Fantasy Football Week 7: Start or Sit Gore, Barber, or Kerryon Johnson?
Every week at Football Absurdity, we like to help you with your start or sit decisions. However, we have found that highlighting just one player at the fringe helps exactly one player in every league. In the interest of spreading the wealth, we have changed the format. We will now provide you start or sit advice and details on three players you should start and three you should sit on the periphery of usefulness. We are here for the people, and we only want to help you! Without further ado, the RB starts this week: Should you start or sit Frank Gore, Peyton Barber, or Kerryon Johnson?
Start or sit Frank Gore versus Detroit
Frank Gore’s carries have increased in each of the last three weeks, going from six in week three to fifteen in week six. His yardage has increased, obviously, but so has his yards per carry (2, 3.72, 5.25, and 6.73). The Inconvenient Truth will plug away like he always does, in abject defiance of the slow march towards death. He’s become the ground attack to Kenyon Drake’s satellite back. This week, he gets a great matchup against the Lions who allow the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, and also an astonishing 5.3 yards per carry on the year. Don’t make room for Frank Gore in your rosters, but if you’re trying to decide whether you should start or sit Frank Gore against marginal guys like Buck Allen or Bilal Powell, I would go with Gore. Start him.
Start or sit Peyton Barber versus Cleveland
Peyton Barber isn’t the best running back out there, and he blew up on people’s benches and waiver wires last weekend. However, a great game against the Falcons has his owners wondering if they should start or sit him. The Peyton Barber of Not-Fleet-of-Foot Street posted 18.6 fantasy points in half-PPR after disappearing off the face of the earth the two weeks prior. He still has more games with 15+ touches than he has without, and that’s something you’ll want to look at. The Browns have allowed one big game to running backs a week, including two 30 point bombs in weeks one and six, which goes a long way in my decision to start or sit Peyton Barber. Barber ranks a bit higher than Gore and is a good flex option to start this week.
Start or sit Kerryon Johnson at Miami
Kerryon Johnson needs to be released. From his cage, that is, not from his team. LeGarrette Blount stinks, Theo Riddick is hurt, and the Miami defense isn’t great against running backs. The talent is there, but head coach Matt Patricia has been reticent about giving his rookie significant touches. Still, he has double-digit touches in the last four games, so there’s a decent floor for production. The hope here is that Matt Patricia finds some cajones in his big bushy beard and benches LeGarrette Blount for good. Either way, seven running backs have scored touchdowns against the Browns in six weeks, with all seven going for at least 16 fantasy points. Get Kerryon Johnson into your lineups, he’s a start this week, and it might be the beginning of never worrying if you should start or sit Kerryon Johnson ever again.
If you are trying to decide between them, let these rankings help you:
- Kerryon Johnson
- Frank Gore
- Peyton Barber
If you own one of the guys below, these articles should help you decide if you should start or sit them:
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