With one week to go in many dynasty fantasy football league regular seasons, most team directions are already declared - in the playoffs and fighting for positioning or out of the playoffs and shifting their sights to 2021. This week will focus on the running back position and how different players fit different team directions:
Stack Running Backs
The term stack is to bolster contending team rosters. These are backs where they can benefit from an injury in front of them in a clear fashion and be a fantasy starter in a given week down the stretch. They are ordered generally by the depth of the league with the top names available in more shallow leagues where venturing low on the list will be required for deeper formats. If trading is still open, these are perfect add-ons to bigger trades.
Carlos Hyde: Hyde saw a spot start in Week 11 as a streamer and, at worst, is a Chris Carson injury-away to close the season.
Jeremy McNichols: A free agent in the offseason, but McNichols is the clear RB2 for Tennessee and a potential league-changer if Derrick Henry were to miss time. DOnta Foreman also got dinged up in Week 12.
Royce Freeman: Phillip Lindsay's Week 12 knee injury makes Freeman a potential injury-away option in the coming weeks behind Melvin Gordon. Erase the Broncos' rewind-the-clock makeshift offense as eligible quarterbacks will be back for the team to present a more viable attack. If Lindsay ends up not missing time, Freeman is in the Stash category.
C.J. Prosise: Currently the injury-away option to Duke Johnson Jr to offer spot start potential now, Prosise is also in a good situation for the offseason.
Peyton Barber: Washington runs an RB-heavy offense considering their lack of WR2/3 roles. Barber is a quasi-handcuff to both Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic if either miss time.
Stash Running Backs
These are preferred options for non-contending dynasty rosters. While some of them have avenues to turn into a producer this season, their talent, contract status, depth chart, etc. point to a situational change - or the possibility of change - in the offseason. Taking a few lottery tickets with good enough talent can turn into a player you keep through NFL Free Agency and the NFL Draft instead of easily cutting early in the offseason.
Kerryon Johnson: A high-end name in terms of cost or dynasty standing for this list, but worthy of including on the premise is Kerryon Johnson. Adrian Peterson is a free agent and, even if DAndre Swift is the presumed Week 1 starter in 2021, that leaves Johnson as the injury-away back with a pedigreed profile.
KeShawn Vaughn: The Day 2 pick this past offseason essentially has a redshirt rookie season in the works. Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy are both free agents, and Vaughn has a realistic outcome of being the RB2 and Ronald Jones II injury-away status as his 2021 role moniker.
Rex Burkhead: The "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" talent of Rex Burkhead continues to look the part over his career but rarely see a clarified opportunity as a confident fantasy starter play. Burkhead is a free agent and now coming off an injury, looking for a new chance in 2021.
Malcolm Brown: Within a firm three-back committee unless there is an injury for the Rams in 2020, Brown is a free agent in the offseason. A do-it-all veteran, Brown has sneaky injury-status possibilities for 2021 elsewhere.
DeeJay Dallas: With Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde both free agents in the offseason, Dallas has flashed in moments and has good size and earlier Day 3 pedigree. Expect Seattle to have a non-Dallas Plan A for the depth chart in the offseason, but Dallas has decent odds to be the expected injury-away option to start the 2021 season.
DeAndre Washington: Washington made this list-designation in 2019 to close the season, largely blocked for the Raiders before his 2020 free agency. It looks like Washington was a rousing hit, landing with Kansas City earlier in free agency. However, Washington moved on to Miami and has flashed in Week 12 with (finally) some opportunity. Washington is a free agent - again - in 2021 and an underrated veteran capable of 1A/B work as a two-way back.
Eno Benjamin: Despite a late Day 3 pedigree, Benjamin has a strong metric profile (young, two-way producer). Kenyan Drake is a free agent, leaving Chase Edmonds and Benjamin notably on the Arizona depth chart.
Darrel Williams: Still playing in 2020 as the clear RB3 role and sparse snaps, Williams could be in a relevant role for the Chiefs in 2021. LeVeon Bell is an offseason free agent. Damien Williams is slated to return after his opt-out status in 2020, but Darrel Williams is a savvy younger veteran with probabilities to be the injury-away RB2 in the best case.
Hybrid Running Backs
These backs fall into both categories as universal hold players:
Mike Davis: Christian McCaffrey is likely back following Carolina's Week 13 bye. However, Davis reverts to one of the better injury-away options in that case. Plus, Davis is a free agent in the offseason and has earned an NFL depth chart spot in 2021 after firmly being on the NFL fringe, playing his way back to relevance, before the 2020 season.
Jeff Wilson: Wilson was in a firm committee in his return to play Week 12 with Raheem Mostert, also in his first game back from injury. Wilson should be viewed as at least the injury-away option in the coming weeks. Plus, Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon, and JaMycal Hasty are all offseason free agents on a depth chart in-flux.
Kalen Ballage: Ballage is a free agent in the offseason but also the best non-Austin Ekeler back for the Chargers this season. Ballage missed Week 12 but could return to a committee (with Ekeler) or injury-away status as long as he returns ahead of Joshua Kelley on the depth chart. Like Mike Davis, Ballage has earned future depth chart opportunities beyond 2020 with his play this season.
T.J. Yeldon: A former second-round pick, Yeldon is likely two injuries away from current-year relevance for the Bills. However, Yeldon is a free agent and a savvy two-way player still in his prime production window historically. Yeldon is an underrated back addition to an NFL depth chart in the offseason and a sneaky injury-away candidate in 2021.