The Indianapolis Colts are down another running back in the 2013 season. Earlier in the year, Vick Ballard was ruled out for the season with a knee injury. The team traded for Trent Richardson after bringing on Ahmad Bradshaw as well. Now, Bradshaw is out for the year, leaving the Colts with Richardson and Donald Brown. So who is the better Indianapolis running back for fantasy purposes?
The Indianapolis Star reports Bradshaw is out for the year after suffering a neck injury that will require surgery. This would have been disastrous a few weeks ago, the Colts traded for Richardson allowing for them to keep a running back tandem in place. The Colts had originally intended for Ballard and Bradshaw to split the number of carries 50-50 and will likely instill that plan with Richardson and Brown. However, Brown is emerging as the better back and a must-start in fantasy leagues.
Brown and Richardson both have very different running styles. Richardson is a power back. He thrives off down-field running, bouncing off tackles as he goes along. Brown is a speedster. When he gets into open field, no one will catch him. Brown has always been a backup, but with just two running backs left on the roster, his playing will increase heavily.
Brown's role as Bradshaw's replacement is paying off so far. The running back put up 7.60 fantasy points in Week 4 and 10 points in Week 5 against the Seahawks. So far on the year, he has 157 yards rushing off 19 carries, along with 14 yards receiving. Those numbers should increase quickly has his number of touches go up. The Colts still rely heavily on the ground game, so Brown will see the field a lot.
Richardson will still be the starter mainly because of his draft status. Indianapolis remains confident that he can return to the top back he was prior to leaving college. Richardson's numbers with the Colts are certainly better than they were with the Browns. He has two scores in the three games with Indianapolis after not putting up any points with Cleveland. Richardson is the better pass catcher of the two backs, so he remains key in PPR leagues. The issue is Richardson is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry, while Brown is averaging 8.3 yards per carry.
The Colts faceoff against San Diego on Monday night which could mean big games for both running backs. The Chargers are giving up 117.2 yards per game to opponents. Owners can expect the Colts to thrive off that.
