Steven Jackson, Antone Smith, Jacquizz Rodgers' Post-Week 7 Fantasy Reaction

For the fantasy owners who took a gamble and started any of the Atlanta Falcons running backs in Week 7, it was a huge mistake against the stingy run defense of the Baltimore Ravens.    

Steven Jackson, Antone Smith and Jacquizz Rodgers were all bottled up Sunday, and the entire Atlanta offensive unit struggled all day. With Baltimore taking the early commanding lead, the Falcons abandoned the run for the most part.

Player	Carries	Yards	Average	Touchdown
Steven Jackson	8	22	2.8	0
Devonta Freeman	2	20	10.0	0
Antone Smith	3	10	3.3	0
Jacquizz Rodgers	2	9	4.5	0
Matt Ryan	1	7	7.0	0

Atlanta’s rushing attack has been incredibly inconsistent this season, and fantasy owners should know better than to start any of the backs in standard-scoring leagues. While Jackson is clearly the lead back, he is not getting the carries needed to be a star and each player is dependent on touchdowns to be relevant.

Jackson is worth keeping on the bench if you own him, but he is only worthy of a flex start against the most favorable matchups. While Smith is worth storing on the bench as a handcuff for Jackson, owners should be looking to someone other than Rodgers for depth at the running back position.  

*Stats via NFL.com.

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