- Kimani Vidal is a mid-range RB2: The most likely scenario is that he will see double-digit carries with decent efficiency, and there is also the chance of a 100-yard game.
- Bo Nix is in a tough matchup: It’s enough to move Nix away from the top few quarterbacks of the week, but he remains a mid-range QB1.
Estimated Reading Time: 27 minutes
I asked fantasy managers on the PFF Discord and Bluesky which players they are least sure about this week, and I compiled that list and ranked them against one another. If you have multiple players mentioned, you should start with the player ranked highest. At the bottom of each position, you’ll find players to start in place of the featured players and those to sit in favor of them.
If a player isn’t mentioned, that means they are very close to those with blurbs, and factors such as injuries on the opposing defenses or weather could influence the rankings. Situations involving injuries are also generally avoided because things typically don’t become clearer until closer to kickoff. As always, check the weekly PFF fantasy rankings for the most up-to-date information to help you make all start-sit decisions.
RUNNING BACKS
1. Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
Jarrett Patterson gained 44 yards on nine carries, compared to Vidal’s 30 yards on 12 carries, in Week 9 Los Angeles lost Najee Harris for the season, while first-round running back Omarion Hampton is on injured reserve. Hassan Haskins started the season as Los Angeles’ third running back, but he missed last week and was placed on injured reserve Saturday. So, Vidal has taken over as the Chargers’ lead running back. Patterson and Nyheim Hines were the practice squad call-ups last week, while it was Patterson and Amar Johnson this week.
Vidal dominated snaps for the first three quarters of the Chargers’ Week 9 contest, playing 38 of the first 48 plays. Vidal was seeing a similar snap rate to Week 8. However, due to his ineffective play, Patterson took 11 of 17 snaps in the fourth quarter. Vidal similarly struggled two weeks ago, with 20 yards on nine carries against the Colts. He has run the ball 62 times over the past four weeks, the sixth most among running backs. Vidal should see significant volume in Week 10 but could be substituted out sooner than usual if he has a slow start.
This week, he faces the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. However, they have a below-average PFF run-defense grade and have been very inconsistent. Chase Brown, Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III all gained more than 100 rushing yards against Pittsburgh, each averaging at least 5.5 yards per carry. The Steelers notably slowed down Jonathan Taylor last week, allowing him to record just 45 yards on 14 carries.
The matchup has a wide range of possibilities, with a higher risk of Vidal touching the ball only a few times than is usual for an RB2. However, the most likely scenario is that he will see double-digit carries with decent efficiency, and there is also the chance of a 100-yard game. That is enough to make Vidal a mid-range RB2, ahead of running backs in known two- or three-man committees and lead running backs who are in worse matchups.
