Fantasy Football RB: Week 2 RB Start Em/ Sit Em

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) carries the ball as Arizona Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports fantasy football RB

It’s week 2 of the fantasy football season and you need to figure out who to start as your fantasy football RB this week. Luckily you’ve come to the right place.

START THESE RBs…

Rashad Jennings, NYG (vs. NO)

Word of advice? Start your running backs against the Saints. Ranked 31st against the run in 2015, they followed up that spectacular performance by giving up 167 yards on the ground in Week 1 against the Raiders. He got 18 carries in the season opener, and seems to have a lock on the job despite Shane Vereen getting a good amount of work. He won’t be good for you in PPR leagues, but he’s facing New Orleans in Week 2 and should see the red zone work against a soft defense.

C.J. Anderson, DEN (vs. IND)

LeGarrette Blount, NE (vs. MIA)

The Dolphins defensive line is in shambles heading into this game, which should mean the Patriots can lean on Blount, especially if they are playing with a lead in the fourth quarter, which is all but a certainty. Blount had a good start to the season last week at Arizona with 22 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. You never know how the Patriots will use their running backs, but it appears that Blount and James White (one carry for 4 yards and five catches for 40 yards at Arizona) are locked into their respective roles. And with Jimmy Garoppolo still starting for the suspended Tom Brady, we expect Blount to have a chance for a solid outing this week.

Jeremy Langford, CHI (vs. PHI)

Langford’s Week 1 performance was the definition of “meh”: 17 carries, 57 yards (3.4 YPC), two receptions on four targets, six receiving yards and a rushing touchdown to save his day. The important part, though, is that he was very obviously Chicago’s three-down back, playing on 96 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps and out-touching backup Ka’Deem Carey, 19-1. A similar workhorse-type number of touches against a much more favorable opponent (the Eagles allowed 84 rushing yards on 15 carries to Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson in Week 1) gives Langford RB1 upside in Week 2.

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore (23) runs the ball in the second half of the game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

SIT THESE RBs…

Frank Gore, IND (@ DEN)

Gore carried the ball 14 times for 59 yards against a decent Lions’ defense in week one, but his task becomes much more difficult in week two. Gore, who is now 33, faces a Denver defense that limited Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart to just 64 yards on opening night. Denver’s run defense lost some key contributors in the off-season, but returns many from a unit that finished third against the run last season. Playing on the road in Denver is never an easy task, and the Broncos stout run defense makes Gore an unattractive option next week.

Ameer Abdullah, DET (vs. TEN)

Jeremy Hill, CIN (@ PIT)

Hill struggled in week 1, rushing for only 31 yards on nine carries and his only saving grace was that he managed a goal-line touchdown. While Hill is a constant threat to score a touchdown every game, e’s also become dependent on end-zone visits to make a solid fantasy impact. This week he goes up against the Steelers, who have held him to an average of 6.7 fantasy points in four career meetings. Hill has also never scored a touchdown against them, making him tough to start.

Todd Gurley, STL (vs. SEA)

Teams are going to continue to stack the box with Case Keenum and the Rams’ vanilla passing offense not serving as much of a threat, and against the 49ers in Week 1, that resulted in very little running room for Gurley, who had to work hard for 47 rushing yards on 2.8 YPC. In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, one of the best defenses in the NFL, Gurley will likely need a touchdown to provide a useful line in fantasy.