The Green Bay Packers surprised everyone Sunday, leaning more heavily on heretofore backup running back James Starks to carry the load over previous No. 1 guy Eddie Lacy. Starks rewarded the faith with a huge fantasy day in the Packers’ 27-20 win over the San Diego Chargers.
James Starks has huge day; fantasy owners must pay attention
The Green Bay running back might have stolen the starting job back. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Starks had 10 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown in the game. He also caught one pass for a 5-yard score. Meanwhile, Lacy -- who came into the season as a theoretical stud and one of the top overall picks in drafts -- had four carries for three yards and caught two passes for 17 more.
Fantasy impact: No one really saw this coming. People were all over social media wondering if Lacy was hurt, searching for an explanation for Starks’ big day. But it appears the Packers just liked what they saw from Starks leading up to the game and decided to roll with him over Lacy in Sunday’s game. It’s possible Lacy’s early season ankle injury is still bothering him, but whatever it is, fantasy owners have to be frustrated.
Lacy is now averaging four fantasy points a game since his decent Week 1. He’s been outscored by Starks in three of the last five weeks. The Packers are on a bye in Week 7 and play Denver in Week 8. It might be three weeks before you can use Lacy again. Meanwhile, even as he heads into a bye, Starks needs to be added in all fantasy leagues as soon as possible.
