As is usually the case at this position, there are injuries to monitor for many key players: Dalvin Cook (shoulder), D'Andre Swift (shoulder), David Montgomery (ankle), Joe Mixon (ankle) and more. It's plenty to keep the waiver wire humming and lineups churning. So what running backs should you be rolling with for Week 4?
It will be our objective to help you find running backs you'll want to move in and out of your lineups based on matchups every week. Playing matchups is key, and we're here to find you the perfect path to a winning in 2022.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
RBs to Start
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David Montgomery (ankle) is expected to be out in Week 4 against the Giants, and Herbert should be in line for a hefty workload. He took advantage of Montgomery going down against the Texans in Week 3 with 20 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns, along with two catches for 12 yards on two targets. Last year, Herbert had four games with at least 18 carries, and he scored 18 PPR points in two of them. The Giants were just gashed on the ground by the Cowboys in Week 3 as Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combined for 28 carries, 178 yards and a touchdown, and standout interior defensive lineman Leonard Williams (knee) is likely out again. Herbert has top-10 upside this week.
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Conner has had a rough start to the season. He scored 15 PPR points in Week 1 against Kansas City, but he suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 at Las Vegas and struggled in Week 3 against the Raiders. He has yet to rush for 40 yards in a game, and he only has one touchdown. This should be his best game of the season against the Panthers, who have allowed three total touchdowns to running backs and are home underdogs. If the Cardinals are playing with a lead as expected, Conner should have the opportunity for plenty of touches and hopefully a breakout performance.
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I said here last week that Pierce would have his best game of the season at Chicago, and he did with 20 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 21 yards on two targets. He should get plenty of work again this week against the Chargers, and he's worth starting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. The Chargers have only allowed one rushing touchdown this season, but two running backs in a row -- Clyde Edwards-Helaire and James Robinson -- have gained over 100 total yards. Pierce should again have plenty of volume, and he should continue to be productive as the lead running back in Houston.
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Week 3 against the Bengals was the first time Hall played more snaps than Michael Carter, and hopefully this is a sign of things to come. Hall only had eight carries for 39 yards, but he had six catches for 53 yards on 11 targets. This is the second time Hall had at least nine targets in a game and six catches, and hopefully the Jets continue to feed him the ball in the passing game. We'll see what happens with Zach Wilson (knee) taking over for Joe Flacco, but this is a good matchup to trust Hall as a No. 2 running back in PPR. The Steelers have allowed a running back to score at least 16 PPR points in every game this year.
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I think you just have to trust Patterson until he fails, and this Week 4 game against Cleveland should be another successful performance for him. I liked him last week against the Seahawks, and he delivered with 17 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 12 yards on one target. This is the second time this season he scored 22 PPR points, and he's done a nice job when getting at least 18 total touches. The Browns are beat up on defense if Myles Garrett (undisclosed) and Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) are out, and this game has an implied total of 49.5 points, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Patterson could once again be a top 15 running back in all leagues.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I have Pollard as a borderline starter in all leagues this week, and he looked awesome in Week 3 at the Giants with 13 carries for 105 yards, including a 46-yard run in the second quarter. The Cowboys also gave him some chances to help run out the clock late in the fourth quarter. I don't think Ezekiel Elliott is going away anytime soon, and Elliott is worth starting in all leagues this week as well. But Pollard should be no worse than a flex option given the matchup with Washington at home.
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Javonte Williams remains the No. 1 running back in Denver, but Gordon continues to have a role and be productive. And he's worth using as a flex option this week against the Raiders. Gordon had 12 carries for 26 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against the 49ers, and he also added five catches for 29 yards on six targets. The Raiders have allowed a running back to score in three games in a row, and Gordon could find the end zone once again in this matchup.
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The Seahawks are giving too many running backs playing time as Penny, Ken Walker, Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas all played in Week 3 against Atlanta. Penny still led the team in carries with 14, and he finished with 66 yards. He has a limited role in the passing game with three catches for 10 yards on the season on four targets, which is a concern. And if he doesn't score then his stat line could be minimal. But the Lions have already allowed six rushing touchdowns to running backs this year, and Penny could be a top-20 running back in all leagues if he gets into the end zone for the first time this season.
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Stevenson is starting to take over as the lead running back for the Patriots, and hopefully that continues in Week 4 at Green Bay. He's played more than Damien Harris in each of the past two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and Stevenson stood out against the Ravens with 12 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, along with four catches for 28 yards on five targets. His role in the passing game is important, and hopefully Brian Hoyer will lean on him as he takes over for the injured Mac Jones (ankle). Stevenson is a solid flex option in PPR this week.
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RBs to Sit
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Akers took over as the lead running back for the Rams in Week 3 at Arizona, and he finished the game with 12 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown, along with a lost fumble. Sean McVay wasn't concerned about the fumble, but Darrell Henderson will continue to have a role for the Rams, which limits the ceiling for Akers. He also has to do more in the passing game since he has just two catches for 18 yards on three targets in three games. This week, you should sit Akers given the matchup with the 49ers. San Francisco has allowed two rushing touchdowns to running backs this year, but Javonte Williams' 60 total yards in Week 3 is the best outing against the 49ers in three games.
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It was great to see Dobbins on the field in Week 3 at New England, and hopefully that was the shake the rust off game after not playing last season due to a knee injury. I'm not going to trust him yet in most leagues, but hopefully he'll be starting for Fantasy managers across the board soon. Against the Patriots, Dobbins had seven carries for 23 yards and two catches for 17 yards on two targets, and he played 43 percent of the snaps. That should increase in Week 4 against Buffalo, but this Bills run defense is tough. While the Bills have allowed three rushing touchdowns this season, no running back has more than 47 yards on the ground, including a matchup with Derrick Henry in Week 2.
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The Jaguars have been tough against the run, holding Antonio Gibson (14 carries for 58 yards), Jonathan Taylor (nine carries for 54 yards) and Austin Ekeler (four carries for 5 yards) in check. Now, Gibson (seven catches for 72 yards) and Ekeler (eight catches for 48 yards) beat up Jacksonville through the air, but that's not part of Sanders' game with only six catches for 13 yards on the season on six targets. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1, and he finished with 15 carries for 46 yards last week against the Commanders. I would only use Sanders as a flex this week in the majority of leagues.
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Harris has scored a touchdown in each of the past two games against the Steelers and Ravens, and that's helped him average 14.0 PPR points over that span. He's also doing some work in the passing game with six catches for 31 yards on seven targets this season. But if he doesn't find the end zone then his Fantasy value will be minimal, and the Packers have yet to allow a running back to score in three games. Rhamondre Stevenson has also played more than Harris the past two weeks, which could be a sign of things to come. Harris is just a non-PPR flex play in deeper leagues for this week.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Edwards-Helaire has been fantastic so far this season, scoring at least 14 PPR points in every game. He's been involved in the passing game with 12 catches for 115 yards on 12 targets, and he has three total touchdowns. But I'm slightly concerned about his production for Week 4 against the Buccaneers. He has yet to have more than eight carries in a game, and if he didn't score in Week 3 against the Colts he would have finished with just eight PPR points (seven carries for no yards and a touchdown, along with five catches for 39 yards). The Buccaneers run defense has again been fantastic, and Tampa Bay has yet to allow a running back to score or gain more than 60 yards, including matchups with Ezekiel Elliott and Aaron Jones. Edwards-Helaire is only a flex option at best this week.
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