Ahmad Bradshaw's, Trent Richardson's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 6

The Indianapolis Colts were only 16th in the NFL in rushing yards per game entering Thursday’s game with the Houston Texans, but running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson made their mark early in the victory.

In fact, both found the end zone in the first quarter, much to the delight of fantasy owners.

Here is a look at their final numbers:

	Ahmad Bradshaw	Trent Richardson
Carries	11	17
Rushing Yards	34	41
Rushing Touchdowns	0	1
Yards per Rush	3.1	2.1
Catches	3	0
Receiving Yards	25	0
Touchdown Catches	1	0
Targets	6	-
Yards per Catch	8.3	0

SportsCenter described the early action:

Thursday’s performance is indicative of why fantasy owners should not give up on the Colts backfield, even if the rushing attack isn’t a major part of their offense. With Andrew Luck directing things at quarterback, Indianapolis is going to find itself in scoring position often throughout the season.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Red-zone opportunities for an offense typically mean scoring chances for the running backs, and both Richardson and Bradshaw delivered Thursday. 

Another thing that makes Bradshaw a viable option is his ability to get involved in the passing game. Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders noted that Bradshaw is making a habit out of catching touchdown passes from Luck, which is exactly what happened in the first quarter Thursday:

Seeing as how neither Richardson nor Bradshaw has topped 100 rushing yards in a single game this season, it is hard to fully trust a Colts running back moving forward. Still, Bradshaw will continue to provide fantasy value as long as Luck keeps targeting him in the passing game.