Fantasy Football Week 5 Running Back Who Should I Start? Javonte Williams, Cam Skattebo, and More
Comparing Javonte Williams to three running backs who he has been matched up with often on the FantasySP Who Should I Start? tool.
Javonte Williams disappointed with the Broncos after suffering a serious knee injury and never looking the same. Now with the Cowboys, he has stood out this season in their initial four games, leading the backfield and making fantasy football noise.
Williams is all over our FantasySP start/sit tool on Sunday morning, as fantasy owners ponder the value of a player who was expected to not really make a big impact this season.
Let's look at Williams and three of the backs he has been compared to most on the start/sit tool: Rico Dowdle, Ashton Jeanty, and Cam Skattebo. Most stats are from NFL.com.
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Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets
Williams had his best season as a rookie in 2021, when he averaged 53.1 rushing yards per game, 4.4 yards per attempt, and scored seven total touchdowns (four rushing). He has been even better this year, averaging 78 rushing yards (5.0 per attempt) and 18.5 receiving yards per game with four rushing touchdowns already.
Most importantly, he is leading the backfield in Dallas, carrying the ball 63 times to just 20 for Miles Sanders and catching 16 passes to Sanders' eight. Opportunity is half the battle in fantasy football, and Wiliams is passing that test.
The matchup this week against the Jets is very middling: New York ranks 14th in yards per pass attempt allowed and 17th in fantasy points given up to running backs. The Jets have been more vulnerable against the pass, so maybe this will be a game where the team throws the ball more, but the matchup is still OK for running backs.
Williams has been very good in fantasy to start the season, ranking as RB6 in both standard and PPR scoring. A back that ranks that high will never be benched usually, and Williams deserves at least consideration every week.
Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins
Dowdle gets the start this week in Carolina because Chuba Hubbard is out with a calf injury. Hubbard has dominated the backfield work, taking 53 carries to just 28 for Dowdle and catching 13 passes to Dowdle's five.
Dowdle has also been ineffective, gaining just 83 yards on his carries, a paltry 3.0 per attempt. His catches have gained just 4.0 yards on average. This is all about the volume and not the execution, though, and Dowdle will be on the field, giving him fantasy value.
The Dolphins have allowed fourth-most yards per rush attempt and the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs. Miami has been one of the biggest disappointments to start the season, and a lot of that comes from their pass defense, but they haven't been any better against the run, unable to stop teams in any aspect.
Dowdle might not have a high ceiling, but he is going to get opportunities against a bad defense. That's a guy worthy of consideration for a flex spot, if nothing else.
Advice: Start Javonte Williams over Rico Dowdle, as he has a higher ceiling and floor.
Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts
Jeanty shouldn't be here under question based on preseason expectations, but it has been a middling start for the rookie uber-prospect. He averaged just 49 total yards per game over the first three weeks while scoring one touchdown, a performance that had him outside the top 30 fantasy backs.
He finally had his breakout last week, gaining 138 rushing yards with a touchdown and catching two passes for 17 yards and two more scores. That made him the top fantasy back in Week 4 in both formats, more what we expect given his pedigree.
The matchup against the Colts is somewhere in the middle. Indy has given up the 11th-most yards per rush attempt but sixth-fewest fantasy points to running backs. That difference in ranking comes because Indianapolis has given up just 22.5 receiving yards per game and three total touchdowns to RBs.
Some owners will never bench Jeanty because of the expectations, and I understand. He is going to keep touching the ball a ton, and more games like last week will come, even if they aren't weekly occurrences.
Advice: Start Ashton Jeanty over Javonte Williams because of his upside, though it's close.
Cam Skattebo, New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
The rookie Skattebo was pushed into starting action when Tyrone Tracy Jr. went down with an injury in Week 3. Leading the backfield on his own for the first time last week, Skattebo ran the ball 25 times for 79 yards against the Chargers while catching two passes for 11 yards.
That matchup was a tougher one, but this week against the Saints is nicer. While they are in the middle in terms of yards per rush attempt allowed, New Orleans has given up the ninth-most fantasy points to running backs. Part of that is from teams pounding the ball when beating the 0-4 Saints, racking up volume.
Skattebo is again in line to dominate the backfield touches, something that immediately puts him on the fantasy radar. Jaxson Dart is also going to run the ball, something that might take away a few touches, especially near the goal line, but I like Skattebo's outlook today.
Advice: Start Cam Skattebo over Javonte Williams. This one is very, very close, but Skattebo will generally do more work in the passing game, and I like the matchup against the Saints more than the numbers might say.
