Fantasy Football Week 10 Running Back Preview: Mike Davis and Duke Johnson Look Like Must-Have Options

Backup running backs have run hot and cold this season. In Week 9, Chase Edmonds was the most recent backup to fail to live up to the hype in an expanded role. But Mike Davis has not had that problem. 

Davis was a top-five running back without Christian McCaffrey earlier in the season, and with McCaffrey ruled out for Week 10, that’s exactly where I have Davis projected in PPR. The matchup against Tampa Bay doesn’t look like a good one, but earlier this year Davis scored 15.5 PPR points despite playing just 24 snaps because McCaffrey played as well. The Buccaneers are hard to run on, but running backs can have success against them in the passing game.

While I don’t expect Duke Johnson to be as good as Davis, he does rank as a top-15 back in all formats if David Johnson is unable to go. Like Davis, he should see at least five targets and double-digit rush attempts, but Duke Johnson has the benefit of facing a much better matchup. Running backs are averaging 22.5 PPR points against the Browns, and the only other backs on the roster are C.J. Prosise and Buddy Howell. 

It’s an uncomfortable week at running back, but you should feel good if you have David or Johnson in your lineup. Same goes for Giovani Bernard if Joe Mixon is unable to go.

More Week 10 help: Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: All positions | Starts and Sits, Sleepers and Busts | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: QB | Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: RB | Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: WR | Seven Big Questions | Waiver Wire | Trade Values | Cut List | Winners and Losers | Believe It or Not     

The following players are expected to be out for Week 10:

• 1.1 — Yards before contact per attempt for David Montgomery this season.
• 6.1 — Mike Davis has broken one tackle every 6.1 rush attempts. That’s the best mark in the NFL.
• 16.7% — J.D. McKissic has been targeted on 16.7% of Washington’s passes. That’s second on the team behind Terry McLaurin.
• 8.67 — Clyde Edwards-Helaire has averaged 8.67 touches per game since the team signed Le’Veon Bell.
• 28 — Chase Edmonds had 28 touches without Kenyan Drake in Week 9. I don’t care what the final numbers were, I’m starting him again if Drake is out.
• 21.7 — Giovani Bernard has averaged 21.7 Fantasy points per game in two games without Joe Mixon.

So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 10 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.