George Winn's Updated Fantasy Outlook After Reggie Bush's Injury

Another week, another injury to a Detroit Lions running back. Reggie Bush left Sunday's 17-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday after suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and did not return.

Bush had six carries for 13 yards, adding 30 yards on two receptions before exiting. He was replaced in the game by George Winn, who went undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2013 but carved himself a solid niche as a special teamer before Sunday.     

Carries	Yards	Receptions	Yards	Targets	TD
11	48	0	0	2	0

For most of the game, Winn had already been the more effective running back. His 11 carries for 48 yards far eclipsed the performance of Bush, who has struggled all season to conjure up much on the ground. Bush came into this week with only 138 rushing yards on 39 carries.

Jose Juarez/Associated Press

The Lions offense ranked 25th in rushing DVOA through their first four games, per Football Outsiders. Joique Bell, who was ruled out after suffering a concussion last week, is the team's leading rusher with 152 yards on 48 carries.

Bell received double-digit carries in three of the first four weeks, while Bush had done so only twice. Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell appears to like playing Bush in passing situations, getting the former USC star out in the open field. His 18 receptions prior to Week 5 were double that of Bell, who can catch the ball out of the backfield but is more of a traditional runner.

The Lions appeared to be using Winn in the so-called Bell role before Bush was injured. At Cincinnati, Winn caught a total of 19 passes, though he wasn't much beyond a bit player until his senior season. He has also not done all that much since leaving school, bouncing around on five practice squads in 2013 before finally landing in Detroit.

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Outside of the deepest leagues, he shouldn't remotely register on the fantasy radar. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reported Sunday that Bell has been cleared for physical activity, meaning it's a near certainty he'll be back in the lineup for next week's game in Minnesota.

Depending on the severity of Bush's injury Winn may slide into the Lions' No. 2 running back slot, but that's not going to have much value. As it stands neither Bush nor Bell can be trusted on a weekly basis. The Lions have been a bad rushing team for years now; their scheme seems to generate running back points only out of rare touchdowns and underneath receptions.

Winn doesn't have the pass-catching history to suggest he'd seamlessly fit into the Bush role if he sits out next week. Odds are Bell would receive a full workhorse load and Winn would spell him whenever needed.

In a nutshell: Much ado about nothing.

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