Another week of NFL action is in the books, and while some running back situations around the league have cleared up, others have only become murkier. Here are three teams to watch when setting your DFS lineup for Week 3.
New York Jets
| Player | Week 2 Carries | Week 2 Targets | O-Snap % |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. Ivory | 14 | 2 | 46% |
| B. Powell | 12 | 5 | 54% |
Much has been made of Week 2's Monday night game but the conversation has mostly been on the struggles of Andrew Luck the 0-2 Colts. The New York Jets and their grizzled journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick have flown under the radar.
With a questionable passing game, the Jets were expected to rely on the dependable Chris Ivory to anchor their running game. In backup Bilal Powell, it appears the Jets have found a second option that will erode some of the value that Ivory had coming into the season.
Ivory and Powell combined for just 95 yards rushing with no touchdowns against the Colts. If you take away each of their longest runs neither emerges as a clear DFS option: Ivory averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 13 attempts when you take away a 19-yard burst while Powell averaged 1.4 yards per carry on 11 tries without his 23-yard gain.
With limited opportunities and questionable efficiency numbers, neither is worth more than a desperation pick against the Eagles in Week 3.
Tennessee Titans
| Player | Week 2 Carries | Week 2 Targets | O-Snap % |
|---|---|---|---|
| B. Sankey | 12 | 2 | 39% |
| T. West | 3 | 0 | 39% |
| D. McCluster | 10 | 4 | 24% |
Against the Buccaneers in Week 1, Bishop Sankey was an absolute steal, winning more than a couple contests for his DFS owners. The Titans' early lead allowed Sankey to be featured more heavily on the ground as Tennessee looked to run out the clock.
Those that bought into Sankey for Week 2 were surely disappointed. Trailing the Cleveland Browns, Marcus Mariota had no choice but to throw the ball in hopes of closing the gap. Sankey received the same number of carries as the week prior but couldn't break free for a run longer than eight yards. Terrance West actually played on just as many snaps as Sankey but featured mostly as a blocking back and decoy receiver - a complete DFS non-factor.
Dexter McCluster played just 24 per cent of the snaps but made the most of it, totaling 124 all-purpose yards. His big-play ability was on display when he rattled off a 44-yard run. He might see an increased use on passing downs as a receiver out of the backfield.
Sankey is still the lead back for now, but he will need to rebound against the Colts to silence the doubters.
San Francisco 49ers
| Player | Week 2 Carries | Week 2 Targets | O-Snap % |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. Hyde | 13 | 4 | 50% |
| M. Davis | 7 | 4 | 46% |
Carlos Hyde was the top Week 1 RB in most formats so regression was expected. With the Steelers throttling the 49ers early, there weren't a lot of opportunities to establish his running game.
Hyde is a former second round draft pick in his only second year, so rookie Mike Davis shouldn't pose much of a threat despite stealing snaps Week 2. Davis didn't provide much support in the passing game, even though it was one of his strengths at South Carolina where he averaged 11.5 yards per catch on 32 receptions in his final year.
In Week 3, the 49ers play a Cardinals team which has continued a trend from last year: porous pass defense with better than average run prevention. The Cardinals have already been in some QB shoot-outs this season so the 49ers will have to establish Hyde early to dictate the pace of the game.
