RADIO
It's no secret that the running back position has been a roller coaster ride thus far. That shouldn't even come as a real surprise anymore as it seems like we go through this every year between highly valued backs falling off and fresh faces breaking out.
Taking that idea one step further, it also feels like we've discussed virtually top tier rusher so far. That means we'll have to dive even further down the list to look at some players that should have been dependable second fiddles for fantasy teams but simply aren't producing.
You'll also likely notice that the "Updates From Last Week" section is a bit meatier than usual given how wonky things have been as of late. Hopefully that's somewhat of an anomaly but nevertheless, let's keep on rolling with this week's running backs.
Running Backs Sending Out Warning Signals
Eddie Lacy – RB, GB
Here's a name that kind of ended up on this list out of nowhere. Unless you're an Eddie Lacy owner with a losing record, he's basically been flying under the radar as a disappointing running back this year. I surprised myself when I started looking at some names this week and realized that not only is Lacy just 25th in rushing yards this year, but he also has just one rushing touchdown. That puts him tied for 38th in fantasy scoring among running backs, tied with Lamar Miller. So, strangely, here we are heading into Week 7 finally talking about Lacy's lack of production.
The most head-scratching part about Lacy landing on this week's Warning Signals is the fact that it's right after a game in which head coach Mike McCarthy stated he was "banged up." That'd be fine if it weren't for the fact that Lacy wasn't listed on the injury report. The Packers gave James Starks the start out of the backfield, and health aside, Starks looked like the better runner on Sunday. That's a huge problem someone who was presumed to be at full strength, especially for a guy that was drafted so highly.
Sunday's game essentially makes James Starks this week's top waiver add of the week, even with Green Bay heading into a bye. As it pertains to Lacy, his lack of production and the breakout performance from Starks is enough for me to view this as a potential timeshare. I wouldn't fully bail on Lacy just yet so you should still start him if you own him. Just monitor this situation accordingly as the two backs move forward. Lastly, some might view Lacy as a perfect buy-low candidate but honestly, with the Packers now saying they're going to ride the "hot hand" approach at the position, I think that'd be far too bold of a move to make. We're going to have to wait this one out a bit.
Alfred Morris – RB, WAS
Typically I would address a situation like this by listing the entire team's backfield but the problem with that approach is the fact that Matt Jones didn't even play this week. Alfred Morris should have had a solid game even against the New York Jets given that he'd be the primary back with Jones out. 11 rushes for 21 yards just isn't going to get it done as an RB2, especially considering the circumstances.
We're looking at a rare one-and-done analysis of a running back here as I honestly believe you can safely drop Alfred Morris without any major repercussions. He's yet to score a touchdown so far this season and outside of a big Week 1 with 121 yards, he hasn't even been all that dependable in terms of overall production. Besides, Matt Jones has actually looked like the more productive back when healthy anyway. At best, this is a timeshare when all guys are back to full strength. If I'm going to pick one Washington back to own it's Matt Jones given the upside. Sorry Alfred, it's been real, but your run as a dependable RB2 is officially over.
Carlos Hyde – RB, SF
I know we talked about Carlos Hyde once before so I apologize for the somewhat wishy-washy stance on the guy. The fact is, he's been so inconsistent this year that analyzing a player of his caliber is extremely different. Now, that's no excuse for not taking a hard stance on him going forward so here it is; you can forget about Carlos Hyde's dominant Week 1 outing and pencil him in as a low-end RB2 for the year. He simply hasn't been consistent enough to rely on as anything more than that as evidenced by him following up his great game in Week 5 with another clunker on Sunday.
I also understand the mindset that with so many backs off to worse starts than Hyde that it may be difficult to bench him. I'm by no means saying you should take him out of your lineup, just that he's turned into this polarizing player who people either view as top-10 potential or a flash in the pan. The reality is that he's neither. He's somewhere in the middle of those two viewpoints in that he'll have some other big outings at some point down the line while also stumbling around for some clunkers. That's OK for your RB2 as long as you aren't depending on him for more than that.
Updates From Last Week
Like I said earlier, this section is deeper than usual so here it goes...
Jeremy Hill – RB, CIN
This will be the last time I mention Jeremy Hill in this list, especially since I've already owned up and admitted I was wrong about him in last week's piece. Hill received the bulk of the work out of the Cincinnati backfield on Sunday so I still think he's the back you'd rather own. Again, this is going to remain a timeshare between him and Giovani Bernard with Hill having the edge. As long as you understand that as it pertains to both guys we're good to let this discussion be for the rest of the season.
C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman – RBs, DEN
Last week I had mentioned that the excellent matchup against a shoddy Cleveland run defense would be the perfect opportunity for Ronnie Hillman to outperform C.J. Anderson and that's exactly what happened. Hillman finished with 20 rushes for 111 yards as compared to Anderson's outing of 13 for 41. That's all I needed to see to officially rank Hillman ahead of Anderson for the rest of the year although I'd like to see Hillman string together a few solid weeks before calling him an automatic every week starter. The Browns are in fact terrible against the run so perhaps this is a one week wonder but either way, Anderson's days as a starter are now over so I can't even argue with you if you wanted to drop him entirely.
Melvin Gordon – RB, SD
I don't really having anything new to say about Melvin Gordon aside from mentioning that he was benched due to fumbling issues. That makes Branden Oliver an interesting speculative add going forward in the event that this team turns into a split backfield between the two. Chances are if you drafted Melvin Gordon as your RB2 you spent a pretty penny on him so I'm sure it's hard for you to bench him barring a hot pickup on the waiver wire. For me, I'll take my chances on someone else as my starter. I don't think there's any way you can drop Gordon, however. He's still worth hanging onto since the only other key player in this backfield, Danny Woodhead, is primarily used as a pass-catching back. Who knows, maybe Gordon will turn it around in the second half of the year but until that happens, he's not worth anything more than a bench stash at this point.
Lamar Miller – RB, MIA
The Dolphins were on a bye in Week 5 so Week 6 gave the Dolphins some extra time to adjust to the coaching change. The team had come out and said they would like to re-emphasize the ground game and that's exactly what they did. After seeing Lamar Miller go off for 113 yards and a touchdown, I think he's right back in the top-12 fantasy running back discussion. I'm a firm believer that this coaching change has replenished his fantasy value so breathe easy if you own Lamar Miller.
The Entire Detroit Lions Backfield – RBs, DET
This doesn't appear to be getting better any time soon folks so you can safely drop any and all Detroit running backs. If you're in a deeper league in need of a Hail Mary at the position, Ameer Abdullah is still the guy I prefer but in a 10 or 12-team league I can't imagine you have enough roster spots to consider holding onto him much longer.
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