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After parting ways with Stevan Jackson, the St. Louis Rams needed a new running back to carry the load. Entering the start of the NFL season, it was unclear who would get the bulk of the carries of the team, but the best bet for fantasy football players was Daryl Richardson. After not finding much running room through the first four weeks, Richardson is set to breakout in Week 5.
Richardson hasn’t done anything to get excited about so far, and is yet to find the end zone. After giving all backs on the roster a chance to show what they can do on the field, Richardson appears to have won the job outright.
Richardson was given the rock 20 times in Week 1, but only managed 60 yards and therefore saw his amount of carries decline in the following weeks.
Last week, against the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams were behind and forced to throw the ball, giving little chance to Richardson to produce. Richardson only managed 12 carries, but backup running back Benny Cunningham finished with only four carries. Fellow running back Isaiah Pead was a surprise inactive due to a coach’s decision, which is only good news to Richardson owners moving forward.
If you’ve starting Richardson in any of the four NFL weeks, you have been disappointed with your choice, and he most likely is now keeping a spot on the bench warm.
Week 5 of the NFL has four teams on by weeks, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburg Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. This means that you can’t play your top backs in Adrian Peterson, Doug Martin or Alfred Morris. Richardson is a perfect one week fill in for these players, who happens to find himself in a favorable matchup this week.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking like the NFL’s worst team, and through four weeks are ranked 23rd against running backs, in terms of fantasy production. They have given up an average of 17.5 points to opposing running backs each week. If there was ever a time for Richardson to have a breakout performance, it is Week 5.
Richardson can be a solid bye week fill in on your team, and has the potential to add some productive points to your team. The Rams and Richardson have had 10 days of rest since their last game, giving Richardson enough time to rest that nagging foot injury. He will get the bulk of the carries in Week 5, and has a great chance at finding the end zone for the first time this season.
Tristen Challe is a Fantasy Writer for Rantsports. Follow him on Twitter @TristenChalle or on Google
