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Corner Lockdown: Covering Week 7 (fantasysharks.com)
10/22/2011 Maurice Morris RB DET, Jerome Harrison RB DET, Thomas Jones RB KC, Tashard Choice RB BUF, Montario Hardesty RB CLE 1 Comment

Running Wild

Maurice Morris has become a hot commodity in the fantasy world since it appears that starting Detroit running back Jahvid Best is going to miss at least this week because of a concussion. This is now Best's third concussion in the last three years, and the team is taking it very seriously. Remember that he also suffered one back in college and missed more than a month of playing time.

It's unknown how much time Best will miss now, but it's a safe bet that Morris will be starting on Sunday. With Jerome Harrison done for the season, it looks like Morris is going to get a healthy share of the load in the Detroit backfield. That said, snatch Morris up off the waiver wire if he's still available. He should provide a great boost in the flex spot or be a nice bye-week filler at the very least. Morris has been around the league and is a good runner with solid pass catching skills. And if the Lions get the passing game going early it will open things up for him to operate against a spotty Atlanta defense. Morris is a great spot start this week.

Even with the loss of starting running back Jamaal Charles, Kansas City's backfield still has some depth to it. Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster have both been average at best filling the void, but Jackie Battle has been very impressive. Battle didn't get many reps the first three weeks after Charles got hurt, but he sure made his presence felt in Week 5 with 119 yards rushing on 19 carries. The Chiefs are coming off a bye week, and I'd be shocked if Battle isn't a main part of the game plan against a weak Oakland run defense.

Jones' average yards per carry has been terrible and McCluster has been used more as a receiver, so Battle could see the majority of work out of the backfield on Sunday. He's a very risky play, but it might be very rewarding for fantasy owners, seeing that the Raiders have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs so far this season.

The running back situation in Cleveland is starting to get interesting as well now that Peyton Hillis is battling a hamstring injury and a bad attitude. The fantasy darling of 2010 is very questionable to play in Week 7, so this would open the door for Montario Hardesty to get a nice workload. The Browns are getting sick of Hillis' contract complaints and are very high on Hardesty. It would be a good idea to grab him if you don't already have him as a handcuff to Hillis. He hasn't really gotten much going so far this season, but has had a...

Thomas Jones RB KC
10/9/2011 Kansas City Chiefs Comment

Thomas Jones rushed 10 times for 55 yards and caught two passes for seven yards in the Chiefs' Week 5 win.

Jones hit a couple of huge holes for solid gains, but was thoroughly outplayed by and received fewer touches than Jackie Battle. Jones' role figures to decrease in favor of Battle going forward. He's barely worth owning.

Thomas Jones RB KC
10/2/2011 Kansas City Chiefs 2 Comments

Thomas Jones ran for just 37 yards on 11 carries in the Chiefs' Week 4 win over the Vikings.

It's interesting to note that special teamer Jackie Battle (5-22) got the carries late in clock-killing mode, with Jones essentially nowhere to be found. His tank on E, Jones is on pace for just 452 total yards, has not scored on the season, and is averaging a putrid 2.82 yards per touch. He won't be anything close to a fantasy option in Week 5 at Indianapolis.

Thomas Jones RB KC
9/25/2011 Kansas City Chiefs 5 Comments

Thomas Jones rushed 14 times for just 31 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chargers.

Jones added one catch for two yards. It was a predictably inept performance for Jones, who had averaged just 3.62 yards per carry over his previous 18 games coming into this one. And as the Chiefs fell behind, Jones lost the majority of his snaps to Dexter McCluster. The 33-year-old is nothing more than a desperation option for owners grasping at straws.

Thomas Jones RB KC
9/24/2011 Kansas City Chiefs 5 Comments

OC Bill Muir says the Chiefs plan to give Thomas Jones the ball "until his tongue is hanging out."

"We'll do whatever we've got to do to win the game," Muir said. "Wherever (Jones has) been, he's loved to carry the ball." With Dexter McCluster expected to be limited to 10-to-14 touches per game, Jones will shoulder the rest of the load. He has no upside, but is at least worth a flier in deeper leagues. Le'Ron McClain and Jackie Battle could eventually be in line for carries, but for now they're off the radar in even exceptionally deep formats.

Corner Lockdown: Covering Week 3 (fantasysharks.com)
9/24/2011 Thomas Jones RB KC, Plaxico Burress WR PIT, Dexter McCluster WR KC, Daniel Thomas RB MIA, Ben Tate RB HOU Comment

Running Wild

All you Reggie Bush owners already received the bad news that you knew would come sooner or later. In this case, it only took two weeks as rookie running back Daniel Thomas put on a show in his NFL debut. The first-year player out of Kansas State rushed 18 times for 107 yards against a decent Houston Texans' run defense. Meanwhile, Bush only received six carries and put up just 18 yards. Though it's still very early in the season, it looks as if Thomas has already cemented himself as the premier back in Miami. He will surely get the bulk of the carries in Week 3 and should be close to 100 yards rushing for the second straight week as he goes up against Cleveland. I understand it's only been one game, but after last week's performance Thomas should be starting in most formats. Bush is suffering from a groin issue as well, so this is even better news for Thomas owners. Sit Bush, start the rookie and expect a nice fantasy line from him.

Jamaal Charles is officially done for the season and this leaves Kansas City with an interesting backfield situation. The big question for fantasy owners all week has been who is the better Chiefs' running back to own? It looks like Thomas Jones is going to get more carries, but Dexter McCluster could get more touches. McCluster has way more upside than the much older Jones, but his durability issues really hurt his chances of becoming the full-time starter. Jones should get at least 15 carries a game the rest of the season, but he doesn't offer much in the receiving category. This is where McCluster shines. He's one of the better pass catching backs in the league and the speed and quickness to score every time he touches the ball. Seeing that Kansas City will be playing from behind much of the season and will be forced to air it out a lot more, I like McCluster more than I do Jones. Either way, both have received a fantasy bump with the Charles injury and are both solid flex plays for the time being.

It's been a nightmare of a start for Arian Foster and his owners. After not playing in Week 1 because of a hamstring injury, he put up just 33 yards on 10 carries last Sunday. What's worse is that he tweaked his hamstring again and is uncertain for Houston's Week 3 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. It looks as if Ben Tate will be getting the start this weekend and should get plenty of carries. He should be in your starting lineup in all leagues not only because Foster might not play, but because he is one of...

Inside The Gamebook - Early Games Week 2 (fantasysharks.com)
9/23/2011 Thomas Jones RB KC, Legedu Naanee WR MIA, David Nelson WR CLE, Ryan Grant RB GB, James Starks RB GB Comment

(Season numbers in parentheses)

OAKLAND at BUFFALO

OAKLAND

AVERAGE YARDS PER POSSESSION: 44.5 (30.9)

TOUCHDOWN DRIVE RATE: 50 percent (30 percent)

RED ZONE EFFICIENCY: 4-for-4, 100 percent (6-for-8, 75 percent)

RED ZONE DISTRIBUTION: Rush 10, Pass 4 (Rush 16, Pass 8)

BIG PLAYS: 10-plus Rush 3, 20-plus Pass 5 (Rush 10, Pass 5)

DEEP TARGET ATTEMPTS: 7 (10)

Injuries to the wide receiver position opened the door for Denarius Moore to start this past week and he didn't disappoint with 146 yards and a 50-yard touchdown on five receptions. Six of his eight targets were for 20-plus yards and he hauled in three of them. His role is going to increase and he is worth an addition.

BUFFALO

AVERAGE YARDS PER POSSESSION: 52.6 (38.5)

TOUCHDOWN DRIVE RATE: 50 percent (42 percent)

RED ZONE EFFICIENCY: 4-for 5, 80 percent (8-for 10, 80 percent)

RED ZONE DISTRIBUTION: Rush 3, Pass 10 (Rush 12, Pass 16)

BIG PLAYS: 10-plus Rush 8, Pass 0 (Rush 12, Pass 2)

DEEP TARGET ATTEMPTS: 3 (9)

An injury to Robert Parrish has given David Nelson the opportunity to solidify a role in the offense and he is worth an addition. He has 14 receptions on 19 targets for 149 yards and a 6-yard touchdown. His four red zone targets are tied for the third-most on the team, and Buffalo is averaging a league-high 39.5 points per game.

GREEN BAY at CAROLINA

GREEN BAY

AVERAGE YARDS PER POSSESSION: 33.2 (36.3)

TOUCHDOWN DRIVE RATE: 25 percent (36 percent)

RED ZONE EFFICIENCY: 1-for-4, 25 percent (5-for-8, 63 percent)

RED ZONE DISTRIBUTION: Rush 3, Pass 6 (Rush 9, Pass 12)

BIG PLAYS: 10-plus Rush 3, 20-plus Pass 3 (Rush 6, Pass 7)

DEEP TARGET ATTEMPTS: 7 (14)

Ryan Grant's average per rush and reception dipped in Week 2 while James Starks averages both rose. Their touches have remained similar through the first two weeks except Starks has been on the field more in the second half. Grant also has zero touches inside of the 10-yard line while Starks has three. He has already begun to take over more control of the running game and will have more long term value than Grant.

CAROLINA

AVERAGE YARDS PER POSSESSION: 38.5 (39.2)

TOUCHDOWN DRIVE RATE: 17 percent (21 percent)

RED ZONE EFFICIENCY: 2-for 6, 33 percent (3-for 8, 38 percent)

RED ZONE DISTRIBUTION: Rush 7, Pass 11 (Rush 9, Pass 15)

BIG PLAYS: 10-plus Rush 1, 20-plus Pass 8 (Rush 4, Pass 15)

DEEP TARGET ATTEMPTS: 9 (17)

Brandon Lafell is someone to keep on the radar for now. He has eight receptions on 10 targets for 119 yards and a 3-yard touchdown....

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