This time next week, we will be half way through the 2025 NFL regular season. After an offseason so long it feels like a punishment of some kind, the fleeting nature of an NFL season is just as cruel.

This week is kinder to fantasy managers than Week 8, with only four teams on bye, and with two of those being the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. However, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Justin Fields, Quinshon Judkins, and several other key fantasy assets are unavailable this week.

That means many managers have been busy on the waiver wire, with stars at every position not suiting up. For those still in need, you can check out my waiver-wire article here, while my weekly “streamers” article for PFSN is available here.

Week 9 Starts and Sits – Running Backs Special

In this piece, I’ll run through a list of names you should be starting or sitting in fantasy this week. However, unlike every other week, this list is made up entirely of running backs.

It wasn’t planned this way, but these are the names that stuck out to me, and I don’t list players for the sake of content. So, without further ado, here are my seven fantasy football starts and sits at running back this week.

START: Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Looking at your starting lineup and seeing Kareem Hunt’s name is unlikely to spark much joy this weekend. However, thanks to Isiah Pacheco’s MCL sprain in Week 8, the veteran back should have a starring role in Buffalo.

The Bills have allowed 5.5 yards per carry this season, the second-most in the NFL, and are dealing with several key injuries. Star defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been placed on IR, while DaQuan Jones is also a doubt having started the week with a missed practice.

Hunt already has a firm grip of goal-line work for the Chiefs, and Brashard Smith is unlikely to get much more than receiving work until at least Week 11, after the team’s bye. Hunt should get plenty of rushing work, against a bad run defense, and has significant touchdown upside.

Treat Hunt as a middling to low-end RB2 with RB1 touchdown upside this week.

SIT: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders

Jacory Croskey-Merritt has flattered to deceive recently, having looked, at one point, like the Washington Commanders’ future at running back. The seventh-round rookie has averaged just 3.05 yards per carry over his last three games, with no touchdowns.

This week, he faces a Seattle Seahawks defense that has allowed only 3.3 yards per carry this season, which is the best in the NFL. Seattle has also only allowed two rushing touchdowns all year, which is also a league-low (tied with LA Rams).

Croskey-Merritt also doesn’t have any receiving work to fall back on, with veteran back Jeremy McNichols dominating in that area. The rookie is a very stoppable force, meeting a truly immovable object this weekend.

START: David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions

This one feels obvious, but David Montgomery is starting in fewer than half of Yahoo leagues, per their website. That’s due to two straight weeks of 7.1 fantasy points or fewer, followed by the Lions’ Week 8 bye.

Montgomery has had plenty of disappointing fantasy weeks this year, but there is a pattern. The bruising runner has failed to put up double-digit fantasy points in Detroit’s losses (Kansas City, Green Bay), and against a few of the league’s best run defenses (Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Green Bay).

This week, he faces the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed 4.3 yards per carry, which is middle of the pack. The Vikings will be led by the so-far-underwhelming J.J. McCarthy, and it would be a huge shock if the Lions don’t come away with the win.

In fact, things could get ugly, quickly, for Minnesota. Either way, a likely positive game script against a middling run defense should see Montgomery get back to his best this weekend.

START: Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Kimani Vidal has been phenomenal for the Los Angeles Chargers since stepping in for the injured Omarion Hampton. The second-year back has topped 100 rushing yards in two of his three games since Hampton’s injury.

The only time he failed to do that was in a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, when he was afforded only nine carries. This week, he faces the Tennessee Titans, and I think it’s safe to say that the Chargers won’t be getting blown out this time.

The Titans have allowed 4.9 yards per carry this year, which is tied for sixth-most in the league. The Chargers should run away with this game, and Vidal should have a great chance to make it three 100-yard games out of four.

SIT: Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers head to Lambeau Field this weekend to face the Green Bay Packers, after being demolished 40-9 by the Bills in Week 8. The Packers have lost just one game this season, and are strong favorites to emerge victorious again on Sunday.

Bryce Young should be back after missing Week 8, having logged a full practice to start the week on Wednesday. That being said, the Packers have allowed 100 total rushing yards only once this season, and that game went to overtime.

Green Bay has allowed 3.7 yards per carry this year, the fourth-fewest in the NFL. Given that there aren’t typically a lot of yards to go around against Green Bay, and that Hubbard and Dowdle share work, neither inspires much confidence this weekend.

START: Bam Knight, RB, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals face the rock-solid Seahawks next week, but first, their offense gets a friendlier matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. Bam Knight surpassed Emari Demercado and Michael Carter to emerge as Arizona’s lead back in the absence of James Conner and Trey Benson.

Dallas is tied with the aforementioned Titans in yards allowed per carry to opposing runners (4.9), sixth-most in the NFL. Knight isn’t a player I expect to blow up this week, and should be viewed purely as a Flex option, but he has significant touchdown upside.

The Cowboys have allowed a touchdown on 68.8% of their opponents’ trips to the red zone, which is tied for the fourth-highest rate in the league. Also, only the Titans (14) have allowed more rushing touchdowns than the Cowboys (10) this season.

That concludes this week’s Starts and Sits. I hope my waiver-wire and streamers articles can also help out, especially for those needing QB, TE, K, and DEF help this week.

I’ll be back with a weekend preview tomorrow. That will be the first such article I’ve attempted on this blog, so fingers crossed. I’ll be going over spreads, storylines, props, and longshot touchdown candidates for the weekend’s games.

For all of my fantasy content you can follow me at @camsheath_ff on X, or at @camsheathff.bsky.social on Bluesky. Alternatively, you can subscribe to this blog, for free, to receive an email notification every time a new article drops.

Thanks for reading!