Harris: What To Do With Your Mediocre Fantasy RB
By Adam Harris--
(CBS) The fantasy football regular season is 21 percent over for most leagues, and if anyone's season is going as horribly as mine, you have to make some difficult roster decisions on key players very soon.
In part because of that, I've decided to dive head first into daily fantasy. I have put it off long enough, and with the countless struggles my teams are going through, Week 4 is a great time to desperately scramble in an attempt to win all of my league dues back via daily fantasy.
Still, that will only put a band-aid over the wound of a season-long commitment that I have set myself up for in my five other leagues. So this morning, I woke up with a plan -- it involves making decisions on each of my mediocre running backs.
Many of you are probably in a similar spot, so let's figure out what to do.
Shop, but don't trash
Eddie Lacy, Packers RB
Jeremy Hill, Bengals RB
Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks RB
Yes, I own the trash listed above. These are the tier-one headaches I have right now. Up until this morning, I didn't want to face the migraine that they cause as a team.
The value that these running backs will return via trade right now isn't nearly what you paid for them with a first-round pick just a few weeks back. It's too early to cut your losses, so you should shop these players -- but don't trash them verbally while doing so. Make sure you are trading responsibly, giving off no scent of desperation to your league. If you show any desperate need to trade these players now, it will hurt their trade value once they eventually have a few good weeks and are desired by a few suckers.
I'm not worried as much about Lynch and Hill as I am Lacy. Lynch will eventually get into a groove, and Hill will get the main workload soon enough. You just need to stay afloat until that happens. Lacy, however, is big, slow and not a good fit in that Green Bay offense. He isn't great out of the backfield and won't be a main feature for the Packers moving forward. Once he has a good game or if someone is willing to give you a second-tier receiver for him right now, cut him loose and move on.
Hang on, you may have something here
DeMarco Murray, Eagles RB
C.J. Spiller, Saints RB
Ronnie Hillman, Broncos RB
Darren McFadden, Cowboys RB
Ryan Matthews, Eagles RB
Tevin Coleman, Falcons RB
Joseph Randle, Cowboys RB
It's exciting that I was able to include so many names in this category, because this is the only category of hope in this entire article.
All of these players have shown signs -- some greater than others -- of being just fine as a RB2 in a 12-team or larger league. There are different levels of excitement for each of these players, but they all share one common trait: It can only get better.
There's potential for all of these players to take over the major role in their respective offenses and use their above-average offensive lines to their advantage. We've seen what Murray can do if healthy. We've seen what the Dallas offensive line can do for Randle/McFadden. The Atlanta running game was superb last week -- it was just too bad Coleman was injured.
Hillman just needs confidence from Peyton Manning, who seems to decide what running back to make famous year in and year out. Hillman has been involved, and he just needs one break out game to be Manning's guy yet again. Spiller's is worth hanging on to as a potential slash, especially in PPR formats. He's now "100 percent healthy," according to coach Sean Payton.
Once Drew Brees returns, Spiller should play himself into a flex role or trade bait.
Later gators
Jonathan Stewart, Panthers RB
Lamar Miller, Dolphins RB
I so desperately wanted one of these running backs listed to be a former Florida Gator so the subtitle would really work, but alas, they aren't.
Stewart and Miller have been the bane of my existence for the past four seasons. It's getting exhausting trying to figure out when they will go for 15 points and when they will (more times than not) score fewer than five. The problem with these two is their ceiling. It's too low.
Their floor is too low as well, but I can normally deal with that if the potential to explode on any given week is a realistic possibility. If Stewart doesn't break a screen from 40 yards out, he won't have a productive week. If Miller doesn't have a decent first quarter, he will bore you to death as an owner. Cut these two loose for a third-tier receiver and be done with it. Stop agonizing over their potential and face reality: They're bad fantasy running backs.
Until next time, good luck in Week 4 #cool & #nice people!
Follow Adam on Twitter @aharrisSD25 and feel free to ask fantasy questions.
