Khalil Herbert or Antonio Gibson: Who is the better fantasy pick?

Who is the best pick between Khalil Herbert and Antonio Gibson in fantasy football? The NFL has entered its eighth week and many fantasy football managers are getting desperate. Over the last seven weeks, many players have not lived up to expectations or suffered season-ending injuries.

Running backs Khalil Herbert and Antonio Gibson are both RB2's for their team and haven't missed a single game this season. Playing for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders respectively, they both see a reasonable snap count for an RB2. Both players are healthy and will play their eighth game of the season.

In Week 8 we recommend starting Antonio Gibson, but there isn't much between the two. Between now and the end of the season, Gibson will likely outscore Herbert in PPR leagues, but the reverse might happen in HPPR leagues.

Why you should start Antonio Gibson over Khalil Herbert in Week 8

Washington Football Team v New York Giants

As both players are RB2's there isn't much to help choose between them other than their snap counts and the strength of their opposition. Gibson will face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8, whereas Herbert will play against the Dallas Cowboys. Both players have very similar projections and it really comes down to who you think could have a better day.

As the Bears have something of an aversion to throwing the ball and issues with catching it, the Cowboys defense is likely to have a big day. They will have a gameplan for Chicago's run-heavy offense and there's a good chance of Herbert scoring very few points.

Gibson faces the Colts, who have been very hit and miss this season. With an improved performance from the Commanders against the Green Bay Packers, this could be an upset. Although Gibson will not see the lion's share of the snaps, the Commanders will likely score more points than the Bears this week. It is a tough choice and could go either way, but in Week 8 Gibson is projected to score slightly higher (in PPR leagues).

Why Antonio Gibson will outscore Khalil Herbert between now and the end of the 2022 season

Green Bay Packers v Washington Commanders

It's not easy to choose between the two or predict their trajectories as both will have weeks when they barely see the ball. As a backup, Khalil Herbert ranges between 4-12 carries and one target per game, whereas Antonio Gibson now sees between 3-10 carries and four targets per game. Both RBs are reliable at catching their targets.

Herbert has started one of the seven games he has played in. In 75 rushing attempts, he has covered 464 yards and three touchdowns. So far, his best game this season has come in Week 3 against the Houston Texans, where he rushed for 157 yards in 20 attempts and scored two touchdowns. If David Montgomery gets injured, Herbert becomes a massive player in fantasy football. As a backup, he doesn't get as many receptions as Gibson, and if you are in a PPR league, that's a big deal.

Gibson has started in five games and has 273 rushing yards in 71 attempts and two touchdowns. He did not make the most of his opportunity as a starter to win the role and as such will see limited snaps and opportunities. It is purely based on the volume of his receptions that he is a more valuable (albeit only slightly) running back. In HPPR leagues, it may well be that Herbert wins out, but again, it will be close.

Khalil Herbert timline

Houston Texans v Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears selected Khalil Herbert as the 217th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft. In his rookie season, he played 17 games and started in two of them. He rushed for 433 yards in 103 attempts and scored two touchdowns. This season, he has already crossed the 400+ mark in rushing yards in just seven games and has already scored three touchdowns.

Antonio Gibson timeline

Green Bay Packers v Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders selected RB Antonio Gibson as the 66th overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft. He is playing his third season with the Commanders and so far has rushed for 2,105 yards and made it to the endzone 24 times (20 rushing and four receiving).

In his rookie season, he started in 10 of the 14 games he played and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. He ended his last season with 1,037 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.