Fantasy football owners everywhere are desperate to get some of their RB contributors back. With so many injury issues at the position and so few backfields with true workhorses this year, getting the likes of Chris Carson, Austin Ekeler, Nick Chubb, Kenyan Drake, and Matt Breida back will be crucial for owners looking to make runs to the fantasy playoffs. The statuses of those players will also have a major impact on Week 10 waiver pickups, start 'em, sit 'em decisions, and the strength and depth of our RB rankings.
For more injury updates on banged-up RBs, including Joe Mixon, Mark Ingram, Raheem Mostert, Miles Sanders, and Devonta Freeman, click here; for the latest on injured WRs Kenny Golladay, Allen Lazard, Deebo Samuel, and T.Y. Hilton, go here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
WEEK 10 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Chris Carson playing this week?
Carson (foot) has missed the Seahawks' past two games with an injury suffered against the Cardinals in Week 7. While he was deemed a game-time decision in Week 8 after failing to practice, he was ruled out on Friday of Week 9 with the same practice schedule. He'll need to see more action this week if he's to play.
The good news is that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that both Carson and backup Carlos Hyde (hamstring) have a chance to play this week, and they should return to practice at the very least. Carson's status will be especially intriguing, but given that he hasn't practiced in the two weeks he has been out, it's fair to assume that he may need at least one more week of rest even if he does return to practice. Plus, Carroll tends to be overly optimistic when talking about injuries.
If Carson can't play, Hyde would be in the line to carry the load. If Hyde is also unable to return, then the trio of DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer, and Alex Collins would get another crack at leading the rotation. Dallas would be the best between-the-tackles/goal-line option, while Homer represents a solid PPR threat.
WEEK 10 FANTASY: Top pickups | FAAB budget planner | Buy-low, sell-high
Is Austin Ekeler playing this week?
Ekeler (hamstring) is eligible to return from IR at any moment now, but it doesn't look like he will. A few weeks ago, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Ekeler would be activated "later than sooner," and since that time, nothing new has come out about the injury.
Given the current state of the Chargers -- they're 2-6 and aren't likely to work their way back into the playoff chase -- they're not going to rush Ekeler back. They're getting solid production from Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Kalen Ballage, and Troymaine Pope, so the Chargers should be comfortable going with a committee approach as long as Ekeler is out.
This week, the Chargers' backfield rotation will depend on the health of Justin Jackson (knee). More often than not, he'll be the leader, but if he has to miss the game, Ballage and Kelley can both be trusted as flex plays. Either way though, don't expect to see Ekeler in action any time soon.
WEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Nick Chubb playing this week?
Things seem to be trending in the right direction for Chubb (knee). According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Chubb is expected to practice before Week 10 and the Browns are "hopeful" he will return. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot confirmed that Chubb will, in fact, practice this week. That should give Chubb a chance to play for the first time since Week 4 against the Cowboys.
Chubb's matchup with the Texans is a great one, as Houston has one of the worst run defenses in the NFL and has surrendered a league-high 1,159 rushing yards to running backs this year. That will make Chubb a potential RB1, though splitting carries with Kareem Hunt will limit his upside just a bit.
Is Kenyan Drake playing this week?
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury created some initial optimism when he indicated that Drake's ankle injury wasn't quite as bad as the Cardinals thought when the team was coming out of their Week 8 bye. However, he still missed Week 9 and didn't practice, so his status heading into Week 10 is up in the air.
According to Kyle Odegard of Cardinals.com, Drake is being considered "day-to-day" by Kingsbury ahead of the team's Sunday matchup against the Bills. That may sound encouraging, but again, Drake didn't practice at all last week, so he'd have to have a significant upgrade in practice status and log at least one limited practice to have a chance to suit up in Week 10.
If Drake is out again, Chase Edmonds will continue to be the workhorse back for the Cardinals. While the Dolphins mostly stymied Edmonds last week, the matchup against the Bills and their middling run defense is better for Edmonds, so he could have a nice day and falls in the top 15 of our RB rankings once again.
Is Matt Breida playing this week?
After Myles Gaskin (knee) was placed on IR, Breida became the hot waiver pickup in fantasy football leagues. However, Breida missed a chance to serve as the Dolphins' starter, or at least primary back, after suffering a hamstring injury that held him out of practice and in Week 9.
Breida's status for Week 10 is unknown at this time. Hamstring problems are tricky soft-tissue injuries that tend to linger, so his performance at practice will be notable. He was a non-participant all of last week, so if he can't get on the field at least once, he almost certainly won't play. Wednesday will be the big day for Breida and will indicate to owners whether he has a chance of playing.
If Breida can't play, Salvon Ahmed will likely get the most touches of any Dolphins back with Patrick Laird (ankle) banged up and Jordan Howard more of a goal-line vulture than anything else. Of course, Miami did just trade for DeAndre Washington, so he could play a role in this rotation, as well. This is probably a backfield to steer clear of unless Breida starts since there are too many unproven mouths to feed.
