Emanuel Wilson Sits Atop the Running Back Depth Chart: Should You Start Him?

Rookie first-round running back Jadarian Price was supposed to lead the backfield for the Seattle Seahawks. He lost two fumbles and suffered a chest injury, though, leaving Emanuel Wilson to step into that role for stretches.

Price has now been put on IR, so Wilson has moved into the valuable RB1 spot without major competition for touches. That has fantasy owners trying to determine Wilson's spot in the RB hierarchy, and he has been showing up all over our FantasySP start/sit tool.

Let's look at Wilson and three running backs who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points and rankings are from FantasyPros.

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Emanuel Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Wilson leads the Seahawks with 32 carries, though he has been inefficient in doing so (3.4 yards per carry). He hasn't caught a pass yet and will cede some carries to George Holani, so this isn't a slam-dunk top fantasy RB option. Opportunity is at least half the battle, though, so Wilson has real fantasy intrigue over the next month with Price out.

The Chargers have given up the eighth-fewest yards per rush attempt but sit right in the middle in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Part of that is volume, as they are tied for the seventh-most rush attempts defended, but James Cook just had a huge week against them last Sunday, racking up 154 rushing yards and a touchdown.

This matchup is probably somewhere in the middle, making Wilson a player worth considering. His spot in your lineup should be determined by who else is on your roster and who you can slot into your RB and flex spots.

J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos @ San Francisco 49ers

Dobbins has been the clear leader on the ground for Denver, carrying the ball 35 times to just five attempts for RJ Harvey. Harvey missed a game, though, and he has 10 receptions versus just one for Dobbins, so both players will be involved, and Dobbins likely won't contribute in the passing game much. Dobbins has been inefficient (3.5 yards per carry) and hasn't scored a touchdown, so we're looking more for volume here and the chance at finding the end zone.

San Francisco has allowed the 10th-fewest yards per rush attempt and is just a little worse than average at allowing fantasy points to running backs. They have been susceptible to RBs in the passing game, allowing nearly six receptions per game, but that has come with inefficient yardage, just 31.7 yards per game. This is another matchup that falls somewhere in the middle, though I'd call it slightly worse than average.

Verdict: Start Emanuel Wilson over J.K. Dobbins. This one is a toss-up, as the matchups are essentially the same, and neither player has been great individually. I like Wilson's outlook against the Chargers just a hair more than Dobbins' against the 49ers, so I'll lean slightly toward Wilson, though it truly is 50/50.

Woody Marks, Houston Texans vs. Dallas Cowboys

Marks has 22 carries to David Montgomery's 37, and both players have caught seven passes, leaving Marks more as the 1B option in Houston's backfield. He did get goal line work last week, punching in a touchdown, but Marks is another guy who has been inefficient with his chances (3.0 yards per carry). I'm not enthralled with a guy who isn't touching the ball as much as another player on his team and isn't doing a lot when he does get the rock.

The Cowboys offer a positive matchup, allowing the fourth-most yards per rush attempt and the ninth-most fantasy points per game to RBs. The Giants, Commanders, and Ravens have all racked up at least 110 rushing yards from their backs, though no individual player has reached 100 yards. They have also given up four touchdowns to the position, including one through the air.

Verdict: Start Emanuel Wilson over Woody Marks. While Marks has the clearly superior matchup, he is also on the lesser side of splitting work with another player. Wilson is more likely to lead the way for his team, and I'll go with that opportunity rather than hoping that Marks is the guy who falls into the end zone.

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens

Many thought that Tyjae Spears would eventually overtake the Tennessee backfield, but Pollard has remained as the clear top man, getting 38 carries versus just 13 for Spears. Neither guy is heavily involved in the passing game, but Pollard has a slight advantage with six receptions versus four for Spears. Pollard has been more efficient than anyone else we've talked about here today (4.6 yards per attempt), so there's some upside to having him in your lineup.

Baltimore is right in the middle in both yards per rush attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to RBs. Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams both reached 98 yards against the Ravens, but they held down New Orleans' backs in Week 2. I expect Baltimore to at least remain average as a rush defense and maybe even be a little better as we get more games added to the stat sheet.

Verdict: Start Emanuel Wilson over Tony Pollard. There's a real argument for Pollard here, as he has performed better on a per-rush basis, but this is about the game as much as the players and matchup. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Seattle beat the Chargers and rely on the run more, while the Titans are likely to be playing from behind against the Ravens and need to throw the ball. This is another close one, but I'll slightly favor Wilson.