Running backs remain the king of fantasy football. Although 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 value running backs in fantasy football. To help you with this, each week I’ll be looking at some backfields that stand out based on current trends or new information we’ve learned.

A lot has happened in the NFL since the last version of this column two weeks ago. Namely, there are key players returning from injury, others getting injured, and a few veterans showing signs of decline. So with many leagues only a week away from the fantasy football playoffs, let’s get to my key takeaways from the NFL backfield.

Kansas City Chiefs

Isiah Pacheco made his long-awaited return this week after missing nine games with an ankle injury. As expected, Pacheco did not immediately receive full utilization. He saw seven carries, the same as Kareem Hunt, and converted them into 44 yards. Pacheco was far more efficient than Hunt, who only rushed for 15 yards total. The two played essentially the same amount of times, with Pacheco on the field for 26 snaps while Hunt was on the field for 27.

Pacheco showed why he is the more explosive running back — he managed a 30-yard run that would have been Hunt’s entire season — but the Chiefs obviously want to include Hunt in the offense. From a passing perspective, neither Pacheco nor Hunt had more than two catches, but Hunt ran ten more routes.

Going forward, I would consider both Pacheco and Hunt to be borderline starting fantasy options. I expect Pacheco to do a 70/30 split rather than a 50/50 split, but at the same time, the Chiefs have no reason to risk another injury.

One thing to watch out for in the next few games is the use of the goal line. The Chiefs didn’t run any plays inside the 5-yard line on Friday, but if either sees an overwhelming amount of quality work, they would get a boost in fantasy value. For now, I can easily launch both as low-end RB2s/high-end FLEX options.

I would definitely temper my expectations for Pacheco since he probably won’t be in the top 15 for the rest of the season if you draft him like they did in the summer.

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Carolina Panthers

Rookie Jonathon Brooks made his season debut in Week 12 against the Chiefs and continued in Week 13. Brooks saw his carries increase from two to six and added three catches for 23 yards. He outdueled starter Chuba Hubbard, who turned 12 carries into 43 yards and had a game-winning fumble for the Panthers. Hubbard still dominated playing time with 55 snaps to Brooks’ 15, but had his worst game of the season since Week 1.

To be honest, I’m a little worried about Hubbard’s fantasy value now that Brooks is healthy. Hubbard has been surprisingly effective as a pass catcher this season, but if Brooks continues to do that work, it would significantly lower Hubbard’s performance level. I wouldn’t say Hubbard is in danger of losing his starting spot, especially since the Panthers strangely opted to extend his contract by four years last month. But if the David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs dynamic is what Carolina is hoping for, they’ll have to see if Brooks can live up to his draft cost.

I think Hubbard will be a viable fringe RB2 in fantasy, but could be a little more streaky than before if Brooks is ramped up.

Los Angeles Chargers

JK Dobbins was placed on IR with a knee sprain, leaving a big hole in the Chargers backfield. To fill this gap, the Chargers used a “running back by committee” approach. Gus Edwards led the team in snaps and touches against the Falcons, while rookie Kimani Vidal was second. Neither was particularly impactful for fantasy as the Chargers failed to reach the Falcons’ 15-yard line, but at least we were able to get a clearer idea of ​​the backfield hierarchy. Hassan Haskins appears to be a distant third behind Edwards and Vidal, especially after fumbling his only carry.

Edwards is probably the running back you want for the next few weeks. He has extensive experience as a goal-line player and has always been an efficient runner, and I expect him to be more reliable in fantasy once the Chargers start playing more normal game scripts. While he may be a bit touchdown-dependent, I would like Edwards to be a FLEX starter until we know more about the split. However, I would still add Vidal to waivers this week as he is currently only in 13% of Yahoo leagues. If Vidal can start contributing as a pass catcher or blocking a few explosive runs, he could quickly turn this into a near-even timeshare.

Los Angeles Rams

Blake Corum had a career day on Sunday, setting season highs in carries (8), yards (42) and snaps (18) in the Rams’ win over the Saints. Corum likely saw an uptick in usage after starter Kyren Williams put the ball on the ground four times in four weeks. Williams recovered under his own power and ran for 104 yards and a score.

Although Williams has performed much worse in fantasy football since Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned from injury, he still appears to be the clear top running back in this offense. So I’m still not ready to seriously consider Corum as anything other than a supply, even though its use seems to be trending. Unless Williams struggles even more with fumbles and efficiency, he’s a safe and solid RB2 in fantasy, albeit with a slightly lower ceiling.

Fast hitters

• Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones Sr. appears to have troubled Vikings fans and coaches alike with five fumbles in 12 games this year. Sunday was a low point of the season, as Jones played just 53% of the snaps and was benched for part of the game. Cam Akers largely served as the best defender while Jones was off the field, but he didn’t make much of an impact when the Vikings trailed by two points. Jones’ peak weeks remain elite and he’s definitely still ready to go in fantasy, but be wary of his rather low level.

• Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III has been a bit of a disappointment lately, failing to top 13 fantasy points in five straight games. Zach Charbonnet wasn’t the reason for that, though – Charbonnet himself was ineffective in fantasy save for one or two daring touchdowns. Walker’s turnover is similar to the start of the year, but his efficiency has dropped significantly. I would stick with Walker and am optimistic that his yards per carry numbers will return positively to average, and his volume makes him a definite starter even with less production.