Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 1

The fantasy football dynamic at running back in Indianapolis has taken a turn that owners should want to pay close attention to after one week of the 2014 season.

In a somewhat expected turn of events, Trent Richardson wound up being a dud in his team's 31-24 loss to Denver, while veteran Ahmad Bradshaw proved more productive from a fantasy standpoint and should begin to see more time as a result.

Richardson, brought on the by the Colts in the now-infamous trade, took a backseat to the eight-year veteran by the time the final gun sounded Sunday night:

Name	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	Fantasy Points
Trent Richardson	6	20	3.3	0	3	31	5
Ahmad Bradshaw	3	15	5.0	0	5	70	8

Considering owners drafted Richardson as the No. 24 overall back and Bradshaw the No. 50, it is not exactly what owners of the former wanted to see.

Sunday night, CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello touched on the topic in a humorous manner, but it still hits home that Richardson may be out of chances sooner rather than later:

Last year, Richardson averaged 2.9 yards per carry and scored in double digits just twice while losing time to Donald Brown. This year, Bradshaw seems set to steal the lion's share of the carries, and his steady contributions through the air make him a better value as it currently stands.

Still, it does not change the fact that offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton sounds like he wants to run a bit of a committee approach with the two, as he told the media before the game. 

"Both guys are physical, downhill runners that can play all three downs," Hamilton said, per Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. "We expect to be able to run the football. It's important that we control the line of scrimmage."

Right now it is difficult to suggest Richardson as even a matchup-based play. The line play in front of him does not help things, either. Bradshaw is flirting with being an every-game flex option thanks to his rapport with Andrew Luck through the air, but add and play him with the understanding that injuries have marred an otherwise stellar career—he has not played in a 16-game season since 2010 and appeared in just three last year.

Unless something drastically changes on Richardson's end, Bradshaw is the back to own out of Indianapolis. Just do so with extreme caution.

All average draft positions courtesy of ESPN.  All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.