Week 6 Did Little to Solve Shortage of Good Fantasy Running Backs

Kenyan Drake had a big game, but Eno Benjamin and Darrell Henderson failed to meet expectations.

We’re six weeks into the 2022 NFL season, and if your fantasy squad is thin at running back … sorry, you’re in trouble. Between bye weeks, injuries and the dreaded running-back-by-committees, there are very few options to add any value to the position.

Week 6 was an opportunity for fantasy managers to make some waves. With Cardinals running backs James Conner and Darrel Williams both out Sunday against the Seahawks, raise your hand if you scooped up Eno Benjamin and thought he would have a solid outing (yup, you and me both). Benjamin finished as the RB20. He got 15 carries but only produced 37 yards, adding three receptions for 28 yards. The Cardinals have a quick turnaround, hosting New Orleans on Thursday night, so there’s no guarantee that Conner and Williams will be back in time. But Benjamin did nothing to instill confidence that he’s much more than a third-string running back.

So where can we look to find new blood at the position? With the news that Cam Akers is likely on his way out in Los Angeles, fantasy managers got excited about the prospects for Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. The results? Henderson had 12 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown. He added two receptions for nine yards, finishing as the RB15 for the week. Meh.

The Falcons are still trying to figure out a plan at running back with Cordarrelle Patterson out for at least another two weeks. A positive game script against the 49ers Sunday allowed both Caleb Huntley and Tyler Allgeier to get double-digit carries, though neither was overly impressive. Huntley had 16 carries for 59 yards; Allgeier had 15 carries for 51 yards. More troubling: While Patterson’s greatest value is as a receiver out of the backfield, Huntley and Allgeier had a combined zero targets.

Perhaps you’re waiting for the Panthers to trade Christian McCaffrey, looking to pounce on Carolina’s next RB1. Nothing in Week 6 makes you feel good about that idea. While McCaffrey still got the bulk of the action Sunday, D’Onta Foreman had five carries for 19 yards, while Chuba Hubbard had two carries for six yards. No reason to think either of those players will have any value going forward, even if McCaffrey is moved.

Actually, the highest-scoring running back for Week 6 was a little-known, third-string back: With Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines both inactive for the Colts, Deon Jackson racked up 28.1 fantasy points. He had 12 carries for a modest 42 yards and one touchdown, but he added 10 receptions for 79 yards. The problem is that Taylor and Hines are both due back next week, so Jackson isn’t the answer.

Kenyan Drake was the RB6 in Week 6, rushing for 119 yards and a score :: Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports

That leaves one Week 6 surprise that will be a popular waiver wire target: Ravens running back Kenyan Drake was the RB6 this week. With J.K. Dobbins suffering a knee injury, Drake had 10 carries for 119 yards and one touchdown in a loss to the Giants. The knee tightness that Dobbins suffered may not be a long-term issue, but the bottom line is that Dobbins has not been the breakout star some fantasy managers were expecting after he missed all of last season with the ACL injury. That injury has contributed to his slow start in 2022. And as careful as the Ravens have been with Dobbins, they will certainly not rush to get him back on the field.

So, to repeat: If you are thin at running back at this stage in the season, you’re in trouble. Maybe Drake offers some value at the position, but few other available players do. If you’ve got some good depth at receiver, your best bet is trading for an established back.