What a week for the late round running backs! Five backs drafted with an ADP of 90 or higher finished in the top 10 on the first list, and they were among my personal favorites heading into the week:

• Tony Pollard (90.8 ADP)

• Chase Brown (113.8)

• JK Dobbins (130)

• Rico Dowdle (128.3)

• Chuba Hubbard (129.9)

This production is not an anomaly. These guards continued to rise as the season progressed and proved their worth as high-upside fantasy assets. However, the question remains: how much can we trust these backs moving forward?

Tony Pollard, running back, Tennessee Titans

Earlier this week, I predicted a strong performance from Tony Pollard of 20 carries for over 100 yards, plus solid receiving work and a touchdown to give him a top 10 finish. Although he didn’t quite reach that mark due to the lack of a touchdown, he did still had an excellent day with 28 carries for 128 yards and three receptions for 26 yards. He will likely end up as a borderline RB1 depending on the outcome of primetime games.

Before the season started, I had concerns about Pollard after his disappointing 2023 season and thought Tyjae Spears could take over the backfield. Spears dealt with injuries and Pollard dominated the touches with a good statistical year, despite the Titans’ offensive struggles. Coming into this week, Pollard was RB22 in points per game average in half-PPR, which is respectable considering his limited touchdown opportunities. Its production has remained stable, maintaining a decent floor.

Checking the pulse: Is Pollard’s production sustainable in the Titans’ ROS offense?

The Titans offense looks different with Mason Rudolph at the helm. It’s not perfect, but it provides more stability. In better matchups, Pollard has a low-end RB1 ceiling, and in tougher matchups, he is a flexible option. The next few weeks will be a little shaky, but the real key with Pollard is his playoff schedule. From Week 13 through Week 17 Fantasy Championships, Pollard faces Washington, Jacksonville (twice), Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

Pollard is a solid trade candidate at reasonable value and you can reap the benefits in the fantasy playoffs. His job is secure, his workload is significant and his floor is solid.

Chase Brown, running back, Cincinnati Bengals

With the absence of Zack Moss, Brown was promoted from committee to leader and was the only running back to touch the ball in Week 9 for the Bengals. Brown had 27 carries for 120 yards and caught all five of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. He took full advantage of a struggling Raiders defense and it was great to see him handle such a heavy workload — and a clear sign of the confidence the Bengals coaching staff has in him.

I discussed Brown in my Make or Break column and highlighted his potential to thrive this weekgiven the match. When injuries occur within committees, we often see a rollback to maintain the offensive structure, rather than a complete takeover. We saw it today in the Commanders backfield where Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols all shared the load with Brian Robinson Jr..

Brown, however, was clearly behind at three.

Brown was one of my favorite draft picks this season because, while Moss was expected to start the season as the leader, I was fully convinced that Brown was simply the better back and would eventually take over. As the season progressed, Brown gradually reduced Moss’ workload, but it was clear that the Bengals had no intention of removing Moss from the committee. Both backs had decent floors, but their upside potential was capped due to volume limitations.

Checking the pulse: What will happen when Zack Moss returns?

There are several things working against Chase Brown. Advanced metrics favored Brown for most of the season and despite his clear advantage, the Bengals did not shift the workload aggressively in his favor. It’s hard to believe they’ll completely eliminate Moss. While I think Brown may have earned some slight favoritism, Moss’ presence will be enough to cap Brown’s true ceiling. This means Brown will have RB1 upside in excellent matchups, but will function more as a low-end RB2 in tougher matchups.

The Bengals’ upcoming schedule features some tough run defenses, with Baltimore in Week 10, followed by the LA Chargers, then a bye week. I believe in Brown’s talent, but I’m not sure the Bengals believe in him enough to allow him to come back as a clear lead. Talent usually wins, but the Bengals organization tends to questionable practices.

If Moss’ injury remains an issue, it’s Brown who’s going to the moon. If Moss makes a quick comeback, we’re back to the same thing.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

For a lesser-known running back in one of the league’s worst offenses, there has been a surprising debate among Fantasy managers regarding Chuba Hubbard. Coming into the season, we expected Hubbard to be a short-term backup before Jonathon Brooks returned from the PUP list.

Instead, we’re heading into Week 10 and Brooks has yet to see any action.

Hubbard was excellent as a leader of the Panthers. Outside of a poor Week 1 performance, Hubbard has finished no lower than RB33 and has three (and potentially four depending on Week 9 primetime matchups) finished in the top 10. He Typically boasts a double-digit floor with a solid ceiling and has been one of the most reliable backs in the league.

Brooks will likely be active in Week 10, but it’s hard to imagine the non-contesting Panthers immediately pushing Brooks into a heavy workload. Hubbard has been effective, and there’s no reason for the Panthers to rush Brooks, especially with a bye in Week 11. I expect Brooks to be used minimally during the week 10, with Hubbard remaining in the lead for one more week.

Checking the pulse: What happens after the bye week?

After the bye, Brooks could see an increased workload, but Hubbard should maintain his flexibility value, especially during the playoffs with matchups against Dallas, Arizona and Tampa Bay. The Panthers offense doesn’t have enough juice to support two productive backs, so something has to give here, but that “give” could easily fall on Brooks.

The Panthers have no incentive to give Brooks a heavy workload and hope they maintain minimal usage of Brooks with Hubbard remaining up front. His ceiling would be lowered but he would still be worthy of starting.

Rico Dowdle, running back, Dallas Cowboys

We’ve talked about running backs in disappointing offenses like Tennessee and Carolina, but Dallas is on a different level. They have significantly underperformed compared to expectations and are in a tailspin that could get worse with Dak Prescott dealing with a hamstring injury and CeeDee Lamb nursing a shoulder injury.

Despite Dallas’ struggles in Week 9, Rico Dowdle had a solid fantasy performance. His volume was low, but he was incredibly productive, enjoying the game against Atlanta: 75 yards on 12 carries, plus five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.

Checking the pulse: Was Week 9’s performance a failure or should we expect an RB1 production ROS?

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Dowdle in full workload; about a month. In Week 5, Dowdle had a breakout performance with 20 carries for 87 yards and a receiving touchdown, but he was injured the following week. Dallas had a bye in Week 7, and in Week 8, Dowdle was a late scratch due to illness. With Ezekiel Elliott inactive in Week 9 due to disciplinary reasons, Dowdle had no competition and thrived despite the offense’s struggles.

He is by far the best in Dallas and his job is very secure. After a tough game against Philadelphia next week, the competition becomes clearer, especially in Week 16, when Dowdle faces Cincinnati, Carolina and Tampa Bay. Dowdle should retain the leadership role and has upside for RB1, even with the team’s looming injuries.

JK Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

I saved Dobbins for last because he truly is the Cinderella story of the year.

Everyone’s favorite returning player right now is Kirk Cousins, but don’t count Dobbins out! He’s dominated the Chargers backfield from the start and hasn’t given up. Week 9 saw one of his best performances of the season with 14 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns, plus two receptions for 20 yards. Heading into Week 9, Dobbins had an RB17 points per game average in half-PPR, averaging 13.7 fantasy points per game.

Checking the pulse: Will the clock strike midnight on our Cinderella story?

At this point, the only thing working against Dobbins is his own injury history. He hasn’t played more than eight games since his rookie season in 2020, so we feel like we’re at a crunch time and holding our breath for every hit. There is no threat to his workload and the Chargers offense continues to improve as their young receivers develop. This improvement will increase touchdown opportunities, leading to more plays like his Week 9 production.

The road ahead for Dobbins is a bit difficult. While there are favorable matchups against Atlanta and Tampa Bay, there are also tough run defenses in Baltimore, Kansas City and Denver. Despite the potential defensive pitfalls, Dobbins remains a solid three-point defender with true RB1 upside – health permitting of course.