Tough Year For The Running Backs

[CanDB]

What a bad start for a number of the feature running backs in the NFL. Jamaal Charles is done, which means KC is more than done.....so is my fantasy team as a result! Lynch has been a sideliner, and not sure the extent of his injury. Lacy has not been healthy. McCoy is out. So too is his backup. Hard to know what Murray will do going forward.....inauspicious start this year. CJ looks like a different person so far. Hill had a good game last week, but he's not playing the way we expect. Coleman went down, only to see Freeman get a new lease on life.

There are more.

Just a tough start to a season for the top tier RBs.

[Houshmazode]

Andre Ellington had been hurt too but that's nothing new.

[CanDB]

Andre Ellington had been hurt too but that's nothing new.

No no.....I should have included him. I guess the list was getting too long for me! Not to mention, Bell was in the sin bin for the first 2 games.

[Houshmazode]

Yea, nice that Bell is back. It's weird, seems like the era of feature backs is over.

[Scheyjosh]

I picked up Forte in fantasy =) and I have Ivory, L. Murray, Dion Lewis, Karlos Williams, and Alfred Williams. Happy so far!

[CanDB]

I picked up Forte in fantasy =) and I have Ivory, L. Murray, Dion Lewis, Karlos Williams, and Alfred Williams. Happy so far!

In this short season, on one fantasy team I've had Jamaal Charles, Mark Ingram, Melvin Gordon, Dante Freeman, Dion Lewis, Karlos Williams and Matt Jones. If only I could have kept them all!!

[baphamet]

Yea, nice that Bell is back. It's weird, seems like the era of feature backs is over.

yes and i feel that will hinder many backs because some need more carries before they can get going.

[fallforward3y+]

yes and i feel that will hinder many backs because some need more carries before they can get going.

It's possible, it may start to be a key still to be able to do well without needing a lot of carries to get going to be successful as a RB in the NFL. RB Rotations work very well, and it can take away the need for a 'feature back' to have a good run game.

Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson both have had 2,000 yards, and I believe neither of their teams were 1st in rushing in the years they did. In 2005, the Broncos rushed for more yards than they ever did with Terell Davis.

I have been an advocate of RB rotations for years, because they seem to be successful. There are benefits to them.

1-Less injuries-less carries means less wear and tear, and possibly longer careers.
2-Fresh legs-RBs in for less time are fresher, this could be especially helpful with elusive runners, and/or fast ones. It may be tough for a defense to catch them in open field or chase them down if they are fresh and the defense is tired.
3-Specialist backs-RBs who are great at a particular thing, find a way for them to be able to get situations where they will likely excel. Dion Lewis does his craft better perhaps than any 'every down' backs, for instance. Great at finding space for 'yards while being tackled' by making it difficult for defenders to get clean shots on him, even in tight windows. Also great as a screen pass back, good at getting open to find good space to run after screens, and make guys miss. He probably won't be great as an every down back, but he can be great in small bursts.

We will probably still see a '#1 back', however if teams start to do great with back rotations, we may not see a whole lot of teams with a feature back getting the bulk of the carries.

[fallforward3y+]

In this short season, on one fantasy team I've had Jamaal Charles, Mark Ingram, Melvin Gordon, Dante Freeman, Dion Lewis, Karlos Williams and Matt Jones. If only I could have kept them all!!

I like Dion Lewis a lot, and Julian Edelman, I think your an Edelman fan too. It seems we may often be in agreement about non-Brady Pats players, haha.

[Sophia23]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...artner=ya5nbcs

Anyone think there will be any suspensions for this ....

Lynch pretty much always comes off looking like a jerk ....

[Rich_C]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...artner=ya5nbcs

Anyone think there will be any suspensions for this ....

Lynch pretty much always comes off looking like a jerk ....

How so? There is no proof that Lynch was the one who was racing with Jackson and on top of that Lynch was one of the two people to visit him in the hospital. If anything he comes of as being a genuinely good guy.

Just because he is "Just here because he needs to be Boss" doesn't mean he is a jerk.

and no way there can be a suspension for hearsay...that would be a new low for the league.

[Sophia23]

How so? There is no proof that Lynch was the one who was racing with Jackson and on top of that Lynch was one of the two people to visit him in the hospital. If anything he comes of as being a genuinely good guy.

Just because he is "Just here because he needs to be Boss" doesn't mean he is a jerk.

and no way there can be a suspension for hearsay...that would be a new low for the league.

I was reading through the comments on the article from that site when I posted that question, because several suggested they had reason to be suspended. According to TMZ - which granted is usually rumor, they suggested the two were drag racing and Jackson wrecked and Lynch drove away while other teammates checked on Jackson to be sure he was ok.

Apparently the article was updated, because I just reread and they don't show when they edited, but added in since that they weren't racing, and that Lynch never just drove away. Basically it read much different when it was originally posted. I thought it was stupid yesterday when I read an article that was the complete opposite of this one, but apparently no longer the case ... because this one has been changed to include updates .... Stupid TMZ .... they should wait to start rumors. I should have copied and pasted the original article instead of a link apparently.

I meant the media tends to make Lynch look like a jerk ... referring to a couple weeks ago after one of their games there were articles that he threatened some teenager. Which could all be hearsay ... just seems it's always bad stuff you read on the guy.

[CanDB]

I like Dion Lewis a lot, and Julian Edelman, I think your an Edelman fan too. It seems we may often be in agreement about non-Brady Pats players, haha.

I am not a real fan (whatever that is???) of Edelman's, but I like the way he plays. And here's the real acid test....yes, I would love to see him in Orange and Blue. So in that regard, I do have some 'fan'cy towards him.

[assassin216]

Add Arian Foster to the list.

[broncoslover115]

Add Arian Foster to the list.

Guy must be made of glass. It seems like he's always injured. Best to him though.