For this Week 11 edition of Keep Trade Cut here at the Faceoff Sports Networks, we’re looking at three young running backs. In this series, we’ve been looking at three similarly ranked players for dynasty fantasy football purposes.

In dynasty fantasy football, a player’s week-to-week viability factors into their value across the season. That can lead to volatile valuations from managers and trades involving the assets trending up and down. Weekly during the 2023 NFL season, we’ll look at a trio of players who are valued back to back to back. Each week we’ll use a different source. From those rankings, we’ll discuss the three similar players that should be considered worth keeping, trading, or “cutting” them. No, you won’t be actually cutting these players in most dynasty leagues at this. However, that’s not the point of this scenario. Let’s get right into it.

Keep Trade Cut – Dynasty Fantasy Football

For this exercise, the keeper is a player who can sustain their current value in this season and beyond. In other words, the player who should be valued most by managers or potential managers. The player worth trading is a player whose value may be buoyed by unsustainable volume. That, or they are holding a level of value who may be more useful to move along from your team’s makeup. Finally, the “cut” in this scenario is a player who is trending down or has a rapidly changing outlook, therefore being seen as the least valuable asset in this trio.

For Week 11, we’re looking at dynasty rankings from the33rdteam.com and discussing their current RB44, RB45, and RB46.

Keep

RB45 Kendre Miller

Our keep of the week as we head towards the end of the fantasy season is New Orleans running back Kendre Miller. He is a 2023 third-round pick who hasn’t yet seen the role expected of a player with his capital. Coming into the year, Miller was expected to serve as a depth back behind Jamaal Williams and Alvin Kamara upon return. And that’s exactly what has happened.

Miller’s best game was a Week 5 outing against the Patriots in which he played 26 snaps while backing up a healthy Kamara. Additionally, he would take 16 touches for 90 yards, with 53 of them coming on four grabs through the air. Even with Kamara overtaking this backfield for 2023, Miller has shown he can be a part of the Saints rushing rotation.

While Miller doesn’t have the best production from this trio, he still finds himself the leading receiving back of the three with 110 yards on 9 catches this year. Overall, Miller has looked as good as Williams, if not better. Miller’s youth should give managers some comfort and willingness to be patient with this asset. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had an explosion game at this time. However, he could be a consistent riser in these rankings next season.

We saw a similarly young player Javonte Williams come into the league and share a backfield with Melvin Gordon. Now in year three, we’re finally seeing William’s talent and upside shine through while leading the backfield. At this low price for a talented back, Miller is worth investing in at this time or keeping.

Trade

RB44 Jaleel McLaughlin

Jaleel McLaughlin of the Denver Broncos has been the most productive player involved in this trio. Right now, he boasts the highest ranking in this list at RB44. McLaughlin has two top-10 half-PPR rushing performances in his rookie season, coming in Week 4 and Week 5 while filling in for an injured Javonte Williams. However, in the last three games, Williams has seen 73 touches compared to McLaughlin’s 20. Notably, he hasn’t eclipsed a 20% snap share in any of those three games despite his speed and playmaking ability. Overall, this backfield’s production has turned over to Williams for fantasy football purposes. Unfortunately, this leaves McLaughlin in a handcuff role.

Furthermore, with Williams still under contract for another season, we may not see McLaughlin get a sustainable role unless injuries occur in front of him. Unlike Miller, McLaughlin’s backfield partner is Williams, a player who could still lead this backfield a few more years than Kamara. Yes, McLaughlin has good value behind his name due to his youth and proven ability. However, it may be more useful to get a third round and re-roll on a player of similar talent value in a future class. A 2025 second-round pick would be an ideal target and just about McLaughlin’s value going into the offseason. However, he might be a backup to Williams next year, at best.

Cut

RB46 Tank Bigsby

Our cut of the week is a running back who has a top-three option for fantasy in his backfield. Jacksonville third-round pick Tank Bigsby has had a bit role this season for the Jaguars, finding the end zone twice while inside the opponent’s five-yard line. Outside of some red zone work in relief of Travis Etienne, Bigsby hasn’t seen a significant enough role in any game to see his potential ceiling.

So far, the Jaguars have given 575 snaps to the running back position here in 2023. Unfortunately, Bigsby has only been on the field for 68 of those. Yes, he is strong and the clear number two option behind Etienne. However, his path to fantasy football relevance is non-existent as long as they are both healthy.

Unfortunately, his third-round pick status and outlook differ from Miller’s due to the youth and explosion of Etienne onto the fantasy football scene. With Etienne being so productive, most managers aren’t gonna see the need to acquire or hold on forever to a player of Bigsby’s level. We’ve seen players like Zamir White and Tyrion Davis-Price receive similar capital but still not become viable for fantasy purposes. Really, Bigsby’s situation is closer to White’s at this time. White was drafted in case Josh Jacobs didn’t ascend, but due to his youth and reliance on him in the offense, White has become an afterthought in the organization.

With Etienne leading the Jaguars backfield, Bigsby may find himself in a similar fate as a player who is behind a superior talent or fit for the team. For now, it appears Etienne’s role isn’t changing from week to week. So while Miller may eventually see touches with such an old backfield around him, Bigsby doesn’t have that benefit long-term. In the end, he may be the closest player to a cut that we’ve talked about in this series. However, his long-term dynasty outlook would signal closer to a roster clogger than a usable asset right now.

Running backs with a role are such a vital part of building a contender. Ideally, you want to be able to go to five or six running backs with solid roles by the time playoffs come along. Miller may have the best chance of this trio to become that locked and loaded-top option for fantasy, mainly due to his youth and the situation around him. Meanwhile, a player like McLaughlin will see a role in this Broncos offense while under contract, but it will fluctuate with William’s health and may rarely be viable for many fantasy teams. Outside of an injury to Williams, McLaughlin is a low-end Flex option.

Meanwhile, Bigsby getting a role seems skeptical at this time, and doubtful he can significantly cut into Etiennes touches to become startable. Maybe he and McLaughlin are ideal handcuffs, but Miller seems the most likely to take over a backfield in the future at this time. Not to mention, offering the most long-term upside from this trio in dynasty football formats.

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