Fansided

Fantasy Football: Who Will Be The Lead Running Back For The Chargers?

By Bruce Matson

facebooktwitterreddit

Dec 22, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Matthews (24) carries the ball against the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 26-13.Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency is going to be upon us soon and there are going to be a lot of changes at running back in the AFC. We are going to break down the running back situation for every team in the AFC, so you will have an idea what to look forward to when free agency starts up in a few weeks. This will be helpful in fantasy because you will know the most valuable situations before rosters start changing at running back for a lot of teams. This will help you be ahead of the curve in your fantasy league.

Buffalo Bills

C.J. Spiller will be a free agent this off-season and Fred Jackson will be 33 years old and may not be a part of this team next year either. Rex Ryan is the new head coach for the Bills, and what he wants to do is build a tough defense and pound the ball down the opposition’s throat. Buffalo is going to be a hot destination for a running back this off-season. I can see them drafting a back early or spending good money on a back in free agency.

Miami Dolphins

Lamar Miller is going to be the lead back for the Dolphins next year. I doubt they resign Knowshon Moreno, so they might look for a RB to back up Miller. I can’t see them investing too much more at the RB position because they have needs on the offensive line they need to address and possibly at wide receiver. If they bring in another back it would be a cheaper free agent or a late round running back in the draft.

New England Patriots

Both Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen will be gone next year due to free agency. New England is a hard team to predict when it comes to the running back position because they treat the position differently every week. They have a history of not investing much in the backfield, so I expect them to continue this trend. They drafted James White last year in the 4th round, so I expect him to get a shot at Vereen’s role. I can see them drafting a back in the middle of the draft this year because of the draft being loaded at the position. We all know that Bill Belichick loves finding a deal, and this year is a good year for him to find one at running back in the draft.

New York Jets

Chris Johnson is going to be gone this year and that’s going to leave Chris Ivory as the main back on the team. The Jets are going to be in the market for a running back because Ivory isn’t going to be able to handle a full load for an entire season. The Jets are going to be active this off-season trying to find their running back for the future. I could see C.J. Spiller going to the Jets to reunite with Coach Chan Gailey, who is the offensive coordinator for the Jets. Spiller had his break-out season under Chan Gailey and this could be good for him since Gailey knows how to utilize him.

Next: Let's Look At The AFC West

Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson (22) after their loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Colts won 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have a cabinet full of talented running backs who are capable of being fantasy relevant. C.J. Anderson emerged at the end of the season as the lead back for the team. Ronnie Hillman flashed as the lead back in the middle of the season before he got injured and lost his job to Anderson. Montee Ball was supposed to be the one of the best backs in the league last year, but it didn’t pan out. Ball isn’t a great back, but he’s good enough to get the job done. The Broncos have a lot of backs on their roster, and I doubt they make any splashes in free agency or in the draft for one.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have one of the best running backs in the league in Jamaal Charles, and he has a very impressive backup in Knile Davis. The Chiefs are stacked at the running back position, and if they decided to get another RB it would be a cheap free agent or late round draft pick to compete for the 3rd RB spot or the practice squad. I don’t expect much change with the Chiefs’ running backs.

Oakland Raiders

Latavius Murray is going to be the lead back for the Raiders going into the 2015 season. He is a big physical back who is very fast and explosive. Darren McFadden will be setting sail to test the free agent waters this offseason, which will create a void in their RB corps. The Raiders will be in the market for a running back, but they are in the market for almost every position, so it’s hard to predict how much they are willing to spend on another running back.

San Diego Chargers

This is going to be a running back situation that you are going to need to monitor this offseason. Ryan Mathews is going to be hitting free agency, and it’s going to leave a crew of misfits at running back with Branden Oliver, Donald Brown, and Danny Woodhead. The Chargers are going to be getting a running back this offseason and they might go after one of the top free agents or draft one early in the draft this year. I can see them drafting a back in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Next: Let's Look At The AFC North

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) runs against Indianapolis Colts strong safety Mike Adams (29) in the first quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens

Justin Forsett is going to be a free agent, but I can see them resigning him back onto the team since he did very well last season. With that being said, I can see them drafting a back to bolster their backfield. They are prime candidates to draft a back early because they are in need of a young talented back to develop for the future.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have two very solid backs in Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill, and the odds of them going after a back in the offseason is slim to none.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns are in a similar situation to the Bengals. They have two young talented back in Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. It is highly unlikely that they spend much on the running back position. They may buy a cheap free agent to compete for the RB 3 role on the team.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Le’Veon Bell is going to be the bell cow back for the Steelers for a long time. The Steelers might invest in a quality back up for him since they don’t have much talent behind him. They drafted Dri Archer last year, but he’s a small specialty back who is only used in certain situations.

Next: And Now For The AFC South

Dec 28, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Bishop Sankey (20) rushes against Indianapolis Colts strong safety Mike Adams (29) during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans

Arian Foster is getting older and more worn down. The Texans spent a mid-round pick on Alfred Blue, but he’s not capable of handling a full workload and he’s more of a plodder. Running back isn’t a pressing need for the Texans, but there’s a good chance that they could invest in a running back to prepare for life without Foster.

Indianapolis Colts

This is one of the juiciest spots for a running back to go to this offseason. Trent Richardson was a bust for them and might not be part of the team next season. Indy is in desperate need for a running back and they may invest in free agency and the draft. Running backs with the Colts are asked to catch a lot of passes, which is great for PPR leagues. Also, it doesn’t hurt to play with one of the best QBs in the league in Andrew Luck.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville has a lot of cap room, so they will have money to spend in the offseason for a running back if they want to. They could be in the market to sign DeMarco Murray because they have the funds to pay for him. I can also see them drafting a back as well, because the best back on their roster currently it Toby Gerhart and he is not the ideal candidate to be a lead back in the NFL.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans drafted Bishop Sankey in the 2nd round in last year’s draft, and he is expected to be the lead back for the team in 2015. Shonn Greene will compete with Sankey for the lead running back job, so he’s the experienced veteran on the team. The dark horse is Lache Seastrunk who was on the practice squad during the latter half of last season. He was considered one of the most talented runners in the draft last year, but had trouble sticking with a team due to having pass blocking and receiving issues. The Titans have a lot of things to fix on their team, so they might just roll with what they have at running back, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they bring in a bigger back for goal line work.

Need help with a trade for your fantasy team? Ask me on Twitter @bmatz08 and I will help you with your team.

Next: Where Will DeMarco Murray Sign?

More from FanSided

Home/Fantasy Football