Week 11 Rushing Matchups

[Footballguys.com]( FOOTBALLGUYS.COM INSIDER PRO CONTENT Week 11 Rushing Matchups by Justin Howe, Devin Knotts, and Keith Roberts, Exclusive to Footballguys.com Great Matchups: [[ARI](#crd)] [[BAL](#rav)] [[LAR](#ram)] Good Matchups: [[CAR](#car)] [[DAL](#dal)] [[KC](#kan)] [[OAK](#rai)] Neutral Matchups: [[DEN](#den)] [[DET](#det)] [[GB](#gnb)] [[IND](#clt)] [[SEA](#sea)] [[TB](#tam)] [[TEN](#oti)] Tough Matchups: [[ATL](#atl)] [[HOU](#htx)] [[LAC](#sdg)] [[NO](#nor)] [[NYG](#nyg)] [[PIT](#pit)] Bad Matchups: [[CHI](#chi)] [[CIN](#cin)] [[JAX](#jax)] [[MIN](#min)] [[PHI](#phi)] [[WAS](#was)] --------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE NOTE: This does NOT replace the Cheatsheet ranking. The Cheatsheet rankings are the final say on where we see a player for that week. The Matchup Breakdowns are simply one more tool in the box when it comes to helping choose your lineup. Also note, just because a player has a "bad" matchup, it does NOT mean he's not a starter in your league. If Tom Brady is playing the toughest pass defense in the league, that just means he's got a tough matchup that week. He's also your starter unless you're loaded at QB. In the same way, if the worst QB on your roster has a "great" matchup that week, it doesn't necessarily mean he's your starter. It means we think he'll fare better than normal that week. Bottom line is that the cheatsheets are the final say. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Arizona Cardinals Rushing Offense vs Oakland Raiders Rushing Defense (Great Matchup) David Johnson and this Cardinals rushing offense had their best game of the year last week as Johnson ran for 98 yards and a touchdown, averaging over four yards per rush attempt for the first time since Week 1. The change in offensive coordinator appears to finally be paying off for Johnson, as he has been more involved in two straight games, receiving over 20 carries last week for just the second time this season while also posting a season-high seven receptions. This subpar Cardinals offensive line blocked very well for Johnson last week as Johnson found positive yards on every run for the first time since Week 3. They were already without right guard Mike Iupati last week, and they may now be without left guard Justin Pugh, who suffered a knee injury last week. Iupati could be back, but regardless, this still is a well below average unit that will need a solid matchup to afford Johnson the luxury of room to run. Thankfully for the Cardinals, they get what should be a great matchup to exploit this week as they square off against a Raiders defense that is actually worse than the Cardinals run defense from a statistical perspective. The Raiders have given up the third-most total rushing yards per game and the most rushing yards to running backs through Week 10 this season. Four running backs have cracked the 100-yard mark against the Raiders while four more have rushed for at least 75 yards. The poor play from this Raiders offense helps contribute to their defense's poor stats against the run, as opposing offenses have been afforded the luxury of run-heavy game scripts to protect their leads with the Raiders scoring offense ranking third-worst in the league. They have decent interior defenders, but the weaknesses at linebacker and edge defender afford running backs a nice advantage when getting to the outside. This has been apparent on multiple occasions, with most of Melvin Gordon's runs going to the outside last week while even Raheem Mostert saw the vast majority of his yards on runs to the outside in Week 9. With David Johnson flourishing in space, he should have a big opportunity here to crack 100 rushing yards for the first time this season. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Baltimore Ravens Rushing Offense vs Cincinnati Bengals Rushing Defense (Great Matchup) After a breakout 2017, Alex Collins continues to disappoint, from both a volume and a production perspective. He hasn't lost time to injury but has still been held below 60 yards in 8 of 9 games, averaging just 3.67 per carry in the process. Some of his struggles can be blamed on the banged-up, underachieving front line, which has oddly taken a step back with Marshal Yanda reinstalled. They blew open holes for Collins for much of last year but now sits 25th in our Matt Bitonti's rankings (with a C+ run-blocking grade). Collins is still entrenched as the lead runner, but it seems clear the Ravens don't envision him as a bell cow. Before trading for explosive ex-Packer Ty Montgomery, they were consistently feeding rushes to Javorius Allen and his career 3.68 average. Montgomery should make his Baltimore debut this weekend, not only banishing Allen to deep-reserve duties but also cutting a bit into Collins' shaky workload. Also a threat, if Joe Flacco can't go, will be rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson. Collins' arrow is pointing definitively downward, even in such a cherry matchup. He managed just 35 yards the first time he faced the porous Bengals. The Bengals' porous run defense continues to rank among the NFL's worst. Running backs as a whole are producing 5.08 yards per carry in this matchup, and lead runners have topped 85 yards in each of the last 4 games. They've actually played the slump-buster role of late, allowing Frank Gore, Peyton Barber, and Mark Ingram to all snap out of funks and exceed expectations. The line is riddled with big names but underachieves against the run, and with top linebacker Vontaze Burfict out, there are exploitable holes throughout the second level. That allows even mediocre runners to poke through the line and onto green grass, and chunk runs are a common occurrence against this unit. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Los Angeles Rams Rushing Offense vs Kansas City Chiefs Rushing Defense (Great Matchup) Todd Gurley is coming off of another game in which he ran for over 100 yards as last week was his fifth-time doing that which leads the NFL this season. Gurley who has averaged 5.0 yards per carry on the season continues to be in the perfect opportunity for a talented running back as he is running behind the best offensive line in football, with a significant amount of receiving options surrounding him and a quarterback who is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Essentially it is the perfect storm for an offense to have significant success on the ground and it just so happens they have the best running back in football this year who utilizes his power and speed to perfection. The Chiefs run defense has been one that has been a roller coaster for much of the season as when they have been on, they have shut down some good running attacks such as holding Joe Mixon to just 50 yards, holding James Conner to just 17 yards, and holding Melvin Gordon to just 64 yards. The issue is that for as good as they've been at their best, when they have been bad, they have been awful as they allowed 160 yards rushing to New England, 173 yards to Denver, 136 yards to Denver, 157 yards to San Francisco, and a season-high of 98 yards last week to David Johnson. From a talent standpoint it is a unit that relies on game script to shut down the run as if teams can get past the defensive line which is above average led by Chris Jones, Justin Houston and Dee Ford, has some of the worst linebacking and safety play in the NFL while putting significant pressure on them by playing primarily a Nickel defense. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Carolina Panthers Rushing Offense at Detroit Lions Rushing Defense (Good Matchup) Christian McCaffrey has emerged as one of the NFL's most elusive players, and he's officially shed the “receiving back first” label. He left a bad taste in some fantasy mouths by averaging just 2.39 yards per rush over his first 8 NFL games, but that's a distant memory. Over his last 18, he's at 4.63, and he's routinely turning solid workloads into huge fantasy days. McCaffrey isn't big but was consistently productive at Stanford when pounding up the gut into eight-man fronts. The NFL is a different animal, of course, but he's slippery and determined enough to create room for himself on the interior and rack up yardage. He's posted 156 yards and 3 scores on the ground over the last 2 weeks, teaming with Cam Newton as a diverse and dynamic option attack. The Detroit run defense had been a massive liability for quite some time, but things changed two weeks ago when star plugger Damon Harrison was brought aboard. Harrison is a dominant run-stuffer cut loose in his prime by the rebuilding Giants. He's simply a wrecking crew routinely tying up blockers and shutting down interior runs. Between him and impressive rookie DaShawn Hand, the Lions are now an exceptionally difficult team to gash up the middle. Since Harrison's arrival, they've shut down power runners Latavius Murray (10 for 31) and Jordan Howard (11 for 21). This is still a fairly shaky unit, with subpar linebacker play that can be worked over on the second level. After all, while Murray plodded along 2 weeks ago, Dalvin Cook erupted for 89 yards on just 10 carries. But at its base, there's been a sea change that's suddenly turned this matchup into one to think about, if nothing else. This is a unit that can be beat out wide fairly easily which could set up well for McCaffrey. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Dallas Cowboys Rushing Offense at Atlanta Falcons Rushing Defense (Good Matchup) Last week, Ezekiel Elliott broke out of a 4-week mini-slump with 151 yards and 1 touchdown, needing just 19 carries to get there. And against the Eagles' imposing front, no less. Elliott has been the unquestioned engine for the Cowboys' punchless offense, averaging 92 yards a game and an elite 4.95 per rush. Even against loaded boxes that are unafraid of the Cowboys' sluggish receivers, Elliott continues to erupt through creases and dominate in the open field. Dallas' once-dominant front line has slipped a bit, even firing position coach Paul Alexander two weeks ago, but remains an upper-tier group. Elliott is dynamic enough not to need that protection as much as the average back, but it certainly helps him along. Regardless of matchup, he's an ever-present threat to chase 150 yards and find the end zone. The Falcons' injury-ravaged defense is gradually getting healthier – star tackle Grady Jarrett is back to a full snap count, and they'll get back linebacker Deion Jones this week. Jarrett is actually the most important face among this unit. Since his Week 7 return, the Falcons have shut down Saquon Barkley (14 for 43) and Adrian Peterson (9 for 17) before being shredded last week by Nick Chubb (20 for 176). Sunday's big problem was downfield tackling, and Jones should help there immediately, nudging the overmatched Duke Riley mostly off the field. The team would love to have back safety Keanu Neal, but that's not in the cards this week, so it'll be baby steps forward for this group. We've seen both the best and the worst of it lately, and Jones' return is reason for (measured) optimism. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Kansas City Chiefs Rushing Offense at Los Angeles Rams Rushing Defense (Good Matchup) Kareem Hunt continues to have a tremendous second season at the running back position as he is averaging 4.5 yards and is on pace for 1,200 yards this year. Most of Hunt's big game production has come through the passing game this season while he has yet to have a big game that we saw in 2017. The primary reason for that is that he has just two carries longer than 25 yards compared to last season where he had seven carries longer than 25 and three carries longer than 50 yards which is something that he has yet to do so far this year. The Rams are a unit that if you can get past their defensive line, you can have success as their weak spot is their linebacking play. The issue for the Rams is they continue to play Mark Barron at the linebacking position. The converted safety has struggled ever since moving over to the position and is having one of the worst seasons he has ever had often finding himself out of position. Last week, the Seahawks seemingly ran at will against this Rams team including Rashaad Penny who had a career-high 108 yards rushing. Over the last three weeks, the Rams are allowing 126 yards and 1.7 touchdowns per game which is the fifth-most yards and the most touchdowns allowed per game. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Oakland Raiders Rushing Offense at Arizona Cardinals Rushing Defense (Good Matchup) Doug Martin kept the chains moving for the Raiders with another decent performance last week. Martin has now averaged over 4.0 yards per rush attempt in three straight games since taking over for the injured Marshawn Lynch. He is the clear lead back from a rushing perspective, but given the game scripts the Raiders have got themselves into, Martin simply is not getting the touches needed to put up decent numbers. The Raiders as a team are averaging just fewer than 100 rushing yards per game now with only four rushing touchdowns on the season. It is a shame they continuously playing from behind, as they have one of the best centers in football to anchor an offensive line that excels in run protection despite their woes against the pass rush. With Jalen Richard on the field for 40-50 percent of snaps as the Raiders play catch-up, Martin's upside as a rusher will have to be capped unless he finds the end zone, which the Raiders offense has failed to do in three of their last four games. The Cardinals defense appeared to be right on par with expectations in last week's performance, giving up 118 yards and a touchdown on the ground. This defense has allowed over 100 rushing yards in all but one game this season with four running backs rushing for at least 90 yards and a touchdown against them. While the touchdowns have slowed down in recent weeks, Arizona has still allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns in the league while giving up an average of 140 rushing yards per game. The defense overall played well against one of the league's top offenses last week, but they still allowed some chunk plays on the ground despite the talent of this Cardinals defensive front. Part of the woes for this Cardinals run defense can definitely be attributed to the game scripts, as they often have been playing from behind while running backs are averaging nearly a full three rush attempts per game more against Arizona than any other defense. With the Cardinals favored at home here, the rushing attempts from Oakland certainly may be down. The Raiders have a stout run-blocking offensive line though, so if they do get rolling, Doug Martin should still be able to put up efficient numbers. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Denver Broncos Rushing Offense at Los Angeles Chargers Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) The Broncos committee of running backs should be back to full strength after their Week 10 bye, as Royce Freeman is expected to return from a two-game absence after dealing with a high ankle sprain. Freeman had had a few nice games this season, including a three-game streak of rushing touchdowns, but he has yet to turn in a huge outing due to the committee approach employed in Denver. Phillip Lindsay has had his fair share of productivity, including a couple big games in Weeks 7 and 8 with Freeman banged up in Week 7 and missing in Week 8. Lindsay is averaging 5.4 rushing yards per attempt and has outperformed fellow rookie Freeman in most instances. Devontae Booker continues to be mixed in for some percentage of snaps, but he saw his role significantly reduced in Week 7 before Freeman was sidelined, which allowed Booker to jump back to around 40 percent of the snaps. With Lindsay and Freeman expected to continue splitting the workload, this backfield will go back to one that is tough to trust for fantasy purposes--especially due to the poor play of their offensive line that just lost their starting center leading into the bye. The Chargers defense took a big hit last week with the season-ending injury to middle linebacker Denzel Perryman, their top run-defending linebacker who was having a pretty solid year despite dealing with some nagging injuries. Jatavis Brown has seen more snaps in recent weeks, but his increased play is not great for this rushing defense as he is much more of a coverage linebacker than a run-stopper. The defensive line will need to continue playing well to keep opposing running backs in check. Defensive tackle Corey Liuget is having a great year as the anchor of that unit, while Melvin Ingram is playing well from the edge both against the run and pass. The Chargers are around the league average in rushing yards allowed, but they have done a great job at limiting touchdowns with only three rushing touchdowns given up, T-2nd fewest in the league. The Broncos do not have a lot to offer in terms of run-blocking, but they have a pair of talented backs that may challenge the depth of these linebackers. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Detroit Lions Rushing Offense vs Carolina Panthers Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) Rookie Kerryon Johnson may be the dynamic runner the Lions have coveted, yet not found, for the last half-decade. He showcased that ability over his first 5 games as the starter, averaging an eye-popping 6.67 yards on those 64 attempts. But he's slowed down majorly on the box score, posting just 110 yards over the last 3 games (3.24 per carry). It's worth noting he's faced three stout run defenses over that span, and that the often-trailing Lions haven't been able to give him much of a rhythm on the ground. Johnson probably isn't as eruptive as he looked during his breakout, but he's almost certainly better than this. It helps his cause that 31-year-old LeGarrette Blount no longer brings anything to the table. Johnson moved forward as the clear face of the Lions ground attack, and while things look dicey for this discombobulated offense, his personal outlook is strong. Johnson is explosive and versatile, and once top guard T.J. Lang returns (possibly this week), he'll again operate behind a somewhat underrated run-blocking line. For the most part, the Panthers' run defense has failed to carry over from its strong 2017. They've tightened up a bit after a shaky start, with long-tenured linebacker Thomas Davis back from suspension. Last Thursday, James Conner became the first runner to reach 50 ground yards in this matchup since Week 6. Still, this clearly isn't the same strength that last season's suffocating group was. They've let 6 of 9 opposing lead backs average north of 4.00 yards a carry after only 8 did it all of last year. The linebackers – even Luke Kuechly – are missing more tackles than usual, and often finding themselves swallowed up inside on tricky runs. Conner found a lot of easy yardage last week, continuing a trend for solid runners with good lines. This unit isn't necessarily weak, but it's not much to fear in fantasy matchups. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Green Bay Packers Rushing Offense at Seattle Seahawks Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) Aaron Jones continues to run wild as the Packers ground game has surpassed 100 rushing yards in three straight games since coming off their Week 7 bye. Prior to the bye week, the Packers offense has surpassed 100 rushing yards just twice, with Aaron Rodgers rushing for over 30 yards in both of those games. Now that the coaching staff is allotting meaningful snaps and carries to Aaron Jones, this ground game is flourishing. Jones was already leading the league with 6.0 yards per carry going into last week, and he has now raised that average to 6.8 yards per carry after rushing for a season-high 145 yards against the Dolphins last week. Jones has already matched his total rushing touchdowns (4) from the 2017 season and looks to have a much handle on this backfield given the departure of Ty Montgomery. Jamaal Williams was an afterthought in last week's game and has played second fiddle to Jones in the last three weeks. The risk of Williams continuing to be involved is still there though, as Mike McCarthy and this coaching staff certainly have an affinity for the services of Williams. With a healthy offensive line ranking well within the top-10 according to Footballguys offensive line specialist Matt Bitonti, this rushing offense, when led by Aaron Jones, should continue to roll. The Seahawks have faced a couple high-powered rushing offenses in a row, and they were vulnerable to both as they allowed nearly identical stat lines to both Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, rushing for a combined 233 yards and two touchdowns. While Aaron Jones is not on the level of Gordon and Gurley, he does lead the NFL in yards per rush attempt with a top-10 offensive line leading the charge. The Seahawks have the personnel to contend against the run, especially with Bobby Wagner at linebacker. They should be outmatched in the trenches though, as left tackle David Bakhtiari has the talent to fend off Seattle's best defensive lineman Frank Clark while Center Corey Linsley has been blocking very well against tough interior linemen this season. While this is not a premium matchup for the Packers ground game, it certainly is not terrible given the strength of their offensive line. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Indianapolis Colts Rushing Offense vs Tennessee Titans Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) The Colts backfield was held in check outside of a big run from Jordan Wilkins last week (coming on his only carry). Marlon Mack had rushed for over 125 yards in back-to-back games coming into the week, but he was shut down for just 2.4 yards per attempt, totaling 29 rushing yards on the day. Mack remains the leader in his backfield despite some limited usage of Wilkins and Nyheim Hines. Mack could also be suffering some lingering effects of a foot injury he sustained before the Week 9 bye, which would help explain his down performance last week after looking spectacular in his previous outings. He was removed from the injury report leading into last week though and remains absent from the report this week. The Colts offensive line continues to play very well and should offer Mack a good shot at an improved performance this week, while this Colts coaching staff has shown an increased level of trust in Mack by shifting their offensive game plan to include more rushing attempts over the past few games. The Titans have been tough on opposing running backs this season, and especially in recent weeks. Since Week 6, running backs are averaging only 58 rushing yards per game and a league-low 18.6 fantasy points per game (in PPR formats) when facing Tennessee. The goal line touchdown allowed to James Develin last week was just the third rushing touchdown the Titans have allowed on the year. While the stable of running backs faced by the Titans has been relatively light, they did hold Ezekiel Elliott to just 61 yards in Week 9. The Titans have talent up front, but it has been contributions from the secondary that have set this run defense apart with both Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro coming up big to help bottle up opposing rushers. The Titans have the personnel to match up well against the talented Colts offensive line, and with health on their side, the Titans should have a slight edge in this one. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Seattle Seahawks Rushing Offense vs Green Bay Packers Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) Welcome to fantasy relevance Rashaad Penny, at least for one week. In the absence of Chris Carson, it was a split backfield last week between the rookie Penny and Mike Davis with Penny as the star of the show on the ground. Penny had looked sluggish in every outing leading into last week, even warming the bench as a healthy scratch in a couple of those games. Last week, however, Penny more than doubled his rushing yardage total from any other week while also scoring his first career touchdown, appearing to have shifted into another gear as he ran very well despite the talented Rams defense. Mike Davis got the start last week and also looked sharp averaging over five yards per carry, but his role may begin to shrink with the emergence of their first-round pick and expected return of Chris Carson. Russell Wilson has also started to pick up his ground game, especially last week as he amassed a season-high 91 rushing yards from a combination of scrambles and designed running plays. After rushing for more than 20 yards just once in his first five games, Wilson is now averaging 42 rushing yards per game over his last four outings. With the Seahawks continuing to employ a run-first approach, it will be interesting to see where this backfield goes once Carson returns from his hip injury. He was a game-time decision last week, but reports indicate he will be ready to suit up in this one. While Carson should lead this backfield when healthy, the emergence of Penny alongside an effective Mike Davis could yield to more of a committee approach that would make this backfield one to be cautious with for fantasy purposes. The Packers had another poor showing in run defense last week as they allowed the veteran Frank Gore to average over six yards per carry for 90 rushing yards with the Dolphins totaling 131 rushing yards on the day. On the season, Green Bay ranks as a below average run defense allowing just over 120 rushing yards per game and the 11th most rushing yards per game to running backs. They have allowed over 80 rushing yards to a running back in over half of their games, including three of their last four outings. This defensive line has plenty of talent on the interior, but they have weaknesses on the outside with Clay Matthews acting as a pure pass rusher while Nick Perry is actually banged up and questionable to play. Speaking of injuries, the Packers had three defensive backs exit early with injuries last week. It appears safety Kentrell Brice will miss this week in addition to three cornerbacks all with questionable statuses coming off the short week. With the strength of Seattle's offensive line more on the outside at tackle than on the interior, look for some zone runs to the edges as they try to take advantage of what could be shoddy tackling from the Packers this week given their injuries and struggles against the run. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rushing Offense at New York Giants Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) Peyton Barber has spent almost the entire season as the Buccaneers' lead runner but averages just 49 yards a game at 3.74 per carry. Barber is a determined, fall-forward runner who absorbs contact and gets what's blocked. And he's by far the team's best and most dependable back. But he's nothing special in any area, and he lacks upside in a major way. Without wide creases, he typically brings little more than 3-4 yards and a cloud of dust, and this Tampa Bay line isn't built to blow holes wide open (just a C run-blocking grade in our Matt Bitonti's rankings). He's not particularly effective in short yardage, either, converting on just 6 of his 11 attempts thus far. That puts him in the strange position of being the bell cow back for a dynamic, high-scoring offense, yet wholly unattractive for fantasy purposes. The Giants run defense has been decent throughout the year but has trended downward over its last six outings. Over that span, runners have averaged a healthy 4.45 yards per carry, and 3 have topped 100 yards. Of course, the front office didn't help matters by trading away stud run-plugger Damon Harrison three weeks ago. This is now a fairly rudderless unit, helmed up front by the solid but inferior Dalvin Tomlinson and still plagued by mediocre linebacker play. Alec Ogletree remains a decent but flawed run-stopper, overrated for years by big tackle numbers. And while B.J. Goodson is a solid tackler in the middle, the rest of the rotation is unspectacular, suited better to defend the pass than the run. The saving grace is star safety Landon Collins, who's a beast in run defense but often doesn't come into play until a runner has broken onto the second (or third) level. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Tennessee Titans Rushing Offense at Indianapolis Colts Rushing Defense (Neutral Matchup) The Titans backfield has been led by Dion Lewis for three straight games, but it has been Derrick Henry eating up the touchdowns. Henry has scored from the one-yard line in three straight games while also running in a direct-snap from 10 yards out last week--clearly holding firm to the goal line back role for the Titans. Despite heavy volume, neither Lewis nor Henry has been particularly productive on the ground this season. Neither running back has surpassed 100 rushing yards in a game while they have combined to average around 3.5 yards per rush attempt. Marcus Mariota continues to chip in on the ground as well, rushing for at least 20 yards in four straight games. The offensive line has been missing at least one starter in almost all of their games this season, including last week with Jack Conklin sidelined. Even without Conklin, the Titans still have an average offensive line that would be a top-10 unit if Conklin managed to suit up this week. The Colts did a great job slowing down the Jaguars ground game last week, holding Leonard Fournette to just 2.2 yards per attempt. That outing was one of the best of the season for this rushing defense, as they had underwhelmed against sub-par rushing offenses over the last few weeks. Indianapolis has some pieces on defense to be successful against the run, including a decent interior defensive line led by Margus Hunt and an underrated group of edge defenders with Jabaal Sheard playing well against the run. Linebacker Darius Leonard has also been a star this season and one of the best run defenders at his position. Teams are still finding room to run on the Colts though, as they have faced a number of mediocre backfields to have still allowed an average of over 100 rushing yards per game. The Titans offensive line and ground game should match up relatively evenly against the Colts in this one. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Atlanta Falcons Rushing Offense vs Dallas Cowboys Rushing Defense (Tough Matchup) The Falcons run game may be turning a corner. Disappointing for much of 2018, the unit was all but written off when Devonta Freeman went down in Week 5. There were immediate struggles, but Coleman has now posted 5.20 yards over his last 37 attempts, including a dynamic 13-carry, 88-yard Week 9 performance against a good Washington front. He's running with speed and efficiency, making use of a front line that seems to be pulling itself together. (Our Matt Bitonti has it all the way up to No. 6 league-wide.) Coleman boasts elite burst, but not a lot of power or open-field elusiveness, so he's especially reliant upon the Falcons' line to move mountains. As long as center Alex Mack is playing at a Pro Bowl level, the Falcons' long-tenured line can control things at the point of attack and create holes for Coleman. Rookie Ito Smith shares the load, but he's little more than a short-yardage change-up, averaging just 3.57 himself. This attack, at present, is built around Coleman's ability to turn clean creases into chunk gains, which comes to pass just as long as game flow allows. Typically, the Dallas run defense struggles when middle linebacker Sean Lee is sidelined, and he's now slated to miss most of the rest of the season. But these Cowboys boast an ace in the hole: rookie Leighton Vander Esch, who's quietly rivaling Cleveland's Denzel Ward as the Defensive Rookie of the Year. With Lee out, Vander Esch is seeing 89% of snaps and absolutely excelling. He's making huge plays in the backfield and in pursuit and has been the driving force behind Dallas allowing just 3.73 yards per attempt to runners over the last 5 weeks. It's an inconsistent unit, and power backs have found some success against it. But there's been a real improvement, and it appears Lee's injury-prone nature is no longer as severe as it historically has been. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Houston Texans Rushing Offense at Washington Redskins Rushing Defense (Tough Matchup) The Texans running game has been a roller coaster so far this season as Lamar Miller who was coming off of back to back 100-yard games, severely regressed to the mean last week as he had just 21 yards on 12 carries. The Broncos have been trying to incorporate Alfred Blue more into this offense as he and Miller both have 30 carries each over the last two games. Blue who provides more of a power rushing attack has really struggled this year averaging just 3.2 yards per carry compared to Miller who has been the far more effective back at 4.2 yards per carry. The offensive line for Houston continues to be a problem and will likely be a problem for most of the season although it has exceeded expectations as it has risen from 31st to 23rd in Matt Bitonti's season rankings. The Redskins rushing attack over the course of the entire season has been one of the best units in football, although the cracks are starting to show over the last two weeks as the team has allowed 5.5 yards per carry to the Falcons and Buccaneers. The issue might be that the Redskins rely on some very young players who may be fatiguing a little bit in Da'Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen have struggled a little bit over the last two weeks in being the game-changing defensive lineman that we saw earlier this season. This is still a unit with a lot of talent around it and the sum of the parts on the year indicate that it is still a good defense, but may not be the elite defense it was to start the season. The good news for Washington is that they should have a significant advantage with all the issues that the Texans have had at the offensive line position. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Los Angeles Chargers Rushing Offense vs Denver Broncos Rushing Defense (Tough Matchup) Melvin Gordon continues to carry this Chargers offense as he posted yet another big game last week, rushing for at least 90 yards for the fourth time in his last five games. Gordon has been explosive this season, averaging 5.4 yards per rush as he has been gaining chunk yards at will. He has at least three rushes of 10 or more yards in three straight outings now, actually averaging 6.5 yards per attempt over that span. Gordon continues to dominate the snap share and has rushed at least 15 times in all but one game. Austin Ekeler has mixed in all season long with a high level of productivity to help keep Gordon fresh, but Ekeler has seen a season-low three carries in back to back outings now as Gordon has been the clear focal point. The Broncos run defense has come back to life over their last three games since two historically bad outings against the Jets and Rams. Over this past three-game span, the Broncos have allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game to opposing running backs while not allowing a single rushing touchdown. Opponents included both David Johnson and Kareem Hunt, so this defense performed well against talented rushers--especially considering Hunt tore this defense up in their first meeting earlier in the season. Now coming off their bye week, the Broncos front seven should be well rested and ready to pick up where they left off. Linebacker Brandon Marshall was dealing with a knee injury headed into the bye, so if he manages to suit up, it will certainly help this linebacker group. Their interior linemen have played well as of late, while the edge defenders Bradley Chubb and Von Miller both continue to play at a high level. The Chargers have a strong running game and cohesive offensive line, so this should be a true test for the resurging Broncos run defense. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] New Orleans Saints Rushing Offense vs Philadelphia Eagles Rushing Defense (Tough Matchup) The Saints rushing attack continues to be a two-headed monster with both running backs in Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara are getting their production in different ways. Over the last three weeks, Ingram has actually been the better runner as he has run for 67 yards per game including a 104-yard performance on just 13 carries last week. The issue for Ingram is that Alvin Kamara who has been productive from a yardage standpoint as well but has five touchdowns in those three games compared to Ingram who has not scored. This remains a team that is committed to the run as they are sixth in the NFL in rushing attempts and while they are not always productive as they are 21st in terms of rushing yards per attempt at just 4.1 yards per carry, they are still 8th in the NFL in rushing yards due to the high volume nature of their rushing attack. The Saints are going to be without left tackle Terron Armstead this week which could be a big blow for the Saints offensive line. The Eagles rush defense last week simply did not show up against the Cowboys which is the second time in three weeks that the elite run-stopping unit that we had seen over the last two seasons has shown cracks in the armor as they allowed 151 yards to Elliott last week and 130 yards to Barkley two weeks prior to that. While the defensive line continues to play at a dominant level led by Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, the problem for the Eagles has everything to do with scheme. They simply cannot stop anyone against the pass and therefore are playing almost exclusively a nickel defense to add an additional corner onto the field. While it is still a very strong unit and will be even stronger if they get Timmy Jernigan back this week if the Saints can neutralize this defensive line (and that's a big if especially without Terron Armstead), they could once again give the Eagles fits in shutting down this rushing attack. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] New York Giants Rushing Offense vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rushing Defense (Tough Matchup) Rookie Saquon Barkley continues to flash elite burst, speed, and short-area quickness, and he's already one of the league's most dynamic players. Unfortunately, at the moment, there's not much production coming on the ground. He's totaled just 148 yards and 1 score over the last 3 weeks, averaging 3.15 per carry in the process. Barkley is a homerun guy at heart and is still refining his attack – without much power or a dependable line, he's boom-or-bust on virtually every snap. There's been some improvement up front, particularly from the guards, but this remains a shaky line at best. As a result, Barkley typically struggles to generate much on the ground unless he's able to find a crease and erupt for a long scamper. That could come at any moment, of course, but he hasn't registered a run longer than 15 yards since Week 6. Barkley is far too explosive to ever count out fantasy-wise, regardless of matchup – he's already shredded the solid run defenses of Jacksonville (18 for 106 and 1 touchdown), Houston (17 for 82 and 1), and Philadelphia (13 for 130 and 1). But his rushing floor is low for an elite fantasy back, and without his high-volume receiving numbers, he'd be exceptionally difficult to trust. The Buccaneers run defense has actually served as a fairly tough fantasy matchup. With a rebuilt nucleus and a horrid pass defense that funneled the ball into the air, they're allowing running backs to average just 4.00 yards per carry. In fact, lead runners have managed just 62 a game, and only 3 (Nick Chubb, Joe Mixon, and Christian McCaffrey) have topped 70. It's not a dominant group by any means, though, and it's trending down of late – all 3 of those above performances have come over their last 4 games. With Kwon Alexander on injured reserve and Lavonte David likely to join him soon, it doesn't matter much that the retooled line has improved so much. It's fair to expect even more breakdowns and missed tackles on the second level, and Saquon Barkley looks like a tall task for the reserve linebackers. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Pittsburgh Steelers Rushing Offense at Jacksonville Jaguars Rushing Defense (Tough Matchup) LeVeon Bell won't be joining the Steelers this year, which probably isn't the worst thing for the team. It's given them a look at the future of their running game, James Conner, who currently sits third on the league-wide rushing board. Conner doesn't have the burst and is not the dynamic runner Bell is, but he brings other strengths to the table. With an aggressive approach to both running lanes and oncoming defenders, Conner is all about generating positive yardage – he's been stopped for 2 yards or fewer on just 39% of his runs, once adjusted for short yardage. Operating behind an elite run-blocking line, Conner is a weekly threat to turn his dominant workload into major ground production. He's picked up 108 yards a game (5.34 per attempt) over his last 5, and on the year he's converted 15 of 20 runs with 2 yards or less to go. His outlook will brighten even further if right tackle Marcus Gilbert is able to return this week, but either way, he's exactly the type of runner the Steelers (and fantasy players) covet. The Jacksonville run defense continues to look dominant in certain matchups, only to come unglued when facing top rushing attacks. There's no shame in allowing elite backs to churn out strong stat lines, but the Jaguars have been gashed by four of the last five lead runners they've faced. Kareem Hunt and Ezekiel Elliott were to be expected, but Lamar Miller broke a 22-game streak with 100 yards against them, and Eagles rookie Josh Adams averaged 6.78 yards a carry 2 weeks ago. The front line remains stout and often nearly unbeatable, but problems crop up when runs do get by. Linebacker Telvin Smith has always been somewhat overrated due to his big tackle numbers, but he leads a ho-hum second level that's too often out of position. This isn't a targetable group with that line in place, but it's not much to fear for a red-hot attack like James Conner and the Steelers. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Chicago Bears Rushing Offense vs Minnesota Vikings Rushing Defense (Bad Matchup) Even with game flow firmly on his side, Jordan Howard can't seem to generate much of anything as the Bears' power-running element. Howard remains the team's hammer back, but is now sitting on a woeful 3.36-yard average, and the Bears can't even count on him to kill clock effectively. He's producing just 51 yards a game despite solid volume, and he's been held below 40 in 4 of 9 outings. That's hardly the grinding presence Matt Nagy is asking of him. Rather, the Bears' only ground success has come from scatback Tarik Cohen and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Still, all of them face an uphill battle with their top lineman, Kyle Long, on injured reserve. It's likely not a coincidence that, since Long went down in Week 8, the trio has averaged just 112 yards on 49 rushes. Even with two key components (Everson Griffen and Anthony Barr) missing chunks of the year, the Vikings retain one of the NFL's stingiest run defenses. Through 9 games only Todd Gurley has topped 65 yards against them, and runners as a whole are averaging just 3.67 per attempt. Over the past 4 weeks they've thoroughly stifled the likes of David Johnson (18 for 55), Kerryon Johnson (12 for 37), and Alvin Kamara (13 for 45). Barr could return this week, rejoining a deadly front seven that includes dominant tackle play – both Linval Joseph and Sheldon Richardson could be All-Pros this year – and great defenders on the edges. Simply put, Jordan Howard's nightmarish 2018 doesn't look poised to turn itself around this week. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Cincinnati Bengals Rushing Offense at Baltimore Ravens Rushing Defense (Bad Matchup) Following up a forgettable rookie year, Mixon is producing an elite 4.91 yards per carry, and he's topped 60 in every game he's played. (It's worth noting he's been only one of two backs to run for more than 65 yards against these Ravens.) Mixon always carries the potential to suffer from game flow, of course, in the Bengals' offense, but when he's utilized, he's productive. A 230-pounder with fantastic wheels, Mixon is absolutely talented enough to overcome a front line that remains weak on the right side. He boasts strong instinct and a physical nature, and he frequently both eludes defenders and churns through arm tackles. He's the clear bell cow, with Giovani Bernard the clear change-of-pace back, and always projects to the upper ends of what his volume suggests. Mixon typically doesn't need Leonard Fournette's workload to deliver a solid 70-yard floor. Week 9 aside, the Ravens have spent most of 2018 as one of the league's stingiest run defenses. The fact that James Conner gashed them in the last outing isn't overly surprising – he's on fire, and the Steelers boast one of the NFL's best lines. But on the whole, few rushing attacks can create anything of note in this matchup. Only Conner and, interestingly, Joe Mixon have managed 65 yards against Baltimore thus far. Brandon Williams and Brent Urban anchor a typically-dominant front line, which eats blocks and creates room for the linebackers. C.J. Mosley remains a sure tackler in the middle, and both starting safeties are run-oriented. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Jacksonville Jaguars Rushing Offense vs Pittsburgh Steelers Rushing Defense (Bad Matchup) Leonard Fournette is back in the saddle as the Jaguars' lead runner, and while his return was huge from a volume standpoint (29 touches), the ground results were mixed. Fournette was the offensive engine, but managed just 53 yards (2.21 a carry) against the Colts. Some of that can be explained by a subpar front line that lost its best blocker, guard Brandon Linder, in-game. And Fournette, a power runner at heart, doesn't project for much efficiency with a porous line up front. He's flashed explosiveness for sure, but his career average of 3.73 isn't special. Without Linder, at least in the short term, the prognosis isn't much better. Ultimately, his Week 11 ceiling will be determined by his health and conditioning, and by Blake Bortles' ability to keep defenses backed off. Behind him, Carlos Hyde and T.J. Yeldon don't project much better in their backup roles, but Yeldon has always flashed homerun ability as a reserve. The Pittsburgh run defense has been dominant for most of 2018. Led by powerful, athletic ends Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, this is a front seven in which creases are often tough to come by. And the linebacking corps, even without Ryan Shazier, has been surprisingly stable, keeping to its gaps and tackling solidly. Things came apart a bit last week, with lightning-quick Christian McCaffrey able to find room for 77 yards on just 14 carries. But in general, this is among the NFL's best units, one that's typically very stingy to lead runners. McCaffrey was the first runner since Kareem Hunt in Week 2 to top 65 yards, and just the third to average more than 4.00 per rush. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Minnesota Vikings Rushing Offense at Chicago Bears Rushing Defense (Bad Matchup) The Minnesota run game has been hit-or-miss throughout an injury-riddled start to 2018. To the rescue comes Dalvin Cook, who's healthy, rested, and fresh off an eruptive Week 9 (89 yards on just 10 rushes). Cook has been either hobbled or out for most of the year thus far but looked perfectly fine on his 70-yard scamper against the Lions. He led the team in snaps and touches and looks poised for an extended, if not dominant, workload. And his capabilities as the lead back aren't in question – over 6 NFL games with at least 50% of the snaps, he's averaged 76 yards at 4.69 per carry. Hurting his cause, though, is a front line that's played poorly all year and will likely be without left guard Tom Compton again. Latavius Murray will spell Cook, and he's been effective in spurts, picking up 4.53 a rush himself this season. He should fill in solidly, if unspectacularly, should Cook go down mid-game or otherwise find himself limited. The Bears continue to dominate opposing run games week after week. Thus far, only one opposing runner – Frank Gore in a long overtime battle – has run for more than 51 yards in this matchup, and running backs as a whole are producing just 3.40 yards per attempt. In fact, Lions rookie Kerryon Johnson produced the first ground touchdown of the year against them just last Sunday. The Bears have benefited from a rather weak schedule of offenses, but there's no denying the improvement seen in nose Eddie Goldman on run downs, or the beyond-his-years play of rookie linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith is a lightning-fast playmaker who flows to the ball effortlessly, and he's already the centerpiece of 2018's stingiest run unit. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Philadelphia Eagles Rushing Offense at New Orleans Saints Rushing Defense (Bad Matchup) The Eagles rushing offense is one that is struggling to find an identity. While Josh Adams has been the most productive running back on this team, he had just seven carries last week. Doug Pederson came out after the game and said that the Eagles need to give Adams the ball more, but the split carry backfield is what Pederson has utilized throughout his time in Philadelphia which has limited the upside of almost all running backs. Last week could have been a turning point however as all three running backs from a snap count perspective ranged from 29-34% which is atypical for a Pederson offense who typically likes to keep his main running back around 50% snap counts and the complimentary backs in the 20-30% range. This could bode well for Adams going forward if his role does increase. The issue for the Eagles is the offensive line, as they could be without right tackle Lane Johnson this week which drops them from the 2nd offensive line down to the 14th offensive line according to Matt Bitonti. The Saints run defense continues to be one of the leagues strongest units even though it did allow Joe Mixon to run for 5.5 yards per carry last week for 61 yards. On the season, the Saints have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game to opposing running backs at just 54 yards per game which is 9 yards better than the next closest team. The Saints just do not have any deficiencies in their front seven as their defensive line is solid with Sheldon Rankins limiting space up the middle and with Alex Okafor and Cameron Jordan on the outside makes this a force to be reckoned with. At the linebacking position, Alex Anzalone has been brought an energy amongst this defense that is seemingly building off each other every play. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. --------------------------------------------------------------- [] Washington Redskins Rushing Offense vs Houston Texans Rushing Defense (Bad Matchup) The Redskins offensive line is an absolute mess at the moment as Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff will both miss this week leaving the Redskins with just two opening day starters left starting on this team. Matt Bitonti has dropped this team from 7th to 29th in his offensive line rankings indicating all of the offensive line issues that the Redskins have had this season. The issues have carried over into the running game as Adrian Peterson averaged 4.6 yards per carry prior to the offensive line issues and over the last two weeks has averaged just 3.0 yards per carry. Peterson who is tremendous once he gets past the defensive line has struggled to get to the second level against the offense. The Redskins will quickly need their replacements to step up in the absence of the two Pro Bowlers. The Texans are an underrated run-stopping unit as they are not thought of as an elite run-stopping unit, but are allowing just 3.6 yards per carry to opposing running backs. The Texans which had been dealing with injuries are likely to get some key players back this week which will make this unit even better as linebacker Zach Cunningham should return this week. Cunningham should provide a nice boost to this defense as he is a run-stopping specialist who will provide a nice spark to this defense. This is a unit that has one of the strongest defensive lines in football led by J.J. Watt, Brandon Dunn and D.J. Reader that should give the Redskins defense all sorts of trouble this week. Please refer to the NFL's injury report for the latest injury news regarding your players. Thank you for subscribing to our Footballguys Daily Update Email! Get your 3 Free Downloads [here](=). You are currently subscribed as {EMAIL} To unsubscribe, click [here](. * Footballguys.com * PO Box 937 * Cabot, AR 72023-0937 * News Items Powered By: =