Getty Bo Scarbrough of the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions running back position has been a revolving door ever since starter Kerryon Johnson went down with a potentially season-ending knee injury back in Week 7.
Ty Johnson, Tra Carson, and JD McKissic have all tried their hand at replacing the workhorse back, all to varying, yet mostly underwhelming success.
In week 11, the team decided to give Bo Scarbrough a chance to nail down the lead-back gig in Detroit. All he did was accumulate the highest rushing total by a Lions running back in a single-game since Johnson went down with injury, while also being the first Lions running back to find the endzone over that span as well.
Is Scarbrough now firmly entrenched as the team’s starting running back? And if so, does that firmly place him in your fantasy football starting lineup as well? Let’s discuss.
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Bo Scarbrough’s Fantasy Outlook vs. Washington Redskins
Former University of Alabama running back, and the man who haunts Kirk Cousins’ dreams, Bo Scarbrough has not had the smoothest transition since entering the NFL back in 2018. Scarbrough has bounced around the league, landing on four separate teams’ rosters over less than a two-year span.
However, with the Detroit Lions ranking as the 27th-best run offense in football over the three games prior to Week 11, the team decided to give the well-traveled Scarbrough a shot to show his abilities.
In Scarbrough’s first professional game, he not only drew the start in the Detroit backfield, but he rushed for a team-high 55 yards (the most by a Lions back since Kerryon Johnson’s injury) and found the end zone. Yet, the most notable takeaway from Scarbrough’s performance from a week ago was his usage rate within the offense. Scarbrough out-touched the next closest Lions running back by 11 carries. He also played nearly 50% of the team’s offensive snaps, while no other running back eclipsed more than 19 snaps on the day.
This week Scarbrough will try his hand at carving up a horrendous Washington Redskins run defense. The ‘Skins currently allow an average of 133.9 rushing yards per game, the fifth-highest total in all of football. Their numbers in terms of fantasy success are not much better. Washington surrenders the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this year.
Should You Start or Sit Bo Scarbrough in Week 12?
Bo Scarbrough has essentially locked-down the lead back role in Detroit. Two of the past three starting running backs to face off against the Redskins have rushed for 95+ yards, while all three have found the endzone.
Scarbrough’s limitation in the passing game (21 career reception in three seasons at Alabama), and the presence of former wideout turned running back JD McKissic, will certainly dampen his PPR value, likely placing him as a low-end RB3, high-end RB4 in such leagues.
However, if you’re league operates on a standard or 0.5 point PPR scoring format, Scarbrough’s upside as a battering ram in the run game against a putrid Redskins defense is extremely enticing. View Scarbrough as a low-end RB2, high-end RB3/FLEX start in those specific formats.
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