DFS: Week 7 RB Committee Report
This week, the Running Back Committee Report revisits two teams that have been featured previously that pose more questions than answers going into Week 7.
Kansas City Chiefs
| PLAYER | WEEK 6 CARRIES | WEEK 6 TARGETS | O-SNAP% |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. West | 9 | 2 | 69% |
| K. Davis | 5 | 1 | 31% |
In the aftermath of Jamaal Charles' season-ending injury, it's not hard to see why the Chiefs seemed cautious to rely heavily on their new-look run game. As expected, Charcandrick West got the starting nod ove Knile Davis but despite being on the field for the vast majority of offensive snaps, he didn't have many opportunities to showcase his DFS value.
West is now averaging 3.9 yards on 21 carries this season; Davis, despite having three years to adjust to the NFL game, has managed a mediocre 3.4 yards per carry. Neither seems to be much of a threat as a pass-catcher and neither is the type of intimidating physical force conducive to goal-line TD situations.
The Chiefs have had several years to figure out who Davis is as a player. Their choice to start West in Charles' absence says everything about the vet's upside at this point.
West is the man in Kansas City for now but with a longest gain of just six yards, he won't get the number of carries needed to be a stable DFS play outside of deep GPP games.
Dallas Cowboys
| PLAYER | SEASON CARRIES | SEASON TARGETS | O-SNAP% |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. Randle | 74 | 10 | 40.6% |
| D. McFadden | 37 | 13 | 27.2% |
| L. Dunbar | 5 | 23 | 26.9% |
| C. Michael | 2 | 0 | 0.6% |
Multiple sources are reporting that changes are afoot in Dallas over their bye week. With Matt Cassel possibly taking over for Brandon Weeden under center, the Cowboys might rely even more on their run game while their new pivot gets himself back to game speed.
That run game might not be led by Joseph Randle; several sources believe that Christine Michael might be the starter against the Giants. Michael had a great four-year collegiate career with Texas A&M and was effective in Seattle in limited playing time, averaging 5.1 yards on 34 carries last season.
On the surface, Randle's season stats don't seem to merit a demotion. If you take away a three TD Week 3 outing against Atlanta, however, he's been pedestrian despite a ton of touches. In Weeks 1 and 5, Randle averaged just four yards per carry and in Weeks 2 and 4, Randle averaged less than three yards per carry.
Dunbar was easily Dallas' top receiving back and it's not clear who, if anyone, will see targets out of the backfield now. McFadden's 8.4 yards per catch can be effective, if unpredictable. He never lived up to his status as a fourth-overall draft pick but McFadden is an okay depth-back in his eight season.
Dunbar's ACL tear hurts the Cowboys as a team but gives value to Michael, who at the very least will see a large chunk of Dunbar's snaps on offense.
Against a good Giants run defense, Michael can be a sleeper play in tournaments. Randle's demise may have become exaggerated but if the Cowboy's are serious about trying other options, Randle poses too much of a risk to lose significant playing time.