Week 8 is in the books, and if you had Dalvin Cook ($8,200) on his four-touchdown outing, you probably had a great week. DeeJay Dallas ($5,000), Nyheim Hines ($4,400) and Jordan Wilkins ($4,200) were a few low-rostered running backs who finished inside the top five.
The Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and New York Jets are not on this week’s main DraftKings slate. The four teams on their bye week are the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.
Here are the running backs we should be targeting on DraftKings along with their opportunity projections this week.
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STUDS
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears, $7,900
Sandwiched between studs like Christian McCaffrey ($8,500), Dalvin Cook ($8,200) and James Robinson ($7,000) is Henry, who may come in at a roster percentage below what it should be this week. The Chicago Bears haven’t been able to stop the run over the past two games, giving up the second-highest scoring running back in DraftKings scoring last week (Alvin Kamara, 25.3 DKFP) and 21.3 combined DKFP to Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson the week prior. D’Onta Foreman ($4,000) played on 10 percent of the snaps and Jeremy McNichols ($4,000) registered 36 percent snaps last week, but we shouldn’t be worried. The Titans are favored by close to a touchdown on DraftKings Sportsbook, which bodes well for the big-bodied back.
Projections
Rushing: 25 attempts
Receiving: 2 Targets; 2 Receptions
Total: 27 Touches
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans, $7,000
Robinson firmly has this backfield all to himself, registering 90 percent of the snaps last week and getting all of the carries against the Chargers. The Jags have been a mess, but the one bright spot has been watching and rostering Robinson this season - this week should be no different. Robinson, who ranks seventh in rushing yards (481) and tenth in yards per route run (1.73) this season, faces a Texans defense who can’t stop the run, allowing the third-highest yards before contact per rush and third most DKFP per game to opposing backfields. Robinson looks poised to better his Week 5 performance against this team.
Projections
Rushing: 19 Attempts
Receiving: 6 Targets; 5 Receptions
Total: 24 Touches
VALUES
DeeJay Dallas, Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills, $5,000
Carlos Hyde is out this week, and Chris Carson ($6,500) is still banged-up, leaving DeeJay Dallas ($5,000) and Travis Homer ($4,000) on the active roster. The matchup should be great for whoever the lead back is in Seattle. The Bills’ run defense has been suspect this season, ranking 24th in rush defense per DVOA. If Carson is active, then the DeeJay shares will shift to Carson in this prime matchup.
Projections
Rushing: 16 Attempts
Receiving: 3 Targets; 3 Receptions
Total: 19 Touches
Matt Breida, Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals, $4,000
Editor’s note: Dolphins RB Matt Breida (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. the Cardinals.
Breida will get first dibs at this backfield with Myles Gaskin (knee) out, and the former 49ers back may be worth a flier this week against a defense who’ll want to attack Tua Tagovailoa ($5,500) in his second start. Breida and Gaskin have similar games, and Breida should be heavily used in the passing game to keep this Cardinals pass rush at bay. Also, keep your eye on recently traded Deandre Washington in the upcoming weeks. Breida has struggled to stay healthy, and the Dolphins don’t seem to think Jordan Howard ($4,000) fits in their offense.
Projections
Rushing: 10 Attempts
Receiving: 6 Targets; 5 Receptions
Total: 15 Touches
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