Fantasy Football 2014: Green Bay Packers RB Rundown
Since the days Brett Favre was slinging the ball around the frozen tundra, the Packers have been known as primarily a passing team. However, last year when Favre’s successor Aaron Rodgers when down with an injury the Pack showed they have the pieces in place to have an effective rushing attack as well.
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A lot of the value of the Packers RB’s is conjecture since how exactly the Packers will balance Rodgers aerial expertise with their running game still remains to be seen. There is definitely some potential, though, and the Packers offense should be among the best in the league at season’s end.
Whenever you can get a workhorse back in a great offense, you’re looking at a RB1 which is why whoever gets the handoffs in Green Bay will be a fantasy factor. As we continue our RB rundowns, we’ll focus on the Packers backs from a fantasy perspective. The ranking listed next to the player is based on my overall RB rankings which should give you a good idea of where I think they should fit on your roster.
There’s little doubt that Lacy was the best rookie rusher last season as he carried the Packers who were without Aaron Rodgers for a significant part of last season. He was considered “too big” by some last season but dispelled those fears rushing for 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 35 catches for another 257 yards. The only concern about Lacy is that he did have a concussion early in the season and missed parts of games later with a few minor injuries. He has upside to join the elite rushers this year and is worth making your RB1 if you can’t get the top three. I see him and Matt Forte are fringe elites with upside while Marshawn Lynch is a safer pick from the second tier although he doesn’t have quite the high ceiling of Lacy. The key to going to that elite level will be how he is utilized with Aaron Rodgers back under center especially around the goal line.. RB. Green Bay Packers. Eddie Lacy. 6. player. 49
Green Bay Packers. James Starks. 56. player. 49. Starks showed he can contribute when given the opportunity last season with a few nice games when Eddie Lacy was limited or sidelined. Starks is a great handcuff for Lacy owners, but he also gets touches each week as part of the rotation, so he could be a flex option when we hit bye weeks in deeper leagues as well. He’s not one of the top backups or rotation guys, but is the second tier of non-starters making him a RB6 in most ten team formats.. RB
Green Bay Packers. DuJuan Harris. NR. player. 49. Coming off a knee injury, Harris is the third back behind Lacy and Starks. He could get some reps this season if injury strikes either of those options, but he isn’t someone you need to target in drafts to start the season.. RB
This post is part of a series detailing the backfield situation for each NFL team from a fantasy football perspective. Check out my top 80 rankings and click here for the full series.