Darren Sproles

Fantasy Football Week 15 Running Back Advice: Mathews gets the edge in Philly

Published Dec. 15, 2015 11:50 a.m. ET

John Halpin

Each week during the 2015 season, we're going to take a look at five running-back-by committee (RBBC) situations that you should keep a close eye on. Some will have big questions, while others might be noted due to their circumstances becoming clearer. We'll usually focus more on the week immediately ahead than look down the road.

And now, in alphabetical order ...

Chicago Bears

Week 14 snap count: Jeremy Langford 31, Matt Forte 28

Just when we thought Forte had edged ahead of Langford, we got another even split. Langford had 64 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches against the Redskins, while Forte ran 10 times for 45 yards plus a score and added a reception. At 5-8 with Forte likely to leave via free agency after the season, why wouldn't the Bears give Langford at least half the workload? Maybe because they didn't in Week 13? Let's give a slight edge to Forte, with both backs being in the low-RB2/flex range.

Cincinnati Bengals

Week 14 snap count: Gio Bernard 38, Jeremy Hill 19

We told you last week that the matchup with the Steelers might lead to a Bernard-heavy game. Maybe Andy Dalton's absence and the fact that the Bengals trailed for most of the game added to this, but Bernard was certainly on the field plenty. Both backs ended the game with nine touches.

With A.J. McCarron under center at San Francisco this week, look for the Bengals to run, run and run some more, as the Niners rank 31st with 133.6 rushing yards per game allowed. Both Hill and Bernard are solid RB2s, and this looks like a Hill game.

Kansas City Chiefs

Week 14 snap count: Charcandrick West 36, Spencer Ware 16

Ware came back into the game after suffering a rib injury, but West still looked like the lead back, even if he'll need to worry about Ware vulturing his goal-line touchdowns. The Ravens have looked vulnerable on the ground over the last couple of weeks, so the Charcnado could be in for a good game. He'll be a top-20 RB on my board. I would rather not start Ware unless desperate.

Philadelphia Eagles

Week 14 snap count: Darren Sproles 27, DeMarco Murray 25, Ryan Mathews 20

On Sunday morning, reports surfaced that Murray might be benched or serve as the Eagles' fourth-string back. He wound up being part of a three-back rotation, and trailed Mathews in touches by a 15-13 margin (Sproles had nine). Here's a quote from Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Ford:

"That might be a fair division of labor, but it isn't what Murray expected, and it certainly cements a change in team strategy that became apparent against New England. Murray isn't the lead back any more. He's not even the starter." (emphasis added)

Moving forward, you'd rather not start anyone in a three-man committee, but you might have to, right? View Mathews as a high-end flex, Sproles on the lower end of that scale, and Murray as likely bench fodder against the Cardinals. I wasn't high on Murray before the season started, but never saw this coming.

Washington Redskins

Week 14 snap count: Matt Jones 44, Alfred Morris 22

This was the second consecutive game in which Jones had a big edge over Morris, and you'll recall that last week we quoted a Redskins beat writer who mentioned the team accelerating Morris' "phaseout." Morris isn't disappearing yet, but he appears to be second banana to Jones, who creeps close to RB2 range against a mediocre Bills' rushing defense this week. Remember that Jones can catch the ball, too.

Others of note:

Carolina Panthers: If Jonathan Stewart (ankle) can't play, look for a committee against the Giants. Some will steer you to Cameron Artis-Payne, but I'll take Fozzy Whittaker. Not for 20 touches, but maybe 12-15.

Denver Broncos: C.J. Anderson (ankle) didn't play in Week 14, and his status for Sunday's matchup at Pittsburgh is TBD. The Steelers defend the run well, so don't get excited about CJA or Ronnie Hillman.

Detroit Lions: So much for my Ameer Abdullah love last week. Theo Riddick (37) was on the field for more snaps than Abdullah (19) and Joique Bell (17) combined. The Lions visit New Orleans to face a soft defense on Sunday, but there's too much confusion here. You can consider flexing Riddick in PPR and maybe Abdullah in standard leagues, but don't be fired up about it.

Green Bay Packers: With Eddie Lacy back in the saddle for the Packers, can you still start James Starks? Mike McCarthy returned to calling the Pack's plays on Sunday, and Starks had a terrific game in a complementary role (11 carries 71 yards, TD; four receptions, 32 yards, TD). The Green Bay wideouts are struggling, so Starks should be used enough to be a reasonable flex at Oakland.

Houston Texans: Chris Polk is probably the best Texans' back heading to Indy, but to start for fantasy purposes? Um, nope.

Jacksonville Jaguars: T.J. Yeldon has a sprained knee, and the Jags signed a free agent (Jonas Gray) on Tuesday. Grab Denard Robinson as a hedge against Yeldon not playing.

Seattle Seahawks: Tuesday's FOX Fantasy Buzz blog post addressed this situation. With Thomas Rawls out, DuJuan Harris is probably the best option.

(Snap counts courtesy of NFL.com's Game Books.)