DFS NFL RB Coach – Week 7, 2015

Published: Oct 23, 2015

A few things of note when understanding some of statistics provided in the tables. Most of the statistics are easy to understand but here are a few clarifications in case you are not following along:

The Pace ranking is based upon how fast each team gets to the line to run plays. The idea being the faster a team plays, the greater number of plays are run, which gives those particular players more chances at production. The rest of the data in the table below is pretty easy to understand as it relates mostly to the amount of volume and expected volume we can count on from each of the top RBs this week.

	# Plays	# Run Plays	# Snaps	% of Plays	# Touches	% of Touches		# Rush	% Rush
Player	(Team)	(Team)	(Player)	(Player/Team)	(Player)	(Player/Team)	Pace	Att	Att	D Vs Pos	DVOA	PFF O-LINE	O/U	Script
Adrian Peterson	292	146	178	0.61	111	0.46	25	101	0.69	19	15	44.5	5	8
Devonta Freeman	406	177	251	0.62	138	0.42	23	106	0.6	28	28	48	22	9
Le'Veon Bell	331	164	174	0.53	104	0.37	24	86	0.52	22	23		25	8
Todd Gurley	262	119	95	0.36	58	0.29	30	55	0.46	5	6	42	2	9
Latavius Murray	305	112	211	0.69	97	0.41	16	80	0.71	2	26	47	23	6
Arian Foster	444	166	78	0.18	62	0.19	1	45	0.27	14	12	43.5	14	7
Marshawn Lynch	353	173	123	0.35	65	0.22	26	55	0.32	8	8	42	3	8
Chris Ivory	334	163	118	0.35	89	0.33	18	83	0.51	23	2	48	17	5
Mark Ingram	396	149	217	0.55	115	0.36	8	88	0.59	17	31	52	26	6
Frank Gore	382	140	227	0.59	100	0.35	10	89	0.64	21	19	52	16	7
LeSean McCoy	352	172	125	0.36	69	0.23	21	60	0.35	12	9	42	21	8
Lamar Miller	297	97	181	0.61	68	0.31	3	56	0.58	7	25	43.5	20	8
Justin Forsett	406	158	260	0.64	127	0.41	4	104	0.66	20	16	48	9	8
Dion Lewis	316	119	196	0.62	66	0.26	7	40	0.34	30	14	48	27	4
Chris Johnson	353	156	144	0.41	98	0.35	28	93	0.6	24	3	48	11	7
T.J. Yeldon	382	140	256	0.67	96	0.35	6	81	0.58	26	29	42	24	6
Doug Martin	303	151	178	0.59	101	0.43	11	90	0.6	32	11	43.5	30	5
Joseph Randle	299	129	141	0.47	84	0.33	32	74	0.57	10	21		19	5
DeMarco Murray	388	160	143	0.37	92	0.3	2	71	0.44	6	5		13	7
Jonathan Stewart	321	164	175	0.55	95	0.34	12	79	0.48	27	4		7	8
Alfred Morris	396	167	144	0.36	90	0.28	27	85	0.51	16	20	43.5	12	8
Danny Woodhead	404	145	172	0.43	70	0.21	19	44	0.3	13	24	47	32	5
Carlos Hyde	348	170	228	0.66	115	0.41	13	104	0.61	31	30	42	31	4
Charcandrick West	354	144	44	0.12	24	0.09	14	21	0.15	29	17		6	6
Shane Vereen	385	150	147	0.38	50	0.16	5	29	0.19	3	22		28	6
LeGarrette Blount	316	119	61	0.19	51	0.2	7	49	0.41	30	14	48	27	7
Ameer Abdullah	394	119	137	0.35	67	0.23	9	54	0.45	15	18	44.5	10	5
Melvin Gordon	404	145	169	0.42	91	0.28	19	78	0.54	13	24	47	32	6
Andre Ellington	353	156	52	0.15	19	0.07	28	16	0.1	24	3	48	11	4
Rashad Jennings	385	150	122	0.32	80	0.26	5	66	0.44	3	22		28	5
Chris Thompson	396	167	126	0.32	42	0.13	27	19	0.11	16	20	43.5	12	4
Christine Michael	299	129	2	0.01	2	0.01	32	2	0.02	10	21		19	7
Knile Davis	354	144	30	0.08	18	0.07	14	16	0.11	29	17		6	6
Isaiah Crowell	378	151	147	0.39	82	0.28	20	73	0.48	4	27	42	29	3
Ryan Mathews	388	160	97	0.25	59	0.19	2	50	0.31	6	5		13	4
C.J. Spiller	396	149	80	0.2	27	0.08	8	12	0.08	17	31	52	26	7
Dexter McCluster	304	135	127	0.42	39	0.16	31	30	0.22	1	10	48	4	7
Theo Riddick	394	119	133	0.34	42	0.14	9	9	0.08	15	18	44.5	10	5
Charles Sims	303	151	154	0.51	51	0.22	11	37	0.25	32	11	43.5	30	7
Duke Johnson	378	151	185	0.49	73	0.25	20	49	0.32	4	27	42	29	7
Javorius Allen	406	158	40	0.1	33	0.11	4	30	0.19	20	16	48	9	3
Darren McFadden	299	129	92	0.31	49	0.19	32	37	0.29	10	21		19	5
Darren Sproles	388	160	121	0.31	45	0.15	2	28	0.18	6	5		13	6
Ahmad Bradshaw	382	140	0		5	0.02	10	4	0.03	21	19	52	16	5
Thomas Rawls	353	173	105	0.3	60	0.2	26	59	0.34	8	8	42	3	7
Denard Robinson	382	140	17	0.04	18	0.06	6	13	0.09	26	29	42	24	6
Roy Helu	305	112	48	0.16	14	0.06	16	8	0.07	2	26	47	23	6
Bishop Sankey	304	135	95	0.31	47	0.19	31	39	0.29	1	10	48	4	4
Tre Mason	262	119	58	0.22	23	0.11	30	20	0.17	5	6	42	2	3
Branden Oliver	404	145	22	0.05	23	0.07	19	18	0.12	13	24	47	32	7

D vs. Position – How that week's given opponent has done so far this season.

DVOA – Player's value over the average NFL running back performance so far this season. This number has been adjusted based upon opponent's defenses faced so far this season. The higher the number, the more value they have created for their team.

Script – Rating based upon the expected game script or basically how each player's role in the offense will be affected based upon expected game flow. The higher the rating, the greater the expected game flow will work in their favor. I.E. Danny Woodhead plays more in passing situations so with San Diego being sizeable favorites his role in the offense will likely be reduced if the game works out as expected.

Premium Options

Devonta Freeman is averaging over 27 touches over the last four games since taking over as the starter. He has also racked up eight TDs in that time. The Titans are a Top-3 defense vs. RBs but it has not stopped Atlanta from running on just about everyone. Freeman has added 25 catches over his four starts which shows he can contribute in multiple ways.

Adrian Peterson takes on a struggling Detroit defense which was lit up by the Chicago Bears last week. Peterson is the focal point of the offense where he is almost a lock to get 20-plus carries. Peterson does have a little more value on FanDuel since he is not as involved in the passing game so he doesn’t get the added points of some other RBs with a full-point PPR.

Arian Foster gets to play on the fastest-paced offense in the league in Houston and is the workhorse running back. Foster has 50 touches over the last two games while averaging 115 total yards per game. Miami showed some big improvement last week so while the season numbers don’t look great for their defense, it seems to be on the right track. Foster is still a solid play but not nearly as good as it would have been under previous coaching for the Dolphins.

Mid-Tier Options

Latavius Murray gets a chance to exploit the San Diego defense this week. Hopefully he doesn’t go Eddie Lacy on us and disappear. The Chargers have the second-worst run defense in the league that is giving up a league high 5.4 yds per carry. Murray is coming off a bye so he should be fresh and ready to go. He has should get 15-plus carries along with three to four catches which should allow him to put up some very solid numbers.

Todd Gurley for the price tag is my favorite play of the week. St. Louis had a bye week which has allowed Gurley a chance to rest after his 30 carry performance vs. Green Bay. Cleveland’s run defense is awful coming in as fifth-worst in the league and gives up five yards per carry. Gurley could see another 30 carries this week and would be an added bonus if he could catch a few passes. The Rams have made it a point they want to ride their rookie RB.

Chris Ivory could fall subject to a game flow issue if the Jets fall behind early but it is hard to ignore his 312 yards in his last two games. New England appears to have a decent rush defense if you look at the basic numbers but that is only because they have faced the second-fewest rush attempts in the league. New England gives up 4.8 yds per carry and Ivory has been the second-most effective runner in the league.

LeSean McCoy looked much better than expected last week coming back from his hamstring injury. If Karlos Williams is out once again, McCoy will likely see all of the touches again this week. Jacksonville has struggled to stop RBs the last two weeks and if McCoy’s hamstring holds up he should put up a big day. I am a little worried about trusting McCoy to stay healthy but he makes a great tournament option.

Bargain Options

Lamar Miller may finally get his chance to shine with a new head coach in place. For the first time all year, Miller finally got over 20 touches and he ran wild on Tennessee. Miami has a new attitude so expect the running game to be a focal point. Opposing defenses have a difficult time slowing down the Dolphins when they utilize the read option. The Texans are the seventh-worst rush defense and play at the fastest pace in the league while the Dolphins rank third. There should be plenty of extra chances for both offenses.

Christine Michael is very cheap across most sites but the questions remain how much work he gets. It sounds like he will be more involved but not sure how much. The Cowboys have not been nearly as good running the ball as last year so who knows how much success Michael will have if given a bunch of carries. Michael should be limited to a tournament option despite his cheap price. He is an unproven player who could very well only see five carries or less.

Player News

Player Name

Kenneth Grant

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.

2 days ago

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.

2025-05-09 8:54:36 (ET)

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Atlanta Falcons

Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.

3 days ago

Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.

2025-05-08 9:16:12 (ET)

Elic Ayomanor

Tennessee Titans

Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.

3 days ago

Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.

2025-05-08 9:09:25 (ET)

Tez Johnson

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.

3 days ago

Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.

2025-05-08 9:03:02 (ET)

Casey Rogers

Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.

3 days ago

Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.

2025-05-08 8:57:57 (ET)

Tai Felton

Minnesota Vikings

Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.

3 days ago

Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.

2025-05-08 8:52:42 (ET)

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