Quarterbacks Cam Newton and Geno Smith led their respective teams in rushing in Week 6, but there was one stark difference between the two signal-callers' performances. While Newton rushed 17 times for an impressive 107 yards and a touchdown, Smith tallied just two runs for a grand total of 11 yards. That's right. Smith led the Jets in rushing with 11 yards. So if you started a Jets' running back on your fantasy team, you're probably at the store right now trying to find a deal on tissues to dry all of your tears. Running back committees are fun! Jets players in fantasy are even greater fun! Anyway, let's take a look at what went down in some more successful shared backfields from the week that was.
Browns:
Over past three weeks, the Steelers defense had allowed just 35, 44, and 42 rushing yards to running backs in each game against the Panthers, Buccaneers and Jaguars, respectively (these numbers seem impressive at first glance but when you note the opponents, it's more understandable). And then then Week 6 happened. The Browns' duo of Ben Tate and Isaiah Crowell combined for 155 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries in a blowout against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Although Crowell was more efficient running the ball for an average of 7.0 yards per carry, Tate was the clear lead back and again carried the load with 25 carries for 78 yards and two scores (19.80 fantasy points).
It's worth mentioning that Terrance West was a healthy scratch for this game which means Crowell has definitively moved up the depth chart as the No. 2 option for the Browns. Should anything happen to Tate, its likely that Crowell would assume the lead role with West as his backup. West is currently owned in over 70 percent of NFL.com leagues while Crowell is only owned in 8.6 percent. I smell a waiver-wire claim!
Lions:
With Reggie Bush inactive for Week 6 due to an ankle injury, it was clear that a healthy Joique Bell would get the bulk of the carries for Detroit against the Vikings. But Theo Riddick was the first Lions' running back to score as he hauled in a 9-yard touchdown catch early in the first quarter. Riddick filled in nicely for Bush and totaled five receptions for 75 yards and the score (14.10 fantasy points). As expected, Bell did most of his damage running the ball for 74 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and added two receptions for 23 yards (15.70 fantasy points) and was pretty pumped up after the game. It's not known yet if Bush will be able to play in Week 7 against his former team, but he has been optimistic about his chances to play versus the Saints.
Broncos:
With Montee Ball sidelined with a groin injury, Ronnie Hillman expectedly got the nod as Denver's lead back in Week 6. The big question heading into the game was just how much work would Hillman get, and how much would the Broncos involve Juwan Thompson and C.J. Anderson? The answer: Hillman carried the rock 24 times for a total of 100 yards marking the most rushing yards for a Denver back since 2013. In terms of a committee, well it wasn't much of one. Thompson managed 38 yards on the eight carries he received while Anderson only played on one offensive snap the entire game, and didn't touch the ball once.
It's a small sample size, but it seems like Hillman is the favorite for the majority of carries going forward, and if he keeps performing well, it's worth questioning in Ball would resume his lead role once healthy. Go get Hillman on the waiver-wire this week if he's not already owned in your league. The Broncos take on the 49ers in Week 7.
Additional yardage:
Giovani Bernardwent off for 157 total yards and a rushing touchdown against the Panthers Sunday, taking 18 rushes for 137 yards including an 89-yard run for a touchdown in the second quarter. Bernard finished Week 6 with 21.70 fantasy points in standard scoring. Rookie Jeremy Hill also had an opportunity to produce when Bernard left the game for a short time with an apparent shoulder injury (he returned to the game later). Hill managed 22 yards on eight carries and scored a rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Both backs need to be owned in all leagues.
For the third week in a row, Justin Forsett was the more productive back out of the Ravens' backfield but Bernard Pierce actually finished the game with more carries. Forsett ran for 111 yards on 14 carries while Pierce averaged a paltry 2.1 yards per rush going for 32 yards on 15 carries, although Pierce did manage to get into the end zone. If you have to start any back in Baltimore, it should be Forsett but this remains a situation to stay away from in fantasy.
There wasn't much of a run game for New England against the Bills on Sunday. The Patriots totaled 50 yards on the ground. But the big story here is the status of Stevan Ridley who left the game with an apparent knee injury. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to see just how serious the damage is. This could open the door for more opportunities for Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden (yes he's still on the team) going forward.
It was apparent on Sunday that Jerick McKinnon has moved ahead of Matt Asiata as the Vikings' lead running back. McKinnon played on 68 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps to 24 percent for Asiata. Even though he wasn't very effective against the Lionsdefense, it seems like the talented rookie is in line for a bigger role for the Vikings and should be a hot waiver-wire pickup heading into Week 7. Asiata's arrow is pointing down after Week 6, but it remains to be seen if he'll still be a candidate for goal-line work.
Matt Franciscovich is an associate fantasy editor at NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter _**@mfranciscovich**._
