Fantasy Football Week 7 Start or Sit: Eddie Lacy

By Greg Sulik @GregSulik on October 16, 2014

Well, I bet you never thought it would come to this when you drafted Eddie Lacy in the middle of the first round, but here we are. It’s Week 7 and we have to have an honest discussion about whether or not a perfectly healthy player drafted somewhere between 5-7 overall in most leagues is even worth starting.

Lacy owners everywhere (myself included) have been extremely disappointed in the Green Bay Packers‘ second year back thus far, as he has turned in total duds in four of his six games. Lacy has been reduced to a 50/50 time share with James Starks over the last two weeks, and he has only broken 15 carries once this season after hitting the 20 carry mark ten times as a rookie. All in all, Lacy has been one of the biggest busts in fantasy this year, and it has left owners facing some tough decisions.

This week, Lacy faces a Carolina Panthers defense that ranks 27th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game and and 32nd in yards per carry allowed. That is certainly an enticing matchup, though it’s worth noting that this same Panther defense ranked 2nd in the league in rush yards allowed last year, so they are probably better than the early season numbers indicate.

Still, if Lacy is going to get on track, this game certainly provides him with the opportunity to do it. The Packers are going to continue to be a pass first team (they’ve thrown on nearly 60% of their plays), and Starks is going to continue to steal some opportunities away from Lacy. However, Lacy is still going to get the first crack at it, and if he gets himself going he could re-establish himself as the clear lead back for the Packers. The Packers have a pretty favorable schedule as far as opposing run defenses go in the second half of the season, and a good performance Sunday from Lacy could be the catalyst for turning his season around.

If you drafted Lacy, you probably don’t have a wealth of reliable options to replace him, especially with bye weeks and injuries taking their toll on most teams. As frustrating as he has been this season, stick with him for at least one more game here. He is a better player than what he’s shown this season, and it is only a matter of time before he becomes at least reasonably productive, though you should drop any remaining expectations of him being a star. It is hard to stick with an underperforming player, but give Lacy one more shot in a favorable matchup this week.

Verdict: Start

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