Fantasy Football

Kansas City Chiefs running backs Derrick Gore and Darrel Williams both played key roles in Monday's 20-17 win over the New York Giants. So how should fantasy football managers approach the Chiefs' ever-evolving backfield?

Gore's play was particularly eye-opening as he wasn't in a backup role and instead shared lead-back duties with the veteran Williams. Gore had 11 carries for 48 yards, while Williams had 13 for 49 yards. Gore scored Kansas City's lone rushing touchdown Monday night.

The Chiefs (4-4) may have uncovered a hidden gem in Gore. He did a great job bouncing runs to the outside and getting around the edge. Kansas City likely would've had an easier time against the Giants if they didn't get away from the run game in the second half and fed Gore more.

Gore's play came as a shock and likely frustrated fantasy managers who expected Williams to continue to be Kansas City's lead back in the absence of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Gore entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and bounced around practice squads before landing in Kansas City. He made his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans, recording one catch for seven yards.

Williams still managed to contribute in Kansas City's passing attack Monday, recording six catches for 61 yards. But after his breakout two-touchdown performance in Week 6 against the Washington Football Team, he has come crashing down to earth. He ran the ball just five times for 20 yards against the Titans and added three catches for 30 yards.

Gore's play Monday should be viewed more as an anomaly than a trend. Kansas City just does not do a good job of featuring its running backs in its offense.

Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes remains the team's focal point, and that is unlikely to change as the Chiefs try to claw their way back from a 3-4 start to the season. Mahomes threw the ball 48 times Monday compared to 27 rushing attempts for Kansas City.

Williams has already shown that he's a boom-or-bust fantasy option. Fantasy managers in desperate need of help at running back can take a flier on Gore, but he will be a risky play each week in Kansas City's pass-heavy offense.

Many fantasy managers picked up Kenneth Gainwell this week, anticipating he would be the Philadelphia Eagles' top running back after the franchise placed Miles Sanders on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

However, Gainwell was used sparingly in a Week 8 matchup against the Detroit Lions, recording just 13 carries for 27 yards. Through three quarters, he had just one carry for three yards, which isn't ideal.

Philadelphia's unexpected big performers in the backfield against Detroit were Boston Scott and Jordan Howard. With the duo playing most of the Eagles' offensive snaps, they are shaping up to be solid waiver-wire additions entering Week 9.

Scott finished with 12 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns, while Howard had 12 carries for 57 yards and two scores. They factored into Sunday's game more than DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Dallas Goedert, which is a sign head coach Nick Sirianni might continue to rely more on the running game in the coming weeks.

If you're a fantasy manager thinking ahead to Week 9, consider picking up either Scott or Howard over the next week. They should continue to be significant factors as long as Sanders is sidelined.

Scott has been effective for the Eagles over the last few seasons. He rushed for 245 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 2019 and ran for 374 yards and a score last season. In both of those seasons, he averaged at least four yards per carry.

Howard has also been very effective over his career. The 26-year-old has two 1,000-plus-rushing-yard seasons to his name and ran for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 2019.

Howard struggled during the 2020 season, rushing for just 60 yards in seven games, but he still ran for four scores, and after Week 8, it certainly seems like he can still be effective in the backfield. He's averaging 4.2 yards per carry in his career.

As of Sunday afternoon, Scott was rostered in just 19 percent of Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues, while Howard was rostered in just 2 percent of leagues.