Fantasy Football RB: Week 2 RB Start Em/ Sit Em
It’s week 2 of the fantasy football season and you need to figure out who to start as your fantasy football RB this week. Luckily you’ve come to the right place.
START THESE RBs…
Rashad Jennings, NYG (vs. NO)
Word of advice? Start your running backs against the Saints. Ranked 31st against the run in 2015, they followed up that spectacular performance by giving up 167 yards on the ground in Week 1 against the Raiders. He got 18 carries in the season opener, and seems to have a lock on the job despite Shane Vereen getting a good amount of work. He won’t be good for you in PPR leagues, but he’s facing New Orleans in Week 2 and should see the red zone work against a soft defense.
C.J. Anderson, DEN (vs. IND)
Anderson faces a Colts defense that surrendered 46.90 fantasy points to backs in Week 1.
Anderson sure did look good in week 1 and anyone who thought it was risky to draft him early in the third round is really happy about it now. He went off in the season opener, scoring two touchdowns and 25.90 fantasy points in a win over the Panthers. He also saw 48 snaps compared to six for rookie
, so CJA looked like a true featured runner. This week, Anderson faces a Colts defense that surrendered 46.90 fantasy points to backs in Week 1.
LeGarrette Blount, NE (vs. MIA)
The Dolphins defensive line is in shambles heading into this game, which should mean the Patriots can lean on Blount, especially if they are playing with a lead in the fourth quarter, which is all but a certainty. Blount had a good start to the season last week at Arizona with 22 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. You never know how the Patriots will use their running backs, but it appears that Blount and James White (one carry for 4 yards and five catches for 40 yards at Arizona) are locked into their respective roles. And with Jimmy Garoppolo still starting for the suspended Tom Brady, we expect Blount to have a chance for a solid outing this week.
Jeremy Langford, CHI (vs. PHI)
Langford’s Week 1 performance was the definition of “meh”: 17 carries, 57 yards (3.4 YPC), two receptions on four targets, six receiving yards and a rushing touchdown to save his day. The important part, though, is that he was very obviously Chicago’s three-down back, playing on 96 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps and out-touching backup Ka’Deem Carey, 19-1. A similar workhorse-type number of touches against a much more favorable opponent (the Eagles allowed 84 rushing yards on 15 carries to Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson in Week 1) gives Langford RB1 upside in Week 2.
Next: SIT THESE RBs...
SIT THESE RBs…
Frank Gore, IND (@ DEN)
Gore carried the ball 14 times for 59 yards against a decent Lions’ defense in week one, but his task becomes much more difficult in week two. Gore, who is now 33, faces a Denver defense that limited Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart to just 64 yards on opening night. Denver’s run defense lost some key contributors in the off-season, but returns many from a unit that finished third against the run last season. Playing on the road in Denver is never an easy task, and the Broncos stout run defense makes Gore an unattractive option next week.
Ameer Abdullah, DET (vs. TEN)
Abdullah scored 18 fantasy points in week 1, but can he do it again? Probably not.
Abdullah was a pleasant surprise last week scoring 18 fantasy points in a win over the Colts. But can he do it in back to back weeks? Probably not because he’ll be facing a Titans defense that held Arian Peterson to 31 yards and a terrible 1.6 yards per attempt a week ago. This defense also allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to runners last season.
Jeremy Hill, CIN (@ PIT)
Hill struggled in week 1, rushing for only 31 yards on nine carries and his only saving grace was that he managed a goal-line touchdown. While Hill is a constant threat to score a touchdown every game, e’s also become dependent on end-zone visits to make a solid fantasy impact. This week he goes up against the Steelers, who have held him to an average of 6.7 fantasy points in four career meetings. Hill has also never scored a touchdown against them, making him tough to start.
Todd Gurley, STL (vs. SEA)
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In most leagues, sitting Todd Gurley just isn’t a realistic option. You likely drafted him in the first round, and you should always play your studs no matter what, but this is more of a way to say you should keep your expectations in check. While Gurley is an electrifying talent and can easily break a big one at any given moment, the offense around him is terrible.
Teams are going to continue to stack the box with Case Keenum and the Rams’ vanilla passing offense not serving as much of a threat, and against the 49ers in Week 1, that resulted in very little running room for Gurley, who had to work hard for 47 rushing yards on 2.8 YPC. In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, one of the best defenses in the NFL, Gurley will likely need a touchdown to provide a useful line in fantasy.