Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 7

The Indianapolis Colts aren't known for their running game, especially this year with Andrew Luck leading the NFL in passing. But running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson continued to make an impact into Week 7.

Bradshaw and Richardson have both found ways to stay effective despite splitting carries, and that was on display Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Richardson had 14 carries for 77 yards while Bradshaw had 10 carries for 52 yards and two total touchdowns in a 27-0 win.

Both backs got it done in the passing game as well. Richardson caught four passes for 41 yards, and Bradshaw caught three balls for 36 yards and a touchdown—his fifth of the year through the air.

Rushing Totals	Carries	Yards	Average	TD
Passing Totals	Catches	Yards	Average	TD
Trent Richardson	14	77	5.5	0
Ahmad Bradshaw	10	52	5.2	1
Trent Richardson	4	41	10.3	0
Ahmad Bradshaw	3	36	12.0	1

It wasn't pretty from the onset, however. Both Bradshaw and Richardson coughed up the ball and lost a fumble, although Richardson's fumble was officially attributed to Luck. 

Things quickly turned around against the Bengals' 29th-ranked run defense. Bradshaw found the end zone on the ground for the first time in well over a year, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Richardson hadn't reached the end zone, but constantly picked up big yardage like never before in a Colts uniform. He entered the fourth quarter on pace to finish with his highest yards-per-carry average since his rookie year.

But late in the game, he was injured and didn't return, per ESPN's Mike Wells:

As Conor Orr of NFL.com noted, however, Richardson's injury doesn't look to be a lingering one:

Both running backs were most definitely effective on Sunday, but the room to improve was still there, per Pro Football Spot's Colts Twitter:

Both backs continue to show that a strong performance from the other isn't a cause for concern. Week 7 was the second straight week that both Bradshaw and Richardson surpassed double-digit points in ESPN leagues.

That does make starting either a tough thing to do, as told by both being started in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. 

But the run game has been potent as of late, and the Colts' next four opponents all rank in the middle of the pack in run defense. It will be tough to convince yourself to start either, but bye weeks are taking their toll and that could make either an easier start than usual.