Look, I don't think Dan Herron is very good. I'm a Colts fan, which means I've watched my share of Herron action, and it just hasn't impressed me.
Fantasy football advice, Conference championships: FanDuel running backs
Even if the Colts’ running back isn’t great, he’s got the job, and that might be enough.Click here to get a 100% deposit bonus on FanDuel
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Right now, though, that's irrelevant -- Herron is far and away the best running back the Colts have, he's put up numbers one way or another lately, and the Colts are one of the teams still going in the playoffs, and that makes Herron a viable FanDuel option. The best running backs for the Seahawks and Packers are mega-elite, mega-expensive names, and while I think I know how the New England running back group will shake out this week, I can't remotely pretend I'm confident.
What that means is that Herron, for his relative failings, is an intriguing daily play for the weekend of the conference championships.
So that’s Herron. What of the rest of the running backs? Each week of the playoffs, I’ve been ranking the relevant players by fantasy intrigue, taking their FanDuel salaries into account -- a successful cheap guy is far more interesting than a successful expensive one. I’ll show the chart first, then get to my rationales after:
Running backs
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent | Salary |
| 1 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA | GB | $8,600 |
| 2 | Dan Herron | IND | @NE | $7,000 |
| 3 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | IND | $5,400 |
| 4 | Eddie Lacy | GB | @SEA | $8,300 |
| 5 | Shane Vereen | NE | IND | $5,400 |
| 6 | Zurlon Tipton | IND | @NE | $5,000 |
| 7 | James Starks | GB | @SEA | $4,500 |
| 8 | Robert Turbin | SEA | GB | $4,700 |
| 9 | Brandon Bolden | NE | IND | $4,600 |
| 10 | Jonas Gray | NE | IND | $5,300 |
| 11 | John Kuhn | GB | @SEA | $4,500 |
- For all I said about Herron, I still can't take him over Lynch, who I expect to have a big game against a middle-of-the-road Green Bay defense. He's the most appealing running back of the week, and one of the most intriguing players at any position.
- If I knew without a doubt Blount would have a Herron- or Lynch-like share of the carries, he'd be my No. 2 running back, maybe No. 1. The Colts were in the bottom 10 against opposing fantasy running backs this year, with Gray famously having a historic day against them. But with the way New England works its running backs, I don't know that I can trust Blount enough to bump him above the other two.
- I just wouldn't use Lacy. Sure, if I'm for some reason deciding between he and Starks, yeah, Lacy is the choice. But dude is priced at a mega-elite level, and as good as I think he is, it's hard to imagine he'll have a great game against that Seattle defense.
- After those four, it's tough to imagine confidently using any member of the position. Maybe Vereen in a pinch, but the rest of the running backs are a bunch of guys who might only have a carry or two Sunday. Not worth it.
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