Tate, Foster RBBC face Colts

Welcome to the 16th installment of our weekly look at fantasy’s most aggravating subject, the Running Back Committee. We’re about to close the doors of a certain Law Firm.

Thursday: Texans at Colts

COMMITTEES (9)

Carolina Panthers
Options: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart
Outlook: Williams ran 15 times for 61 yards and a touchdown against the Texans, while Stewart carried 11 times for 43 yards and caught two passes for eight yards. The workload split on the ground is almost 50-50 for the season, with Williams having 141 carries to Stewart’s 126. However, Stewart has 44 receptions, while Williams has 12. Unfortunately, Cam Newton is still around to vulture their short-yardage TDs. The Panthers have an extremely friendly home matchup against the 30th-ranked Bucs’ run defense this week, making both Williams and Stewart of your fantasy consideration.

Houston Texans
Options: Arian Foster, Ben Tate
Outlook: More of the same here in Week 15, with Foster racking up 167 yards from scrimmage and a score on 21 touches, and Tate running seven times for 26 yards and catching a short pass. Starting Tate on Thursday, even against the Colts, is too risky.

Indianapolis Colts
Options: Donald Brown, Joseph Addai
Outlook: Seventeen touches for Brown in Week 15, and 13 for Addai. The workload was shared, but the production wasn’t, as Brown ran for 161 yards – highlighted by a late 80-yard TD – while Addai gained just 20. The Colts’ committee approach might remain in place this week, but only Brown should be considered as a fantasy option.

Kansas City Chiefs
Options: Thomas Jones, Jackie Battle, Dexter McCluster
Outlook: Jones had 16 touches in the Chiefs’ big win over the Packers, with Battle getting 11 and McCluster seven. Jones led the way with 75 yards from scrimmage, while Battle had a short rushing touchdown. Even at home against the horrible Raiders’ rushing defense, you can’t start any of these guys.

Miami Dolphins
Options: Reggie Bush, Daniel Thomas
Outlook: What in the world has gotten into Bush? Two hundred and three rushing yards against the Bills, and three 100-yard games in a row? I know I never saw this coming. Bush has entered must-start territory for fantasy owners, so good luck with him this week at New England. Thomas’ 42 yards on 11 carries against the Bills was a little misleading, as 28 of those yards came on one fourth-quarter carry. The rookie is no more than Bush’s handcuff.

Minnesota Vikings
Options: Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart
Outlook: Peterson returned after a three-game absence to gain 60 yards on 10 carries in a blowout loss to the Saints. He’s likely to get busier this week against the Redskins, and should start in all formats. This situation isn’t a committee at all, but it’s being mentioned only because Gerhart had two receiving touchdowns against the Saints. That’s unlikely to happen again, so don’t get any ideas about Gerhart becoming Darren Sproles.

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New England Patriots
Options: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Kevin Faulk, Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead
Outlook: Green-Ellis’ value-saving fourth-quarter touchdown against the Broncos obscured his awful 10-carry, 17-yard outing. Over his last four games, he has gained 96 yards on 35 carries, and even though he’s had four touchdowns over that span, he’s a risky fantasy start this week against the Dolphins. Ridley had 11 carries for 65 yards on Sunday, and even though some of that work came in garbage time, he could become a factor.

New York Giants
Options: Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, D.J. Ware
Outlook: Bradshaw is getting healthier, and grabbed a slight workload edge against the Redskins. He had 79 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 13 touches, while Jacobs ran eight times for 33 yards. Over the past couple of years, Bradshaw has usually had a two-thirds share of the work in this backfield, and that’s what we can probably expect over the season’s final two weeks. Try to avoid Jacobs against the Jets unless your alternatives are very shaky.

San Diego Chargers
Options: Ryan Mathews, Mike Tolbert
Outlook: Mathews is unquestionably the man here, and he’s a must-start fantasy stud. However, Tolbert gets just enough work to be productive, as he was with eight carries for 40 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens. Despite Tolbert’s average of eight carries per game, I think I’d rather start him than Green-Ellis right now.

INJURY ISSUES (6)

Chicago Bears
Options: Matt Forte, Kahlil Bell, Marion Barber
Outlook: Forte is unlikely to return against the Packers on Christmas night, leaving Barber and Bell to share the workload. Bell was the better back against the Seahawks in Week 15, with 15 carries for 65 yards and five catches for 43 yards and a TD. Barber carried 11 times for 33 yards, and while he might be the better and more powerful runner, Bell is more versatile, and has averaged 17 touches over the last two games. Bell should start in most PPR leagues this week, and is a decent play in standard formats as well. Barber isn’t a great play in standard leagues, but he could be OK as an RB3/flex option. To state the obvious, Barber’s status depends on your alternatives.

Denver Broncos
Options: Willis McGahee, Lance Ball
Outlook: McGahee left Sunday’s game early due to a hamstring injury, and returned briefly in the third quarter. The Broncos didn’t offer any updates on Monday other than to say that McGahee’s fourth-quarter inactivity was due to the need to throw the ball while behind, so we’ll have to watch his status as the Broncos’ Week 16 matchup at Buffalo approaches.

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Detroit Lions
Options: Kevin Smith, Maurice Morris, Keiland Williams
Outlook: Smith wasn’t very effective in his return to action against the Raiders, running 15 times for 43 yards. He’s still the man in the Lions’ backfield, and is a decent start this week against the Chargers.

Green Bay Packers
Options: James Starks, Ryan Grant, John Kuhn, Brandon Saine
Outlook: Starks (knee, ankle) and Saine (concussion) were out in Week 15, leaving Grant (15 touches, 97 yards from scrimmage) to carry the load. If Starks can come back this week, Grant’s value will take a serious hit.

New Orleans Saints
Options: Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory
Outlook: Ingram missed another game in Week 15 due to his turf toe injury. All three of his teammates were productive, with Ivory carrying 18 times for 74 yards, and both Sproles and Thomas scoring touchdowns. Ivory’s value goes out the window if Ingram returns this week. Sproles should still start in most situations, and Thomas’ workload is still too small to trust with a fantasy start.

Oakland Raiders
Options: Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, Marcel Reece
Outlook: McFadden seems unlikely to return from his foot injury, meaning that Bush will be in line for another busy day against the Chiefs’ 24th-ranked rushing defense. If you own Bush, keep starting him.