Bye Weeks: Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami, N.Y. Giants,
Pittsburgh, San Francisco
The Saints are one of only two teams (SF)
that have given up double-digit rushing TDs to running backs.
Grab a Helmet
Jacquizz
Rodgers vs. OAK: After carrying the ball only 13 times
in his first three games in a Bucs uniform, Rodgers has gone bonkers
over the last two games with 56 carries for 255 yards. Head coach
Dirk Koetter vowed to get the running game going and he’s stuck
to his guns. Tampa has won two straight games, both on the road,
and now welcome an Oakland team giving up 5.0 yards per carry.
With Doug Martin still on the shelf, look for Tampa to continue
to lean on Rodgers in the run game. If he can tack on a score
to these lofty yardage totals he could be a bet for low end RB1
numbers. Pretty fantastic for a guy you probably got for a few
free agent bucks.
Devonta
Freeman vs. GB: Had Tevin Coleman not gone down with
a hamstring injury in the second half of last week’s game, there’s
a chance I wouldn’t have Freeman here in this spot for the second
week in a row. But with Colman likely to miss this week, Freeman
should be in for a MONSTER workload at home against Green Bay.
Still technically the best defense in the league against the run,
a closer look at the lofty status of the Packers reveals a mirage.
Sure they erased AP early in the year, but they’ve faced off against
the anemic run games of Detroit, the Giants, Jacksonville and
the Bears. In their only game against a significant foe, Ezekiel
Elliott busted out for 157 yards. Green Bay can be run on and
Freeman is going to be a huge part of the game plan. He runs hard,
is shifty, and is a big play waiting to happen. Don’t have any
reservations about loading him up as an RB1.
Christine
Michael @ NO: Michael’s story from fantasy dumpster
to fantasy starter is one that still makes me scratch my head.
A few short season’s ago this was a guy who couldn’t seem to get
out of his own way. Blessed with immense physical skills, he seemed
to have no idea how to be a professional football player. That’s
changed now, and he leads the Seattle backfield and has likely
been a huge boon for your fantasy team. He’s proven to be more
than just a big play guy, showing a penchant for churning out
tough yardage and playing sound fundamental football. His yards
per carry have been under 4 for a few weeks now, but he has the
ability and volume to overcome that. He should feast against a
terrible Saints defense, and will be a borderline RB1.
Grab Some Pine
Ryan
Mathews @ DAL: After three touchdowns over the first
two weeks, Mathews has been tough to trust as a starting fantasy
runner. There are a ton of teams on byes this week, but Mathews
makes for an underwhelming option against a surprisingly solid
Dallas defense. He’s also put the ball on the ground a few times
in the last few weeks and this could give the Eagles a reason
to get other runners involved more often. With an inconsistent
weekly volume and very little in the way of receiving value, I
can’t trust Mathews more than a FLEX option in Week 8.
Isaiah
Crowell vs. NYJ: Crowell is sitting at a very respectable
14th overall among running backs in standard scoring leagues.
He’s already rushed for as many touchdowns as he did last year
(4) and has two 100-yard games. He’s put up these numbers despite
being on an 0-7 team that seems to be rotating quarterbacks on
a weekly basis. He’ll have a few more RB1/2 games before the year
is done, but it’s going to be tough sledding against a Jets defense
that’s 2nd best against the run, and totally demolished a Ravens
run game that’s been hot recently. Look for the Jets to absolutely
stack the box against the Browns meaning a dangerously low floor
could be in store for Crowell.
Jordan
Howard, Ka’Deem
Carey, Jeremy
Langford vs. MIN: That crafty old John Fox seems to
be up to his old tricks. After watching rookie Jordan Howard have
a great two game stretch when Carey and Langford were out, the
head coach, who befuddled owners of Panther running backs for
years, turned this backfield back into a committee with the return
of Carey two weeks ago. With Langford back on the field, a three-headed
fantasy nightmare seems to be on the horizon. It’s nearly
impossible to trust any of these guys on a weekly basis, as their
workload is simply too unpredictable.
