Week 4 Start Em Sit Em: Why Fantasy Owners Must Start Peyton Hillis

Cleveland Browns' running back Peyton Hillis missed the team's 17-16 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 because of a terrible case of strep throat. It was so bad for Hillis that he was even sent home from the stadium well before kickoff, meaning he couldn't watch the game from the sidelines.

The Madden 12 cover boy was able to attend team meetings on Monday and he was back practicing on Wednesday, which means he will likely be recovered in time for Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

In the absence of their starting running back, backup Montario Hardesty had a very solid game. The second-year man out of Tennessee finished with 14 rushes for 67 yards, while also catching three passes for 19 more. The Browns have been talking up Hardesty for a while, so it's not a surprise they relied on him heavily with their starter sidelined.

Browns head coach Pat Shurmur has mentioned reducing Hillis' workload in the past, in order to keep him fresh for the entire season. That, combined with Hardesty's performance in Week 3, will likely mean that Hillis sees his numbers drop a bit.

Still, that shouldn't worry you too much. Hillis had 17 carries for 57 yards—plus six receptions for 30 yards—in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He followed that up by rushing 27 times for 94 yards and two TDs—while adding four more receptions for 23 more yards—in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. Even with Hardesty taking some carries away, Hillis is still going to touch the ball a lot and will be the focal point of Cleveland's offense.

As long as he's healthy there is no reason Hillis should be on your bench. He's a starter and at worst a No. 2 RB in all leagues.