Fantasy Football Counterpoint: Should You Start Latavius Murray over a Patriots Running Back?

This week my co-worker, Jeff Krisko, suggested that starting one of the New England Patriots running back is the smart fantasy football play. In our week eleven running back sit or start counterpoint, I will be letting you know why I just can’t get behind this idea. If you need to start a running back in a timeshare this week, you should start Latavius Murray.

I’m not saying that a New England running back isn’t going to have a good week this week. I think Jeff made some great points. My problem is, I don’t know which Patriots running back is going to do well. One of them always does, but trying to guess is the equivalent of playing fantasy football Russian roulette. The best you can hope for is not having your brains splattered all over the wall.

Haven’t we learned by now not to trust a Belichick running back? It only ever leads in heartbreak. That is why this week, I think you should start Latavius Murray.

This week, Latavius Murray is playing a Los Angeles Rams team that has given up the 4^th most fantasy points to running backs in standard scoring leagues. But the question remains, why Murray and not Jerick McKinnon?

Well, when we look at the Rams defense against the ground game, they have given up the 9^th most rushing yards to running backs, while they have given up the 12^th fewest receiving yards to running backs. Moreover, they have given up 7 rushing touchdowns to running backs, as opposed to 2 receiving touchdowns.

So if you feel this is the week that you finally have Bill Belichick figured out, have fun with your game of Russian roulette. But if you don’t feel like making the same life choices as Christopher Walken, perhaps you should try a more practical play. Perhaps you should start Latavius Murray.