couldn't chalk it up to game script. Like the Bears weren't sitting on a big lead or anything like that. And now as you said Welsh, really tough matchup against the Eagles and if it's close to a 5050 backfield split again, me ranking Swift as A high end RB3 is probably too high and I'm just betting that it mostly goes back to Swift or at least Swift in the lead and Manangai sort of in relief. Maybe he's the goal line guy.
- [24:59]
Chris Welsh
Yeah, that's the only problem I think kind of exists with this one. Erickson, you are on. The negative is I feel like there's a lot of like if and buts and candies and nuts and we'd all have a Merry Christmas type of situation with him. With this situation of Swift vs Manangai and Managa is kind of proven to be more of the the touchdown equity. You know, if he's going to be more of the goal line guy this is a bad matchup. If I'm going to bet on one of these two, especially after the touches this last week and the goal line I feel like I would actually have Manangai higher than Swift. But if you think they're going to be playing for behind Swift is more more of a usage in the receiving game. But I'm just kind of spouting out here Erickson, you got him at 33 so you're really down on Swift. Are you Manon guy over Swift in this situation or don't give me any of them.
- [25:44]
Andrew Erickson
I am fade Bears backfield don't want either piece of this. We can get by with committee backfields in Good matchups. See Steelers facing the Bills star Kenneth Ganville this week. Fade the Bears backfield into oblivion. I cannot trust DeAndre Swift after he fumbled last week because Ben John like what's going to happen? Ben Johnson gave him two carries after he fumbled last week. This is the issue with Swift. He, he does this every single year. He plays really well for like a six week stretch. We're all convinced. All right, DeAndre Swift, he's back, he's catching passes, he looks explosive. And then when the matchups get tougher, he starts fumbling the ball. They use other guys in the red zone. To your point, who's more likely to score a touchdown? Again, if we pull up the betting pros odds, who has the better odds of scoring a touchdown, it's probably going to be Kyle Manunga. Minus 110 Kyle Manunga to score a touchdown. And DeAndre Schiff's probably plus money would not make either bet this week because I don't like the matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. So I think that this is a pretty easy fade. That's why I have outside my top 32 running backs because it's split work. No volume that you can rely on. Yeah, maybe you can buy into the game script with Swift catching more passes, but I mean that wasn't the case last week. So again, the game script was a little bit different. But mangai is also eating into some of Swift's routes. That's been true the last two weeks. So look, I have been the number one Swift fader basically all season long and at times it's looked really, really bad. But down this stretch, with the upcoming matchups for the Bears, Swift is going to be a very tough click the rest of the way with these really tough Bears schedule.
- [27:10]
Chris Welsh
You mentioned him, Kenny Gainwell. Kenny Gainwell comes in at 28 on ECR. Fitz, you got him at 27. Erickson, you have him at 24. You said start Ken Gainwell. So tell us about why we're starting Kenny Gainwell.
- [27:23]
Andrew Erickson
See Buffalo Bills run defense that just gets absolutely gashed. I mean even the Texans who can't run on anybody. Woody Marks puts up a career high in rushing yards and would have had a much better day if he could just find his way to get into the freaking end zone. But Kenneth Gainwell, look, he has a standalone role alongside Jalen Warren. Kenneth Gainwell started last week. Now that may have been because Jalen Warren was coming off of that injury Again, they're going to both use both guys. And the thing with Kenneth Gainwell is he's the receiving back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and with whether it's Mason Rudolph or Aaron Rodgers, they have no interest in throwing the ball downfield. They're like, where's Kenny G? I want to check it down to my guy. And that just gives him so much of that, just gives him such a high floor, especially in half PPR and full ppr. So he should have scored a touchdown last week had he not got rolled down at like the 1 inch yard line and Warren ended up scoring the touchdown. So look man, I liked Kenneth Gainwell a couple of years ago when he was on the Eagles and I thought he was going to take over the RB1 role and then he got hurt and then Swift kind of took the job. But right now it's like rest of season give me Kenneth Gainwell over Swift.
- [28:27]
Chris Welsh
I only had the MASH theme in my head, by the way. I don't know what Kenny G actually plays, but that was the trumpet. Kenny gainwell for you Mr. Pat Fitz Morris, are you as a positive take that. He's a must start.
- [28:40]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Yeah, I'm pretty positive. Not as bullish as Erickson because I just, I didn't want to go overboard with the gain while ranking after he had such a nice day against a Bears defense that was playing without all of its linebackers. But Gainwell has been getting a solid amount of work. Erickson mentioned the dual run catch usage and he does have another pretty favorable matchup against the Bills this week. So I'm on board. I might have to move him up a bit.
- [29:06]
Chris Welsh
All right, final one that we're going to hit. This was the popular waiver pick. It is Devin Neal. He is ECR 30. You guys are both higher on consensus 30 and 28. Obviously Camara's injury status is up in question kind of. Regardless, Neil looks like he's putting in a good positive spot, but he could be the guy. So Fitzy, what do you think about Devin neal for week 13?
- [29:27]
Pat Fitzmaurice
So it's interesting with with Camara having the sprain MCL and Kendra Miller out for the year, Devin Neal is basically the only man left standing in the New Orleans backfield. It's probably going to be Broncos cast off Odric estimate backing up Neil this week, but it is possible the number one running back in New Orleans is Taysom Hill. And Taysom Hill did have A team high 10 carries for the Saints last week. Devin Neal had seven. So talk about stones and shoes for all the people who go out and spend a bunch of fat money On Devin Neal this week, Taysom Hill is a potential stone in your shoe.
- [30:05]
Chris Welsh
Oh, Erickson heard Taysom Hill and he just got activated. Are you activated into the world of Taysom Hill this week or are you more leaning into Devin Hill?
- [30:13]
Pat Fitzmaurice
Taysom Hill gets people so angry. So I'm, I'm prepping myself for a good rant here.
- [30:17]
Andrew Erickson
No, I, I was on beyond tilt because I had anytime touchdown Taysom Hill bed, and the guy gets like 1000 opportunities to score, doesn't find the end zone. One time, I'm like, I get the notification, Camaro's out. I'm like, dude, this is the perfect run out. Like Taysom Hill is going to score. And then he does, like everything in his power not to find the end zone. So extremely tilting because now his odds are going to be again minus 110 Taysom Hill and 10 touchdown. That sucks. Not fun. But we'll get more into that in the tight end show. Devin Neal, I think, yes, it's going to be a dual backfield between Taysom Hill and Neil as terms of carries, but terms of targets out of the backfield, Devin Neal, like, he's the guy. So I like that in full ppr, especially if they're playing on the road at the Dolphins. You know, Miami's defense has been better the last couple weeks. We have seen them giving up some big games to running backs. I wouldn't necessarily bank on that just because the Saints aren't an offense that necessarily takes advantage of, you know, soft matchups. But that being said, if these Saints find themselves trailing, then I think you're going to see a lot of Devin Neal catching passes out of the backfield. Last week he had seven targets. I believe he had seven targets. 16% target share, five catches for 43 yards. He ran over 30 routes, so I like that a lot. From a pass catching standpoint, he played 74% of the snap. So although Taysom Hill, yes, probably going to be a thorn in the side of Devin Neal, especially in the red zone. Hey, maybe we could have our cake and eat it.
- [31:35]
Fishing Booker Advertiser
True.
- [31:36]
Andrew Erickson
Taysom Hill passing touchdown to Devin Neal. Everyone's happy. That's what I bet you on cake.
- [31:42]
Chris Welsh
Or pie for this holiday weekend. All right, there you go. That is your week 13 running back ranks. You guys want more? Go to fantasypros.com rankings. As always, you can check out as the consensus rankers pop in, the rankings will kind of move around all the way until kickoff. You can check that, make sure you're logged in on everything on the fantasy pros app to get you prepped. And just make sure you're subscribed on the YouTube, the Twitch and the podcast for any of the latest holiday schedules. Make things a little bit wonky here, but make sure you get notified if you're following all of those apps. For all the content that we have. For Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice, I'm Chris Welsh. You guys have a fantastic one and we will talk to you next time right here on Fantasy Pros.
- [32:20]
Fantasy Pros Announcer
Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on apple podcasts@fantasypros.com review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Amount, Instagram and Tik Tok at Fantasy Pros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasypros.
- [33:02]
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me.
- [33:04]
Andrew Erickson
Something and this is West Wilson and.
- [33:06]
Chris Welsh
We are partnered with Arby's.
- [33:08]
Sophie Cunningham
West, you already know I'm obsessed with those steak nuggets. They've been flying off the menu. It's honestly one of Arby's biggest hits in years and everyone's been talking about it.
- [33:17]
Andrew Erickson
Yeah, the hype is real, but they're not stopping there. Arby's just dropped their next heavy hitter, the deep fried turkey sandwich lineup.
- [33:23]
Sophie Cunningham
My favorite, the Gobbler. It's basically Thanksgiving between two buns. Ooh, I like that cornbread stuffing, cranberry spread, crispy onions and that juicy deep fried turkey.
- [33:34]
Andrew Erickson
It's holiday energy in sandwich form.
- [33:37]
Sophie Cunningham
It's available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last.
- [33:41]
Fantasy Pros Announcer
When managing your money, think like a fantasy gm. Make smart moves. The Klarna Card is your debit card upgraded. Pay in full now or plan ahead. Stay in control with zero credit impact. To apply and accepted anywhere Visa is Sign up for the Klarna Card by downloading the Klarna app or learn more@klarna.com US Klarna card and take control of your purchases your way. Klarna Card Pay later Plans issued by Webbank Deposits in your balance account are held at Webbank Member FDIC anywhere. Visa is accepted. Certain merchant product good and service restrictions apply. Some merchants do not accept virtual cards. Physical card only included with a paid Klarna membership plan. Lets get something straight not all whiskey is bourbon and not all bourbon is Wild Turkey. Though if you ask me, it probably should be. Born in Kentucky, made in America and enjoyed all over the world, Wild Turkey has made its pre prohibition style Kentucky Straight bourbon one way, the right way, for over a hundred years. And the result? Well, we like to think it speaks for itself. Wild Turkey Bourbon. Trust your spirit. Copyright 2025 Campari America, New York, NY. Never compromise. Drink responsibly.
- [34:54]
Pat Fitzmaurice
This is an I heart podcast.
- [34:57]
Fantasy Pros Announcer
Guaranteed human.