Alright, so everyone’s talking about Shonn Greene and with 32 carries for 161 yards and 3 TDs, why shouldn’t they be? However, one week doesn’t mean anything when it comes to the overall skill of a player. The Colts have one of the worst rush defenses in the league and with an early lead, there was plenty of time to hand off the ball and run out the clock. Two of Greene’s three TDs came when the Jets were already up by at least 15 points. In short, it was a perfect storm for Shonn Greene that likely won’t happen again this season. Unfortunately for Shonn Greene owners, this season continues this week when The Jets face off against The Patriots. The Patriots held Marshawn Lynch to 41 yards on the ground and no TDs last weekend which is a lot more like the numbers Greene owners have grown used to this year.
Speaking of Marshawn Lynch, he has an even more difficult matchup this week when he plays the 49ers on Thursday night. It’s always hard to bench a guy drafted as high as Lynch, but if you have other options, this is the week to explore them.
On the other side of the ball in that game is Frank Gore who will likely have an equally difficult time with the Seahawks’ defense. With his touches limited in the week 6 game against The Giants, Gore’s fantasy value is already on a bit of a decline, but don’t expect The Seahawks to do his stats any favors. Coming off back to back 100+ yard weeks, Stevan Ridley managed just 34 yards against them.
If that Stevan Ridley performance was disappointing for your fantasy team, don’t worry too much; he should have a nice bounce back game this week. The Jets won’t get out to the same early lead they did this past weekend against The Colts and with Brandon Bolden possibly missing some time, Ridley could be in line for one of his best games yet.
Do you need a silver lining to losing DeMarco Murray to a foot sprain this week? Well, if you have his handcuff, Felix Jones, you should see another great performance from him this weekend against The Panthers. What’s even better is this time he won’t be sitting on your bench. Don’t count on him to continue his stretch of solid starts if Murray misses additional time, but for this week he’s a go.
Finally, with The Eagles, Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Broncos, and Falcons all on bye, there are some big name running backs that will be forced to sit on your bench this week. So who are some sleeper picks you might be able to rely on?
If Vick Ballard is still available, he’s one good option this week. Last week was a disappointment, but a few costly offensive mistakes put The Colts down early and forced them to throw the ball. That likely won’t happen when The Browns come to town. Ballard could easily have Top 10 RB numbers this week if all goes well for The Colts.
Still need a RB? LeGarrette Blount could be worth a start this week. After amassing 58 yards on 7 carries with a score this past week, Blount has proven himself to be a reliable backup to Doug Martin. Now clearly, Martin’s the guy, but against an easy Saints defense, there might be enough points to go around for both of them.
