Don’t get too caught up in week 1 stats for running backs. It’s a long season for the running back position and there were some surprises who emerged from week 1.
Two Detroit running backs cracked the top-five in fantasy points, followed closely by two San Diego running backs.
That’s fool’s gold, though. I was impressed with Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah’s athleticism against Indianapolis and their roles in the wide open Detroit passing game.
However, much like in San Diego with Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead, there’s not enough balls to go around to make those running backs consistent RB1 choices.
They will drive you nuts because of inconsistency.
But inconsistency is a calling card for the majority of running backs in the NFL. Here’s to a more consistent week with my week 2 start ’em, sit ’em running backs guide.
Start
Justin Forsett vs. Cleveland Browns
Forsett is mired in a timeshare in Baltimore that will make him an inconsistent running back at best. But against the Browns, anything is possible.
I don’t love Forsett as an RB1, but he could make a solid Flex choice for your fantasy team this week, with major upside against a Browns defense that doesn’t look too different from last year’s atrocious unit.
The Browns allowed 133 yards Sunday against the Eagles and didn’t really put up much of a front to stop a mediocre Philadelphia offense.
Forsett was below-average, much like the Ravens’ offense on Sunday, but I was encouraged by his 13 touches for a combined 56 yards.
He was better than Terrance West in week 1 and should get more looks in week 2 against a bad Cleveland defense.
Ryan Mathews vs. Chicago Bears
Expect more of a running approach from Philadelphia this week.
We saw the Carson Wentz show in full during week 1 against Cleveland. With some more tape available, I expect the Eagles to offer even more opportunities for Mathews against a Bears defense that looked porous against the run Sunday versus Houston.
Doug Pederson has been known to utilize his running backs often in his gameplan in the past and that showed in week 1 with Mathews. He will keep Mathews as a workhorse running back and that will pay dividends in week 2 against the Bears, which allowed Lamar Miller to rush for more than 100 yards last week.
It didn’t always come easy for Miller, but that didn’t deter the Texans from running. The same can be said for the Eagles, making Mathews a solid RB2 play, with potential as a mid-range RB1.
DeMarco Murray vs. Detroit Lions
It wasn’t easy against Minnesota, but Murray still mustered 77 total yards and one touchdown.
And while Detroit didn’t allow many rushing yards to Indianapolis, there will be plenty of opportunities for Murray on Sunday.
Indianapolis rushed the ball 19 times Sunday against Detroit. In those 19 rushes, they averaged 4.3 yards per carry behind an offensive line that many consider the worst in the NFL.
That will be problematic this week as the Lions will have to do way more up front against a Titans team committed to running the football.
Murray looked decent against a very good Minnesota defense, even catching a few balls out of the backfield. He’s definitely the primary back out of the backfield, and as long as he can stay healthy, he will be an RB1 against the Lions this week.
Sit
Theo Riddick/Ameer Abdullah vs. Tennessee Titans
I’m not totally selling their stocks for the season. I’m just not buying it against a Titans team capable of stopping the run.
They both looked very good out of the backfield against a bad Indianapolis team. But the problem is that it appears a third running back Dwayne Washington is the third running back in this equation and is the main short-yardage option.
That’s just too many running backs in one backfield for consistent performance.
And for this week, they’re squaring off against a Titans team that held Adrian Peterson and a Vikings rushing attack in check to 65 rushing yards in week 1. That’s more of the same from last year as the Titans allowed an average of 3.9 yards per carry on the ground, a top-10 number in the NFL.
Thomas Rawls/Christine Michael vs. Los Angeles Rams
Seattle’s offense was anemic in week 1. That will get better as the season progresses.
But as far as the Los Angeles Rams are concerned, they always play the Seahawks well, and have shown an ability to stop the run in the past.
What makes this matchup even more difficult, though, is the lack of clarity presented by both backs in week 1.
Sometimes fantasy football is a waiting game. That’s what both of these backs present after a lackluster week 1. Rawls and Michael had their moments of good and bad against Miami.
That leaves us with more questions than answers heading into week 2.
At some point, one of these running backs may provide quality fantasy points for your roster. But until we get a clear-cut answer to who dominates the carries, avoid these running backs.
Arian Foster vs. New England Patriots
A quick glance at the stat sheet may give a false impression of Foster’s productivity in week 1 against Seattle.
He totaled 100 yards and got the majority of work in the backfield. But upon further examination, 50 of those yards came on one reception.
And even though he was the main running back, he still only managed 13 carries in an offense that looked unable once again to move the ball with regular consistency.
The Dolphins are all about Ryan Tannehill and that means Foster’s touches will likely stay in the low teens amount, which could be a problem this week against New England.
The Patriots are going to rely heavily on an improved defense in the early going. And while they struggled a bit to stop David Johnson in week 1, that won’t happen again in week 2.
New England was one of the best teams against the run in the NFL last year. That will show this week as the Dolphins have quite possibly the worst first two-week schedule to open an NFL season – with a cross-country trek to Seattle followed by a road game in New England.
Ouch. The matchup doesn’t bode well, so I’m skipping Foster for a better option in week 2.
