Week 3 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Projecting Best and Worst RB Plays

If you have LeSean McCoy and Jamaal Charles on your roster, you probably aren't too worried about who to start at running back this week. You're also probably playing in a four-team league. 

However, if you're like the vast majority of fantasy football owners and still have a decision on your hands when it comes to the running back position, then this is for you. Between running backs who made a midweek uniform change (looking at you Trent Richardson and Willis McGahee) to backs facing difficult matchups, it can be tough to make the right call at one of fantasy football's most important positions. 

Here's a look at which borderline running backs you can confidently put in your lineup and which ones you should avoid if possible. Note: Start Percentages via NFL.com.

Start 'Em

Joique Bell, Detroit Lions

Bell is currently being started in just 27.6 percent of NFL.com leagues, while fellow Lions running back Reggie Bush is getting the starting nod in 87.3 percent. Given the tandem's situation heading into their Week 3 matchup against the woeful Washington Redskins defense, that means there will be plenty of unhappy owners on Sunday. 

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Lions have listed Bush as questionable for the game and may opt to play it safe with Bell to preserve Bush's knees for the rest of the season. 

Even with Bush in the backfield, Bell has found a way to become a productive back from a fantasy perspective. Through two games, Bush has scored 31 points in standard formats while Bell has tallied 27. 

With Washington giving up 26 and 23 points to opposing running backs in the first two weeks of the season, you won't want to miss out on the opportunity that Bell will have this week. 

Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos

Coming into the season, the Denver Broncos running game was something to be avoided at all costs. The trio of Montee Ball, Moreno and Ronnie Hillman was equal parts underwhelming and unproven (or proven to be disappointing). 

However, Moreno showed a glimmer of hope for those hoping that someone would emerge from the committee. His 93 yards rushing and two touchdowns made him a serious fantasy player in Week 2, as he put up great numbers despite just 13 rushes. 

Moreno should put up respectable numbers once again, as the Broncos take on an Oakland Raiders team that is a 15-point underdog according to Bovada. Expect Moreno to rack up yards as the game wears on and the Broncos try to run clock in a rout. 

Sit 'Em

Trent Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

If you're a Trent Richardson owner, congratulations! You're investment just became a lot more valuable this season.

Richardson should have much more opportunity with Andrew Luck and the Colts passing game than he did with Brandon Weeden and the struggling Browns offense. But Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi will probably look like geniuses in the first week of Richardson's time with the Colts. 

While it may seem like coming to a new team as a running back would be pretty simple (how hard can taking a handoff be?), the truth is that Richardson will need some time to pick up the team's pass protections and could be limited in terms of usage. 

To make matters worse, the Colts will travel to San Francisco to take on a 49ers defense that held Marshawn Lynch to 3.5 yards per carry last week. 

Be excited for Richardson's future with the Colts. Don't get too giddy about his matchup this week. 

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

If Knowshon Moreno put up the same production in the first two weeks as Maurice Jones-Drew, he would be dropped from just about every league by this week.

The former fantasy football superstar has scored just six points in the Jacksonville's first two games. 

Yet he's still a popular start. Moreno is being started in 67 percent of leagues while MJD is starting in 69 percent. It's a virtual certainty that Moreno will outscore Jones-Drew this week, so he should be the more popular starting option. 

Add in the fact that Jones-Drew has not practiced most of the week and you're starting a broken-down back taking on one of the best defenses in the league in the Seattle Seahawks.