Alex Green: Fantasy Expectations for Green Bay Packers RB in 2012

The Green Bay Packers will be without starting running back Cedric Benson until at least Week 13, meaning the team desperately needs to find a No. 1 option over the next six weeks.

It seems that Alex Green has the inside track to earning the job after he helped lead his team to a 42-24 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.

While Green didn’t score and only had 65 yards, he was the man that coach Mike McCarthy trusted enough to give 22 carries to, while James Starks—the Packers' starter in the 2010 Super Bowl—had just five touches.

If limited production isn’t going to shake the Green Bay coaching staff’s faith in the second-year man out of Hawaii, it looks as if only an injury will keep him from being a 15-plus carry per game player.

Should Green be able to get those carries, it’s likely he’ll eventually start earning more than 3.0 yards per attempt. In fact, in Week 5 against the Colts, Green put up a solid 63 yards on just 10 rushes.  

His per carry average should fall somewhere in the middle, and we are predicting that he’s hovering right around 4.0 YPC by the time that Benson is able to come back and push for touches.

It’s also worth nothing that the Packers match up against the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinal and Detroit Lions—plus have a bye—over the next five weeks.

Those are cupcake matchups and Green should be able to shred those defenses for big numbers—especially if Aaron Rodgers and the passing offense mount a massive lead.

Consider Alex Green a No. 1 running back over the next five-to-seven weeks, and expect at least 75 yards and a potential score in each contest that he suits up as a starter. He’s certainly worth a waiver pick and even trading for at this point if you need immediate help at the RB position.

Don’t miss out on fantasy gold by having unfairly low expectations for a big-time player like Green.