Lucy puts the ball down and Charlie Brown works himself into a frenzy preparing to kick it.
That's sort of the position fantasy owners find themselves in when trying to figure out whether to play up one of Mike Shanahan's running backs. The minute the Redskins' coach tees up Tim Hightower, Ryan Torain comes along. The minute Torain looks like the starter, Roy Helu is going nuts. After Helu recorded 146 total yards in Week 9, he had six carries and Torain had 10. And that's just this season.
Shanahan's tortuous game of running back carousel goes back to his Denver days when fantasy owners were trying to figure out a minefield littered with the likes of Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young, Tatum Bell and Travis Henry. In 2007, Andre Hall ran for touchdowns in back-to-back games and had a combined 187 rushing yards. At the end of 2008, Hall was out of football.
Injuries have played a big part in Shanahan's merry-go-round, but so has mediocrity. In his search for the next Terrell Davis (or even Clinton Portis), Shanahan has gone through running backs like Herman Cain has scandals. After running for 108 yards against Seattle on Sunday, Helu is again the flavor of the week.
"He's got the job," Shanahan said on Wednesday. "It's his to lose."
Helu, a rookie fourth-round pick out of Nebraska, has improved as a blocker and is an outstanding receiver. In Week 9, he set a Redskins record with 14 catches and had seven more last week. The 23 carries against the Seahawks were the most for a Redskins running back since Hightower had 25 in the season opener.
"It's pretty cool," Helu said. "Ever since I was younger, I wanted to be that type of person that contributed in the NFL. If anything, it's the amount of carries that build my confidence."
Helu is an RB3 or flex option this week against the Jets. Should he have another strong game, Helu's stock will rise with favorable matchups against the Patriots and Giants looming (see chart). Helu would be a late-season sleeper as long as Lucy doesn't pull the ball away. Again.
TRIVIALITY:
Rob Gronkowski's 11 touchdowns are two behind the single-season record for a tight end. Which two players share the record? Hint: Both are active, but Tony Gonzalez is not one of them.
POSITION WATCH:
