Week 8 Start Em Sit Em: Beanie Wells and RBs You Shouldn't Waste Your Time On

This is definitely a "Sit Em" edition with this batch of running backs.  You may be optimistic about Beanie Wells stating he will play this week amid injury. Well, don't be. 

The other backs here are situational plays and maybe you need to play them as a fill-in for a bye week, but you won't get much out of them.  You're better off trying to pick up Roy Helu or Delone Cater, because these are all low single-digit point plays.

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals

So after being expected to be out for two weeks and not practicing yet this week, Beanie Wells says he will play.  First of all, you don't want to start a back of Wells' caliber when he's not 100 percent.

Maybe if Adrian Peterson was ready to go injured you could trust him, but Beanie Wells?  No.  What makes it an even worse idea to play Wells is his opponent.  Even if he was 100 percent you probably would want to sit Wells against the Ravens and their No. 3 rush defense. 

Wells wasn't effective against similar defensive units such as Pittsburgh and Minnesota and won't be a factor this week.  If you want an Arizona running back, go with Alfonso Smith, but I would stay away from Arizona's backfield this week entirely.

Montario Hardesty, Cleveland Browns

With Peyton Hillis battling a lot of injuries this season and being altogether ineffective in his playing time, Montario Hardesty has stepped into a larger role in the Browns' offense.

He drew 33 carries in Hillis' absence last week and totaled 95 yards rushing.  This week, even if he gets all the carries again, he will not have a solid outing.  If he gets 33 carries again, he might get around 80-90 yards, but he hasn't scored a touchdown all season.

The San Francisco 49ers won't help his cause as they have absolutely ate up opposing running backs this season.  Don't get too excited about Hardesty and give him an undeserved start this week.  There won't be much to gain against the 49ers.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England Patriots

BenJarvus Green-Ellis is on pace for another 1,000-yard season with double-digit touchdowns.  Even though he has become a very valuable fantasy entity, there are numerous reasons I don't like him this week.

First of all, playing with Tom Brady and for Bill Belichick has its advantages, but also its disadvantages.  The Patriots are not afraid to scrap the run game and use short to intermediate passes to make up for it.  Against the Steelers this week, the Patriots will not have the comfortable lead where they grind their opponents down with the run game.

As with the Cowboys and the Bills, he was somewhat forgotten compared to the touches he usually needs to have a big game.  The Cowboys and their top-ranked run defense held him to 58 yards rushing, and the Steelers come in having improved their run defense the past three weeks.

Even if the game were to go Green-Ellis' way as far as its pace, he is hampered by a toe injury and still limited in practice.  It just doesn't add up for a big BJGE week and you might do better to avoid starting him.