When choosing your fantasy running backs something to note is how easy or difficult their schedule is. Some fantasy owners may want to avoid certain running backs who face tougher defenses right at the start of the season.
Here are five running backs whose schedules are a bit more unfriendly than others kicking off the season.
Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams
Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley may be sidelined for the first couple weeks of the season, so this would likely lead second-year Mason to start for the team. This is good news for Mason, but not-so good news for his fantasy schedule.
Week 1 has Mason facing his NFC west Seattle Seahawks daunting defense that allowed the second-least fantasy points to the position last year. Mason faces second, on the road, the Washington Redskins stingy defense who ranked sixth-best at stopping the run.
Week 3 does not get any easier with the Rams on the road again facing the Arizona Cardinals who allowed only eight rushing scores all season in 2014. Next, Mason, or possibly Gurley and the team play another away game against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers sported the 14th-best rush defense in 2014 and also allowed only eight rushing scores.
Out of the gate, the Rams running backs are certain to struggle.
Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
Hyde in his first start with the 49ers hosts the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. While the Vikings defense allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to running backs last year, it only allowed 10 rushing scores all season. Specifically, only one rushing touchdown was scored against them in the last four weeks of the 2014 season. Hyde could be challenged a bit there.
Week 2 has the 49ers on the road where Hyde will face the Steelers 12th toughest rush defense that allowed only eight ground scores to be made all last season.
Next up for Hyde is another road game against those tough Cardinals who only allowed an average of 14.30 fantasy points and .5 touchdowns per game last season.
It doesn’t get much better for Hyde in Week 4 when the team hosts the Packers who kept things tough on running backs last year allowing only eight rushing scores all year.
We would like to hope that Hyde will step into the shoes that former running back Frank Gore vacated. However, we might need to get past a few bumps in the road as the season starts off.
Joique Bell or Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions
Currently, Bell is healing from a couple of injuries and slowly making his way back to practice. The Lions rookie running back Abdullah has been performing quite well at training camp thus far. At this point we’re not sure who we will see starting for the Lions, but whichever running back does start, he faces some tough opponents.
Week 1 has the Lions playing the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers only let six rushing touchdowns escape past them last season. Next for the Lions is an away game at the Minnesota Vikings. We mentioned above that the Vikings stingy defense only allowed one touchdown to be scored on the ground during the last four weeks of the 2014 season.
The Lions running backs host the Denver Broncos in Week 3 which has them facing the team whose defense allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to the position last year. Additionally, the Broncos allowed just six rushing touchdowns all season long.
In Week 4, things remain dismal for Bell or Abdullah who travel to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. Over the course of the 2014 season the Seahawks allowed an average of only 69.8 rushing yards and .43 touchdowns per game.
For those considering drafting a Lions running back, you may want to put a different RB2/flex in your starting lineup at the beginning of the season.
Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
Lacy is a must start each week. However, temper your expectation of Lacy at the start of the season when he faces some potentially threatening defenses.
Out of Lacy’s first four opponents, his Week 1 matchup in Chicago against the Bears will be his easiest. The Bear ranked 16th in allowing the most rushing yards to running backs last year.
Enjoy that week because Week 2 has the Packers hosting the Seahawks who are excellent in limiting running backs as described in the Lions and Rams scenarios mentioned above.
In Week 3, Lacy will face the Kansas City Chiefs who might allow Lacy some yardage, but may not allow him to score. The Chiefs allowed only four rushing touchdowns to be scored against them in 2014. Ouch.
Week 4 has the Packers at the San Francisco 49ers, who allowed opposing running backs in 2014 an average of only 14.3 fantasy points per game and only seven total ground scores.
If any running back can defy some tough defensive competition, Lacy is one of the better who could by up to the challenge.
Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins
Miller and Dolphins travel to play the Washington Redskins in their season opener. In 2014 the Redskins defense limited opposing running backs to the sixth-least fantasy points at 14.41 per game.
Miller catches somewhat of a break in Week 2 when the Dolphins play on the road again against the Jacksonville Jaguars whose defense got tougher towards the end of 2014. During the final two games of the last season, they limited opposing running backs to 190 yards and only one rushing touchdown.
In Week 3, the Dolphins host their AFC east rival Buffalo Bills. The Bills secondary was quite handy at shutting down Miller last season and allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to the position.
In Week 4, the Dolphins host another AFC east rival, the New York Jets. The Jets allowed an average of only 82.1 rushing yards per game and eight total touchdowns in 2014. Miller turned over mixed results last season while playing the Jets. Week 13 had Miller tallying only 56 yards against the Jets while in Week 17, Miller totaled 178 rushing yards. It could go either way for Miller in Week 4.
Miller makes for a strong RB2 fantasy option most weeks, however, when the competition is tough, he may leave his fantasy owners a bit short-handed at times.