Start Em Sit Em Week 2: Predicting This Week's Boom and Bust Running Backs

Depending on your roster, Week 1 was a tumultuous affair for fantasy football running back owners.

Week 2 doesn’t figure to be any different, as there are several tough matchups to project throughout the league.

The more action we see, though, the more we’re able to make informed decisions about who to deploy in our fantasy lineups. Sitting guys like C.J. Spiller, Trent Richardson, Arian Foster and Stevan Ridley may have seemed like sacrilege a week ago, but you’ll hear those considerations around the league after their disappointing debuts.

Don’t buy into all of the negativity, although some is justified. You have to differentiate between the two and I’m here to help you along the way. 

 

Boom: Stevan Ridley vs. New York Jets

Bill Belichick benched Ridley for fumbling twice, including losing a costly early fumble in New England territory, in favor of Shane Vereen, who torched Buffalo’s defense in Ridley’s absence. Now, Vereen is likely out for quite awhile after breaking a bone in his wrist, per FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer:

Ridley looks like the workhorse in Thursday night's matchup against the New York Jets. Yes, this is Belichick and anything could conceivably happen, but Ridley gives the Pats their best chance to win and should get an opportunity to get back into his coach’s good graces by running all over the Jets.

Bust: Trent Richardson at Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland’s a mess already and it’s taking a toll on fantasy owners. With Richardson receiving just 15 touches against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, fantasy owners were let down in a big way by the highly touted former No. 3 overall pick.

The task doesn’t get any easier against a very stout Baltimore Ravens' front seven in Week 2. Until Richardson begins to receive a heavier workload in Norv Turner’s offense, it might be wise to look at other options. Now, you can still roll with Richardson, as he might get into the end zone this week, but don’t expect much else.

Boom: Eddie Lacy vs. Washington Redskins

Eddie Lacy is no LeSean McCoy. It’s hard to imagine him dicing up the Washington Redskins’ defense in that fashion, especially given the Green Bay Packers’ reliance on their passing game. But the poor tackling and open holes that McCoy enjoyed in Week 1 should provide Lacy with plenty of opportunities to make an impact in Week 2.

Lacy is also the unquestioned workhorse in the Pack’s backfield. The only other rusher for Green Bay last week was fullback John Kuhn, who received a single carry. Moving the ball on the ground against San Francisco is supposed to be hard, but the rookie handled it relatively well considering the situation and managed to get into the end zone.

Bust: Steven Jackson vs.  St. Louis Rams

The Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line should be able to create a few more openings than the Arizona Cardinals were able to muster against the St. Louis Rams in Week 1. But that doesn’t mean you should feel comfortable deploying Steven Jackson against their stout front seven this week.

Jackson had a good start to his Atlanta career by compiling 77 yards on just 11 carries and grabbing five passes for 45 more yards. While he could see more touches this week, as Matt Ryan will have a difficult task against a tough Rams pass defense, it’s smart to yield caution in a matchup like this against Jackson's former team.

You’re better off using a backup with a more favorable matchup or finding a waiver-wire gem to plug in for the week.

Boom: DeAngelo Williams at Buffalo Bills

DeAngelo Williams had a nice first game, as the central figure of the Carolina Panthers’ rushing game in Week 1. The 30-year-old veteran flashed promise, recording 86 yards on 17 carries against a stingy Seattle defense.

This week, fantasy owners shouldn’t have any apprehensions in deploying him against a shaky (at best) Buffalo Bills' defense that was torched by New England in Week 1. The Patriots ran the ball at will against the Bills, compiling over 150 yards and averaging a healthy 4.5 yards per carry in Week 1.

Williams might lose value once Jonathan Stewart gets healthy, but he’s running well early on and should have a big week.

Bust: Any Pittsburgh Steelers RB at Cincinnati Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t get anything going on the ground against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. To make matters worse, they lost center Maurkice Pouncey to a knee injury and placed him on injured reserve, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Running back Felix Jones has some upside, but Mike Tomlin doesn’t seem like he’s ready to employ the running back. He opted to stick with LaRod Stephens-Howling and Isaac Redman, who had two fumbles and lost one against the Titans, rather than allow the green back onto the field.

Even after re-signing Jonathan Dwyer, per ESPN.com's Scott Brown, the Steelers' backfield is a mess. Stay away, far away, even after their tough matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals this week.