October 27, 2018

The NFL season is nearly halfway over and Baltimore Ravens running back Alex Collins has yet to have a breakout performance. Collins, who was expected to join the 1,000-yard club this season, is averaging just 3.5 yards a carry and 44.1 yards a game. The 24-year-old was limited to 38 yards on 11 attempts last week against New Orleans, although he did add three receptions for an additional 10 yards. The good news for fantasy owners is that Collins has garnered three times as many touches (33-11) as backup Javorius Allen over the last two games -- it was 66 to 55 in Collins' favor after the first five weeks. However, the fourth-year back was only on the field for 28 (41.2 percent) of the offensive snaps in Week 7, marking the third time this year that he has failed to be involved in at least 30 plays. Perhaps more concerning is the fact that he only had one red-zone touch and none inside the 10. Saying all that, the Carolina Panthers could be just what the doctor ordered for the physical 208-pounder as they have yielded the seventh-most yards per attempt before contact. Overall, the Panthers have permitted the eighth-fewest rushing yards and the 10th-fewest fantasy points to running backs. Nevertheless, Collins is an RB3/flex option for the game due to his big-play ability, as the Panthers have surrendered six running plays of 20 or more yards.--Daniel Benjamin
Source: Baltimore Ravens