Bryce Brown, Anthony Dixon's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 8

With the Buffalo Bills losing their top two running backs due to injury, Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon will get a chance at the starting job. The question is which player would you rather have in fantasy football.

Fred Jackson was the team's starting running back heading into the Week 7 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, a groin injury limited him to just three carries before coming out. He will reportedly miss at least two weeks, according to Sports Illustrated, although the injury often lasts four weeks.

C.J. Spiller was expected to step up in Jackson's absence, but he suffered a broken collarbone shortly after and will be out for an extended period of time.

This left Dixon as the only active running back on the roster. Fortunately for Buffalo, he came through with a big effort to help the team win, as noted by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

Not only did the five-year veteran manage 51 rushing yards, but he also added 15 receiving yards on three catches. While it was a small sample size, he showed he could handle the starting job if necessary.

Based on the depth chart to this point and the fact Dixon has been active for games while Brown was a healthy scratch each week, it would not be surprising to see Dixon take over the majority of touches over the next few games.

That being said, it is important not to count out Brown from playing a major factor going forward. The running back was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason for a fourth-round pick and has shown a lot of ability when he has been given a chance.

Football fans might remember back in 2012 when a rookie Brown filled in for an injured LeSean McCoy and totaled 347 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries in just two games. This incredible stretch is almost as many yards as Dixon totaled in the first four years of his career before this season (458 on 148 carries).

Brown also has plenty of confidence about his ability to contribute, via Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com:

"

I think anybody that watches football or knows the game of football knows that I can play. I definitely don't have anything to prove to myself. I believe in myself. I believe in my capabilities. I know what I've done and I know I can do better. [...]

I know that I can perform, I can put on this logo, and I can play just as well as anybody who's been playing so far. 

"

While it is one thing to believe he can be the starter, he also has an endorsement from the man whose place he would be taking. Jackson thinks the 23-year-old player is the answer:

Dixon is off to a strong start to the year and has fared well as the No. 3 running back when called upon. However, take away one 47-yard run in Week 1 and he has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, which is about in line with the 3.4 mark for his career.

On the contrary, Brown is much more explosive and has averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his two years in the league. He has not been given a chance this year but appears to be the better option going forward.

Opportunities will likely be there for both running backs early in the team's Week 8 game against the New York Jets, a team that has now allowed over 100 yards from scrimmage to Branden Oliver, Ronnie Hillman and Shane Vereen over the past three weeks. However, Brown is the one more likely to take advantage.

He could end up with a similar path to Tre Mason of the St. Louis Rams, who was inactive for games earlier in the year but passed both Benny Cunningham and Zac Stacy for the starting role.

Picking up both Bills running backs on your fantasy team would be ideal if you have the space, and Dixon would be a decent backup if you have a later waiver priority. However, Brown is the one you should target this week before he explodes with a strong performance.

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