The Washington Redskins are preparing to have Alfred Morris back completely healthy after injuring his ribs in the team's Week 4 win over the Oakland Raiders. While Morris is healthy, backup running back Roy Helu is pushing more for the spotlight. Having proven he can handle an increased work load, head coach Mike Shanahan is looking to give the running back a bigger work load against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6.
"I'd like to get Helu out there more," Shanahan said, via John Keim of ESPN.com. "It's always a hard thing when you've got two guys you believe in and with the success Alf's had last year and how much we do believe in Alf, so we don't like to just keep rotating those guys all the time. ... You don't ever want to do that at the expense of another one of your good players."
Helu has done all he can with the spotty touches he has received. In the first three games, Helu had six touches before getting 15 against the Raiders. The running back had a strong summer while Morris was limited, proving he can handle more from the Redskins. He has also emerged as the better pass-catching back, able to break into open field with his quick feet.
Helu could drastically help Washington with their third-down conversions. Right now the team is 26th in league, converting on just 32.0 percent of their opportunities. Helu is itching to get his time in games and the coaching staff recognizes that.
"When his time comes, we can never predict it as coaches, but you hope he's ready for it," Shanahan said. "He got that opportunity versus Oakland and I thought he was one of the main reasons we were able to win the game. ... He looked good. I think he's looked that way all this year. I think he looked that way starting about half way through his rookie year. We believe in Roy."
From a fantasy perspective, it is hard to imagine sitting Morris in favor of Helu. The running back is ripping off 5.3 yards per carry and the Redskins need that production. Plus returning after a breakout rookie campaign means the coaches will continue to look his way. However against the Cowboys with Morris still returning from injury, Helu deserves a second glance.
