Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
The story of Week 12 in the NFL as far as running backs go was injuries, injuries, injuries. Multiple fantasy football relevant backs left their game on Sunday banged up leaving their Week 13 status up in the air. One running back that could see an increased workload in his upcoming game is St. Louis Rams running back Benny Cunningham, who needs to be picked up off the waiver wire in Week 13.
Star running back Zac Stacy suffered a concussion in the first half of Sunday’s contest against the Chicago Bears, and Cunningham was called in and given his chance to shine.
Shine he did as Cunningham shredded the Bears defense for 109 yards and touchdown on 13 carries. Sure the Bears defense hasn’t been the greatest against the run this season, but due to lack of time Cunningham has seen on the field his numbers cannot go without recognition.
The Rams are not shy about handing the ball off to whichever back is in their backfield. Before the injury, Stacy had his number called at least 26 times in the previous three games, and if you add his 12 carries pre-injury on Sunday to Cunningham’s attempts, the 25 total carries between the two shows the Rams are committed to the run. The Rams are going to run the ball plenty of times each week no matter which capable back is in their backfield.
Stacy is currently undergoing concussion protocol and it’s too early in the week to determine his status for next week, but if you are a Stacy owner or are looking to add another running back to your team due to an injury to one of your weekly starters, Cunningham is worth the pick-up.
The Rams face off against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, and their run defense is ranked in the bottom half of the league. They are averaging 16.2 fantasy points per week to opposing backs and have allowed 90+ rushing yards and two touchdowns in the past two weeks. The game is shaping up to be a grind it out kind of battle, and each team will preach the importance of ball control.
If Stacy is unable to suit up and Cunningham is called upon once again to take the carries, the Rams will not be afraid to give him the ball and make Cunningham an integral part of the offensive game plan.
Add Cunningham to your roster as a handcuff if you roster Stacy to be sure you get the feature back in a game that will be determined on the ground. Cunningham is a more than capable back and could be moved into your flex position or as a low end RB2 in most leagues.
Tristen Challe is a Fantasy Writer for Rantsports. Follow him on Twitter @TristenChalle or on Google
