Week 11 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Running Backs You Must Banish to Bench

In a perfect world, all running backs would be clones of LeSean McCoy. In that world, fantasy owners would not have to worry about mixing and matching with their running backs.

Also, in this perfect world, kickers and defenses would be done away with completely.

But this is never going to happen. I'm afraid we all must mix and match with our running backs, and that's something that is never going to be easy. Deciding who to bench and who to start can be hard.

You should just let me do it for you. Below are five running backs you should bench.

[Drops mic, walks away.]

Roy Helu, Washington Redskins

I'm as big a Roy Helu fan as anyone, but I'm not so sure I like his chances against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Cowboys have been very tough on running backs this season, and it doesn't help that you just never know how Mike Shanahan is going to use his running backs.

I would be shocked if Helu got any more than 10 carries. The question will be whether or not he can produce anything in the passing game. Aside from his huge receiving game in Week 9, there's really not much indication that he's going to be a huge part of Washington's offense.

Besides, I'm hearing rumors that the Redskins will do away with playing offense altogether. If they decide to pursue that route, you probably won't notice much of a change.

Ryan Mathews, San Diego Chargers

Thanks in large part to the groin injury he suffered a couple of weeks ago, the man-love for Ryan Mathews has died down a little. That he had a lousy game in Week 10 is not helping his cause.

Right now, it's looking like Norv Turner is going with a split approach between Mathews and Mike Tolbert. That alone would make me wary of Mathews, but Sunday's matchup against the Chicago Bears makes me worry even more.

The Bears have let one runner (Jahvid Best) get the better of them this season. All the others who have tried have been ground into mush and blasted into space.

In case you're wondering, Mathews won't get points for that. Nor will he get goal-line carries on Sunday, so I'd say he's pretty much useless.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers

Speaking of useless, say hello to DeAngelo Williams. Carolina's big-money running back has one 100-yard game this season, and then an assorted collection of performances that make you say "meh."

The Panthers pretty much don't bother with Williams anymore. His season-high in carries is 12, and his carries have decreased each of the last three weeks. Clearly, the Panthers have noticed that putting the ball in his hands is not worth taking it out of Cam Newton's.

For the record, the Panthers are facing the Detroit Lions. Their claim to fame in this conversation is that they have allowed just three rushing touchdowns to running backs all season.

So yeah, don't waste your time with Williams.

LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LeGarrette Blount should get more carries than he does, but that's kind of beyond our control, isn't it?

We can, however, anticipate a small workload for Blount. He and the Bucs have the ill fortune of playing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, and you can rest assured that they're going to fall behind early.

When they do, it will be all Josh Freeman and no  Blount. Sound familiar?

Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals

Beanie Wells is coming off a game in which he managed just 62 yards on 23 carries against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Which is a little alarming. The Eagles don't defend the run well, so one is forced to wonder how Wells' wounded knee is holding up.

Even if the knee is 200 percent healthy, I wouldn't start Wells against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The 49ers regard running backs as enemies who must be squashed, and they will squash Wells.

Nope. No fantasy points for that either.