Why drive when you can fly?
In recent seasons, that's been the unwritten motto of most NFL offenses. But the joys of a good ground game can't be overstated -- just ask the New Orleans Saints, who would likely be undefeated if they could have run out the clock last week against the New England Patriots. Besides, Willie Nelson never sang about his eagerness to get back in the air again.
So while we dedicated last week's column to quarterbacks and their home versus road production, this week is all about the guys who matriculate the ball down the field the old-fashioned way.
Home is where the heart is -- and presumably the fantasy points -- so it seems like a good place to start. It's probably not a surprise that fantasy backs tend to be better at home than on the road. But it might a little surprising to see how much better they are. Looking at home running back production, there are five different rushers averaging better than 19 points per game, compared to just two on the road.
No one better epitomizes that difference than Reggie Bush. Sir Reginald has scored two of his three touchdowns at home this season. And it's not like he's seeing more touches at Ford Field. Bush has the same number of carries at home (39) as on the road -- and four fewer catches. In two home games, Bush has posted 91 more scrimmage yards than in his three road games. He even missed Week 3's road contest with an injury.
Marshawn Lynch's differences are equally as stark. Heading into the Week 7 game at Arizona, Lynch had played three games at home and three on the road. Apparently, he has a hard time finding Skittles outside the Emerald City because he's scored just one touchdown on the road ... and five at home. He's also been more of a threat in the passing game in his home dates. While he only has one more reception at home, he's gained 56 more receiving yards.
If you're like me, you're wondering how Rashard Mendenhall made it on this list. He's been indiscriminately mediocre, whether at home or on the road. In fact, Mendenhall has fewer carries and rushing yards in home games. The difference? His only two touchdowns have come at University of Phoenix Stadium.
In one sense, it explains how LeSean McCoy made his way onto the list despite one solid road game followed by a trio of mediocre ones. It also reinforces how much Chris Johnson has struggled this year, as he didn't crack the top 10 despite more attempts.
Want to know why Knowshon Moreno has been one of the big fantasy surprises of 2013? Check his road production. He's only played two games outside of the Mile High City heading into Week 7, but both were 20-plus point outbursts. Moreno's home numbers would likely be better were it not for a 6.5-point Week 1, before he took control of the running back job.
But he's not the only road warrior on the list. Jamaal Charles has run for nearly 80 more yards and has just one fewer touchdown in his road games this season.
It's somewhat baffling that fantasy running backs don't have more road success. It would stand to reason that visiting teams would love nothing more than to shorten a game by running the ball and milking the clock. Perhaps there haven't been enough road teams with late leads to put this into practice. Perhaps offensive coordinators are out-thinking themselves.
Even if teams aren't pounding the rock on the road, there are a slew of top 25 fantasy backs that are averaging more fantasy points away from home. Some of them could surprise you.
- Knowshon Moreno: -8.3 ppg
- Pierre Thomas: -5.8 ppg
- Fred Jackson: -5.4 ppg
- Matt Forte: -4.4 ppg
- Darren McFadden: -2.5 ppg
- Adrian Peterson: -2.3 ppg
- Trent Richardson: -2.1 ppg
- Doug Martin: -1.7 ppg
- Bilal Powell: -0.4 ppg
Okay, the most shocking part could be that names like Trent Richardson and Darren McFadden are still among the top 25. But it goes to show that having a player on the road isn't necessarily a reason to sit him down.
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That's all well and good. But we all know that consistency counts for something. The goal is to be able to have a running back that you can start week-in and week-out ... something that's getting harder to find in fantasy backs. Fret not, there are some guys whose difference in production is pretty small whether home or away.
- Alfred Morris: 0.3 ppg
- Bilal Powell: 0.4 ppg
- Frank Gore: 0.6 ppg
- Jamaal Charles: 0.7 ppg
- DeAngelo Williams: 0.9 ppg
Considering Charles' overall high level of production, that small disparity is even more impressive. It's also the reason he's on pace to finish the season as fantasy's top running back. So why drive when you can fly? Maybe because sometimes it's the best way to your destination.
Next week: Home and road wide receivers/tight ends.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com and a guy who just finished re-reading "On the Road". Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.