Image courtesy of Erik Drost.
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With Week 1 behind us, we do know a few things as far as running backs go in daily fantasy sports.
For one, you can’t always depend on a high-end option like Jamaal Charles to be a stud week after week. In addition, if you do your research, you can be rewarded for choosing a player like Mark Ingram or Rashad Jennings, who had cheaper price tags, but still gave strong performances.
Let’s take a look at my picks for running backs that will help you get in the money this week in your daily fantasy leagues. As always, the dollar amounts shown are courtesy of the good folks at FanDuel.
Matt Forte ($8,900), RB Chicago Bears at San Francisco
I loved how involved Matt Forte was in the passing game on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, which makes him all the more valuable in daily fantasy leagues everywhere. Forte led the Bears in receiving yards (87) and was tied for the team lead in receptions (eight) with Brandon Marshall. In addition to the receiving, he also ran for 67 yards on 17 carries. As I mentioned in my last article regarding Jay Cutler, everyone will most likely be staying away from any Chicago Bears’ player this week due to a “tough” matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. I still think that San Francisco’s defense is more average than extraordinary, so look for Forte to have a nice night. Forte is a great play in H2H and 50/50 leagues, as well as in GPP tournaments.
Monee Ball ($8,100), RB Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City
If you aren’t on the Montee Ball Bandwagon, you better get on it before it leaves town. Despite Peyton Manning attempting 36 passes in Sunday’s win against the Colts, Ball still got 23 rushing attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown. He also caught both of his targets in the passing game for 16 yards. A couple things to consider about Ball and his matchup with the Chiefs:
- He’s going to get carries no matter what. A lot of speculation was made on if Ball was healthy enough and if he would lose carries to C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman. The strong nature of Ball’s running and the fact that Hillman (inactive) and Anderson (four carries for 27 yards) weren’t that relevant in the running game should answer both of those questions.
- Kansas City just lost their anchor MLB Derrick Johnson to a season-ending Achilles injury. Ball might find a little bit more room once he gets to the second level this week.
Ball is a great play in GPP tournaments this week because of his upside. I’m staying away from him for one more week in H2H and 50/50 leagues, however, but one more great performance will have me attempting to get him in as many lineups as possible.
Shane Vereen ($6,800) RB New England Patriots at Minnesota
Vereen had a decent day in New England’s Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins, recording 36 rushing yards on seven carries with a touchdown and five receptions on eight targets for 35 yards in the passing game. Vereen will likely be owned in a ton of leagues again this week because his price tag is still very generous, so I am going to continue to use him as much as I can. The Vikings’ heroic defensive effort against the St. Louis Rams last week was simply because they were facing the Rams. Tom Brady will find a way to get Vereen the ball, and he should be a top-15 play this week. Go ahead and play him in any H2H or 50/50 league, but beware of his frequency in GPP tournaments.
Terrance West ($5,300), RB Cleveland Browns vs. New Orleans
West strongly benefited from Ben Tate going down with an injured knee during Sunday’s contest with the Pittsburgh Steelers, going for 100 yards on 16 carries. However, he saw fellow running back Isiah Crowell score two touchdowns on three of his carries. Continue to monitor Tate’s status this week, and even if he is less than 100%, go ahead and feel free to take a chance on West in a GPP league or two. He should see a lot more work, and is a strong candidate to grab his first touchdown of the season against the Saints. New Orleans allowed 108 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown to a committee of backs in Atlanta in Week 1.
Who are you guys looking to put at your running back spots in Week 2? Connect with me on Twitter and let me know!
Categories: Daily Fantasy Football, Fantasy Football
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