Week 6 Start' Em, Sit 'Em: Tim Hightower or Ryan Torain Better Redskins RB Play?

Oh, the plight of fantasy owners who draft running backs who play for Mike Shanahan.  There are few things more frustrating than trying to predict RB usage patterns for that man’s teams.  Throw in a nagging injury and it becomes just that much more of a crapshoot.

Tim Hightower technically holds the No. 1 spot on the Redskins depth chart.  A shoulder injury, however, gave Ryan Torain a chance to prove himself against the Rams by handling the bulk of the carries, and he certainly made the most of it, rushing 19 times for 135 yards and a TD.

Today, Tim Hightower is active against the division foe Philadelphia Eagles. While that might mean something concrete on other teams, it’s still anyone’s guess as to what Mike Shanahan’s game plan will look like.

In PPR leagues, the safe bet is probably Hightower, as he is still the player of choice for the Redskins when it comes to catching passes out of the background.  But don’t assume that Torain is totally out of the equation either.  Shanahan has made his money swapping running backs to try and stay with the hot hand, and right now, that’s Torain.

Fantasy owners with the intestinal fortitude to play roulette with Shanahan today have an incredibly tough choice.  I would go with Hightower if it were up to me, simply because, as the “starter,” Hightower will get his chances to show he is back up to speed against a pretty awful Philadelphia rushing defense.

If Hightower truly is healthy enough to make an impact today, Shanahan will likely lean on his versatility and give him the bulk of the snaps.  The Eagles defensive line loves to play fast and aggressive when they rush the passer, which often leaves opportunities for running backs to catch passes out of the back field and find themselves with room to run.

If you absolutely must pick a Redskins running back to start on your fantasy team today, I really do feel for you.  Neither player should make you feel to safe with your choice, but Hightower is almost certain to get some snaps early, so if he can exploit a pillow-soft defense, he will likely get the nod from Coach Shanahan and get the larger workload.