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DFS advice: Week 2 start/sit

By Matthew Catalano

DFS Advice:: KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 20: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins #14 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a fourth quarter pass for 38 yards against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 20, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
DFS Advice:: KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 20: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins #14 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a fourth quarter pass for 38 yards against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 20, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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DFS Advice
DFS Advice: CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 08: Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (98) attempts to tackle Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) during the second quarter of the National Football League game between the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns on September 8, 2019, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH.(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

DFS Advice: Running Backs to Start

Austin Ekeler (LAC) @ DET

Well, Austin Ekeler was able to prove that he can be a useful handcuff to starter Melvin Gordon. In Week 1 against the Colts, Ekeler rushed 12 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he caught six out of seven passes for 96 yards and two additional touchdowns.

He ended up finishing Week 1 off as RB1 giving a significant increase to his fantasy stock. The Lions weren’t all too stingy on the run as they allowed the ninth-most rushing yards to running backs in 2018.

They also were in the upper-half in terms of fantasy points allowed to backs during Week 1 this year (20.2). With Gordon not returning to Los Angeles’ starting lineup anytime soon, Ekeler appears to be this year’s version of James Conner. He’s a must-start candidate in all formats for the foreseeable future.

Mark Ingram (BAL) vs. ARI

Ingram had a solid afternoon against the Dolphins this past Sunday, rushing just 14 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns. His rushing attempts weren’t that high because of Lamar Jackson’s crazy passing day, but Ingram’s rushing efficiency was incredible as he averaged 7.6 yards per carry.

While it is encouraging to see Lamar Jackson throw the ball well, I don’t expect to see that kind of ridiculous production every week. Expect to see the Ravens feed Ingram a little more this week, especially since the Cardinals ranked first for most rushing yards (136.4/game) and fantasy points allowed (25.7) to opposing backfields last year.

Derrick Henry (TEN) vs. IND

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of Derrick Henry but I couldn’t help but ignore his production against a much improved Cleveland run defense. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry on the ground and scored two total touchdowns as the Titans smothered the Browns in Week 1.

His crowning moment of the afternoon was when he scored a 75-yard receiving touchdown to give the Titans a 22-13 lead over the Browns in the third quarter. Henry wound up as RB3 for the week and is a strong candidate to perform well once again against a division rival in the Indianapolis Colts.

The last time Henry played the Colts was in late December, where he averaged 5.8 yards per carry, capping off a phenomenal final month of the regular season as he rushed for 625 yards and eight touchdowns. I wouldn’t be shocked if he has another strong performance on Sunday during Tennessee’s home-opener.

Honorable Mentions: Any New England running backs @ Miami, Chris Thompson vs. Dallas