New Reality No.158: Stack and Stash Running Backs

Navigating the ever-changing landscape of dynasty fantasy football

by Chad Parsons, November 30 2020
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports

With one week to go in many dynasty fantasy football league regular seasons, most team directions are already declared - in the playoffs and fighting for positioning or out of the playoffs and shifting their sights to 2021. This week will focus on the running back position and how different players fit different team directions:

Stack Running Backs

The term stack is to bolster contending team rosters. These are backs where they can benefit from an injury in front of them in a clear fashion and be a fantasy starter in a given week down the stretch. They are ordered generally by the depth of the league with the top names available in more shallow leagues where venturing low on the list will be required for deeper formats. If trading is still open, these are perfect add-ons to bigger trades.

Carlos Hyde: Hyde saw a spot start in Week 11 as a streamer and, at worst, is a Chris Carson injury-away to close the season.

Jeremy McNichols: A free agent in the offseason, but McNichols is the clear RB2 for Tennessee and a potential league-changer if Derrick Henry were to miss time. D'Onta Foreman also got dinged up in Week 12.

Royce Freeman: Phillip Lindsay's Week 12 knee injury makes Freeman a potential injury-away option in the coming weeks behind Melvin Gordon III. Erase the Broncos' rewind-the-clock makeshift offense as eligible quarterbacks will be back for the team to present a more viable attack. If Lindsay ends up not missing time, Freeman is in the Stash category.