Owners that were expecting a little more
from Lamar Miller in Week 1 may get their wish in Week 2.
Grab a Helmet
Jeremy
Hill v. SD: The yards per carry weren’t great (3.1
ypc), and he was non-existent in the passing game (0 catches),
but Hill found the end zone twice in the 33-13 drubbing of the
Raiders. The Bengals head home to face a Chargers team that gave
up chunk running plays to rookie Ameer Abdullah. San Diego can
be pushed around by the Bengals O-line, and I expect the Bengals
to go run-heavy in an effort to keep Philip Rivers off the field.
The passing game usage will come, especially in a closer game,
but look for 20-plus carries, and a few scoring opportunities
for Hill, making him a strong RB1 bet for the week.
Matt
Forte v. ARI: Overlooked all offseason because of a
change in coaching personnel, all Forte did in Week 1 was gash
the Packers for 166 total yards and a score. The Bears show no
signs of lessening Forte’s workload, as he dominated running back
touches (29 for Forte, 5 for all other Chicago backs), and did
his usual work in the passing game. This is an offense begging
for playmakers to take the heat off Jay Cutler, and the coaching
staff knows this. Look for Forte to be a big part of the passing
game this week, as Arizona showed a complete inability to cover
New Orleans backs out of the backfield last week as Mark Ingram
and Khiry Robinson combined to catch 13 passes for 149 yards.
Forte may not be as explosive as he once was, but he’s an instinctive,
durable three-down workhorse that you plug into your lineup each
week and enjoy quality production.
Lamar
Miller @ JAC: A quick look at the numbers from Week
1 don’t inspire much confidence in Lamar Miller. But if you look
deeper, you’ll see that Lamar’s 75 total yards came on only 14
touches, and that the Miami game plan vs. Washington was decidedly
pass heavy (34 passes, 18 runs). Miami should be able to get,
and play with a lead this weekend against the Jags, putting game
flow more in Miller’s wheelhouse. Miami is clearly committed to
their young back, so stay patient and reap the rewards.
Grab Some Pine
Latavius
Murray v. BAL: The ferocious Ravens front seven held
a Gary Kubiak rushing offense to 3.1 yards per carry last week
in Denver. The same defense (minus perennial all-pro Terrell Suggs)
head into the Black Hole to try and duplicate the defensive effort
vs Murray and the Raiders. There was some question just how committed
the Raiders were to Murray as their franchise back, but actions
spoke louder than words in Week 1 when Murrary carried the ball
11 times and caught 7 passes. His usage, and the deactivation
of Roy Helu was a clear sign Murray is the captain of this backfield
ship. But captains tend to go down with sinking ships, and this
Oakland offense looks to be headed toward rough waters again in
2015. The Raiders have a poor offensive line and very young skill
players on offense, so it may take time for this unit to gel.
Until then, keep expectations for Murray in check, and go with
a higher floor option if you have one.
Alfred
Morris v. STL: This is admittedly my biggest eyebrow
raising call of the week, as Morris is coming off a dominant 25-carry
121-yard game against the Dolphins in Week 1. But you can’t pick
all the low hanging fruit in the first article! Morris has, and
continues to be a one-cut down hill runner who falls forward,
but rarely makes a big play. He consistently churned out small
gains against a Miami front seven that is much better against
the pass than the run. The Rams are fresh off destroying the Seattle
offensive line, and giving Beast Mode a dose of his own medicine.
St. Louis’s penetrating front feeds off of bigger backs who are
slower to the hole, crashing gaps with abandon. I actually think
the younger, speedier Matt Jones gets more chances this week on
counters and misdirection runs after only six attempts in Week
1. A repeat 100-yard game will be very difficult to come by, making
Morris a risky bet for fantasy relevance in Week 2.
Texans Running Backs @ CAR:
The implosion of the Houston offense came early and often against
the Chiefs on Sunday. Brian Hoyer tossed a pick-six on his first
attempt, and the trio of Alfred
Blue, Jonathan
Grimes, and Chris
Polk canceled each other out en route to an uninspiring 20
carries for 92 yards. Until Arian Foster returns, this backfield
has the looks of the dreaded three-headed, hot-handed variety.
None of the three are starting NFL talents capable of carrying
an offense, and they really don’t have much of a place on your
starting fantasy squad either.
