Shuffle Up: New England backfield not so scary right now
Okay, here are the Shuffle Up rules.
We are talking rest-of-season value. Everything to this point is an audition. If you want leaders to this point, you’ll find them elsewhere. If you want Week 5 rankings, click over here.
Today, we do running backs, just running backs. Next week, new position. Eventually I will start batching them in groups of two (probably backs with the tight ends, and quarterbacks with the wideouts.)
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You’ll disagree with stuff because that’s why we have a game. Try to stay grounded and rational with your players, it’s one of the most important skills in your fantasy toolbox.
The prices are unscientific and just a way to compare the players. When players are at the same price, it means they are considered even. I do not compare prices with other shuffles, and I do every shuffle from scratch.
Assume a half-point PPR scoring format. I will comment on many (perhaps most) players, but I do not promise a comment on everyone.
If you have a constructive piece of criticism, I’ll consider it. See something out of place? Offer some reasoning. I may alter the list between initial post and the end of Thursday.
And now we shuffle, shufflers.
Elite Tier
$34 Le’Veon Bell: If you started 2-2 or better and have Bell, I love your chances.
$32 Adrian Peterson: Same as it ever was.
$31 Jamaal Charles: One piece of the KC offense that Andy Reid can’t mess up.
Tier II
$27 Eddie Lacy: Started slow in 2014, too; so many built-in advantages here.
$25 Matt Forte
$24 Mark Ingram: Most underrated known back in football.
$23 Marshawn Lynch: Power backs often have jagged cliff season; gut says ride it out.
$21 Devonta Freeman: Has to hold baton even with Coleman return; Shanahan a genius.
$20 Todd Gurley: Pedigree, team incentive, one monster tape, you bet I believe.
$20 Latavius Murray: Ball security a problem in Chicago; still runs upright, too.
$20 Arian Foster: Didn’t do a thing at Atlanta, team around him is a mess.
$19 Chris Ivory: Long-term durability a problem, but when he plays, he’s play-success gold.
$18 Justin Forsett: Line looked a lot better Week 4 and nothing behind him; mediocre receiver.
$17 Jeremy Hill: Bernard not going anywhere, but Hill’s touchdown upside is enormous.
$16 T.J. Yeldon: A very high touch floor and you can’t say that about many players.
$16 Giovani Bernard: A speciality player, but he should be relevant most weeks.
Tier III
$15 DeMarco Murray: You follow money to some extent, but OL bad, Mathews might be better.
$15 Dion Lewis: Until the Pats introduce a third back into the mix, I am not worried.
$15 Danny Woodhead: If the OL is a problem, Woodhead’s skills fit offense much better than Gordon’s.
$14 Carlos Hyde: Game flow will be a weekly problem and the schedule looks awful.
$14 Joseph Randle: Benched after silly goal-line stretch last week, and there’s talent behind him.
$14 Lamar Miller: Philbin is gone, but there are other questionable decision makers who remain.
$14 LeGarrette Blount: Won’t do it every week, but you’ve got TD guy, clock-killer on elite team.
$13 Frank Gore
$12 Ameer Abdullah: If you don’t trust the coaches, it’s hard to get too excited.
$11 Doug Martin
$11 Ryan Mathews
Pier IV
$10 Melvin Gordon: Can he survive behind sub-standard offensive line?
$10 Jonathan Stewart: Everyone who plays fantasy gets let down by Stewart at one point.
$10 LeSean McCoy
$10 Ronnie Hillman: Nice player for what he is, but not built for high volume
$10 Andre Ellington
$10 Duke Johnson
$10 Karlos Williams: Difficult rankafter the concussion; still see higher upside than McCoy.
$9 C.J. Spiller: Hope overtime game-winner wakes up Payton, but what took so long?
$9 C.J. Anderson
$8 Chris Johnson: Looks a lot better than I expected, tied to plus offense.
$7 Alfred Morris
$7 David Johnson
$7 Matt Jones: They won’t completely abandon Morris, and there’s a third back, too.
$7 Darren McFadden: Looks cooked to me, but Dunbar gone and Randle has fleas, too.
Tier V
$6 Shane Vereen: When you see three, it’s often best to flee.
$6 Isaiah Crowell
$6 Christine Michael: I don’t tell you to stash everyone, but try to hold him through October.
$5 Tevin Coleman: Got hurt at worst time; Freeman has marked territory.
$5 Rashad Jennings
$5 Bishop Sankey: You never know with Weekend at Whisenhunt.
$4 Darren Sproles: Still scares defenses, but not built for heavy touches.
$3 Charles Sims
$3 Antonio Andrews
[Week 5 rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver | Flex | All Positions]
Tier VI
$2 Andre Williams
$2 Theo Riddick: Has some receiving chops and they might be behind an awful lot.
$2 James Starks
$2 Khiry Robinson
$2 Chris Thompson
$2 Roy Helu: Don’t think they’ll sour on Murray, but interesting piece if injury happens.
$2 Thomas Rawls: Looked like an undrafted free agent during Week 4 victory.
$2 Joique Bell
$2 Anthony Dixon
$2 Juwan Thompson
$2 Fred Jackson
$2 Zach Zenner: Summer hero but team has been reluctant to use him thus far.
$2 Dexter McCluster
$2 Bilal Powell
$1 Tre Mason
$1 DeAngelo Williams
$1 Damien Williams
$1 Charcandrick West
$1 Alfred Blue
$1 Lorenzo Taliaferro: Everything is straight line, doesn’t excite me.
$1 Jerick McKinnon
$1 Jeremy Langford: I don’t think Forte will get dealt, but if he were, it’s race to Langford.
$1 Cameron Artis-Payne
$1 Knile Davis: No longer a mandatory handcuff.
$1 Reggie Bush
$1 Benny Cunningham
$1 Chris Polk
$1 Marcel Reece: I always feel they could and should use him more.
$0 Zac Stacy
$0 Josh Robinson
$0 Javorius Allen: Hasn’t caught up to speed of game yet.
