Fantasy Football Week 14 Running Back Start/Sit: Devin Neal, Kareem Hunt and More

This is it. Week 14 is the final week of the regular season in most fantasy football leagues, so it's more important than ever to nail your running back start/sit decisions. In this article, I'll break down three RBs you can trust and three you can't in this week with everything on the line.

First, however, I'd like to take a look back at how my recommendations fared last week. I went two for three in start picks: Kimani Vidal (20.2 half-PPR points) and RJ Harvey (19.7) finished back-to-back as top-four RBs, but Kenneth Walker III (8.9) was mediocre. 

Unfortunately, I struggled with my sit picks. I technically listed all three Tampa Bay RBs, but Bucky Irving was the headliner, and he made me pay with 15.1 points in his return from injury. Rhamondre Stevenson also had a reasonable outing (9.5) that could have been much bigger, leaving Kenneth Gainwell (5.5) as my lone clear hit.

Hopefully, I can keep the big wins on the start side this week while adding some success as a hater. Let's get right into it.

For more help with your toughest Week 14 start/sit decisions, check out FantasySP's NFL Start/Sit tool!

Running Backs to Start Week 14

RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

Harvey came through last week, and I'm going straight back to him. Once again, his usage wasn't truly ideal, as Jaleel McLaughlin (six carries) and Tyler Badie (16 routes and four targets) were both frustratingly involved. But the rookie was the Broncos' clear RB1, with four targets and 13 carries (a 65% share) on a 46% snap rate.

That workload should be more than enough for Harvey to have another big outing this week, as the Broncos are facing the lowly Raiders. Even on the road, they are 7.5-point favorites against a team that ranks 11th in points allowed to opposing backs.

There should be enough touches to go around for Harvey to come through, even with Badie and McLaughlin getting theirs. 

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Hampton, who has been out since Week 5 with a fractured ankle, is reportedly on track to return for the Chargers' Monday night matchup with the Eagles. And I recommend slotting the rookie straight back into your lineup. It's true that Kimani Vidal played well in his absence, and Jim Harbaugh has had good things to say about the second-year back. But this should still be Hampton's backfield.

We have seen just one game of Hampton and Vidal alone in this backfield (Week 4, after Najee Harris went down but before Hampton's own injury). In that game, Hampton saw 12 carries and five targets on an 88% snap share. Vidal failed to record a touch on his two snaps (in fact, Hassan Haskins saw more snaps, although he also did not touch the ball).

Even if he doesn't return to that insane workload, which is likely, especially in his first game back, Hampton should at worst be the 1A in this backfield. Meanwhile, the Eagles rank seventh in points per game allowed to RBs and will be without Jalen Carter. Put it all together, and I recommend putting Hampton straight into your starting lineup when you activate him off IR. 

Devin Neal, New Orleans Saints

Last week, we got our answer as to what the Saints' backfield looks like without Alvin Kamara but with a week to plan. And that answer was a whole lot of Neal. The rookie played 81% of New Orleans' offensive snaps, finishing with 14 carries. He was also involved in the receiving game, with three targets on a 69% route participation rate.

Evan Hull saw a handful of carries, but Taysom Hill was an afterthought — this is Neal's backfield.

This week, the Saints face the Buccaneers. This matchup isn't ideal, as Tampa Bay's defense faces the fourth-fewest carries per game (mostly because their secondary is so much weaker). But they still rank as an above-average matchup (tied with the Raiders for 11th) in terms of fantasy points allowed to the position.

Given his excellent workload last week, Neal should be able to come through with another respectable outing, with upside for more if he scores his first career TD.

Running Backs to Sit Week 14

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Last week, even with Isiah Pacheco back from injury, Hunt was the Chiefs' bell cow. He played 67% of the snaps and saw 14 carries to Pacheco's three. Hunt also easily led Kansas City's backfield with a 45% route participation rate, earning two targets. 

However, we should be careful in assuming that this split will remain constant. The situation in New England (where Rhamondre Stevenson returned to a very limited role in Week 12 but was arguably the Patriots' RB1 in Week 13) is a reminder that NFL teams will sometimes ease their RBs back in if they have another comparable option. 

Even if Pacheco doesn't cut more into his usage, this is not a great spot for Hunt. The Texans have one of the league's best defenses, and they rank as the 11th-toughest matchup for RBs in particular. Because he isn't explosive, a lot of Hunt's value comes from TD equity — there's less of that than usual to go around in a week where the Chiefs have an uninspiring 22.5-point team total.

If you have another option, I recommend benching the veteran this week.

Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Don't get me wrong, Etienne is by no means a must-bench. But among players being started in the clear majority of leagues for this week, he has by far the riskiest profile. If you are in a shallow format and have other decent options (including any of the three listed above), I'd consider benching him.

The last three weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster for the Jaguars' backfield. In Week 11, rookie Bhayshul Tuten seemed to be coming for the top job, with more carries than Etienne prior to exiting early with an injury. But then, even though Tuten was off the injury report, the veteran returned to a clear lead role in Week 12. Everyone moved on, so (of course), the pendulum swung back toward Tuten last week.

Etienne still led the backfield in essentially every major category. But his 49% snap share, one target, and 31% route participation rate were all at or near his season lows. His actual production was also disappointing, just 4.6 half-PPR points.

This week, in a slightly below-average matchup with the Colts' defense, he might disappoint again if his workload remains diminished. 

Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears

So far in this article, I've been all about believing in rookies and fading veterans. Let's switch things up a bit by doubting Monangai, a seventh-round selection in this year's draft. Monangai is coming off a massive outing, in which he racked up 19 half-PPR points on 22 carries. 

But he's still not the Bears' clear RB1 — D'Andre Swift still led the team in routes, targets, and snaps last week, and he saw 18 carries of his own. That means that betting on Monangai this week is a bet that Chicago's offense can support two fantasy-viable running backs. If anyone can do it, it's Bears head coach Ben Johnson. But even Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery don't always both get there, and this Bears duo (and overall offense) is not as good as Detroit's has been in recent years. 

This is especially true this week, as the Bears are heading to Lambeau to face the Packers. Green Bay is favored by 6.5 points, and their defense is the 10th-toughest matchup for fantasy running backs. I don't see the Bears having 40 carries to go around again this week, and in lower-volume weeks, it has tended to be Swift who leads the way.

Put it all together, and Monangai is a very risky option this week, whom I'd avoid if possible.