Sleeper Running Backs Fantasy Football Week 5: Chase Chase

gus bus fantasy football running back sleepers sleeper running back

Four weeks are in the books and everything is a disaster! The Titans are having secret practices, Cam Newton still has COVID-19, and Patrick Mahomes might get it any second now! Hachi machi, what a mess! Anyway, here are some sleeper quarterbacks for week five, so we can pretend like any of this matters and there will be a full season. To make this list, a player must be available in at least 50% of Yahoo! leagues, with one player rostered in no more than 10% of leagues.

Sleeper Running Backs Option #1: Chase Edmonds at N.Y. Jets (50% rostered)

Kenyan Drake took a hard hit late in the Panthers-Cardinals game, and while Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t think it will be major, you can’t deny that Edmonds opened the RBBC door just a crack. Edmonds had four opportunities in the last four minutes of the game and turned those into a 9-yard gain, a 12-yard gain, and a touchdown. That’s pretty good, I would say, even against the Panthers. This week, Edmonds likely gets more touches and he definitely and more importantly, gets the Jets. The Jets allow the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, and have let at least one back score a touchdown against them in every game this year.

[10/09 UPDATE: Looks like COVID-19 hit the Jets! Keep your eyes open to see if they play this game this weekend]

Sleeper Running Backs Option #2: Duke Johnson versus Jacksonville (23% rostered)

Duke Johnson and David Johnson both have a new lease on life in Houston with Bill O’Brien getting the ol’ heave-ho this week. Duke returned from injury last week, and turned about 40% of snaps and eight touches into 45 yards. This sleeper pick depends a lot on the chaos factor of an interim regime stepping in to see what they have. He’s a target hog when he plays, so he should have a decent floor this week, at least. This is a high-risk play, but it could play dividends and save your rear end if you get desperate.

The Jags are a great matchup to have this weekend, as they tricked us into thinking that Nyheim Hines was definitely a thing in week one, and gave Joe Mixon his breakout game this past weekend. He’s a good flex play with the Chaos Caveat.

Sleeper Running Backs Deep Dive Option: Gus Edwards versus Cincinnati (2% rostered)

The Ravens running back situation is a complete nightmare so far this season… because of what you spent on J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram. If you want a dependable role, look no further than Baltimore’s most reliable closer since, uh, Hunter Harvey(?). Gus Edwards has 27 carries on the season, with 27 of them coming in the second half of the game. He’s turned those 21 carries into 149 yards. He brings the hammer, and would likely be the starter for a ton of teams around the league. I like Joe Burrow, but I think the Ravens make his life hell this weekend. If Gus Edwards can get ten carries at his efficiency, he could get you some desperation floor points. And heck, the Bengals the twelfth-most fantasy points to running backs.

Sleeper Running Backs Additional Options:

Justin Jackson at New Orleans (26% rostered), J.D. McKissic versus L.A. Rams (2% rostered)

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About Jeff Krisko

You can follow me on twitter, @jeffkrisko for the same lukewarm takes you read here.

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