FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: Week 8 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings & Tiers: Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts (Ep. 1791)

Release Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: Chris Welsh, Pat Fitzmaurice (“Fitzy”), Andrew Erickson

Episode Overview

In this Week 8 episode, the FantasyPros team dives into the running back landscape amidst a severe “bipocalypse,” with six teams on bye. The trio discusses RB rankings, key players to target or avoid, tier breakdowns, and the challenging start/sit decisions facing fantasy managers. The hosts analyze the current usage and upcoming matchups for over 30 running backs—highlighting both their confidence plays and the “purgatory” tier filled with committee backs and risky flexes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Bipocalypse: Setting the Stage

• This week features six teams on bye, making RB decisions especially tough and thinning the viable startable options, particularly for RB2/3 slots.
  • Chris Welsh: “This is going to be a rough decision-making thing where we’re going to have a hard time looking ourselves in the eye for some of the starts that we’re going to make.” [00:54]

Top 12 Running Backs for Week 8

Consensus Top Tier:

1. Bijan Robinson vs. Dolphins
2. Jonathan Taylor
3. Christian McCaffrey

Other notables in the top 12 include Josh Jacobs, Devon Achane, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Rashad White, Quinchon Judkins, and Cam Skattebo.

Rashad White Debate (TB) – RB10

• Pat (RB17): Lower on White due to efficiency concerns.
  • “He’s at the bottom of that tier for me because I think he’s a worse runner than all the other guys on that tier… 3.8 [YPC] for his career. I just… think they’re all better runners.” [03:53]
• Erickson (RB11): Loves White's snap count and high floor, calls him “game script proof.”
  • “90% snapshare, that’s one of the highest in the NFL among any running back… That gives Rashad White a super high floor.” [05:09]
  • “This year among all running backs, Rashad White is No.1 in rushing success rate.”
• Welsh: “He’s also running like he is going into free agency next year, which he is.” [06:46]

Quinchon Judkins (RB11 Consensus) – A Divide

• Erickson (RB17): Cautious due to a tough Patriots matchup.
  • “Patriots defense… third in run defense, sixth fewest points allowed to running backs… If [Judkins] doesn’t score, you’re left with 60 rushing yards, maybe a catch here or there, and I think that you're feeling a little disappointed. So that’s why I’m lower.” [08:42]
• Pat (RB10): Believes Judkins is matchup-proof.
  • “Judkins is a star. Rashad White is just a guy. It’s kind of that simple… He has had tough matchups before… 94 yards and a TD against the Packers.” [10:08]

RB2 Range (RB13–24): The “Meat” Tier

Chase Brown (CIN) – RB16

• Pat (RB14): “I’m buying into Chase Brown because I’m willing to buy into the offensive environment in Cincinnati with Joe Flacco at quarterback.” [13:06]
• Erickson (RB16): “This is a prime spot for Chase Brown… Bengals are favored at home… I think we actually will see Chase Brown push his carries north of 13, 14 or even 15.” [14:55]

Carolina Panthers Backfield (Rico Dowdle & Chuba Hubbard)

• Rico Dowdle (RB18): More efficient; both hosts slightly lower than consensus due to split usage.
  • Erickson: “Yes, and that’s because Rico has been the more efficient of the two… you sometimes just gotta start both guys and just hope they can rip off enough explosive plays.” [17:24]
  • Pat (Rico RB20, Chuba RB26): “It is a timeshare in Carolina… this is a 50:50 backfield.” [19:00]

Kamani Vidal (LAC) – RB21

• Erickson (RB18): “He has a ton of touchdown equity attached to the Chargers offense… With all the red zone equity with catches out of the backfield, the usage is just too good…” [21:24]
• Pat (RB22): Puts Vidal in his “purgatory” tier due to Greg Roman’s pass-first offense and uncertain workload.
  • “I thought he was one of the hardest players to rank this week.” [23:51]

Isaiah Pacheco (KC) – RB24

• Pat (RB18): “I do feel best about him of the Purgatory backs because he reassumed the lead back role for the Chiefs two weeks ago…” [26:00]
• Erickson (RB21): “I think he’s an RB2. Again, I don’t have him at… I have him higher than ECR just because ECR… is a little low on him.” [27:09]

RB3 and Flex Tier (RB25–36): The “Purgatory” & Hail Mary Zone

Tony Pollard vs. Tyjae Spears (TEN)

• Very little faith in either RB in the Titans’ low performing offense.
  • Erickson: “I don’t want anyone on this team… I don’t want either of these guys.” [30:03]
  • Pat: “I want to rank Tajie Spears higher than Tony Pollard because Tony Pollard has been such a fantasy dullard… I just don’t want to use either guy if I can help it.” [31:45]

Kyle Monangai (CHI)

• Pat (RB29): Loves his talent, warns he’s game-script sensitive in a tough matchup.
  • “…this guy has the heart of a warrior… not big, not fast, doesn’t catch a lot of passes, but he’s just really hard to bring down.” [33:40]
• Erickson (RB26): More bullish, cites upside: “Who has more RB1 finishes this year? Monangai over Tony Pollard. He has one. Tony Pollard has zero.” [34:57]

RJ Harvey (DEN)

• Erickson (RB27): “Just pure upside play… You want pieces of this Dallas Broncos game, right? Should be a high scoring contest.” [36:27]
• Pat (RB34): “He’s a hail mary start in a deep league in a six-team bye week. That’s it.” [38:02]

Tier & Ranking Structure

Pat Fitzmaurice outlines his running back tiers:

• "Feel Good" Tier: RB1–17 (top shelf starters)
• "Purgatory" Tier: RB18–22 (Pacheco, Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Kamara, Jakory Croskey-Merritt)
• "Hail Marys": RB23 and below (uncertain volume/usage, desperate flexes)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On bipocalypse stashes:
  “There’s going to be some decisions that we’re not going to be proud about this week. This is going to be a rough decision making thing where we’re going to have a hard time looking ourselves in the eye for some of the starts that we’re going to make.” – Chris Welsh [00:54]

• On Rashad White:
  “He’s a three down workhorse… 90% snapshare, that is one of the highest in the NFL among any running back.” – Andrew Erickson [05:09]

• Judkins vs. White:
  “Judkins is a star. Rashad White is just a guy. It’s kind of that simple.” – Pat Fitzmaurice [10:08]

• RB Backfield messes:
  “It is a timeshare in Carolina now… this is a 50:50 backfield.” – Pat Fitzmaurice [19:00]

• RB3 frustrations:
  “We’re in the soup here when we’re talking about 50:50 backs on the Tennessee Titans, the worst team in the NFL.” – Pat Fitzmaurice [31:45]

Key Player “Tiers” and Fantasy Advice

Tier 1: Set-it-and-Forgets

• Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs, Devon Achane

Tier 2: Reliable RB2s (if healthy)

• Saquon Barkley, Javonte Williams, James Cook, Rashad White (debated), Quinchon Judkins (debated), Cam Skattebo

Purgatory Tier: Volume/Usage Questions

• JK Dobbins, DeAndre Swift, Chase Brown, Jaylen Warren, Kamani Vidal, Isaiah Pacheco, Rico Dowdle/Chuba Hubbard

Hail Marys or Desperation Flexes

• Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, RJ Harvey, Kyle Monangai, Burchard Smith, Isaiah Davis, Tyrone Tracy

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Week 8 RB Landscape & Bipocalypse Setup: [00:54–01:47]
• Top 12 RB Ranking Discussion: [02:30–06:46]
• Rashad White Deep Dive: [03:53–06:46]
• Judkins Debate: [06:46–11:21]
• RB2 and ‘Purgatory’ Tier Deep Dive: [12:23–26:51]
• RB3/Hail Mary Tier & Tough Calls: [28:23–38:28]

Summary Takeaways

• The “bipocalypse” and injuries have created an incredibly shallow RB pool and some hard start/sit choices. Volume and matchup are critical tiebreakers.
• Rashad White and Quinchon Judkins are each polarizing RB1 candidates depending on whether you chase matchup or prior workload/success.
• The “feel good” RB tier ends quickly—by Vidal and Pacheco, most managers will be living in purgatory or tossing Hail Marys for upside.
• Patience with committee backs is thin. Players like Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are just barely worth flex consideration.
• Emerging or “rent-a-RB” types like Kyle Monangai have actual flex upside over more recognizable but struggling names.
• Always aim for volume, passing-game involvement, and favorable matchups when forced into desperation plays.

For live advice on your specific situation, catch the hosts’ Start/Sit YouTube Live [Thursdays, 3pm Eastern].