Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
When the Indianapolis Colts traded for Trent Richardson last year, this trade looked like an excellent one. At the time, the Colts had no running back presence to complement star quarterback Andrew Luck. Although the Colts had to trade away their 2014 first-round pick, it still seemed that the trade would put this offense over the top. Unfortunately, ever since Richardson has been a Colt, his career has taken a turn in the wrong direction.
The reasons why he hasn’t had success could be a bundle of things, but there is no denying the fact that he can still be a productive running back going forward. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 on Monday Night Football, Richardson had perhaps his best night as a member of the Colts. Although the Eagles have a terrible defense, Richardson still had 21 touches for 79 yards. Although he had two fumbles as well, 21 touches is extremely encouraging for a struggling superstar in Richardson.
While Ahmad Bradshaw has been impressive so far in 2014, Richardson is still clearly the feature back in this offense. So if you’re a Richardson owner, don’t worry about Bradshaw, as he is only a change-of-pace back. Going forward, Richardson will face an extremely favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In fact, the Jaguars are ranked 31st in terms of fantasy points given up to running backs. The Colts will move the ball a lot on Sunday and this smells for a huge day for Luck and Richardson. That being said, Richardson is a must-start in all fantasy football leagues.
Ryan Ratty is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanRattyNFL or add him to your network on Google.
