Backfields shift lightning fast in the NFL. Injuries are the primary driver, and a flip happened. The optimist will point to the Buccaneers and the Chargers, who are welcoming back Bucky Irving and Omarion Hampton. The pessimist will point to some situations that got muddy, like Cleveland. Fantasy managers need to continue to grab backup running backs who are in ascending situations. Running back spot starts can be game changers as we near the fantasy football playoffs. Every week we break down all the backfields across the NFL. 

Backfields Worth Noting

Some backfields saw noteworthy movement in Week 12:

• Detroit: Jahmyr Gibbs played a season-high number of snaps while David Montgomery was near a season low. The Lions were previously the poster child for a True Committee. That is over. Gibbs is officially a Bellcow. 
• New England: Rhamondre Stevenson's return was the hot item for Week 12. TreVeyon Henderson still held on to the lead role, a fantasy win given his upside. 
• Cleveland: Quinshon Judkins missed some time, opening a role for Dylan Sampson. Sampson flashed game-breaking speed. The Browns should give him more opportunities in a lost season.
• New Orleans: Alvin Kamara was injured, giving Devin Neal a chance. Neal should be a flex option with RB2 upside if Kamara misses a game. 
• Tampa Bay: Bucky Irving is trending toward a Week 13 return. 
• LA Chargers: Omarion Hampton's practice window opened, putting him in play as early as Week 13. 

Bellcow Backfields

• Henry jumped from 15th to 12th on the career rushing list, passing Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and Marcus Allen. He is 19 yards from passing Jim Brown for 11th place. Tony Dorsett is in 10th place, with 12,739. Henry had two rushing touchdowns against the Jets. It is the 30th time in his career that he has had a multiple-touchdown game, which trails only Emmitt Smith (36) and LaDainian Tomlinson (38). The Ravens play the Bengals, and Henry should be in a smash spot. 

• Cook became the fifth Buffalo running back to hit 1,000 in the first 11 games of a season. Thurman Thomas was the last in 1991. The Bills face a Pittsburgh defense that has rounded into shape as the season progressed. 

• Brown recorded his fifth straight game of 100+ scrimmage yards, tying a team record he set first in 2024. A.J. Green, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Cedric Benson are the other Bengals with 100 scrimmage yards in five consecutive games. Brown's 2024 streak started after a 94-yard game against the Ravens and ended with a 91-yard game against the Broncos. The Bengals play Baltimore in Week 13.

• The good: Williams has averaged 92 scrimmage yards over the last three games. The bad, he's RB29 in the previous three weeks. Williams has not scored since Week 8, and his role in the passing game is minimal. The wear could be mounting as Williams is on pace to hit 304 touches, while his career high is 264. Davis is the backup we want; he has looked explosive in moments. While the Chiefs' defense has been average in run defensive EPA, they have allowed the fourth fewest points to running backs this season.

• Gibbs did a whole bunch of awesome things. Find out more in the Monday NFL Roundup! Despite some coaches speaking about involving Montgomery, his role has diminished as the year progressed. I do not think we are at this point, but Montgomery will be 29 years old this offseason and due $18 million over 2026 and 2027. The Lions can release or trade him and save $14 mil. The free agent market will be flush with running back options. The Lions have a Thanksgiving matchup against a Packers defense that has been strong against running backs. 

• Marks has averaged 17.3 touches per game over the last three weeks, seizing the Texans' backfield. Ironically, as his role has grown into the primary back, his pass-game involvement has diminished, averaging just 1 catch per game over the last 4 weeks. He is too talented not to be involved in the pass game, though the same could be said for Kyren Williams, who was frustrated by his lack of pass-game involvement with Texans OC Nick Caley as the Rams' passing game coordinator. The Texans have a neutral matchup against the Colts in Week 13. 

• Jonathan Taylor is in the midst of a historic season. That said, he has not helped fantasy managers much over the last four weeks. His Week 10 performance was historic, but he has sandwiched that game and his bye with two games under 8 half PPR points. The Colts face a difficult Texans defense. Despite the Colts' hot start, a Houston win would put them just one game back with another match between the two teams. Houston is +750 to win the South on Fanduel. 

• Hunt topped 100 rushing yards for the first time since Week 9, 2024. He has just three games over 100 yards since Week 10, 2020. A total of 1,841 days. Think about where your life was in mid-November 2020. The Chiefs play Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. The teams will combine for somewhere between 100 and 1,000,000 points. Probably. Isiah Pacheco could be back. Smith not being on a near-50-50 committee and plugging in a veteran off the street in Edwards-Helaire is less than encouraging. Pacheco would profile as a deep flex while Hunt would hold goal-line work. Pacheco is one of my biggest misses of the season. But the Chiefs could plug Breece Hall or Ken Walker III in and have Saquon 2024. Because they are the Chiefs. 

• From the Monday NFL Roundup: 

  • Jeanty set a Raiders team record with his fourth receiving touchdown, the most by a Raiders rookie running back. Ray Ramsey has the NFL record for a rookie back, catching eight in 1947. Jeanty's four ties multiple players for the 13th most by a rookie back. The Raiders team record by a rookie, regardless of position, is seven by Raymond Chester in 1970.

  • Jeanty has 37 receptions on the season, one behind Marcus Allen for the most by a Raiders rookie running back. Jeanty's total is the tenth most by any Raiders rookie, and he could climb as high as third, where Hunter Renfrow had 49. Teammate Brock Bowers has the team record of 112, set in 202,4, while Amari Cooper had 72 in 2015. Saquon Barkley holds the NFL record for a rookie running back, posting 91 in his 2018 rookie season. 

  • Jeanty is the 13th player in NFL history with 600+ rushing yards, 4+ rushing touchdowns, 200+ receiving yards, and 4+ receiving touchdowns as a rookie. Applying a filter of 35 receptions drops that list to ten. 

  • Jeanty's eight touchdowns tie J.D. Smith for the second most by a rookie in Raiders history. Allen had 14 in his 1982 rookie season. 

  • We are monitoring Jeanty's ankle injury ahead of a Week 13 matchup against a Chargers defense that has allowed some massive games. 

  • Chip Kelly is fired. 

  • I am thankful Chip Kelly helped the Ohio State Buckeyes win a national championship.

  • Wanna do it again, Chip?

• Hall is on pace for 1,183 rushing yards, 43.3 catches, and 465 receiving yards this season. Curtis Martin is the only Jets running back to top 1,100 rushing yards, 40 receptions, and 465 receiving yards. Thomas Jones has the 11th most rushing yards in team history, 1,119. Curtis Martin is 10th at 1,204. Did you know Hall was having one of the best seasons in Jets history? Hall is RB15. He is on pace for 4.5 touchdowns. Javonte Williams has nine touchdowns. Kareem Hunt has eight. Dallas Goedert has seven. Hall has three. Breece Hall, Dallas Cowboy or Kansas City Chief? The Jets play the Falcons. Great matchup. All the Hall. 

• Barkley has been better than we realize, but not as good as we need. Still, he's healthy and the Eagles close with the Bears, Chargers, Raiders, Commanders, Bills, and Commanders. Bigsby and Shipley would split the backfield if Barkley were out, though Bigsby would have the best chance of taking the job outright. 

• McCaffrey became the fifth back in NFL history with 600 receptions. He sets a record every time he plays: 

Committees With a Lead Back