Backfield Breakdowns: Week 14

With one week remaining before the fantasy playoffs, crunch time is here. As backfields continue to shift, sharp managers push to stay ahead. How did the league shake out?

Backfields Worth Noting

Some backfields saw noteworthy movement in Week 13:

• Tampa Bay: Bucky Irving returned and led the backfield with Rachaad White serving as the top backup over Sean Tucker.
• New Orleans: With Alvin Kamara out, rookie Devin Neal took on a Bellcow role. While the offense has struggled, he can still be the type of late-season contributor who shifts leagues. 
• Carolina: The Panthers employed an even committee between Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard.
• Minnesota: Aaron Jones Sr. left with an injury. Jordan Mason took the lead role while Zavier Scott stepped in as the backup. 

Bellcow Backfields

• Robinson rushed for 140+ with 50+ receiving yards for the second time in 2025. There have been five 140+-50+ games in 2025, the first time since 2002 the league has seen more than four of these games. Robinson has 995 rushing and 594 receiving yards on the season, becoming the second player in Atlanta history to hit those numbers. William Andrews did it twice, in 1981 and 1983. Christian McCaffrey's 2022 season was the last season a player hit 995-590. There have been 19 players with 950+ rushing and 550+ receiving yards through the first 12 games of a season. Allgeier has eight rushing touchdowns, tied for the 18th most in Falcons history. Michael Turner had 17 in 2008, while Robinson and Jamal Anderson had seasons with 14. Fantasy managers are frustrated by the red zone splits; Robinson and Allgeier have both had 25 rush attempts inside the 20. Robinson has averaged 2.7 ypc while Allgeier is at 2.6. The Falcons play a Seattle defense that has been among the league's best against the run. 

• Judkins' 91 rushing yards pushed him to 758 on the season, passing Preston Carpenter for the fifth most by a Browns rookie. Nick Chubb (996), Trent Richardson (950), Jim Brown (942), and William Green (887) are the Top 4. Dylan Sampson was a Week 13 breakout. Because we cannot have nice things, he left with an injury and did not return. Ford would be the next man up. The Browns should be able to take advantage of a Tennessee defense that has struggled all season. 

• Williams broke a three-game scoreless streak. His 21 receiving yards were the second highest of the season and the most since Week 2. Williams has 955 rushing yards, the 21st most in the first 12 games of a season for the Cowboys. He is on pace for 1,352. Davis looked explosive on a 43-yard touchdown run. He can be a difference maker in fantasy leagues if Williams misses time. Dallas plays a Detroit defense that ranks third in rush defense EPA. The game should shoot out, creating scoring opportunities, though the Cowboys will likely attack through the air. 

• Gibbs crossed the 1,000-yard threshold in Week 13. He needs three receiving yards to hit 400 on the season. He would join Billy Sims as the only Lions running backs to record multiple seasons of 1,000 rushing and 400 receiving yards. Montgomery is averaging three fewer rush attempts and ten fewer yards per game, but this 4.4 ypa is the second-best mark of his career. He is no longer in a role to be a weekly fantasy starter, but he still holds league-winning upside if Gibbs were to miss time. The Cowboys' defense has played much better since adding Quinnen Williams, DeMarvion Overshown, Logan Wilson, and Jadeveon Clowney throughout the season. 

• Jacobs returned after missing Week 12 and ran well against a difficult Lions defense. The Thursday kick may have played into the calculus of missing Week 12, along with the leverage of the Lions matchup. With Jacobs back, Wilson returned to his secondary role. His Week 12 explosion shows he is a high-value handcuff. The Bears are on tap; their run defense ranks outside of the Top 20 in EPA. 

• We are at a place where 121 scrimmage yards against a stout Houston defense is disappointing for Taylor, but he finished as RB19 on the week. There isn't much to see here other than the fact that he seems due for a multiple-touchdown game against a league-average Jacksonville defense in a pivotal matchup between two teams at the top of the AFC South standings. 

• Pacheco returned, but Hunt still held the lead role in the Chiefs' backfield. Teams have attacked Dallas through the air, and the Chiefs did the same; trailing for most of the game prevented them from establishing much on the ground. Their season is on the line in Week 14 against a strong Texans defense; a loss here would give the Chiefs just an 11% chance of making the playoffs, per NFL.com. 

• Jeanty moved past Marcus Allen for the most receptions by a rookie running back in team history. His 43 are the fifth most by any Raiders rookie. He needs six more to catch third-place Hunter Renfrow. Brock Bowers (112) and Amari Cooper (72) top the list. The Raiders face a difficult Denver defense in Week 14. 

• It was an on week for Vidal. Since becoming involved in Week 5, Vidal has posted a consistent pattern, alternating between good and bad weeks. He has four weeks between 2.2 and 5.5 points, averaging 3.28 points in those games. In the other four weeks, he has been between 17.3 and 21.3 points, averaging 19.5 points. A week 14 matchup against a Philadelphia defense that struggled against Chicago likely stacks up as an off week with Omarion Hampton nearing a return from injury. 

• Achane has topped 120 rushing yards in three straight games, tying him with multiple players for the 22nd-longest streak in NFL history. Chris Johnson, Eric Dickerson, and Earl Campbell have the longest streaks, with six games. Achane's 1,034 yards are the 12th most in Dolphins history. Ricky Williams has the top two seasons, with 1,853 and 1,372. Jay Ajayi is third with 1,272. Achane failed to record a reception for just the second time in his career. The Dolphins play a Jets defense that allowed the top running back game to Bijan Robinson last week. 

• Neal dominated carries with Alvin Kamara out of the lineup. That should be the expectation for a Week 14 game against a strong Buccaneers run defense. Hull is a surprising name as a backup; deep leagues should add him, as we have seen stranger players contribute starting weeks late in the season. 

• Hall is trending toward the best year of his career, needing 156 yards to hit 1,000 for the first time. The Jets pay a Dolphins defense that has played much better after a slow start to the season. 

• On the plus side, Barkley is on pace to top 1,000 yards. At 61.6 per game, he is on pace for 1,048 rushing yards. He is also on pace for 50 receptions and 367 receiving yards, his best receiving season since 2019, his second year. Only 14 players hit 1,400 scrimmage yards in 2024. Obviously, we know expectations are everything, and Barkley was selected first overall in many fantasy leagues. The Eagles have to get their offense figured out and play a schedule that should allow it. Week 14 is the Chargers, who rank 20th in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Their fantasy playoff schedule features all green matchups: Washington (12th in points allowed), Las Vegas (11th), and Buffalo (3rd). 

• McCaffrey joined Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig as the only players with 800 rushing and 800 receiving yards through the first 13 games of a season. Those three are the only players with 1,000 - 1,000 seasons. McCaffrey needs 154 rushing yards and 194 receiving yards to do it twice. The 49ers have their bye in Week 14. 

Committees With a Lead Back