Zone vs. Gap Rushing

Hey folks, I’m back with the Zone vs Gap rushing tool that debuted last season. If you missed it then, don’t fret, I’ve got you covered. The goal of the tool is to parse designated rushing results between Zone and Gap rushing schemes, then using the tool to identify good (and bad) RB matchups. This will help with those tough lineup decisions we all face each week.

As always, Razzball has you covered. You can view the Defensive Zone vs. Gap splits HERE and the RB Zone vs. Gap splits HERE. Remember, it’s FREE!

Also, if you want a short refresher (or tutorial, if you’re new to this tool) on the table, simply go back to my original article HERE.

Don’t just stop at RBs! We have a whole suite of FREE tools as well as Rudy’s premium tools to provide everything you need, no matter your fantasy taste. Here are links to both:

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Week 2 Matchups

Zone Matchups

Seahawks rookie, Jadarian Price, didn’t WOW us in his NFL debut against the Patriots, but 10 rushes for 52 years, that’s 5.2 yards per carry, wasn’t too shabby either. What’s important for us here is the fact that Seattle deployed a Zone rushing attack over 72% of designed attempts in that outing. On the flip side, Arizona gave up over 57% of ground yards to Zone rushing attempts. Start Price with confidence.
The second-best Zone matchup is the 49ers (#5 Zone Offense) vs. the Dolphins (#19 Zone Defense). Of course, you’re starting McCaffrey (90% Zone) but you may even consider Kaelon Black (65% Zone) and his 9 rushing attempts last week, sending a clear signal that the 9ers want to limit Christian’s workload. Let’s not forget, the 9ers are hosting Miami. Yes, that Miami Dolphins team!
Travis Etienne (9-46) didn’t do a lot on the ground last week, but that may be more about game script than anything else. For those of us in PPR leagues though, he made up the difference there. Looking at the rushing data though, a 64% Zone rushing attack by the Saints (#4 Zone) against a Ravens team allowing 65% of fantasy points to Zone attempts (#30 Zone) makes for an intriguing matchup.
A Zone matchup that gives me some pause is Tampa Bay (#22 Zone) vs. Cleveland D (#6 Zone). I own a few shares of Bucky Irving so knowing he ran behind Zone blocking for 75% of his attempts, you understand why I have some pause. Proceed with caution.

Gap Matchups

Now, let’s switch over to Gap rushing. As a team, the Rams were a big disappointment down under but if there’s a bit of optimism here, it’s their 69% Gap rushing attack (#1 Gap) against the Giants (#12 Gap) defense. It may be a must-win for the Rams so maybe they should consider loading up their RBs, Kyren Williams (73% Gap) and Blake Corum (70% Gap).
The Chiefs unveiled a strong rushing attack, led by SB Champ Kenneth Walker and his 173 yards on 23 carries. What percentage of that was Gap rushing you wonder…57%. For their part, the Colts did a decent job limiting Gap rushing last week (#16 Gap), but if Walker and the Chiefs come out like that again, it won’t matter.
Another Gap matchup I like is more of a dart throw. Green Bay comes in as the #2 Gap offense against a Jets defense that ranked #25 after Week 1. The Pack backfield didn’t pile up a lot of yards, but with the 5^th best total Gap rank, disappointed MarShawn Lloyd owners (54% Gap) may get some vindication.
I gave you three I liked, now one I don’t. Jaylen Warren (40% Gap) and the Steelers (#20 Gap) face off against the Patriots (#2 Gap) that limited Seattle to just a baker’s dozen ground yards behind Gap blocking. Perhaps Warren can salvage a nice fantasy afternoon with another handful of receptions.

That’s All Folks

Do you take advantage of all our free tools? If you don’t, why not? All of the RazzballNFL staff is here to help so get on the ball. Be sure to read our daily articles and especially join us on gameday morning for the Razzball Sunday Start/Sit show. We had another great turnout last Sunday with excellent (i.e., tough) lineup questions to talk through. Keep bringing it!

Every Sunday, the show airs LIVE on the Razzball YouTube channel from 11:00 am EDT (8:00 PDT) right up right up to gametime. The Boys and I will be there to answer all your fantasy football questions. Don’t miss it.

As always, look for my articles right here each week and be sure to follow me on Twitter/X @Derek_Favret. I’m also on BlueSky as well (@dfavret.bsky.social).

Until next time, my friends.

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