Dominate your Week 15 fantasy football matchups with these favorable RB matchups.
Brian Robinson Jr. vs. NO
Robinson Jr. returns from his much-needed bye week. He’s dealt with both knee and hamstring injuries this season so getting an extra week of rest before the fantasy playoffs begin was ideal. The last time we saw Robinson was in Week 13, when he entered the game banged up against the Titans. Despite being injured, Robinson commanded 17 touches for over 100 yards and a touchdown. He took his first carry for a 40-yard touchdown and Washington never looked back. The Commanders blew out the Titans in Week 13 and Robinson was pulled in the fourth quarter. This would explain his low 45% snap share.
This week, Robinson is well rested off his bye and enters an ideal matchup. He’ll travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints as a seven-point favorite. In six completed games as a favorite this season, Robinson averages 14.7 fantasy points on 16 touches per game. The Saints rank 32nd against the run according to PFF and they allow five yards per rush attempt which is the highest mark in the league. Robinson is a must-start this week in what might be the best matchup a fantasy back can find.
Chuba Hubbard vs. DAL
Hubbard continued his strong 2024 campaign in Week 14 against the Eagles. Despite the difficult matchup against the Eagles’ top-ranked defense, Hubbard was able to find plenty of success. He earned a whopping 30 touches and turned this elite volume into 107 total yards and a score. Hubbard finished as a top-10 back on the week for the sixth time this year; he’s quietly put together an outstanding season. Hubbard has topped 100 total yards or scored a touchdown in nine of his last 11 games. He’s one of only four backs to do this over the past three months.
Hubbard’s rest-of-season outlook improved in Week 14, unfortunately on the back of another season-ending knee injury for teammate Jonathon Brooks. This benefits Hubbard, who was losing some touches and snaps to Brooks in Week 13. Hubbard will continue to be the workhorse back on an improving Panthers offense as he enters a strong Week 15 matchup. The Panthers will face the Cowboys who rank 30th at defending the run according to PFF and allow the second-most rushing yards per game this year. Hubbard continues to be a must-start and his rest-of-season schedule gives him the chance to be a league winner as we enter the fantasy playoffs.
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Isiah Pacheco vs. CLE
Pacheco returned in Week 13 to a limited role. On Black Friday against the Raiders, he played 33% of the snaps and earned eight touches. He turned this usage into a solid 49 yards, averaging over six yards per touch on this small sample size. In this game, Pacheco had a 34-yard run which was twice as long as Kareem Hunt’s biggest run of the year. This was a glimpse of what the Chiefs have been missing in their rushing attack — explosive plays. It was likely after this showing that Pacheco’s role would increase in Week 14, and it did.
In Week 14 against the Chargers Pacheco saw his snaps increase from 33% to 48%. But more importantly, he commanded 70% of the RB carries in this game which was 20% more than he saw in Week 13 when he split the carries evenly with Hunt. Pacheco turned this increased usage into 61 yards on 16 touches.
Expect his usage to remain strong this week as the Chiefs take on the Browns. Kansas City enters this game as seven-point favorites which sets up nicely for Pacheco to have a positive game script. This means there’s a decent chance he’s playing with a lead in the second half and earning more carries. The Browns quietly allow the 10th-most rushing yards per game this season, and they just gave up 100 yards and a touchdown to the Steelers RBs. Start Pacheco this week; he’s primed to score his first touchdown since Week 1.
Rico Dowdle vs. CAR
Dowdle enters Week 15 with a strong matchup against the Panthers. The Cowboys are one-point underdogs on the road this week, which implies the game should be close. This sets up nicely for Dowdle to earn plenty of carries. We saw a similar scenario in Week 14 in a close game against the Bengals. Dowdle earned 19 touches and 141 total yards against New York. This was a career-high performance as far as total yards go and it was the second straight game Dowdle has finished as a top-15 back.
Dowdle found this success against a poor Bengals run defense in Week 14, and this week, he gets another strong matchup. Carolina allows the most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing touchdowns this season. The Panthers just gave up 209 rushing yards last week to the Eagles, including 6.5 yards per carry to Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell. It’s another great spot for Dowdle, who the past three games has earned over 65% of the Cowboys’ snaps and rush attempts. His role is trending up as he enters another advantageous matchup. Make sure Dowdle is in your lineups this week.
Isaiah Davis vs. JAX
The Jets fifth-round rookie earned a surprisingly large role in Week 14 with Breece Hall out. The expectation was that Braelon Allen would lead the Jets backfield and Davis would operate as the clear RB2, but this wasn’t the case. In Week 14, Allen played 56% of the snaps and earned 16 opportunities, while Davis played 52% of the snaps and also earned 16 opportunities. Both backs were efficient, but Davis was the one to find the end zone and finish with the better fantasy day. He turned 13 touches into 67 yards and a score.
If you are not familiar with Davis, he was one of the most productive backs in college football the past two seasons. Over his final two years at South Dakota State, he totaled 3,056 rushing yards which was the most of any D1 back. When you include his receiving production, Davis averaged 1,714 total yards in his final two seasons at South Dakota State.
Hall is at risk of missing more time due to a reported MCL injury in his surgically repaired knee. This opens the door for both Allen and Davis once again in Week 15. They draw a strong matchup against the Jaguars — one of the few times this season the Jets have entered a game as favorites. Jacksonville allows the ninth-most rushing yards per game and just gave up 124 total yards to Tony Pollard last week. Assuming Hall is out, you can FLEX both Davis and Allen in Week 15.
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