NFL Week 14 Running Back Sit and Start Report

Murray should have no problems running right through the Bears defense

With Week 14 finally here, many fantasy leagues have begun playoff competition. To keep your dreams of a fantasy title alive, check out this week’s best and worst plays at the running back position. Congratulations on making it this far and good luck in Week 14!

Start:

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys – Coming off a huge Thanksgiving game against the Raiders in which he scored three times, DeMarco Murray now gets a very favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears in Week 14. The Bears have been awful against the run all year, giving up an average of 153.6 yards per game on the ground. The Bears have also surrendered 10 rushing touchdowns in their last 7 games. Murray may not score three times again, but look for him to hit pay dirt at least once against the horrible Bears D.

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers – While Aaron Rodgers has been out, Eddie Lacy has begun to struggle against the 8 man fronts teams have been employing in the star QB’s absence. However, Lacy may get back to his scoring ways this week against the Atlanta Falcons. Last week, CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson ran wild against this struggling unit which has surrendered a rushing touchdown in 5 of its last 6 games. Expect Lacy to do much of the same this week.

Sit:

Rashad Jennings, Oakland Raiders – Since taking over the starting running back duties from Darren McFadden, Jennings has been a solid fantasy performer, scoring in double digits for five straight weeks. However, that streak is about to come to a screeching halt on Sunday. Not even a lock to play this week as he has yet to pass all concussion tests, Jennings has a tough matchup against a Jets defense which has been dominant against the run all season long. Don’t expect much this week.

Trent Richardson/Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts – Both Colts running backs make the list this week as neither should be started. While Richardson has been one of fantasy’s biggest busts, teams are still starting him (57% in NFL.com leagues). He should be an obvious sit by now. Donald Brown, now the team’s starter, may also struggle this week against a Bengals team which has been great against the run at home. The Bengals haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown since Week 3, and Brown is not the guy to end that streak.

Week 13 Running Back Sit and Start Report

Donald Brown should run all over the Titans run defense

Week 13 is here and that means the last week of the fantasy regular season for most owners. If you’re one win away from that last playoff spot, every roster decision is extremely important. Check out this week’s sit/start report for the running back position.

Start:

Andre Brown, New York Giants – Since coming back from injury in Week 10, Andre Brown has absolutely dominated the touches out of the New York Giants backfield. He’s racked up at least 93 total yards during each of his three games since coming back and has rushed for 100 or more yards in two of the three. With the Giants facing the Washington Redskins this week, Brown may have his best matchup yet. The Redskins have surrendered the most rushing touchdowns in the league and give up the third most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Start the Giants workhorse back with confidence this week.

Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts – With Trent Richardson competing with Ray Rice as fantasy’s biggest bust, Donald Brown has become a decent fantasy play when the matchup is right. That is the case this week as the Colts take on the Tennessee Titans. When the two teams faced off back in Week 11, Brown turned in his most productive fantasy performance of the season, posting 94 total yards and two touchdowns. Look for Brown to come close to these totals once again against a team that ranks in the bottom half of the league against the run.

Sit:

Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins – While Miller may finally get his chance due to Daniel Thomas’s recent injury, this is not the week to take a chance with Miller. Facing the NFL’s number one ranked rush defense, Miller is going to have a tough time finding any success against the New York Jets this week. Add that to the fact that the Jets play much better at home, and you have a recipe for disaster for Miami’s rushing attack on Sunday.

Bobby Rainey, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The clock struck midnight for Bobby Rainey’s Cinderella story last week and the matchup gets even tougher this week against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers give up a measly 81 yards a game on the ground and have given up only 1 rushing touchdown in the past seven weeks. Don’t expect much from Rainey against one of the NFL’s best front sevens.

NFL Week 9 Sit and Start Report

Brady is in for a rough Week 9 against the Steelers pass defense

Week 9 is upon us and the time has come for fantasy owners to keep resetting their fantasy lineups. With plenty of good players on bye weeks, it’s very important to start putting together wins as we approach the end of the season.

Sit:

Tom Brady- It’s a hard thing for fantasy owners to swallow, but Tom Brady has been a complete bust for fantasy football purposes this season. Brady has only thrown for 300 or more yards once this season and has an interception in each of his last 4 games. The Patriots will be hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers who boast the leagues second best pass defense, allowing an average of just 181.4 yards per game through the air.

Mike James- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup against the Seattle Seahawks this week spells trouble for them all over the field. Unfortunately for Mike James, he is facing a Seahawks rush defense that is allowing just 105.1 yards per game on the ground and a pass defense that ranks third in the league. The Bucs offense will struggle to get things going this week so sit running back Mike James.

Start:

Stevan Ridley- While the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the top pass defenses in the league, their rush defense ranks 27th in the NFL. Ridley has turned his season around, rushing for four touchdowns and 225 yards in his past three games. Expect the Patriots to rely more on the run game against the Steelers defense.

DeSean Jackson- Nick Foles’ return to the starting lineup for the Eagles allows DeSean Jackson to breathe a sigh of relief. The Eagles will face the Oakland Raiders who possess the 17th ranked pass defense in the NFL. Expect Foles to look for the speedy Jackson time and time again in the passing game this week.

Bench These Wide Receivers During Week 9

Heyward-Bey should be warming fantasy benches this week

As middling fantasy teams make their playoff push, every roster decision is a crucial one. With Sunday fast approaching, fantasy owners should avoid starting these three wide receivers who have a tough Week 9 ahead.

Benching of the Week – Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks

With another six teams on bye in Week 9, fantasy owners have surely been scrounging around the waiver wire for a wide receiver to start this week. After an explosive Week 8, Golden Tate has been a hot commodity and is being pushed into many starting lineups. However, owners using the second year wideout are in for a disappointing week. Seattle faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, meaning Tate is taking a Sunday trip to Revis Island. As Revis begins to play more and more man in Tampa Bay’s defense, opposing teams’ wideouts are having an even tougher time against the Bucs. A boom or bust type player, Tate will struggle to find room against the All-Pro corner.

Danny Amendola, New England Patriots

With each passing week, Danny Amendola is proving that he is no Wes Welker. Performing well in Week 1, when he had 104 receiving yards, many people felt Amendola would be able to fill the void left by Welker. Since then, Amendola has been injured twice and and is ineffective when he’s been healthy. Returning from a concussion last week, Amendola only caught three passes for 15 yards. As Tom Brady continues to struggle and tight end, Rob Gronkowski, receives most of the targets, Amendola is becoming a liability to fantasy owners. With a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their second ranked pass defense upcoming, Amendola belongs on your bench this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Indianapolis Colts

Thrust into an increased role with Reggie Wayne lost for the season with a torn ACL, Darrius Heyward-Bey would now seem like a worthy starter for most fantasy teams. However, this is not the week to place him in your starting lineups. After tweaking his hamstring earlier this week in practice, it seems as if Heyward-Bey will be playing at less than 100% on Sunday night. To make matters worse, the Colts face off against the Houston Texans who boast the league’s top defensive unit. The Texans give up the least fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers so let Heyward-Bey ride the pine for at least one more week.

Bench These Wide Receivers During Week 9

Heyward-Bey should be warming fantasy benches this week

As middling fantasy teams make their playoff push, every roster decision is a crucial one. With Sunday fast approaching, fantasy owners should avoid starting these three wide receivers who have a tough Week 9 ahead.

Benching of the Week – Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks

With another six teams on bye in Week 9, fantasy owners have surely been scrounging around the waiver wire for a wide receiver to start this week. After an explosive Week 8, Golden Tate has been a hot commodity and is being pushed into many starting lineups. However, owners using the second year wideout are in for a disappointing week. Seattle faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, meaning Tate is taking a Sunday trip to Revis Island. As Revis begins to play more and more man in Tampa Bay’s defense, opposing teams’ wideouts are having an even tougher time against the Bucs. A boom or bust type player, Tate will struggle to find room against the All-Pro corner.

Danny Amendola, New England Patriots

With each passing week, Danny Amendola is proving that he is no Wes Welker. Performing well in Week 1, when he had 104 receiving yards, many people felt Amendola would be able to fill the void left by Welker. Since then, Amendola has been injured twice and and is ineffective when he’s been healthy. Returning from a concussion last week, Amendola only caught three passes for 15 yards. As Tom Brady continues to struggle and tight end, Rob Gronkowski, receives most of the targets, Amendola is becoming a liability to fantasy owners. With a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their second ranked pass defense upcoming, Amendola belongs on your bench this week.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Indianapolis Colts

Thrust into an increased role with Reggie Wayne lost for the season with a torn ACL, Darrius Heyward-Bey would now seem like a worthy starter for most fantasy teams. However, this is not the week to place him in your starting lineups. After tweaking his hamstring earlier this week in practice, it seems as if Heyward-Bey will be playing at less than 100% on Sunday night. To make matters worse, the Colts face off against the Houston Texans who boast the league’s top defensive unit. The Texans give up the least fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers so let Heyward-Bey ride the pine for at least one more week.

Top 3 Rookie Running Back Breakdown

Lacy should help every aspect of the Packers offense

Rookie running backs have the ability to make or break fantasy teams. The running back position is the most important position on a fantasy team. Since many teams have gone to a dual running back system, finding two or three backs who can produce solid numbers is vital.

Being able to pick which rookie running backs are going to have the best season can bring your team a championship. This season there are three rookie running backs that should be on every fantasy owners’ radar.

Le’Veon Bell- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Le’Veon Bell was drafted 48^th overall. The former Michigan State Spartan could not have been drafted to a better team. The Steelers are infamous for their pounding running game. While he has been injured for a majority of the offseason, it did not stop the Steelers from naming him their starting running back in the preseason.

Bell is recovering from a foot injury and has been ruled out for Week 1. Coach Tomlin says he will not play against the Titans due to lack of practice time, not his injury. Bell is the 24^th ranked running back in this year’s fantasy draft and the top ranked rookie running back. When he returns to the starting lineup he will be given every opportunity to be a fantasy power horse.

Eddie Lacy– Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy is the second best rookie running back in this year’s fantasy draft and the 26^th running back overall. Of the top three running backs, Lacy is the only week 1 starter. While reports of him getting overweight in the offseason were concerning at first, it appears that it will only help in, especially in goal line situations.

The Packers’ offense is known for their deadly air attack, which means defenses will have to plan for the pass which should give Lacy plenty of opportunities to pick up yards when he’s handed the ball.

Giovani Bernard– Cincinnati Bengals’ Giovani Bernard currently splits time with BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but is taking a majority of the goal line snaps. Throughout the preseason Bernard had three rushing touchdowns, all near the goal line. He is currently listed as the second running back on the depth chart, but it is expected that he will split carries with Green-Ellis, and in the near future will take over the starting role.

Bernard is the 28^th ranked running back in this year’s draft and the third ranked rookie. He will get the overwhelming majority of goal line opportunities giving him significant fantasy value.

Top 3 Rookie Running Back Breakdown

Lacy should help every aspect of the Packers offense

Rookie running backs have the ability to make or break fantasy teams. The running back position is the most important position on a fantasy team. Since many teams have gone to a dual running back system, finding two or three backs who can produce solid numbers is vital.

Being able to pick which rookie running backs are going to have the best season can bring your team a championship. This season there are three rookie running backs that should be on every fantasy owners’ radar.

Le’Veon Bell- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Le’Veon Bell was drafted 48^th overall. The former Michigan State Spartan could not have been drafted to a better team. The Steelers are infamous for their pounding running game. While he has been injured for a majority of the offseason, it did not stop the Steelers from naming him their starting running back in the preseason.

Bell is recovering from a foot injury and has been ruled out for Week 1. Coach Tomlin says he will not play against the Titans due to lack of practice time, not his injury. Bell is the 24^th ranked running back in this year’s fantasy draft and the top ranked rookie running back. When he returns to the starting lineup he will be given every opportunity to be a fantasy power horse.

Eddie Lacy– Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy is the second best rookie running back in this year’s fantasy draft and the 26^th running back overall. Of the top three running backs, Lacy is the only week 1 starter. While reports of him getting overweight in the offseason were concerning at first, it appears that it will only help in, especially in goal line situations.

The Packers’ offense is known for their deadly air attack, which means defenses will have to plan for the pass which should give Lacy plenty of opportunities to pick up yards when he’s handed the ball.

Giovani Bernard– Cincinnati Bengals’ Giovani Bernard currently splits time with BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but is taking a majority of the goal line snaps. Throughout the preseason Bernard had three rushing touchdowns, all near the goal line. He is currently listed as the second running back on the depth chart, but it is expected that he will split carries with Green-Ellis, and in the near future will take over the starting role.

Bernard is the 28^th ranked running back in this year’s draft and the third ranked rookie. He will get the overwhelming majority of goal line opportunities giving him significant fantasy value.

3 Players Being Over-Looked Over on Draft Day

The key to winning in fantasy football is drafting well after the first four rounds. After round 4, fantasy football championships are won by finding players who greatly exceed expectations. Both Alfred Morris and Russell Wilson greatly exceeded expectations during the 2012 season. Below are 3 players who are undervalued and could have big years for your team.

DeAndre Hopkins, Houston (ADP – 126)

Currently being drafted as the 45^th ranked fantasy wide receiver on average, DeAndre Hopkins is a highly touted rookie for the Houston Texans. A first round pick, Hopkins will line up next to Andre Johnson as the Texans’ No. 2 wideout.

Although Houston is a run-first team, Matt Schaub may finally have someone else to spread the ball around to with the addition of Hopkins. With unbelievable talent, Hopkins looks poised to outplay his draft-day value.

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay (ADP – 62)

Another highly touted rookie from the 2013 draft class is Eddie Lacy. He’s is in the perfect situation to succeed with the Packers this season.

After DuJuan Harris was placed on IR last week and the Packers cut Alex Green, Lacy now has the Packers’ backfield all to himself. Looking to put an emphasis back on the running game, the Packers should provide Lacy a heavy workload along with goal line work.

Currently being drafted as the 24^th running back on average, Lacy should easily crack the top-20 and has top-15 potential at the position.

TY Hilton, Indianapolis (ADP – 79)

TY Hilton showed incredible growth as the Colts’ No. 2 wide receiver at the end of last year, and it looks as though his success should continue. His chemistry with quarterback, Andrew Luck, is only improving and his skill set fits very well with offensive coordinator, Pep Hamilton’s, west coast offense.

Hilton has had a very impressive preseason and could breakout as one of the NFL’s premier deep threats.

Draft Zone: 9th Ranked Quarterback – Colts Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck is the 9th ranked quarterback in this year’s 2013 fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 62, he’s likely to be taken sometime in the fifth or sixth round of most fantasy drafts.

Luck had an unbelievable rookie season in 2012 throwing for a record-breaking 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns. With changes to last year’s offensive scheme, it’s a major question of whether or not Luck can repeat his incredible fantasy numbers.

Last season, the young QB relied heavily on deep throws down the field. Former coach Bruce Arians’ offense attempted more passes of 20 yards or more than any other offense in the NFL. This allowed Luck to rack up sky-high yardage numbers. In turn, this also forced him to throw a miserable 18 interceptions, and record a completion percentage of just 54.1%.

As new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton implements his offense in Indianapolis, the team will likely rely on a more efficient, short passing attack to march down the field. As a result of this, Luck’s numbers may change for both the better and the worse.

For one thing, it’s possible that there could be a considerable drop off in yards, due to many less attempts down the field. The team will still focus a great deal on passing, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Luck record around 4,000 yards again. However, his amazing 4,300 yards from last year may be just out of reach.

Luck’s fantasy value may not improve much from last season, but it also may not decrease either. All things considered, he’s definitely a startable quarterback option. If you draft him, just try and find a solid backup to take in the later rounds as a safety net, like Josh Freeman or Carson Palmer.

Colts T.Y. Hilton on Fast Track to a Starting Job

After the first week of preseason action, there is no one generating more buzz than Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver, T.Y. Hilton. Currently the team’s third wide receiver, Hilton is having a tremendous camp and seems poised to win the starting job over number two wideout, Darrius Heyward-Bey, after shining in the Colts’ first preseason game on Sunday.

Labeled as a “freak” by head coach Chuck Pagano, Hilton was just that against the Bills on Sunday afternoon. Hilton finished the game with 3 catches for 61 yards, including a 45 yard touchdown reception from Matt Hasselbeck. While his touchdown came from the Colts backup quarterback, Hilton’s growing relationship with starter Andrew Luck was on display as they hooked up for two quick passes as well.

This year, Hilton is looking to build on his successful rookie campaign where he brought in 50 receptions for 861 yards and 7 touchdowns even with limited action in the team’s first 8 games. Hilton especially shined during his last 7 games, posting more yards and touchdowns than any other Colts player including fantasy stud, Reggie Wayne.

With more time to understand the Colts’ offense and more time to establish chemistry with quarterback, Andrew Luck, Hilton seems ready to standout for the Colts in 2013. Hilton is currently going off draft boards as the 31^st ranked wide receiver with an ADP of 84, but his stock will rise if he can win a starting spot – which seems very likely at this point.

Hilton should be considered a WR3, but clearly has tremendous upside and top-15 fantasy potential at his position. A speedster with a penchant for the big play (13 catches of 20+ yards last season), Hilton can easily put up Mike Wallace-like numbers for the Colts this year, so don’t let T.Y. Hilton blow by you in fantasy drafts this year.