Some RB thoughts this Wednesday morning. As expected, Knile Davis was a bust in Green Bay. So where does that leave the Packers? Surprisingly, James Starks could be a good RB2/3 fill-in for the stretch run (especially Week 15 against the Bears). He knows the offense and, despite playing terribly this season, will be the team’s most talented RB when he gets healthy. Available in 87% of ESPN leagues, Starks is a nothing-to-lose stash if you have the space.
Jamaal Charles was placed on injured reserve season. I was very vocal this summer on why Charles would be a bust. At his age, with his mileage, returning from a serious injury while two highly competent backups are ready to contribute . . . We could see this coming. Spencer Ware—one of my preseason bold predictions—has been even better than I expected. But we simply don’t know if he’ll be ready to play Sunday against Jacksonville. Chardandrick West should dominate touches if forced to start.
Carlos Hyde’s return this week is looking more promising, sending Shaun Draughn and Mike Davis back to the waiver heap. While coming in below 4.0 YPC, he’s getting enough goal-line looks to push for RB1 production.
Have you traded Doug Martin yet? His disastrous season shows no signs of turning around. I’ve been urging readers to trade him for a while. Even if he returns this season, Antone Smith and/or Peyton Barber could stake a claim to a timeshare.
Speaking of which, on yesterday’s Fantasy Winners & Whiners podcast I talked about how some injured players—and most commonly RBs—don’t keep their starting job when they get healthy: http://www.wralsportsfan.com/nfl/audio/16184041/. Jeremy Langford and Arian Foster are two of many examples. So if your starter goes down, sometimes that’s actually the best time to trade him.
In the big picture, at times it makes sense to hold onto a player. Mostly it depends on how well his replacement is playing. Dak Prescott isn’t going anywhere, regardless of Tony Romo’s availability. On the other hand, Landry Jones will take a seat when Big Ben returns. We can free up valuable bench space when we can anticipate which injured guys are at risk of dropping on the depth chart even after they return.
Jamaal Charles was placed on injured reserve season. I was very vocal this summer on why Charles would be a bust. At his age, with his mileage, returning from a serious injury while two highly competent backups are ready to contribute . . . We could see this coming. Spencer Ware—one of my preseason bold predictions—has been even better than I expected. But we simply don’t know if he’ll be ready to play Sunday against Jacksonville. Chardandrick West should dominate touches if forced to start.
Carlos Hyde’s return this week is looking more promising, sending Shaun Draughn and Mike Davis back to the waiver heap. While coming in below 4.0 YPC, he’s getting enough goal-line looks to push for RB1 production.
Have you traded Doug Martin yet? His disastrous season shows no signs of turning around. I’ve been urging readers to trade him for a while. Even if he returns this season, Antone Smith and/or Peyton Barber could stake a claim to a timeshare.
Speaking of which, on yesterday’s Fantasy Winners & Whiners podcast I talked about how some injured players—and most commonly RBs—don’t keep their starting job when they get healthy: http://www.wralsportsfan.com/nfl/audio/16184041/. Jeremy Langford and Arian Foster are two of many examples. So if your starter goes down, sometimes that’s actually the best time to trade him.
In the big picture, at times it makes sense to hold onto a player. Mostly it depends on how well his replacement is playing. Dak Prescott isn’t going anywhere, regardless of Tony Romo’s availability. On the other hand, Landry Jones will take a seat when Big Ben returns. We can free up valuable bench space when we can anticipate which injured guys are at risk of dropping on the depth chart even after they return.