Running backs remain king in fantasy football. While it seems like there are more elite quarterbacks and wide receivers than ever before, the number of consistent, reliable running backs is dwindling. This makes it all the more important to find value in running backs in fantasy football. To help you with that, each week I’ll take a look at a few backfields that stand out based on recent trends or new information we’ve learned.

We had our first set of byes in Week 5 – a sign that the NFL season is flying by. Bye weeks are always an interesting variable in fantasy; you never want to base your draft strategy on that, but you may still end up starting some seemingly random players over the next month or two. This has an especially big impact on the running back position, as certain teams’ RB2s can be ideal spot starters during a particularly impactful bye week. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of my top team takeaways and trends to keep an eye on heading into Week 6.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Should this be Tank Bigsby’s backfield? The dynamic second-year back now has starter Travis Etienne Jr. surpassed. He’s played at least 15% of the snaps in all three games, which isn’t particularly close. Bigsby has 42 rushing yards and 19 fewer carries than Etienne this season, which actually sells him a bit short. Bigsby has been the most efficient running back in football this season.

Bigsby had already started Week 5 ranked first in running backs yards per attempt, yards after contact attempt and breakaway run percentage, then had two electric scores in the Jaguars’ first win of the season from 65 and 19 yards to to stay in the rankings. at the top of these statistics. Bigsby beat Etienne for the first time, playing 40% of the snaps to Etienne’s 39%. Bigsby also saw carries from the 4- and 7-yard lines, while Etienne wasn’t used on the goal line at all. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson emphasized after the game that Bigsby would not replace Etienne on the Jaguars depth chart, but actions speak much louder than words.

The only area where Etienne is better than him is in the passing game, but Bigsby’s ability to hit home runs still makes him a fantasy starter at the FLEX level at worst. Proceed with extreme caution as Etienne progresses, which I would consider a game script dependent FLEX game.

Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson has been a pretty big disappointment in fantasy so far. He has yet to break 100 rushing yards in a game and is currently the overall RB21. Many of us expected Robinson to see an increase in volume to propel him to a top-10 fantasy finish, but Robinson’s usage was actually quite similar to his rookie season.

Robinson averaged 12.3 carries and 5.1 goals per game last season. Through five games this season, he averaged 13.4 carries and 3.8 goals. Robinson was particularly unproductive in the touchdown department, with just one total score. Tyler Allgeier continues to be rotated into the backfield on a consistent basis, typically playing one in three offensive snaps. Allgeier has a higher yard-per-carry rating than Robinson, but has failed to reach the end zone.

I’m a little concerned about Robinson’s fantasy value for the rest of the season. Typically, running backs must have at least one of three qualities to be successful in fantasy: bell-cow-level volume, high touchdown production, or significant passing play. As it stands, Robinson has none of the above, which puts a rock-solid cap on his ceiling. He’s talented enough to produce as an RB2, but I would lower your expectations for Robinson and not trade him for a more productive but perhaps less popular player. As for Allgeier, I don’t think he’s startable based on his reduced role, but he should still be on the roster.

Washington commanders

We last checked with the Commanders after Week 2, before we knew Jayden Daniels was the real deal. Daniels’ performance in recent weeks would have been impressive for any quarterback and it is unheard of for a rookie. The Commanders are by far the top offense in the league in terms of EPA per play, and Daniels ranks first among quarterbacks in completion percentage above expectation.

Considering their overall offensive ceiling, Brian Robinson Jr. are treated as a top-15 running back, while Austin Ekeler is also starterable in PPR formats. B-Rob hasn’t been the most efficient with his carries, but he’s been used heavily in short-yardage situations and has four touchdowns in the last three games. Combine that with double-digit carries per game, and Robinson is an extremely safe player in this elite offense.

Ekeler, meanwhile, was productive on Sunday after missing Week 4 due to injury. He hasn’t seen more than eight carries in any game so far, but has been much more efficient with his opportunities than Robinson. Ekeler continues to make an impact through the air, averaging 38 yards per game. Daniels has been a rising tide for all players in the Commanders offense, which could make Robinson and Ekeler one of the biggest draft steals of the season.

Las Vegas Raiders

It appears Alexander Mattison is on his way to replacing Zamir White as the starting running back in Las Vegas. White missed Week 5 with a groin injury, and Mattison went on to get 15 carries on the season. While he was quite ineffective at that volume, rushing for just 38 yards, Mattison has still been more productive than White this year. White failed to surpass 50 yards in any game before his injury, despite averaging about 12 carries per game, having also lost two fumbles. Mattison was also the Raiders’ primary option on the goal line, with two rushing touchdowns inside the 2-yard line this year.

It’s unclear how long White will be out with his injury, but I expect him to play a subdued role even upon his return. This means Mattison is a great FLEX starter and bye week replacement, while White should probably stay on your bench and is a potential cut candidate. I don’t have much hope for Mattison’s upside as the offense as a whole is a mess, but he should see enough volume to get you through a tough week.

Fast hitters

• Chicago bears: D’Andre Swift has turned his season around over the past two weeks with back-to-back top five finishes, but I wanted to acknowledge Roschon Johnson’s climb to the RB2 spot. Johnson has supplanted Khalil Herbert as the primary defender behind Swift, punching in a one-yard touchdown after Swift failed to do so on Sunday. Johnson also scored late in the fourth quarter. He could be picked up this week in leagues at the same general level as Tyler Allgeier or Zach Charbonnet.

• Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones left the Vikings’ Week 5 win with a hip injury. Jones has been ruled week-to-week by the injury, so Ty Chandler is worth including if he isn’t already — he had 14 carries on Sunday, replacing Jones. It’s possible Jones doesn’t miss any action because the Vikings have a bye this week, but I’d still be willing to spend 10-20% of my FAB on Chandler given his upside in a high-powered offense.

• Miami Dolphins: De’Von Achane left the Dolphins game in the first quarter with a concussion. The Dolphins also have a bye in Week 6, so I expect Achane to be cleared to play after that, but Raheem Mostert could play in the top 24 if Achane’s injury is more serious. Jaylen Wright is also worth a boost in deeper leagues, as Mostert has already missed some time to start the year due to injury.