Lacy Responds

When criticizing Marshawn Lynch in last week’s edition for sliding by the “Fantasy Bust” moniker this season, I ended my rant by mentioning that “Fat” Eddie Lacy – a nickname popularized by former ESPN personality, Bill Simmons ­– was next on my hit list if he kept underperforming. Well, it seems that Mr. Lacy must be a reader of the Running Back Workload, as he directly responded to my criticisms with a breakout performance on the field for the first time basically all season long.

While Lacy still may be fat, carrying what looks to be an extra 50 or so pounds from the offseason, on Sunday against the Vikings, he appeared to be more Jerome Bettis fat than Mike Tolbert fat. What I mean by that is that he was incredibly light on his feet, yet still packed a punch at the point of attack, while showcasing the top-notch vision that got him drafted in the first place. Most importantly, Lacy finally looked healthy for the first time all season long, showing a burst with multiple gears through the hole and well into the second level.

Now, while it may seem like Lacy should be a good fantasy option going forward for the rest of the season, he might not be for Week 12. Lacy just got fully healthy, and now, when he needs his rest the most, the Packers are facing a quick turnaround against the Bears on Thanksgiving. His body might not respond well to the too few days of rest, thus making a struggle on Thursday nothing to be surprised about. On the other hand, the Bears do boast a pretty weak rush defense, and with Lacy and the Packers coming off a strong momentum win on the road, they might be able to build off of it in a prime time game with emotional connections at home, as Bart Starr and Brett Favre will be there to retire Favre’s number. Consider Lacy a must own going forward, with mysterious value for Week 12.

Top Pickup Options

Week 11 was a week of depth chart power moves in terms of league-wide backfield storylines. Three instances in particular – amongst others – evolved directly due to injury, making a handful of backs legitimate fantasy options down the stretch of this fantasy football season.

Lynch Pinned:

As mentioned in last week’s edition of the Running Back Workload, Marshawn Lynch has been a certified fantasy bust this season, while dealing with a myriad of injures. Just a few days ago, it was revealed that he has been suffering from a sports hernia, and needed to operate on the injury. This should sideline him for at least a month, but most likely will end his season, opening the door for undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls

Rawls has proven time and again this season that when given the opportunities, he will succeed. Just this past Sunday, Rawls carried the rock 30 times and racked up 209 rushing yards and a touchdown, while catching three passes for 46 yards and another touchdown. This season, when given double-digit carries, Rawls has averaged 18 fantasy points per game in standard leagues alone. This guy can ball, and dare I say he will be an upgrade over an injured “Beast Mode” that we saw all season long? I will, and will even take it a step further to say that his presence will transform a struggling Seattle offense going forward.

West Be-Ware:

Just a week ago, Charcandrick West was on top of the fantasy world, receiving “must add” billings from all over, with myself included, as I even anointed him a member of my Nostra-DOM-us club. My how things can change quickly, as the back who totaled 27 fantasy points in Week 11, was horrendous in Week 12 racking up just 16 rushing yards on 11 carries before pulling a hammy early in the second quarter.

As they say in the business “the show must go on,” as coach Andy Reid had his players ready for the next man up approach. Enter Spencer Ware, third year man out of LSU, who prior to Sunday had been labeled a bust for most of his career. In relief of West, Ware asserted himself on a weak San Diego defense for 96 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. At 230 pounds, Ware is a load of a back, offering a very appealing skillset to fantasy owners interested plus touchdown potential. It is unclear how healthy West will be for Week 12 and beyond, so fantasy owners should assume that the job is Ware’s to lose going forward.

 

Worth More Than a Buck:

With the news of Justin Forsett going down with a broken arm this past Sunday, Javorius “Buck” Allen instantly becomes a fantasy option worth paying for. Allen, a first-year player out of USC, is basically all the Ravens have left at this point in terms of capable offensive weapons. They not only lost Forsett on Sunday, but also lost Joe Flacco to a torn ACL, and have zero go-to weapons at the skill positions for the rest of the way this season. Considering all of this, expect the Ravens to rely heavily upon the rookie back for the remainder of the year, albeit at a last place level, but it is hard to deny that type of workload in any fantasy format.

 

 

 

Nostra-DOM-us

Well, the Nostra-DOM-us dropped to 3-5-1 after last week’s debacle, but in my defense, who could have predicted an injury to Charcandrick West, and dumb decision making by the Raiders, who were comfortable taking a 6’3” 230 lbs Latavius Murray out of goal line situations against a defense in the Lions that hemorrhages short-yardage touchdowns like a ruptured blood vessel.

Anyway, moving on, as this week, I foresee another fantasy mismatch that cannot be ignored…

In Week 12, the Jaguars are taking on the San Diego Chargers, an aforementioned defense that struggles against the run, allowing 4.9 yards per rush to opposing running backs. T.J. Yeldon, a rookie running back out of Alabama, seems ready to have a breakout performance, as he has been battle tested all season long. He has only faced one defense outside of the top-16 in terms of yards per carry allowed, when he took on the Miami Dolphins way back in Week 2 and totaled 70 rushing yards. Other than that, he has faced all teams that are relatively stout in the front seven, including two in the top-5 and three in the top-10.

Against these opponents, his yards per carry average hasn’t been top notch, however he has produced in terms of total yardage in both rushing and receiving. On Sunday, facing the Chargers, who are tied for last allowing 4.9 yards per carry, Yeldon should be poised for a good fantasy day. Expect him and his momentum building offensive line to keep the rhythm going, while Blake Bortles should feature Yeldon in the check down passing game as well, as the Chargers are pretty stingy against the pass. I’m calling for around 20 carries, 85 yards, and a touchdown, with four catches for 45 yards along with it.