What a week for late-round comebacks! Five reserves with ADPs of 90 or higher were in the top 10 on the initial list, and these were some of my personal favorites heading into the week:

• Tony Pollard (90.8 ADP)

• Chase Brown (113.8)

• J.K. Dobbins (130)

• Rico Dowdle (128.3)

• Chuba Hubbard (129.9)

This production is not an anomaly. These backs continued to rise as the season progressed and proved their value as rising fantasy assets. But the question remains: How much can we trust these backs moving forward?

Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans

Earlier this week, I was expecting a strong performance from Tony Pollard He had 20 carries for over 100 yards, plus a solid receiving effort and a touchdown to give him a top-10 finish. While he didn’t quite hit that mark as he didn’t score a touchdown, he still had a perfect day with 28 carries for 128 yards and three receptions for 26 yards. Depending on the outcome of the early games, he will likely finish as a borderline RB1.

Coming into the season, I had concerns about Pollard after a disappointing 2023 season and thought Tyjae Spears could take over the backfield. Spears dealt with injuries and Pollard excelled in touches with a strong statistical year despite the Titans’ offensive struggles. Heading into this week, Pollard was averaging RB22 in points per game in half-PPR, which is respectable considering his limited touchdown opportunities. Its production is stable and maintains good ground.

pulse control: Can Pollard’s production be sustained in the Titans’ offensive ROS?

The Titans’ offense feels different with Mason Rudolph at the helm. It’s not perfect, but it offers more stability. In better matchups, Pollard has a low-end RB1 ceiling and is a flexible option in tougher matchups. The next few weeks are a bit unstable, but the real key for Pollard is the play-off schedule. In Week 13, Pollard will face Washington, Jacksonville (twice), Cincinnati and Indianapolis in the Week 17 fantasy championship.

Pollard is a solid trade candidate at a reasonable value, and you can take advantage of that in the fantasy playoffs. His job is safe, his workload is strong, and his grounding is solid.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

With Zack Moss out, Brown was elevated from committee to lead and was the only running back to touch the ball for the Bengals in Week 9. Brown had 27 carries for 120 yards and caught all five of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. He took full advantage of the tough Raiders defense, and it was great to see him handle such a heavy workload and a clear sign of the Bengals’ coaching staff’s confidence in him.

I discussed Brown in my make-or-break column and highlighted his potential to succeed this weekgiven the match. When injuries occur to committees, we often see another step back to preserve the offensive structure rather than stepping back completely. We saw that today in the Commanders backfield, where Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols shared the load with Brian Robinson Jr.

But Brown was a clear three down.

Brown was one of my draft picks this season because while Moss was expected to start the season as a fullback, I had full faith that Brown was the better fullback and would eventually take over. As the season progressed, Brown steadily reduced Moss’ workload, but it was clear that the Bengals had no intention of moving Moss off committee. Both ridges had smooth floors, but were limited in their upper reaches due to volume limitations.

pulse control: What will happen when Zack Moss returns?

There are a few things working against Chase Brown. Advanced metrics favored Brown for most of the season, and despite his clear superiority, the Bengals did not aggressively shift the workload in his favor. It’s hard to believe they’ll cut Moss altogether. While I think Brown may have gained some slight favoritism, Moss’ presence would be enough to break through Brown’s true ceiling. This means Brown will have the upside of the RB1 in perfect matchups, but will perform like a lower-end RB2 in tougher matchups.

The Bengals’ upcoming schedule features struggling run defenses against Baltimore in Week 10, followed by the LA Chargers, followed by a bye week. I believe in Brown’s talent, but I’m not sure if the Bengals believe in him enough to be the clear frontrunner. Talent often wins, but the Bengals’ organization is prone to that situation. suspicious applications.

If Moss’ injury continues to be an issue, Brown will be on his way to the moon. If Moss comes back quickly, we’re back to the same situation.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

For a lesser-known running back on one of the league’s worst offenses, there has been a surprising debate among fantasy managers about Chuba Hubbard. Heading into the season, we expected Hubbard to be a short-term backup before Jonathon Brooks returned from the PUP list.

Instead, we’re entering Week 10 and Brooks has yet to see any action.

Hubbard excelled as the Panthers’ running back. Outside of his poor performance in Week 1, Hubbard did not finish below RB33 and had three (and possibly four, depending on Week 9 prime time games) top-10 finishes. He is one of the most reliable defenders in the league.

It’s possible Brooks will be active in Week 10, but it’s hard to imagine the non-competing Panthers pushing Brooks to a heavy workload right away. Hubbard has been effective and the Panthers don’t need to rush Brooks, especially with a bye in Week 11. With Hubbard remaining one more week ahead, I expect Brooks to be used minimally in Week 10.

pulse control: What happens after the bye week?

After the bye, Brooks could see his workload increase, but Hubbard needs to remain flexible, especially during the playoff stretch against Dallas, Arizona and Tampa Bay. The Panthers offense doesn’t have enough power for two productive backs, so something has to give here, but that “give” could easily fall on Brooks.

The Panthers have no incentive to give Brooks a heavy workload, and the hope is that they will continue to use Brooks minimally with Hubbard out. His ceiling would be lowered, but he would still be worth starting with.

Rico Dowdle, RB, Dallas Cowboys

We’ve talked about running backs on disappointing offenses like Tennessee and Carolina, but Dallas is on a different level. They have performed well below expectations and are in complete disarray, which could be made worse with Dak Prescott dealing with a hamstring injury and CeeDee Lamb nursing a shoulder injury.

Despite Dallas’ Week 9 struggles, Rico Dowdle had a strong fantasy performance. He was low key but incredibly productive, taking advantage of the matchup against Atlanta: 75 yards on 12 carries, plus five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.

pulse control: Was the Week 9 performance a pause or should we wait for RB1 production ROS?

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Dowdle with a full workload; about a month. In Week 5, Dowdle had a breakthrough performance with 20 carries for 87 yards and a receiving touchdown, but was injured the following week. Dallas had a bye in Week 7, and in Week 8, Dowdle suffered a late scratch due to illness. With Ezekiel Elliott inactive in Week 9 for disciplinary reasons, Dowdle had no competition and thrived despite the offensive challenges.

He was by far the best in Dallas and his job is very secure. After a tough matchup with Philadelphia next week, the rivalry heats up, especially through Week 16 when Dowdle faces Cincinnati, Carolina and Tampa Bay. Dowdle should continue his leadership role despite the injuries on the team and make the RB1 advantageous.

JK Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

I saved Dobbins for last because it truly is the Cinderella story of the year.

Everyone’s favorite running back player right now is Kirk Cousins, but don’t count out Dobbins! He dominated the Chargers’ backfield from the start and didn’t let up. Week 9 saw one of his best performances of the season with 14 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns along with two receptions for 20 yards. Entering Week 9, Dobbins averaged RB17 points per game in half-PPR and averaged 13.7 fantasy points per game.

pulse control: Will the clocks strike midnight in our Cinderella story?

The only thing working against Dobbins at this point is his own injury history. He hasn’t played more than eight games since his rookie season in 2020, so we’re in a critical period and it feels like we’re holding our breath with every at-bat. There are no threats to his workload, and the Chargers’ offense continues to improve as their young receivers improve. This development will increase scoring opportunities and lead to more plays like the Week 9 production.

The road ahead for Dobbins is a bit rocky. While there are positive matchups against Atlanta and Tampa Bay, there are also tough defenses in Baltimore, Kansas City and Denver. Despite potential defensive pitfalls, Dobbins remains a strong three-down back with true RB1 upside – health permitting, of course.