During the first week of the NFL season Fantasy Football There's been a lot of uproar in the community regarding the running back position.
What else would you have expected when the 49ers suddenly declared unanimous No. 1 overall pick Christian McCaffrey out for their Week 1 game just an hour before kickoff on “Monday Night Football”?
Teams that wisely handcuffed McCaffrey to backup Jordan Mason were able to avoid disaster, and will likely do so again this week, but those that didn't have to start the season 0-1.
From that moment on, all attention and waiver claims have been focused on the rookie running back who is slated to be the backup when the season begins.
This week it's not a matter of adding a guy like Blake Collum or Bucky Irving to the starting lineup.
That means protecting their investment in a notoriously injury-prone running back.
We saw this again in Week 2 against the Dolphins.
Raheem Mostert was unavailable and Devon Achan was set to be a decision at the start of the match.
If Acchane hadn't played, rookie Jalen Wight would have shared the workload with veteran Jeff Wilson Jr.
Wright is a starter-caliber player, while Wilson is a slower-paced player who can thrive as a short-distance pitcher.
Achein's production suggests that if he or Mostert were to get injured, Wright could be given a great opportunity, making him worth keeping on the bench.
When word got out that Sean McVay wanted to use oft-injured Kyren Williams as a punt returner, fantasy managers should have checked Corum's availability right away.
He didn't touch the ball in Week 1, but no one expected him to be involved anyway.
That's what we know about McVay's scheme and how he utilizes his running backs.
If something were to happen to Williams, Corum would be a huge asset in fantasy.
The situation in Tampa Bay is also worth noting.
Rachad White once again proved just how inefficient a runner he is, averaging 2.1 yards per carry in Week 1.
Irving, meanwhile, was strong, averaging seven yards per carry on nine touches.
White made up for that to fantasy managers with his good performance in the passing game, but Irving is also a solid pass-catching player, catching 87 passes for over 700 yards over his final two years at Oregon.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has already laid out the challenge of “getting through in-form teams,” and White could start missing opportunities if he's not careful.
How you run your fantasy bench is crucial to your success.
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We could start a revolving door, haphazardly adding and removing this week's flavors to keep up with last week's points, but doing so would only create confusion with additional lineup decisions that probably shouldn't be made.
Or they can be smart and prepare for the inevitable running back injuries that occur every year.
It's up to you, but safe money goes to those who protect themselves in very tough situations.
Howard Bender is Fantasy AlarmFollow him on .X Translator: Tune in to the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” weekdays from 6-8pm on the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Channel. Visit FantasyAlarm.com We bring you all the fantasy football news and advice.
