Is Your Back Playing the AFC West? Start Him!

FOR SALE: Running back, average age, average talent. Over 16 games, will gain 2,175 rushing yards (5.3 avg). Also catches 60 balls for 485 yards and 23 total touchdowns.

Interested?

Thought so.

There's only one problem. There is no one back that is a lock for those stats. However, the statistics above would be this season's totals, over 16 games, when combining each team's main rushing threat(s) while facing opponents in the AFC West.

The AFC West is allowing 5.3 yards per carry as a division. Every team is in the bottom half of the league in rushing defense. That's bad. What's worse: teams have attempted a whopping 663 rushes, with just their primary threats(s), over 26 games so far this season. That's 25.5 attempts per game, because teams know that the teams in this division can be had on the ground.

The best: The Chargers, at 18th.

The worst: Who else? The huge gap that masquerades as the Chiefs' run defense comes in at 32nd.

Now, for detail on each team.

San Diego Chargers: 724 Rushing Yards, 29 Catches, 262 Receiving Yards, four Total Touchdowns (Seven games, 18th in total rushing defense).

Strengths in Division: The Chargers are tied with the Raiders for the best yards per carry allowed at 4.4. However, teams have only attempted 163 rushes against the Chargers, an average of 23.3 tries a game. The Chargers' other strength in their division is that they have only allowed four total touchdowns to running backs, making them the only team in the AFC West to not have already allowed double-digit scores.

Weaknesses: Their weakness in the division is their receiving defense on running backs. They've allowed the most receiving yards, and the second most catches in the AFC West.

Oakland Raiders: 614 Rushing Yards, 16 Catches, 109 Receiving Yards, 10 Total Touchdowns (Six games, 24th in total rushing defense)

Strengths: The Raiders are allowing the least amount of total rushing yards, receiving yards, and boast the second-lowest amount of threat-catch totals in the AFC West, but there is one glaring reason to start your backs against Oakland. They can score.

The Raiders have allowed 10 total touchdowns to running backs, and their low yardage totals are due to a bye week and having the best single-game defensive performance of the AFC West. They held Larry Johnson to 22 yards in Week Two, but Johnson only had 10 carries.

Weaknesses: The Raiders are middle-of-the-road when comparing them to the rest of their division, but be sure to let your backs take advantage of the touchdowns they allow. They're there for the taking.

Denver Broncos: 1,019 Rushing Yards, 39 Catches, 255 Receiving Yards, 11 Total Touchdowns (Seven games, 29th in total rushing defense)

Strengths: It gets harder to find strengths of the defenses that I'm encouraging you to start your backs against, as they're only getting worse, but things can't be all bad, right? The Broncos actually allow the least yards per catch (see, I found something good) at 6.53 yards per reception. They still allow the most receptions, but that's for the next section.

Weaknesses: The Broncos are one of four teams this year to have allowed 1,000 total rushing yards. Running backs are averaging a whopping 5.9 yards per carry on them. As a result, they're getting 30 touches (24.6 rushes and 5.6 catches) a game when their teams play Denver. Lastly, the Broncos have been gashed for 11 total touchdowns from the RBs.

Kansas City Chiefs: 1,177 Rushing Yards, 14 Catches, 162 Receiving Yards, 13 Total Touchdowns

Strengths: Well, they allow the least amount of catches of the division to running backs.

Weaknesses: This one I can work with.

Yards per catch average (11.57): fourth in division. A first down per catch? Really?

Total rushing yards allowed (1,243; 1,177 to threat backs): 32nd in the league. And they've already had their bye.

Rushing yards allowed per game (207.2; 196.2 to threat backs): 32nd. The only team allowing 200 yards per game. Almost 40 yards worse than the second-worst.

Total rushing attempts against (221; 189 for threat backs): 31st. The Bengals are 32nd, but they've played one more game.

Per game average attempts against (36.8; 31.5 for threat backs): 32nd. That's more like it. But why are teams rushing so much against them?

Average yards per carry allowed (5.6; 6.2 to threat backs): 32nd. Oh, I get it.

Rushing touchdowns allowed (12): 32nd. There's a receiving score in there (13 total to backs), too.

Longest run allowed (80 yards): 32nd. LenDale White, the owner of the aforementioned 80-yard touchdown run, hasn't run for that long since...Well, never in the National Football League.

First downs allowed on the ground (59): 32nd. That's because teams know that they can get the yardage for the first when they need it.

Yards of 20+ allowed (14): 32nd. They can be broken on.

Yards of 40+ allowed (4): 32nd. Why stop at 20?

Of course, all decisions are yours, but consider an AFC West matchup when you're stuck on who to start. I hope the analysis above helps you to pick starting backs in your league. The AFC West seems to welcome them with open arms.

Good luck in your games, and thanks for reading.

BONUS: Game-by-game statistics of the players I called "threat backs" in each game. 

Team	Biggest Threat/Other Threat Backs	Yds	Att	Avg	Catches	Yards	Total TD
Broncos	Justin Fargas/Darren McFadden	143	27	5.3	3	23	0
Broncos	Darren Sproles/LaDainian Tomlinson	79	17	4.6	4	86	1
Broncos	Reggie Bush/Pierre Thomas	88	24	3.7	14	83	4
Broncos	Larry Johnson	198	28	7.1	5	0	2
Broncos	Warrick Dunn/Earnest Graham	133	21	6.3	8	34	0
Broncos	Morris/Green-Ellis/Faulk	253	33	7.7	3	6	2
Broncos	Maurice Jones-Drew	125	22	5.7	2	23	2
Chargers	Michael Bush/Darren McFadden	68	21	3.2	9	97	0
Chargers	DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart	139	28	5.0	1	4	0
Chargers	Young/Hall/Pittman	139	22	6.3	1	8	1
Chargers	Thomas Jones	37	10	3.7	2	17	0
Chargers	Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams	164	36	4.6	2	8	1
Chargers	Marshawn Lynch/Fred Jackson	103	28	3.7	7	50	1
Chargers	Sammy Morris/Kevin Faulk	74	18	4.1	7	78	1
Chiefs	McFadden/Bush/Fargas	297	46	6.5	1	9	2
Chiefs	Selvin Young/Michael Pittman	85	15	5.7	2	45	0
Chiefs	Sammy Morris/Laurence Maroney	104	20	5.2	5	34	1
Chiefs	Michael Turner/Jerious Norwood	179	34	5.3	1	30	3
Chiefs	DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart	195	39	5.0	2	33	3
Chiefs	LenDale White/Chris Johnson	317	35	9.1	3	11	4
Raiders	Young/Hall/Pittman	109	24	4.5	0	0	3
Raiders	Larry Johnson	22	12	1.8	0	0	0
Raiders	Marshawn Lynch	107	28	3.8	5	32	2
Raiders	LaDainian Tomlinson	106	20	5.3	2	9	2
Raiders	Thomas Jones/Leon Washington	178	28	6.4	4	21	1
Raiders	Reggie Bush/Deuce McAllister	92	27	3.4	5	47	2
TOTALS
BRONCOS		1019	172	5.9	39	255	11
CHARGERS		724	163	4.4	29	262	4
CHIEFS		1177	189	6.2	14	162	13
RAIDERS		614	139	4.4	16	109	10
Grand Total		3534	663	5.3	98	788	38
Average		136	26	5.3	4	30	1
16 Games		2175	408	5.3	60	485	23