Running Backs

Bye Weeks: Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, Kevin Smith, Maurice Jones-Drew, Julius Jones, Chris Johnson, LenDale White

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

Frank Gore @ HOU
Gore is expected to return to the lineup this week for significant duty for the first time since injuring his ankle in September. His last full game saw him rush for 200 yards and 2 TDs so there is reason for his owners to be excited. The Texans are the only NFL squad to allow double-digit rushing TDs this year (10). They give up an average of 125 YPG on the ground and Gore is in line for very good totals in his return to action.

Larry Johnson vs. SD
Chiefs fans and fantasy owners alike are still waiting for LJ to score his first TD of the season and he is likely buried on the bench on the majority of teams. I actually picked him up this week in one of my leagues hoping he can turn it around (friendly schedule weeks 10, 12, 14, 15). He is coming off his best game of the season (83 yards rushing, 3 catches) and I like his chances to get in the endzone this week. The Chargers have the 27th ranked run defense in the league, allowing 141 YPG and 6 TDs in 5 games.

Ryan Grant @ CLE
Grant had an equally as salivating matchup last week and put up mediocre totals, so it’s hard to get too charged up about the trip to Cleveland, but I’m throwing my support behind him again. The Browns allow 165.3 rushing YPG and have given up 9 on the ground in 6 games. Last season Grant didn’t notch his first 100-yard game until Week 7, and this year could follow suit. He hasn’t scored since Week 2 but look for Grant to hit pay dirt this week.

Jonathan Stewart vs. BUF
Despite playing second fiddle to backfield mate DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart rushed for 110 yards last week (3rd highest total of his career) while averaging 6.5 YPC. He’s got another enticing match up this week against the NFL’s worst run defense of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been torched for 181.8 rushing YPG and have given up 8 TDs. They have also allowed 10 runs of 20+ yards this season, tops in the NFL.

Joseph Addai @ STL
Addai’s 3.4 YPC is a career low for him, but he claims to feel as good now as he has at any time in his past seasons. Thankfully for his owners, he is making his presence felt in the passing game this year, averaging 5.2 catches per game. With the Colts prolific offense, Addai will certainly have his chances against the Rams, a squad that has served up 9 TDs on the ground and 132.5 rushing YPG.

Justin Fargas vs. NYJ
Long shot of the week! Fargas rushed for a season-high 87 yards on 23 carries last week against a good Eagles defense. He should have earned himself a more prominent role going forward, at least until Darren McFadden returns. The J-E-T-S run defense has gotten schooled the last 4 weeks, giving up 143.5 YPG after allowed just 60.5 YPG in their first two games. Before we go too crazy, let’s keep in mind that Fargie has only scored 1 TD in his last 18 games.

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

Brandon Jacobs vs. ARI
The big fella has been a big downer this year for fantasy owners. Expecting a repeat of his 15 rushing touchdowns seems unlikely at this point as Jacobs only has 1 TD through 6 games. A non-factor in the passing game, Jacobs could be store for another underwhelming game against the #1 run defense of the Cardinals. No individual player has rushed for 100 yards against Arizona this year, and only 1 team (Colts – 126 yards) has had success. The Cards are allowing a meager 59.6 rushing YPG and a 2.8 YPC average, both ranked first in the NFL.

Brown's numbers could take a hit this week if Miami is in catch-up mode.

Ronnie Brown vs. NO
Ronnie Brown has been impressive this year – 4 TDs in his last two games (6 overall) - but will likely have trouble putting up big numbers when the Dolphins face the Saints this week. Miami will likely be trailing and calling mostly pass plays from the second quarter on. The Saints defense is allowing opposing offenses an average of 21.8 rushing attempts per game, the 3rd lowest total in the league. I wouldn’t outright bench him, but treat him as a flex and hope for the best unless you have a no-brainer alternative.

Cedric Benson vs. CHI
Last week Benson looked to be as close to a fantasy ‘sure thing’ as there is, but he just couldn’t get a groove going against the Texans. With the Bengals trailing, he matched his season low with 16 carries and mustered only 2.75 YPC against one of the worst run defenses in the league, although he did find the end zone for the fourth time in 6 games. The Bears held Michael Turner to 30 yards on 13 carries last week and allow 88.4 YPG, 7th best in the league. Benson has the extra motivation of playing his former team, but how productive that makes him remains to be seen.

Cadillac Williams vs. NEB
Williams had 16 carries for 77 yards and a TD last Sunday, but remains very hard to trust. Case in point: two weeks ago he had 10 carries for 8 yards in Philadelphia. The bottom line is that it is not wise to count on this guy on a weekly basis. The Patriots should not have a problem containing him, and will likely have a big lead in this game, minimizing Caddy’s opportunities. Furthermore, New England has only allowed 1 rushing TD this season.

Wide Receivers