Hey everybody, it’s your favorite WR Start Sit Guru filling in this week for your RB start sit advice, and let me tell you, there’s a ton of stuff to sift through.
To make it easier I will get a couple of easy things out of the way, so we can further focus on the nitty-gritty.
- Darren McFadden did return to practice this week but hamstring injuries are tricky, and with two backs in Oakland, a RBBC is probably the most likely situation which means each player’s fantasy value will drop just a bit.
- The more obvious piece of advice you DO NOT need me to tell is; Start Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson, and Frank Gore.
- Ryan Mathews was held out of practice and coach Norv Turner wants a full day of practice out of him before committing to him fully…really Norv, just one day? This makes Mike Tolbert a great start against the Rams.
- And finally, Pierre Thomas is still not back on the field, but that doesn’t mean Chris Ivory deserves the start against that Tampa defense.
Ok, let’s take a look at the Fab Five Featured Backs, and the not so Fab Five in this week’s RB Start Sit.
| Start ‘Em |
| LaDainian Tomlinson –Jets: L.T. tops my list this week against the 25th ranked run D of the Denver Broncos, but more so, because L.T. has been on fire since opening day. No matter who he faces, he is an every format dream at RB, and probably the best starting RB of the week outside of Chris Johnson against the Jags. |
| Rashard Mendenhall – Steelers: The Browns couldn’t stop a geriatric marathon runner on crutches, and to think that they are going to even put a dent into Mendenhall’s production this week is simply absurd. Start Mendenhall, and enjoy. |
| Michael Turner – Falcons: The Eagles aren’t very good at stopping the ground game either, and will probably be more focused on stopping WR Roddy White, which will open a ton of lanes both up front, and in the second level. He’s a quality RB1 this week. |
| Ray Rice – Ravens: That youthful New England defense—particularly the middle layer—is going to have all sorts of trouble not only trying to figure out WHEN the Ravens will run him, but also when they try to stop him from getting in the endzone. He led all RBs last week in touches…a growing trend that should continue in Week 6. |
| Ahmad Bradshaw – Giants: Bradshaw was NOT listed on the Giants pre-practice injury report which is a good sign that the ankle injury has subsided. It’s really hard to pass up a matchup against the bumbling Lions run D that ranks right below Denver at 26. |
Other Tasty Matchups That Didn’t make The Top Five:
- Arian Foster continues to be a focal point in the Texans offense, and leads the NFL in rushing yards with a 77 yard margin and could have a good day, even against that Chiefs front four.
- Believe it or not, the Dolphins are having some slight issues stopping the run, and ya gotta expect they won’t be focused on Brandon Jackson as much as they will be on that potent passing game, making Jackson a tasty start.
- Steven Jackson will start against San Diego—a normally good run D team—but this is Steven freaking Jackson we’re talking about. He’ll probably see 25 to 30 touches, and is a solid start, even against that potent Chargers run D that did cough up 104 rushing yards on 26 touches and a single score with 31 yard receiving to Michael Bush a week ago.
| Sit ‘Em |
| Ricky Williams – Dolphins: The Packers may be banged up on D, but that didn’t stop them from shutting down Redskins RB Ryan Torain, and Williams is in line for a very lack luster day against the Pack in Green Bay. |
| LeSean McCoy – Eagles: If it is one thing the Falcons do well, it’s shutting down opposing RBs and the big bandwagon thing to do is jump on McCoy’s train after two exciting weeks. Make sure his train is the one you DON’T board. Sit McCoy this week. |
| Matt Forte – Bears: There hasn’t been anyone who has ran successfully against that stout Seahawks run D—they have yet to give up more than 73 yards on the ground and that’s WITH facing Steven Jackson, Mike Tolbert and Knowshon Moreno— so don’t expect Forte to be the first guy to do it. Sit him. |
| Peyton Hillis – Browns: Hillis was held out of practice today in light of that nagging hammy, and he really hasn’t faced a run defense like the one the Steelers have. He just doesn’t have a good matchup this week. |
| Thomas Jones – Chiefs: Elsewhere around the web, I have been fielding a lot of questions regarding Jones this week, and while the RBBC in Kansas City has kinda-sort of worked out; this week’s matchup against the Texans run defense will spell disaster for Jones. The Texans can’t stop the passing game to save their lives, but they can surely shut down opposing runners. This also makes fellow RB Jamaal Charles a risky start as well. |
Editor’s Quick Note: If you haven’t yet heard, the Eagles traded RB Mike Bell to the Cleveland Browns for RB Jerome Harrison. Now before you go out and try to grab either back, remember one very important thing:
Neither will become an immediate fantasy option.
Harrison will have to hope that LeSean McCoy has a serious injury to even see quality playing time, and Mike Bell will have the same wishes being behind Peyton Hillis.
If you are thinking of grabbing either one of these guys, don’t waste your WW spot this week. It isn’t worth it.
Hope this helps guys, and if you have a specific question, either leave it below, or in our Forum.
Good Luck this week!
