Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell implied that Ameer Abdullah had been benched Sunday due to fumbling, per Justin Rogers of MLive.com.
Ameer Abdullah benched due to fumbling, per report, remains fantasy flex option
The 0-5 Lions’ woes continue, as their starting running back battles fumbling issues. We break down the fantasy implications.
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“Anytime you put the ball on the ground, obviously, your chances of being able to play for us consistently are going to be minimized,” Caldwell said.
Abdullah’s college career shows a track record of fumbling issues, and they haven’t been perfected at the professional level. The rookie out of Nebraska put the ball on the ground twice on Sunday, losing one.
Fantasy impact: Despite Abdullah's fumbles and just a 3.3 yards per carry average, the Lions don't have much to replace him with, even they wanted to. With Joique Bell injured and Theo Riddick being used predominantly as a receiver, Zach Zenner is the only viable option outside of Abdullah. And he hasn't done enough with his chances to indicate a changing of the guard is under way.
Abdullah has the talent to warrant flex consideration, especially in the part of the season schedule with bye weeks. But fantasy owners are warranted in feeling frustration with the dynamic rookie, as Abdullah will likely only go as far as the rest of a struggling Lions offense takes him.
