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NFL Fantasy 2025 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Running Backs for Week 5
Alright, fantasy football fanatics, it’s that time again! You’re sweating over your lineups, and we’re here to (hopefully) provide some clarity. This is Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em, your guide to navigating those tricky roster decisions.
Forget the obvious choices like Puka Nacua – everyone knows he’s a must-start. We’re diving into the tougher calls, the ones that could make or break your week. And if you can’t find a specific player here, don’t forget to check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings for a broader perspective.
Disclaimer: All stats are sourced from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats, or NFL Research.
Start ‘Em
Alvin Kamara (Saints) vs. Giants
Some of you might be hitting the panic button on Kamara after a couple of underwhelming weeks. And yeah, he only had four more carries than Kendre Miller last week. But hold your horses! This week, Kamara’s got a prime matchup against the Giants.
The Giants have been a sieve against the run this season, giving up the fourth-most rushing yards and second-most rushing touchdowns to opposing RBs. They’re coughing up a whopping 6.0 yards per carry and letting explosive runs happen at an alarming rate. Plus, they’re no slouches when it comes to allowing passing yardage. This could be Kamara’s breakout game of the year.
David Montgomery (Lions) vs. Bengals
Remember a few weeks ago when Montgomery went off and won you your matchup? Last week? Not so much. He’s been averaging fewer touches per game than Jahmyr Gibbs, which suggests he’s taking a bit of a backseat.
We’ve now seen both the ceiling and the floor of Montgomery’s role. This week, he’s up against a Bengals team that’s been struggling to stop the run. The game script should favor Montgomery, and he’s always a threat to punch one in at the goal line.
Tyjae Spears (Titans) vs. Colts
Spears is looking like a reliable fantasy asset. He’s scored at least 13 fantasy points in each of the last three games, with a high of 24 in Week 3. Since Week 2, he’s been getting a ton of red-zone carries.
The Giants seem to be giving him carries whether they’re leading or trailing, and he’s getting peppered with targets in the passing game. Fire him up against the Saints, who are in the top 12 in rush yards allowed to RBs.
Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots) vs. Bills
If the Patriots cared about your fantasy teams, they’d feature only these two backs this week. But alas, they don’t, and Antonio Gibson is still in the mix. However, Elliott logged more snaps, carries, routes run, and targets than Gibson in Week 4. He even scored a touchdown.
Stevenson is still the lead back, but his workload hasn’t been amazing. This week, though, both backs are in play against a Bills squad that has allowed the eighth-most rushing yards to RBs and gives up explosive runs at a crazy rate. The upside is there for both of them.
Dameon Pierce (Texans) vs. Jaguars
Pierce has been a stash for me, and this week, after turning 21 touches into 119 scrimmage yards and two total TDs against the Titans, he can be elevated into starting lineups. The rookie should be less dependent on the game script than Nick Chubb, whon Pierce seems to be overtaking in Houston’s backfield, as Pierce can be heavily utilized in the passing game. I would look to play him against a very beat-up Ravens defense that has allowed the fifth-most rushing yards, second-most rushing touchdowns and fifth-most receiving yards to running backs.
Sit ‘Em
Chase Brown (Bengals) vs. Lions
With Joe Burrow struggling, the Bengals’ offense has been a mess, which is bad news for their fantasy players. Brown hasn’t rushed for 50 yards yet, and while he’s getting targets, he’s not doing much with them.
He’s averaging a league-low -0.7 yards before contact per carry, which means he’s getting hit behind the line of scrimmage. Plus, the Lions are tough against the run. Starting Brown is basically hoping for garbage-time catches, and that’s not a winning strategy.
AJ Dillon (Packers) vs. Raiders
The Browns have been shutting down opposing running backs all season. Chase Brown, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and David Montgomery have all failed to reach 50 rushing yards against them. While Jahmyr Gibbs had a good game against Cleveland, Dillon is more like the other backs on that list.
Cleveland’s defenders are making first contact behind the line of scrimmage, and they’ve only allowed two explosive runs all year. To make matters worse, Dillon probably won’t get the passing-down work that tends to go to Aaron Jones when Jones is healthy. Avoid Dillon if possible.
Tony Pollard (Cowboys) vs. 49ers
Normally, a back with Pollard’s volume (18.5 touches per game) would be a must-start. But sadly, that’s not the case here. Pollard has scored fewer than 11 fantasy points in three of his four games.
The Cardinals have been tough on opposing running backs, allowing 3.8 yards per carry. If you have bye-week issues and need a safe 10 points, give Pollard a shot. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
