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Today I will take a look at the bye week schedule for the Top 24 Running Backs, according to Mike Gallagher's Running Back Rankings for PPR leagues, and provide you with two running backs you might want to draft to "pair" with your RB1 and your RB2 picks later in your fantasy drafts.
Let's take a look at the two running backs I recommend pairing with your RB1 and RB2 for PPR leagues, along with their bye week opponents:
|
Name |
Bye Week |
Bye Week Sub |
Bye Week Opponent |
|
Arian Foster |
Week 8 |
Michael Bush |
Carolina |
|
Ray Rice |
Week 8 |
Mark Ingram |
Denver |
|
Lesean McCoy |
Week 7 |
Mark Ingram |
Tampa Bay |
|
Darren McFadden |
Week 5 |
Jacquizz Rodgers |
Washington |
|
Chris Johnson |
Week 11 |
Shonn Greene |
St. Louis |
|
Demarco Murray |
Week 5 |
Kendall Hunter |
Buffalo |
|
Matt Forte |
Week 6 |
Shonn Greene |
Indianapolis |
|
Jamaal Charles |
Week 7 |
Cedric Benson |
St. Louis |
|
Adrian Peterson |
Week 11 |
Cedric Benson |
Detroit |
|
Steven Jackson |
Week 9 |
Ben Tate |
Buffalo |
|
Reggie Bush |
Week 7 |
Michael Bush |
Detroit |
|
Darren Sproles |
Week 6 |
Michael Turner |
Oakland |
|
Ryan Matthews |
Week 7 |
Mark Ingram |
Tampa Bay |
|
Maurice Jones-Drew |
Week 6 |
Ben Tate |
Green Bay |
|
Doug Martin |
Week 5 |
Mark Ingram |
San Diego |
|
Trent Richardson |
Week 10 |
Kevin Smith |
Minnesota |
|
Fred Jackson |
Week 8 |
Peyton Hillis |
Oakland |
|
Ahmad Bradshaw |
Week 11 |
Daniel Thomas |
Buffalo |
|
Marshawn Lynch |
Week 11 |
Cedric Benson |
Detroit |
|
Donald Brown |
Week 4 |
Michael Turner |
Carolina |
|
Willis McGahee |
Week 7 |
Ryan Williams |
Minnesota |
|
Frank Gore |
Week 9 |
Michael Bush |
Tennessee |
|
David Wilson |
Week 11 |
Ben Tate |
Jacksonville |
|
Evan Royster |
Week 10 |
Kendall Hunter |
St. Louis |
This table can be useful on draft day when deciding what backup running backs you will draft in rounds 8-12 as your RB3, RB4 or RB5. I usually don't look at bye weeks when drafting backups, but it is important as you don't want to be left with guys on the waiver wire who won't be getting many targets in 2012.
What I did was look at the teams that gave up the most fantasy points to running backs in 2011, and selected running backs who will be playing against these teams during the bye weeks of the Top 24 Running Backs. I am making an assumption here that these defenses did not improve in the offseason and will, again, allow the most fantasy points to running backs in 2012.
A couple guys I like, and will probably target in my drafts are Bears backup running back Michael Bush, who could easily score 10+ touchdowns in 2012, as he will be the Bears goal-line back.
Another running back that I like is Texans back up running back Ben Tate. Tate is a must hand cuff for Arian Foster owners, or owners who think Foster may get injured again in 2012. Tate is a top 12 running back should Foster miss a few games again this season.
Chiefs back up running back Peyton Hillis is another must hand cuff in case Jamaal Charles gets hurt again. In addition, the Chiefs will more than likely run the ball quite a bit this season, as they invested in their offensive line in the offseason. Hillis could also be the Chiefs goal-line back, stealing TDs from Charles.