Welcome to Week 8 of the 2023 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Rams and Cardinals Backfields
- Every Week/Bye Week/Fluke Week (see below)
- Quit/Don't Quit
- Either/Or: The RB Edition
Let's roll.
Every Week/Bye Week/Fluke Week
Matt Waldman: Pick three from the list and tell me which is the best candidate for each label.
- D'Onta Foreman
- Emari Demercado
- Demario Douglas
- Jalin Hyatt
- Tyrod Taylor
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Joshua Kelley
- Rachaad White
- Najee Harris
- Jakobi Meyers
- Rashee Rice
- Cade Otton
Go . . .
Jason Wood: Rookie Rashee Rice is an Every Week option. Rice only saw approximately 25% of the snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, but he's been on the field for nearly 55% over the last two games as he's begun to separate from the rest of the Chiefs' mile-wide, inch-deep roster.
As he performs, it's natural that Patrick Mahomes II will trust him more, and a virtuous cycle is likely to elevate Rice into a top-30, every-week scenario with potential far beyond that depending on touchdown variance. Rice currently ranks 11th among qualified receivers in yards per route run.
Keenan Allen, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are just below him in the rankings, while everyone above him is also a bona fide fantasy star this year.
Honorable Mention: Jakobi Meyers.
Rachaad White is a Bye Week option. White hasn't had the breakout some hoped for, but he's currently RB28 in PPR scoring despite only scoring one touchdown. White isn't a powerful or instinctive runner (3.2 yards per rush), and the Buccaneers offensive line doesn't do him any favors. But the coaches trust him as a pass protector, and rookie Sean Tucker still isn't getting the snap share to warrant worrying about a committee approach.
Honorable Mention: Najee Harris
D'Onta Foreman is my Fluke Week option. Foreman was the No. 1 fantasy running back in Week 7 with 120 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. But his role only came after Khalil Herbert was placed on injured reserve and rookie Roschon Johnson was out with a concussion, not to mention uber-mobile quarterback Justin Fields was out, too.
We can't rule out Foreman having another big week, but reports suggest Johnson will be back from the concussion this week, and the team understandably thinks highly of him. Expect a committee approach, and that's only until Herbert returns, when it should become more of a two-man rotation with Herbert and Johnson.