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Playing the right running back matchups is critical to having a successful week of scoring in your fantasy football leagues. With four teams on bye this week, savvy fantasy managers will try to find viable solutions to get them to the following week.
At Sportkeeda, we bring you weekly running back rankings and highlight the best matchups to help you make those tough lineup decisions before Week 5.
Fantasy Football RB Rankings: Week 5
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Fantasy Football RB Picks: Best Matchups of the Week
1] Kenneth Walker vs New York Giants
The New York defense is one of the best matchups in fantasy football, and it will have a tough assignment with Kenneth Walker this week.
Walker displayed his big-play ability on Monday Night Football in Detroit last week and scored three touchdowns in a highly hostile environment. He returned from a two-game absence to reclaim his status as an RB1 in fantasy football as long as he's healthy.
This week, he'll get a hostile of his own in front of the 12s on Sunday. He'll get a Giants defensive front who has been susceptible to running backs this season. New York has allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs (70.2) and the third-most points to backs at 299.5.
Walker has six explosive rushes of 10-plus yards in two games, and the Giants have allowed the fourth-most runs of 10-plus with 18 through four games. New York will be without its top target, Malik Nabers, and starting running back Devin Singletary this week. Walker is lined up for a positive game script at home in Week 5 and should be in contention for the overall RB1 this week.
2] Josh Jacobs vs Los Angeles Rams
After the first two weeks, Josh Jacobs was one of the best backs in fantasy football. The First-Team All-Pro amassed 235 rushing yards and 27.5 fantasy points against Philadelphia and Indianapolis. He looked like a steal in fantasy drafts, but since then, Jacobs has turned in a combined 94 rushing yards against Tennessee and Minnesota for 17.6 fantasy points.
A player of Jacobs' caliber, you don't concern yourself with matchups, but it does shine a light on how it can affect fantasy points each week. Jacobs and the Packers will get a much more favorable matchup this week when it visits a struggling Los Angeles rush defense.
The Rams have allowed the second-most yards to backs (662) and are the worst defensive front in stuff rate at 13.5% of rush attempts. Los Angeles is seventh in the league with 51.8 touches per game to running backs — a good sign for Jacobs, who has seen the 10th most touches per game at 19.5 this season.
The Packers offense will be down two receivers for this game in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, so it wouldn't be surprising if they lean heavily on the Pro Bowl back this week.
3] D'Andre Swift vs Carolina Panthers
If you're a weekly reader, you know I recommended D'Andre Swift against a poor Indianapolis rush defense earlier this season. It was one of the few instances where the matchup couldn't overcome the player's ineptitude or lift the overall rushing game.
During research for Week 4, Swift popped again against an equally poor Los Angeles Rams run defense that has struggled without its former defensive MVP, Aaron Donald. He turned in his best performance of the season with 16 carries for 93 rushing yards and a touchdown while contributing seven receptions for 72 receiving yards.
Swift and the Bears offense have another advantageous matchup this week with a Carolina Panthers defense that ranks second in rush defense DVOA-Adjusted Fantasy Points Against (34%). The Panthers have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards (595), second-most goal-line rushing touchdowns (3), and sixth-most explosive runs of 10-plus yards (16). Carolina's defensive front is 31st in stuff rate at 14.1% and allows the fifth most touches per game to running backs at 52.8.
Despite favorable matchup metrics, Swift is still a risk-reward play with RB2-upside this week. He's just outside the RB2 tier through four games with 11.7 points per game — 28th among all running backs.
Many proactive fantasy managers picked up Roschon Johnson in case the second-year back earns a more significant role in Chicago. Johnson did find the end zone last week, threatening Swift's high-value scoring situations, but Johnson should remain on fantasy benches this week.
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