There are no safe fantasy running backs. But some are safer than others. With the NFL trade deadline approaching, several teams might add a starter-caliber RB. Here are three RBs whose fantasy values might drop soon.
Let's kick things off with Josh Jacobs, who returns to the field in Week 7. The Packers have looked like a strong playoff contender despite averaging the league's fewest yards per carry. But can they trust Jacobs for the rest of the season with a potential suspension looming? There is no Plan B if his off-the-field issues send him . . . off the field. I believe Green Bay is a prime candidate to add a starter-caliber RB to its backfield, pushing Jacobs off the weekly must-start map.
Break up those Panthers! Carolina leads the NFC South and clearly has a more potent passing attack than last year's playoff team. Is this their year to make waves in the postseason? With Jonathon Brooks a non-factor for the third straight year, the Panthers' running game's success rests entirely on Chuba Hubbard. As with Green Bay, there is no "next man up" in this RB corps -- or at least not one who can elevate this offense. I expect the Panthers to capitalize on this moment and beef up their backfield.
The Browns are in a similar boat in the AFC North, somehow leading one of the toughest divisions. Do they go all in? Maybe. On paper, Quinshon Judkins is a franchise running back. In reality, his young NFL career has started off middling. Imagine someone like Jonathan Taylor or even Tony Pollard alongside him -- or, in Taylor's case, in front of him?
If you have Jacobs, Hubbard, and/or Judkins, consider the risks of rostering RBs on playoff contenders with thin backfields. Things can change really fast over the next couple of weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Three RBs whose fantasy values could plummet by the trade deadline