Fantasy Football Week 8: Kareem Hunt, Mixon and other must start RBs

Here’s this week’s edition of the top 5 running backs to slot into your fantasy football lineup.

Week 7’s edition of top five running backs to start in fantasy football only featured two top 10 scorers in ESPN PPR Standard scoring leagues. Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley found themselves within the top five.

Gurley racked up 30.6 fantasy points on the road in San Francisco against the 49ers. Barkley continued to be the only consistent part of the New York Giants offense with his 26.4 points.

Joe Mixon and Ezekiel Elliott finished with under 10 points, while Melvin Gordon watched his Los Angeles Chargers from the sideline as he sat out with an injury. Mixon gathered 8.1 points and Elliott accumulated 6.2 points in losing efforts.

Let’s dive into this week’s five running backs you must start in your fantasy football lineup.

5. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

Yes, Mixon was a dud in Week 7. However, this week will be a different story as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs have surrendered six rushing touchdowns to opposing backs. Don’t let last week’s Bengals meltdown scare you away from starting Mixon.

The Bengals got behind very early in their Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Meaning, the team needed to rely heavily on the arm of Andy Dalton for most of the game.

Barring a hot start from Jameis Winston and the Bucs, the Bengals will have a far more dynamic game plan this week. Mixon looks to continue his run towards becoming a top five running back in the NFL.

Next: 4. James White

4. James White, New England Patriots

James White‘s name has been talked about a ton lately. He has become one of those tough to start fantasy players.

Why? White toes the line of boom or bust every week due to his role. He never rushes for a lot of yards, but his activity in the air has resulted in big days for him.

White has scored 14+ points every game this season, including 20+ points three times. He may seem risky, but it’s about time we start really considering him week in and week out.

The New England Patriots travel to Buffalo to play the Bills. Yes, this one may be a blowout, so lock those Pats into your lineup.

Next: 3. Saquon Barkley

3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Lock it up and name Saquon Barkley the offensive rookie of the year. He has hands down been the best rookie in football and one of the most dynamic players we have seen in years.

However, that doesn’t mean Barkley’s team is any good. The New York Giants have continued to disappoint as they sit 1-6 on the season, which has resulted in a big blue fire sale.

Although, Barkley’s consistency is unmatched. He scored 26.4 points in the Giants Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Barkley’s performance pushed his streak of scoring 20+ points to seven games this year. This week the Giants play the Washington Redskins, but Barkley will get his points regardless of the outcome of the game.

Next: 2. Kareem Hunt

2. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

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The Kansas City Chiefs continue to be an offensive juggernaut. Led by Patrick Mahomes, the unit has become the deadliest offense in the NFL.

Of course, Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce usually grab the headlines. But, second-year running back Kareem Hunt is only a year removed from taking the NFL world by storm himself.

Hunt started slowly this year, but he has picked it up since. Last week, he exploded for a three-score day, which led to a huge fantasy score of 37.1.

The Denver Broncos are the Chiefs opponents this week. This bodes extremely well for Hunt because the Broncos have been one of the worst run stopping defenses in the league.

Next: 1. Todd Gurley

1. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Rain or sun, snow or clear skies, one thing seems to be a given; Todd Gurley loves scoring touchdowns. He added onto his collection by tallying three more scores during the Los Angeles Rams win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7.

Gurley also made it three straight weeks of scoring 30+ fantasy points. Yup, that’s dominance for you by one of the top fantasy running backs this season.

Not much needs to be said about Gurley. He is a key part of one of the best offenses in the NFL. This week the Rams host the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have done a solid job at limiting the production of opposing running backs. However, Gurley isn’t your everyday back.