One of the big fantasy football storylines heading into Thursday night's 2011 NFL season opener between the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints was what would happen at the Packers running back position. Ryan Grant entered last season as starter but was to an ankle injury and the Packers had to battle through the regular season with a limited rushing attack. Once the postseason hit, James Starks broke out with strong performances that had him in the mix for playing time this season.
Packers vs. Saints Recap: Ryan Grant Starts, James Starks Impresses
The plan has been to split carries between the two backs and we saw that on Thursday with Grant getting nine carries and Starks getting 12 carries. Grant got the consistent early carries but Starks emerged as the more explosive of the two, highlighted by his bruising 17-yard touchdown run.
The question now is how long they’ll stick with what was a very solid dual rushing attack. As long as they’re getting these kinds of yards per carry from both running backs, we’ll likely continue to see both guys getting significant carries. At this point you can’t make a start/sit decision with either, although if were going to roll the dice, Stars would likely be the better option. In reality you should probably give the situation a few weeks to marinate on your bench.
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