Man, talk about a position group turning on its head. After the first couple of weeks this season, everyone was talking about how deep running back looked, how many starters we had, how settled the backfields seemed. Fast forward to Week 5, and that whole vibe is completely flipped on its head. It’s a straight-up mess out there.
Bye Weeks and Injuries Are Wrecking Everything
The biggest reason for this absolute chaos? We’re dealing with some serious bye weeks and injuries to top-tier guys. Kenneth Walker and Chubba Hubbard are both on bye this week, and honestly, their absence is gonna sting. Both have been top 10 backs this season, which tells you just how much production we’re losing right there. On top of that, we’ve got Saquon Barkley, Breece Hall, and Travis Etienne all projected to miss Week 5, plus a bunch of other borderline starters. It’s like the RB position got hit by a bus.
And if that wasn’t enough, committees are making things even harder. We’re seeing more and more teams splitting carries so much you can’t even trust one guy. Forget starting anyone from the Commanders, Patriots, Saints, Texans, or Packers, according to the Week 5 projections. Even the Broncos are rough, with only RJ Harvey sneaking into the top 24 in full PPR leagues. It’s slim pickings, seriously. Some of the guys *in* the top 24 don’t even have the kind of projections that normally get them there. Ollie Gordon’s on arguably the worst team, Emanuel Wilson might have new competition in Joe Mixon, and Omarion Hampton’s stuck in a three-headed backfield. It’s not pretty.
Braelon Allen and Tony Pollard: Your Unexpected Week 5 Heroes?
Given all that carnage, don’t even flinch when you hear that Braelon Allen and Tony Pollard are now projected inside the top 20 for Week 5. Seriously, who saw that coming? Allen has been getting every single running back touch for the Jets ever since Breece Hall went down. His Week 4 performance looked rough, yeah, but that was mostly because the Jets ran only 33 offensive plays total. The dude’s getting volume.
Then there’s Tony Pollard. He’s still averaging more than 15 touches per game. Even with a tough matchup against Houston this week, he’s projecting as an RB2. You gotta start both these guys over those struggling committee backs we just talked about. This is the kind of week where you have to take the touches wherever you can get them.
Key Numbers to Keep an Eye On
Beyond Allen and Pollard, there are a few other situations brewing that you gotta know about for Week 5. Jeremiyah Love’s snap share dropped below 50% in Week 4, and it sounds like that was partially on him. We might’ve jumped the gun calling him a borderline RB1, but you’re still starting him this week. RJ Harvey, though, is quietly leading all running backs with a crazy 42% target per route run rate. If that role sticks, he’s a weekly RB2 in PPR formats. Keep an eye on Keaton Mitchell too. He’s lined up in the slot on 25% of his targets, and his role is definitely increasing, pushing him into flex consideration.
And get this: it’s been 639 days since Joe Mixon played an NFL game. You might wanna snag him in deep leagues, but don’t go breaking the bank. Finally, Kyren Williams played a whopping 70 offensive snaps in Week 4. That means one of two things for this week: either he’s gonna get some much-needed breathers, or he’s the ultimate workhorse. This Week 5 running back landscape is wild, and you gotta be ready for anything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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