Josh Adams Fantasy: Should You Start or Sit the Eagles RB in Week 13?

One week after taking over as the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, Josh Adams’ status is now up in the air for Week 13. Unfortunately, the team plays on Monday Night Football, meaning that it’s unlikely a final call is made on his status prior to just ahead of the game. With that said, there is some positive news on his outlook.

Adams received 22 carries last week while totaling 84 yards and one touchdown in the team’s victory over the New York Giants. He out-touched fellow backfield mate Corey Clement 22-7 and had an overall solid day. With a matchup against the Washington Redskins now on tap, he makes for an interesting option in fantasy leagues and a player with upside, if he’s good to go.

The rookie running back suffered a hip injury in practice Saturday, and while there’s obvious concern over his status, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo revealed Adams is on track to play.

Let’s take a look at whether Adams is a fantasy football start or sit in the Week 13 primetime game against the Redskins.

Matchup & Outlook for Josh Adams

It’s an interesting spot due to the fact that any late-week injury can be even more concerning in some instances. Along with that, there’s a strong likelihood that Darren Sproles returns for this game, although he’ll likely take over the bulk of the pass-catching duties. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t drastically impact Adams’ fantasy value.

Regardless, how last week played out from a snap count perspective is big for Adams. He received a fair amount of the work, playing 62 percent of the snaps compared to 37 percent for Clement and just 2 percent for Wendell Smallwood, per Football Outsiders. Adams is trending up and it’s quickly becoming apparent that he’s holding down the starting job currently in Philly.

The Redskins have allowed 893 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 206 carries (4.3 yards per carry), so the matchup isn’t bad for Adams. Interestingly, Washington has struggled a fair amount against pass-catching running back, allowing the fifth-most receptions (70) for 519 yards. That doesn’t impact the rookie much but may make Sproles an intriguing streaming option in some spots.

Should You Start or Sit Josh Adams?

The best way to look at this situation is that if you were planning on starting Adams before the injury, I’d feel confident rolling him out. While it seems likely the Eagles runner is going to play, I would make sure to have a backup plan in case there’s a setback. Potentially picking up Clement or even Sproles off waivers makes a lot of sense to cover yourself in this spot.

Based on the workload, I don’t think Sproles will take much work from Adams in the run game. But there likely won’t be an increase in targets for the young back in the passing game now. I still believe his newfound starting role and the expanded workload is enough to feel confident starting him in 12-team leagues and above if you have the need at the position.

READ NEXT: Kareem Hunt Fantasy: Which Chiefs RB Should You Use?