This season had been unusually quiet on the running back injury front, but things took a turn for the worse last weekend.
Michael Turner, Ronnie Brown, Brian Westbrook, Cedric Benson and Julius Jones’ all suffered injuries’ Sunday, meaning the emergence of backup running backs will be a huge factor in Week 11 and the rest of the season.
Here are five running backs who saw their stocks soar thanks to a teammate’s injury:
Justin Forsett
The Seahawks are a mess, and with Jones out with a lung injury for next week’s game at Minnesota, Forsett is a nice free agent pick up.
The second-year back out of California came in for Jones against Arizona and had 17 carries for 123 yards and one touchdown. Owners shouldn’t expect those numbers out of Forsett against an exceptionally stout Vikings defense, but 70-80 yards and a score is not out of the question.
Ladell Betts
Betts has been a good bet the last two weeks with starter Clinton Portis out with a concussion. A combined 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his past two games make Betts a viable option for any fantasy owner who doesn’t have Adrian Peterson.
Owners should continue to monitor the health of Portis, but with Betts running effectively, it would be wise to pick him up off the wire if available, as he could be a possible spot starter next week at Dallas.
Ricky Williams
Already having a stellar season, ‘The Renaissance Man’ Ricky Williams rushed for 102 yards last week against the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With Brown out due to a leg injury and the Dolphins having to play Thursday night at Carolina, Williams is a sure starter. The team’s ‘Wildcat’ offense will be in the hands of the former Texas Longhorn.
Look for Williams to have a huge game against the Panthers, with a passing score not completely out of the question.
Jason Snelling
Starter Michael Turner has a high ankle sprain and is not a confirmed go Sunday at the New York Giants. With Jerious Norwood already hurt for the Falcons, third-year back Snelling will probably get the start.
Snelling played well after Turner went down with 18 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons 28-19 loss to the Panthers and should be even more comfortable after a week of reps with the first team and a minimum of 15 carries if Turner sees the field.
LeSean McCoy
Despite having only 5 yards last week against the San Diego Chargers, McCoy will most likely be the Eagles’ primary ball carrier for the rest of the season.
Even if Westbrook wasn’t out with a concussion, he had been ineffective as of late, so look for McCoy to have some nice games the rest of the way. A 4-yard per carry average and 353 rushing yards on the year for the rookie out of Pittsburgh bodes well for his future, and at this point, the injury situation only serves to accelerate his progression.
Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells
This one isn’t injury-related, but Wells is emerging as the starter over second-year back Tim Hightower.
Wells more than held his own over the last two weeks, running the ball 29 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
Hightower struggled for only 114 yards off of 25 carries during the past two weeks with zero touchdowns, so clearly the committee approach is now shifting to ‘Beanie Ball.’
