RADIO
In need of a solid running back come Week 13 of your fantasy football season? Sure, there are plenty of big-name, top-of-the-line backs out there, but there’s still quite a bit of talent among those who aren’t nearly as popular or well known.
Take Spencer Ware of the Kansas City Chiefs, for example. Ware is currently seeing time due to a nagging hamstring injury Charcandrick West can’t seem to overcome. Ironically, West was seeing carries because of Jamaal Charles’ knee issues. Whatever the case, Ware was the starting halfback at Arrowhead Stadium when the Chiefs welcomed the Buffalo Bills to town.
Ware took advantage of his time to shine and picked up exactly where West left off, carrying the ball 19 times for a total of 114 yards and a touchdown. Sure, nothing jaw-dropping, but the talent is clearly there. Should the need arise for solid play at the running back position, Ware’s seen as a must-start option at Oakland next weekend.
On the flip side of things, Lamar Miller of the Miami Dolphins is struggling to find yards out on the open field. When Dan Campbell was handed the reigns after Joe Philbin’s firing, it appeared as though good things were on the horizon for Miller. In fact, reports Jamey Eisenberg of CBSSports.com, “He [Miller] had either a touchdown or 100 total yards in five games in a row, including at least 15 fantasy points in a standard league in four of those outings.”
Eisenberg’s point aside, things have taken a turn for the worse. During the past two games against the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets, Miller failed to run well and combined for a grand total of six fantasy points—yes, you read that correctly.
As a result of such poor play, Jay Ajayi continues to see more carries for the Dolphins. If Miller’s production doesn’t increase, he may very well lose his starting role. Needless to say, next week, Miller will be seen as a low-end number two running back when the Dolphins welcome the defensive-minded Baltimore Ravens to Sun Life Stadium. Hopefully the firing of offensive coordinator Bill Lazor will lead to a more run-heavy attack for Miami, allowing both Miller and Ajayi to thrive.
