Robinson has RB2 upside against an Atlanta-D
giving up the third most fantasy points to running backs.
Grab a Helmet
Bryce
Brown vs. CLE: Oh let the insanity begin! If you’ve
played fantasy football long enough you know that running back
depth is key to long term success. The teams that have the least
injuries at the position usually find themselves competing for
fantasy titles. So if you are a Marshawn Lynch, Thomas Rawls,
Jonathan Stewart, T.J. Yeldon, Mark Ingram, etc, etc, etc, owner
and you’re fighting for your playoff life, go ahead and feel good
about starting a guy who was on the street three days ago and
hasn’t had a regular season carry since Week 15 of 2014! With
the release of DuJuan Harris this week, Brown is in line for a
significant workload against a bottom scraping run defense. Brown
is familiar with the scheme, having spent time on the Seattle
roster this season, and has never lacked talent. If that isn’t
enough to sway you, think of it this way, you can to brag for
years to come that Bryce Brown contributed to your fantasy title!
Denard
Robinson vs. ATL: I see your Bryce Brown and raise
you a Shoelace! Think about this for a second. By the time Week
15 kicks off you’d rather have Bryce Brown and Denard Robinson
on your roster over Jamal Charles and Le’Veon Bell. As you let
that soak in and devise new ways to curse this insane hobby we
participate in, I’ll let the confluence of timing and opportunity
show that Robinson is worth a look as a RB2 option this week.
With Yeldon very likely out for multiple weeks, Robinson steps
into a boatload of touches against a scuttling Falcons defense.
Robinson went for 14-75-1 last week, and will see plenty of space
with Atlanta unable to stack the box for fear of the Jags passing
game. With 20+ touch upside, Robinson is a player to watch for
the rest of the season.
Doug
Martin @ STL (THU): I desperately wanted to add Brandon
Bolden in this slot to complete the trifecta of insanity after
learning that Blount is done for the season. But cooler heads
prevailed, and I went with Martin, a frequent flyer in this spot
during the 2015 SCR cycle. Martin has been dynamic this season,
but mysteriously touched the ball only 12 times last week in a
game he was running wild in. Martin and Lamar Miller are two of
the most frustratingly underused players at their position, but
their immense upside make them nearly impossible to sit. After
a long drought, Martin has found the end zone in two straight
games, and I expect this to be the third. The Rams once dominant
front-seven has floundered, and are vulnerable to runner’s with
Martin’s game. He’s fantasy’s No.3 overall running back in standard
leagues.
Grab Some Pine
Darren
McFadden vs NYJ (SAT): Surprisingly still healthy after
13 games and 192 carries, McFadden is coming off a 9-carry 111-yard
performance at Green Bay in Week 14. I’m not sure what’s more
eye popping, the fact it only took him 9 carries to amass 111
yards, or the fact he only had 9 carries! Against most other defenses
McFadden would probably sneak in RB1 territory, especially in
a game I expect he’ll get 25+ carries if the score stays close.
But the Jets elite run defense has simply grinded opponents running
games to dust the last four weeks, and on the season still have
allowed only one touchdown to running backs, and that was way
back in Week 3! McFadden has been a pleasant surprise this year,
but could sputter in a week you need him most.
Brandon
Bolden/James
White vs. TEN: These guys are here simply because they
pose much too big of a risk in the fantasy playoffs. One of them
is likely to go off for 15+ points, but trying to figure out which
could leave you with a goose egg. Heck, newly signed Monte Ball,
or maybe even the ghost of Steven Jackson may return to carry
the ball 20 times. The New England running back situation has
been a fantasy headache for several years now, and it’s still
clear as mud, even after the losses of Blount and Dion Lewis.
White has been doing a decent Lewis impression, but Bolden has
been sparsely called upon in the last two seasons, which probably
means he’ll have 30 carries and 3 touchdowns this week. Ugh! I
salute you if you have the guts to roll with one of these guys!
DeAngelo
Williams vs. DEN: If there is one established runner
who I think has a chance to break hearts this week it’s
Williams. He’s single handedly kept me afloat after I lost
Bell in one of my leagues this season, so I’ll always have
a special place in my heart for him, but there are some concerning
signs of breakdown these last few weeks, as the impossibly heavy
workloads may have taken their toll. He’s only been above
3.5 yards per carry once in his last five games, and is coming
off a physical 23 carry 76-yard day against the Bengals. Denver’s
defense leads the league, giving up only 3.3 yards per carry,
and has the secondary to allow its strong safety to creep up near
the line when necessary. The one saving grace is Denver can be
leaky vs. running backs catching the ball, as they’ve given
up a few big receiving yardage games against Brandon Bolden and
Charcandrick West. Williams is a must start, but could struggle
to reach double digits this week.
