Running Backs
Oct 25, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs into the end zone for a one yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis defeated Cleveland 24-6. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Todd Gurley ($6,300) vs. San Francisco 49ers:
I’ll make this one pretty simple…Todd Gurley is really, really good. The San Francisco 49ers are not.
In the three games Gurley took over as the starter, he’s averaged 22 carries for 144 yards per game, which is 6.5 yards per carry (!!!). Ridiculous.
The Niners give up the 5th most fantasy points per game to running backs, so Gurley should be able to run all over them. He’s the 8th highest priced RB with #1 upside, so get Gurley into your lineups and move on.
Doug Martin ($5,500) @ Atlanta Falcons:
I feel weird recommending a player with the nickname Muscle Hamster, but here we are.
Doug Martin has come back to life this season after following up his stellar rookie campaign with back-to-back underwhelming seasons (injuries didn’t help), and he’s currently the 3rd leading rusher in the NFL.
The Falcons have been stout against the run, but Martin has been such a big part of Tampa’s offense that he is going to get plenty of touches to make an impact.
In his last three weeks, Martin has averaged 30.4 fantasy ppg. At $5,500 on Draft Kings, if he can get anywhere close to that mark, Martin makes for a great play.
Chris Johnson ($4,600) @ Cleveland Browns:
Speaking of players who’s come back from the dead, who has been a bigger surprise than Chris Johnson this season?
Johnson is the NFL’s 2nd leading rusher and he’s still priced as the 16th highest running back on Draft Kings.
The Browns give up the 3rd most fantasy ppg to running backs this season and in a game where Arizona should lead comfortably, Johnson should have plenty of opportunity for a big game.
Jonathan Stewart ($4,100) vs. Indianapolis Colts:
Stewart had a slow start to the season, but he’s really picked it up the last two weeks, logging 44 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
He averaged 18.5 fantasy ppg in those games and he draws an easy matchup this week with the Colts, who give up the 8th most fantasy ppg to running backs.
Indianapolis has not played up to expectation this season, so Carolina definitely has a chance to win this one with ease and if so, that just means more carries for Stewart.
Theo Riddick ($3,400) @ Kansas City Chiefs:
Similar as to what I explained with Hoyer, it’s important to be able to find salary relief players who can still hit value, which allows you roster the studs like Julio Jones.
At $3,400 on Draft Kings, Riddick is a fairly reliable option to do that. He doesn’t get many carries, but he’s great catching passes out the backfield, which is very useful in PPR formats.
Riddick has the second most receptions amongst all RB’s on the season, trailing only Danny Woodhead by one.
So Theo is a guy who has a floor of nearly 10 points with upside ranging to about 20 points. For $3,400, that’s quite useful as long as you hit on whichever stud player you roster with the money saved.
Next: Week 8 DFS: Wide Receivers