Getty Gallery: 2/6
Start: RB Chris Carson, Seahawks. Sit: RB Alfred Morris/Matt Breida, 49ers
If you followed our advice, you locked up the 49ers backfield late in fantasy drafts after the unfortunate Jerick McKinnon injury.
Now, I am here to tell you to keep them on your bench, at least for Week 1. The biggest reason is the uncertainty of how the carries will be distributed. While I believe Alfred Morris is going to get more touches than Matt Breida, it would not be shocking if the opposite is true. Hopefully, you have both running backs on your roster, but hold them tight on your bench this week.
Before you insert them into your starting lineup, let's take a week to see how the 49ers are going to use the running backs. After his injury, McKinnon spoke about both running backs sharing the workload.
“I think they will work really well together,” McKinnon told the Press Democrat. “They’re two different backs and they both have a lot of upside. Coach Shanahan and the rest of the coaches, they do a great job of putting us in positions to be successful. That’s going to continue to happen.”
Don't drop either running back, just let it ride for a week as we see Kyle Shanahan's game plan for the two backs. A running back I do like this week is the Seahawks Chris Carson. While Rashad Penny is expected to return this week, Carson got the majority of the carries for the Seahawks during training camp and pre-season. Look for Carson to be the Seahawks workhorse back, at least for the start of the season. Pete Carroll called Carson the "star of the off-season."
“He had a phenomenal offseason,” Carroll explained to USA Today. “He was really the star of the offseason in that he was just so fit, so strong and so explosive from the moment we got back.”
Another running back I like this week over either of the 49ers running backs is Tevin Coleman. I had the opportunity to attend several Falcons training camp practices, and Coleman is going to get carries this season as long as he can stay healthy. As the Falcons website points out, Coleman has a strong track record against the Eagles.
"In his previous two matchups against the Eagles, Coleman has totaled 30 rushes for 159 yards, including eight first downs, and one catch for 14 yards," AtlantaFalcons.com reports. "The former Hoosier’s 5.3 yards per carry is the highest average in Falcons history against the Eagles with a minimum of 25 carries. In the divisional-round matchup back in January, Coleman recorded 10 rushes for 79 yards and will be looking to top that and help the Falcons seal the win this time around."