Fantasy Football Week 11 Running Back Who Should I Start? RJ Harvey, Woody Marks, Kimani Vidal, and More

Denver Broncos' running back J.K. Dobbins was placed on IR and will miss the rest of the season (with the possibility he could return if the Broncos make a deep playoff run). That's a big blow to a team fighting for both their division and the best record in the AFC, as now they will be relying on rookie RJ Harvey to carry the load.

Harvey is now the only active back on the roster with more than four carries this season, so it would be a shock to see anyone else really cut into his touches. That new status as a true RB1 on his team has Harvey heavily on the fantasy radar, and as a result, he is showing up all over our FantasySP start/sit tool.

Let's look at Harvey and four running backs who he is being compared to often on the start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise to identify the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Harvey's status makes him fantasy relevant likely for the rest of the season as long as he stays healthy. He has been average when running the ball, gaining 4.3 yards per carry on his way to 214 yards. Harvey is also involved as a receiver, catching 25 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns, a nice boost to his fantasy value.

The Chiefs are right in the middle in yards per rush attempt allowed (the same 4.3 that Harvey is averaging), but they have been better in fantasy, giving up the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to backs. Volume is the biggest issue, as RB groups are averaging fewer than 80 rushing yards per game and have just four touchdowns. They do OK in the passing game, averaging 4.2 receptions and 33.7 yards per game, though with just one score.

Harvey is on the RB2/flex fringe, a good option because of his likely volume but with a middling-at-best matchup. He's a fine player to consider and even put in your lineup if you don't have a strong set of backs, but you might also be able to do better this week depending on your roster.

Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Etienne was thought to be on his way out in Jacksonville and replaced by Tank Bigsby before the season started, but he emerged as the top guy in Week 1, and Bigsby was promptly shipped off to Philadelphia in an early-season trade. Etienne is on pace for 1,240 rushing yards (which would be a career high) and 245 receiving yards with around 7.5 total touchdowns, which would be a fine fantasy line.

The Chargers have given up the fifth-most yards per pass attempt but are just a little better than average in fantasy points allowed to backs. Like with the Chiefs, the better fantasy performance is due to volume, as only two teams have reached 20 rush attempts from their backs against LA.

Advice: This is a close one, but I'll give the slight advantage to Etienne. While both guys have similar outlooks, the matchup against the Chargers is probably a little better, and Jacksonville ranks first in run block win rate (according to ESPN), a boost for their back.

Woody Marks, Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans

Marks far outpaced his veteran teammate Nick Chubb last week, carrying the ball 14 times and catching two passes versus just five and one, respectively, for Chubb. That might seem like Marks is in position to lead the backfield, but this has happened several times this season, and usage keeps bouncing back and forth.

The Titans have allowed the ninth-most yards per rush attempt and the third-most fantasy points per week to running backs. Teams have regularly beaten up on Tennessee and run the ball to burn the clock, and that's part of the bad fantasy performance, but the Titans also give up efficiency, so they can be beaten many ways.

Advice: When these teams played in Week 4, Marks ran 17 times for 69 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 50 more yards and another score. Houston won 26-0. A similar performance could be in the cards against a bad team, so I'll give Marks the advantage over Harvey.

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Rookie Omarion Hampton is still out with injury (he could return after LA's Week 12 bye), and Vidal has been the guy leading the charge, putting up good numbers in the process. In five games since Hampton went down, Vidal had 95 or more yards three times and was at 30 or less in the other two, showing a high ceiling but also inconsistency.

The Jaguars are right in the middle in yards per rush attempt allowed and a little better than average in terms of fantasy points allowed to RBs. The only team that has gotten 100 rushing yards from their backs against Jacksonville was the Texans last week, and it took two guys to reach that mark, but the Jags have been more susceptible to the position in the passing game.

Vidal has done his best work running the ball, not being involved much as a pass catcher, so he doesn't line up great with what Jacksonville allows most. He will get the ball as the lead back, but the matchup is middling at best, leaving this as a similar outlook to Harvey.

Advice: This is a 50/50 call, but I'll give the advantage to Harvey because of his work in the passing game. Vidal has a higher ceiling but has also shown a lower floor at times, so I'll slightly favor the rookie.

Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills

White is another player who has been filling in for an injured starter, as Bucky Irving is still out but progressing on his way back. White has been OK in his stead but inefficient, needing both his rushing and passing work together to make him a flex player.

The matchup here is fantastic, as the Bills have given up the second-most yards per rush attempt and the sixth-most fantasy points per game to running backs. RBs do really well in the passing game against Buffalo, averaging nearly five catches and over 50 yards per game, and that's an area where White can excel here.

Advice: Start Rachaad White over RJ Harvey. White has the better matchup and a good outlook as a receiver, making him a strong RB2/flex player this week.