The Green Bay Packers get one running back back from injury while losing another one. The ground game continues to be thorn in the Packers side as injuries has hampered the group's production. Even a week off was not enough to get certain players healthy. As the team prepares to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Eddie Lacy is back, but James Starks is out.
Head coach Mike McCarthy announced that Starks would not be on the field come Sunday. The running back hurt his knee in Week 3 against the Bengals and has been deemed still unhealthy. The head coach believes it could be a few weeks before Starks returns. That leaves the Packers once again short-handed at the position.
However, Lacy is back and reportedly running again at full speed. The rookie suffered a concussion after being on the wrong end of a helmet-to-helmet hit when the team played the Redskins in Week 2. The injury kept Lacy out against the Bengals but he is expected to start against the Lions. McCarthy noted the rookie has practiced well all week and he expects him at full speed come Sunday.
At this point, Lacy and rookie Johnathan Franklin will handle the ground game rotation. Franklin also suffered a knee injury in Week 3, but McCarthy noted that he has been back at practice all week as well and will likely play on Sunday. Franklin has managed to put up 103 yards rushing so far this season off 13 attempts. Lacy has just 51 yards, but has appeared to be the better pass-catching runner of the bunch.
Lacy will get the start on Sunday. Fantasy owners should see production out of Lacy against the Lions. The Detroit defense has allowed appoints to rush an average of 110.8 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry. The Packers never rush that often, but this could be a good game to see some numbers put up by the young backs.
McCarthy notes that Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh will make it difficult for the ground game to get moving, but he is confident that with the progress made by Lacy and Franklin, they will get some solid yards out of them.
