X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

3 Running Backs Sending Out Warning Signals After Week 7

By Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Rek analyzes the top three fantasy football players that did not perform well in Week 7 including Reggie Bush and Alfred Morris. These fantasy football busts are sending out warning signals.

 

Players That Are Making Me Nervous For Week 8

As always here, is your quick follow-up to last week's action. First, Kendall Wright is the only one who responded to being called out in my article, putting up 68 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Bishop Sankey continued to prevent the Sankey Leg from becoming a thing in his second start. Finally, Percy Harvin was so afraid of continuing to disappoint us that he got himself traded to the Jets, who had already played for the week. I guess the Seahawks read my weekly columns!

Now let's get started with this week's review.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Marshawn Lynch (RB, SEA)

98% owned on Fleaflicker

By Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Many thought that this would be the year Beastmode would start to sputter, because he had run too hard for too long. We couldn't have been more wrong. Marshawn came out running hard in the first four games, and continued to be one of the top options at the volatile running back position. Maybe the fountain of youth is secretly hidden in packets of Skittles, because Marshawn looked like he was running as if powered by a golden mushroom on Rainbow Road.

However, the last two games have not quite been the same story. Sure, Lynch did gain 61 yards on 10 attempts against the Cowboys, but he had no touchdowns, making for a pretty mediocre fantasy day. More concerning for his owners was this week's performance against the Rams. The volume was there, as evidenced by Marshawn's 18 attempts, but he only managed 53 yards for a disgusting 2.9 yards per carry. Sure, he also had two receptions for 18 yards, but this is not the sort of performance fantasy owners were expecting after what he'd done to open the season.

Should Marshawn Lynch owners be worried? No. That's silly. The Seahawks are a run-first team and they will need to feed the Beast to win games. Another positive note for Lynch owners is that both the Cowboys and Rams run defenses are ranked among the top in the league this year, and the schedule is looking a little easier from here on out. In fact, next on the docket for Lynch is the Panthers, who are allowing the third-most fantasy points to running backs this year. Sign me up for some of that action, please! If the Beastmode owner in your league is worried, do everything in your power to buy low.

 

Alfred Morris (RB, WAS)

96% owned on Fleaflicker

The outlook for Alfreid Morris is not quite as rosy as it is for Lynch. Morris has only had two games this season where he has earned 10 or more fantasy points in standard leagues, and he is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry on the year. Most recently, Morris faced the Titans-- he should have run all over them, but he couldn't. Jay Gruden claimed that Morris is out of sync with the offense. Things are not going well for you when you're publicly called out by your head coach. It's like the teacher in high school who announced the lowest grades to the class, and your name was one of them.

There are other factors at play here as well. Obviously the QB rotation between RGIII, Kirk Cousins and now Colt McCoy has not helped. It's hard to run the ball when your passing attack can largely be ignored, but that doesn't really explain the huge dip of over a yard from his career rushing average. Things won't get easier this week for Morris owners, either, as he faces the aforementioned tough Cowboys run defense.

In this low-end offense, with the way he is running, it's hard for me to see Morris as anything but a middle-to-low-end RB2. I'm willing to bet that's not what most of you drafted him for. If you could package him and another bench piece for someone like Ahmad Bradshaw, I'd take that deal.

 

Reggie Bush (RB, DET)

91% owned on Fleaflicker

As one of my fellow writers here once said to me, "Champions are won with running backs who are old and running on bum ankles, right?" We were, of course, referring to Reggie Bush, who is 29 and hurt his ankle not too long ago. I was trying to sell Bush because I thought we had seen the height of his value; unfortunately, so my trading partner felt the same way. Ultimately, I did find another buyer who gave me Torrey Smith for Reggie Bush. But this isn't about my trades, this is about why I wanted to trade Bush.

As my fellow writer sarcastically reminded you guys, it's not typical to see good production from an older running back with an injury, especially not when the injury is to the lower body. Bush returned against his former team, who many expected him to torch in this "revenge" game, similar to what Steve Smith Sr. did to the Panthers a few weeks ago.  Fate had other things in mind for Bush. He rushed four times for 10 yards and caught five balls for 22 yards. This more than likely reminded the Saints why they'd rid themselves of Bush in the first place, though to be fair, he has had many good seasons since leaving them.

Bush, whose value is mostly in PPR formats, has only one game in such leagues where he has earned 10 or more fantasy points. Meanwhile, it's starting to look like the Joique Bell Show in Detroit. Earlier in the year, when I drafted Bush in the sixth round of the RotoBaller expert league, Uncle Leo asked me if I was worried at all about Joique Bell. I confidently (and idiotically) said "no." I'm older now, and wiser! I'm officially worried about Bush, and I'd advise trying to sell on his name value if he still has any.

 

Closing Thoughts After Week 7

There were other players that I could write about this week, but since I write a weekly running back column I thought it might be nice to highlight some running backs I'm worried about. Some of my other choices, such as Matt Ryan, were also just too obvious at this point. As a bonus, I know some people are worried about Giovani Bernard, but you shouldn't be.  Just remember we are past the halfway mark now, so it's time to make decisions to save your season and ensure your road to glory!

On an unrelated note: I'll be on vacation next week and thus away from my computer. Zach W will be writing this column for me next week so you guys won't miss out. See you all when I get back from sunny Florida!

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP