Running Backs

Start 'Em:
Running Backs Who Will Outperform Relative To Their Draft Position And Recent Hype

Brandon Jackson vs. BUF
Jackson is the biggest free agent pickup this past week. He takes over as the starting RB for perhaps the best offense in football following the season ending ankle injury to Ryan Grant. Last week the Bills held the tandem of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in-check (60 yards a piece), but I don’t see that being the case this week against Green Bay, even without Ryan Grant. Look for Jackson to make his presence felt immediately and score nice points for you.

LeSean McCoy @ DET
Big things are expected from the Eagles new starting RB. McCoy posted 35 yards rushing on 7 carries for an impressive 5-yard average, and scored a TD, plus added 47 yards on 5 receptions in the passing game. Not bad considering it was against one of the best defenses in the league (Green Bay Packers). This week he takes on the Lions and should at least double his production, so make sure he’s in your lineup.

Michael Turner vs. ARI
Last week, like much of last year, Turner was a big disappointment, rushing for just 42 yards on 19 carries – an embarrassing 2.2 yard average. He did nothing in the passing game and scored zero TDs to offset his horrible yardage performance. Before I hang him completely, he did go up against the Steelers defense. This week he takes on a much softer foe in the Arizona Cardinals. Yes, I know they only gave up 85 yards on the ground to Steven Jackson last week, but that was with a game plan to stack the box and make the rookie QB throw, so take those stats with a grain of salt and look for Turner to have a game much more reminiscent of 2008.

Jamaal Charles @ CLE
Against Tampa Bay the Browns gave up 119 rushing yards, which included two big runs of 20+ yards. Last week, Charles ran 11 times for 92 yards – an 8.4 yard average, scored a TD on a big 56 yard run. He did split time evenly with Thomas Jones (who also had 11 carries) so be aware, but as the season wears on I see Charles taking the reigns as the starter with Jones spelling him sporadically. Keep Charles active against the lowly Browns and rack up more big fantasy points.

Ahmad Bradshaw @ IND
The new starting RB for the G-Men had a decent outing, totaling 76 yards on 20 carries, 1 TD while adding another 17 yards on 2 catches against the Panthers. His per-yard average was less than optimal but I expect that to improve, starting this week against the Colts who just got torched by the Texans’ Arian Foster for 231 rushing yards. Bradshaw won’t come close to that amount but the Giants should exploit the suspect Indy run defense minus Safety Bob Sanders.

Bench 'Em:
Running Backs Who Will Under Perform Relative To Their Draft Position And Recent Hype

Cedric Benson vs. BAL
Last week the Ravens gave up just 116 yards on the ground to supposedly the best rushing offense in the league (the Jets). They also allowed 5.5 yards per carry, which is surprising but only gave up 3 first downs and no runs more than 22 yards. Meanwhile, Cedric Benson ran 15 times for just 43 yards – a 2.9-yard average. He did have a TD but also had a fumble against New England. Against the Ravens I expect similar numbers this week meaning you should explore other options.

Matt Forte @ DAL
Matt Forte had a HUGE game last week … receiving. Rushing he finished with just 50 yards on 17 carries for a 2.9 average. Since you do combine rushing and receiving stats, his 7 catches for 151 yards and 2 TDs is quite impressive. But who did he play last week? Oh yeah – Detroit. Enough said. Recognize the matchups, and keep in mind he fumbled twice last week, losing one, and leave this former rookie stud on your bench against the Cowboys on the road.

Ronnie Brown @ MIN
Against Buffalo, Brown ran for 65 yards and a TD; not a bad day – certainly not impressive or worthy of a starting RB, but not bad. His partner, Ricky Williams, had 5 more rushes and 62 yards so they split carries and produced equally, which should concern you. Ideally you’d have Brown with more rushes, more receptions (which he did have) and a few more wildcat option plays. Last week the Vikings allowed just 79 rushing yards and a 3.2 rushing average and there’s no reason to think they won’t enforce the same limits on Miami this week. It’s generally a good idea to bench all but the elite RBs when they face the Vikings, and that’s what you should do with Brown this week.

Arian Foster @ WAS
This is one of my classic “no huge back-to-back incredible performances” picks. After setting a club record with 231 rushing yards, 3 TDs, 14 first downs and a 7 yard average against a woeful Indianapolis run defense last week, everyone has him as their #1 RB. Unfortunately you missed the boat on him as his week 1 performance will not be duplicated again all year. He’ll have his moments but the Texans’ running game is too “new” for me to move all in on. I need to see consistency and until I do, I recommend sitting Foster this week against a very tough Redskins defense.

Shonn Greene vs. NE
5 carries for 18 yards (a 3.6 yard average) and a fumble. This is what the promising 2nd year RB did in his debut last week against the Ravens. The key here is the opponent – Baltimore, so I don’t expect many more performances like this from Greene this year. But I do expect another struggle this week against the seemingly rejuvenated Patriots defense. New England held Cedric Benson to just 43 yards and a 2.9 average, but that was due in part to the Bengals being down so early and forced to throw the entire 2nd half. Still, until Sanchez is either given more freedom or takes more control of the offense the Jets are going to struggle moving the ball, especially the running game as defenses stack the line and force Sanchez to beat them through the air. Until you see an improvement in New York’s game planning and execution it’s best to keep Greene on your bench.

Wide Receivers